The World of Rhune

“I…am…done!” Sicera slumped against one of her leather trunks; exhausted from sitting on and squeezing clothes to make them fit in the various trunks that she was to bring. “Mrremow,” Queen Akemi trotted over to her. “Oh yes, sorry precious, we are done,” Sicera cooed and picked up her fluffy cat. She scratched the base of Queen Akemi’s tail and rubbed her face against the cat’s thick fur. “Oh, good girl, yes, Akemi’s a good girl,” Sicera fingered Queen Akemi’s studded collar, and the cat hissed and jumped out of the princess’ arms. “Mreow yourself, don’t you hiss at me,” Sicera tutted and picked back up her little cat. The cat started meowing and giving her warning hisses, and Sicera copied the sounds after her cat made them for a minute. “Fine, you sour cat, you can go,” Sicera tossed the cat onto her bed, and shook her head as she watched Queen Akemi lick herself furiously. The princess made her way over to her wall and tugged on the thick gold rope that dropped besides her bed. Someone knocked two minutes later. “Come in!” Sicera called, opening the door. “Yes, Princess Sicera?” a short maid bowed, and stepped into the room. “I’m done with that dreadful packing, would you alert Seaku? Oh, and have a manservant remove the trunks from my room. Thank you,” Sicera spun away from the door and pressed her face against the French doors, looking at the cresting waves that seemed to be calling her salt-water soul. “Beach here I come,”

“So you’re finally done, you really were in a hurry to get out, weren’t you?” Seaku taunted as he came in to his sister’s bedroom, an hour after she’d sent for him. “Shh, I’m dead from waiting so long. It’s bad luck to taunt or wake the dead, you know.” Sicera stuck her tongue out dramatically as she lay on her bed, lying perfectly still, and further proving her point. “Oh, yes, I’m sorry about that. I had some, er, business to take care of that was of the utmost importance. I hadn’t expected my lazy younger sister to be done so quickly. Oh, wait, I’m not supposed to talk to the dead. Well then, I guess the picnic with me and Neriku on the beach can wait until some sooth sayer can revive and put some magic spit on the dead person.” Sicera shot up, but then regretted it as she saw her older brother’s smirking face. “Meany, and I am not being spit upon. If anything, I’m going to spit at your feet.” She slid off the bed and into her closet. “See what you’ve done? You’ve made me pack my favorite suits and beach togas and now I have no pretty ones to wear. Thank you, horribly horrible brother Seaku,” Sicera called from the closet, sliding and opening drawers as she searched for something suitable. Seaku sighed and rolled his eyes. “I didn’t realize I had a diva as a sister,” “News Flash, you do,”. Sicera came out holding up two suits, one light blue and the other a yellow. “Which?” Sicera held up the two suits to her brother, smiling as distaste wrinkled his brow. “Which person to decide? Oh, yes, you, or Neriku, or one of your maids.” Seaku brushed past her into her common room, but Sicera followed. “Choose which suit. I need advice here, Mr. King of Sien-Ra. Though at this point, I’m seriously doubting it.” She put her hand on her hip to emphasize her speech, and caused Seaku to go into a fit of laughter before her eye caught him and he coughed. “Yellow,” Sicera frowned upon him, and shook her head no. “Blue?” “There we go, yeesh, you need help. How did you even get yourself dressed this morning? Neriku? Oh, by the way, you smell a lot nicer. Bathe lately?” She said, tossing the yellow suit onto the floor and walking to her bathroom. “As a matter of fact, yes, for both of your questions. My wife has an excellent sense of fashion and I took the option readily, since I had no others besides myself.” Seaku’s words dared Sicera to deny Neriku’s fashion sense, but the girl stayed calm, for once in her life. “Well, at least someone cares for the king. Oh, and can you leave?” Sicera blinked quickly at her brother, all girlish and sweet. “Sicera, yes, but please, as you just pointed out, I’m King of Sien-Ra. Please show some respect. It’s starting to get on my nerves, really, as much as banter is fun, you seem to always get the best of me. So it rather annoys me when it goes on too long. Remember not one of the monarchs in the world act like this to their children—” “Funny, Seaku.” “Yes, very funny. Just shape up to be a princess, Sicera, you’re starting to scare me. I’m honestly just about ready to send you to the Renta coast with your own household, just to make sure I’ve raised you right.” Seaku seemed distressed now, and Sicera sighed. “Excuse me for being so frank with my older brother, who is my only living flesh and blood relative besides old Aunt Heather who’s going to pass away soon anyways. You know, I wish I were some kind of peasant. I could do what I wished, marry whom I choose, befriend whom I choose, and act how I wish. And I could—” “That’s a lot of I’s there, why don’t you just be overjoyed with your lot and fit your role and live your life. There’s no way I’m letting you change that. I’ll meet you in an hour, though we have some guests that will be attending, so you will not be rude, snotty, or in any way unprincess like. Understood?” Seaku amended and commanded, and walked towards the door. “Yes sir, King Seaku, sir!” Sicera saluted, smiling widely. Her brother rolled his eyes but smiled back, and silently closed her door behind him. The door reopened as quickly as it had shut. “Oh wait, Sicera, wear something more presentable than the beach toga. Something more formal, like that pretty blue one we’ve had to make twice since you loved the first one to death. Oh, and your head piece would look lovely, too” The door swung shut, and stayed shut. Sicera sighed, she loved the beach, because it represented freedom. Not dresses that were too layered and swept up in the slightest wind, and heavy head pieces that seemed like beacons to people, saying “This is the princess, feel free to swarm and make her feel horribly claustrophobic with all your problems and needs”