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What a horrible thing, for a girl so young to lose her parents.

What a horrible thing, for a kingdom to lose its king and queen.

The queen, before she and her husband left, had informed the public that this spring was to be one of rebirth; the royal couple intended to travel across the kingdom to help their people to thrive. The spring of rebirth, as everyone insisted on calling it, was a wonderful idea. The kingdom was flourishing and the people were in high spirits. Surely nothing could go wrong.

But it had.

The date of the funeral seemed to arrive more quickly than she'd expected. Everyone offered their sympathy, condolences, and apologies; the girl never responded with more than a silent acknowledgment. She resembled a ghostly waif, with her starkly black dress against pale skin, and the people talked often of her presumed pain. She's so young, they whispered. Not even sixteen yet, and now with no parents… It was not hard to conclude that her silence spoke volumes about her inner turmoil and sorrow.

Hours passed; Pandora stayed quietly at a table; the only sound she made was that of her soft breathing. Finally, a gentle hand touched her shoulder, and Pandora, still silent, laid her head on it. Oh, the poor dear, guests chattered mindlessly. No one to care for her now but that maid… How sad; how heartbreaking; how tragic.

"Princess." Pandora refused to meet her eyes, but Miriam knew she was listening. "Perhaps it is time to retire for the night." Though the girl didn't respond, Miriam squeezed her shoulder. "Come."

Pandora hesitated, but in the end she let the maid steer her away from the crowds of sympathetic nobles. She barely recognized that they were approaching her bedchambers until Miriam gently led her to her bed. "Pandora. Do you think you can sleep tonight?"

The stubborn show of strength only lasted a few moments longer before tears sprung to the girl's eyes. "Mammy… why?"

"Sometimes things happen, sweetie." The maid gently wrapped her arms around Pandora, continuing, "There is no real reason for things like this…"

Though it hurt, Pandora knew this to be true; however, even as she was glad that Miriam did not lie to her, the truth still stung. She buried her face in Miriam's shoulder, trying to stifle her sobs.

Strong… They both thought it, yet neither spoke it. A pillar of strength, a heart of gold…

"Here." Pandora lifted her face, her skin a patchwork of pink and its own normal color; she always felt so ugly when she cried. Her nurse held out to her a handkerchief, which Pandora accepted after several tentative sniffles. Miriam petted the girl's hair with one hand to calm her. When Pandora seemed to be acceptably calm, the other hand held the music box that the princess cherished so. Neither of them said a word as Miriam opened it to let free the tune carefully hidden inside.

It wasn't long before Pandora drifted off to sleep, leaning on her nurse's shoulder and cradled under the woman's arm. Miriam thanked whatever spirits might hear for this blessing; the poor princess hadn't slept well since the news arrived, and the gift of sleep for the exhausted girl was a very welcome one.

Once the sleeping youth was curled up against her mountain of pillows and delicately covered by a thin quilt, Miriam felt her job was through. With a last look at Pandora to reassure herself that the girl was indeed asleep, the woman quietly closed the door behind her.

And on a pillow next to the princess' head, the box repeated its soothing tune until it completely wound down. But even then it continued to circle round and round inside Pandora's mind, and the girl slept peacefully until the morn.

Description
What a horrible thing, for a girl so young to lose her parents.

What a horrible thing, for a kingdom to lose its king and queen.

The queen, before she and her husband left, had informed the public that this spring was to be one of rebirth; the royal couple intended to travel across the kingdom to help their people to thrive. The spring of rebirth, as everyone insisted on calling it, was a wonderful idea. The kingdom was flourishing and the people were in high spirits. Surely nothing could go wrong.

But it had.

The date of the funeral seemed to arrive more quickly than she'd expected. Everyone offered their sympathy, condolences, and apologies; the girl never responded with more than a silent acknowledgment. She resembled a ghostly waif, with her starkly black dress against pale skin, and the people talked often of her presumed pain. She's so young, they whispered. Not even sixteen yet, and now with no parents… It was not hard to conclude that her silence spoke volumes about her inner turmoil and sorrow.

Hours passed; Pandora stayed quietly at a table; the only sound she made was that of her soft breathing. Finally, a gentle hand touched her shoulder, and Pandora, still silent, laid her head on it. Oh, the poor dear, guests chattered mindlessly. No one to care for her now but that maid… How sad; how heartbreaking; how tragic.

"Princess." Pandora refused to meet her eyes, but Miriam knew she was listening. "Perhaps it is time to retire for the night." Though the girl didn't respond, Miriam squeezed her shoulder. "Come."

Pandora hesitated, but in the end she let the maid steer her away from the crowds of sympathetic nobles. She barely recognized that they were approaching her bedchambers until Miriam gently led her to her bed. "Pandora. Do you think you can sleep tonight?"

The stubborn show of strength only lasted a few moments longer before tears sprung to the girl's eyes. "Mammy… why?"

"Sometimes things happen, sweetie." The maid gently wrapped her arms around Pandora, continuing, "There is no real reason for things like this…"

Though it hurt, Pandora knew this to be true; however, even as she was glad that Miriam did not lie to her, the truth still stung. She buried her face in Miriam's shoulder, trying to stifle her sobs.

Strong… They both thought it, yet neither spoke it. A pillar of strength, a heart of gold…

"Here." Pandora lifted her face, her skin a patchwork of pink and its own normal color; she always felt so ugly when she cried. Her nurse held out to her a handkerchief, which Pandora accepted after several tentative sniffles. Miriam petted the girl's hair with one hand to calm her. When Pandora seemed to be acceptably calm, the other hand held the music box that the princess cherished so. Neither of them said a word as Miriam opened it to let free the tune carefully hidden inside.

It wasn't long before Pandora drifted off to sleep, leaning on her nurse's shoulder and cradled under the woman's arm. Miriam thanked whatever spirits might hear for this blessing; the poor princess hadn't slept well since the news arrived, and the gift of sleep for the exhausted girl was a very welcome one.

Once the sleeping youth was curled up against her mountain of pillows and delicately covered by a thin quilt, Miriam felt her job was through. With a last look at Pandora to reassure herself that the girl was indeed asleep, the woman quietly closed the door behind her.

And on a pillow next to the princess' head, the box repeated its soothing tune until it completely wound down. But even then it continued to circle round and round inside Pandora's mind, and the girl slept peacefully until the morn.