A Worthless Crown

The Voice of Fraero Vista:

I was surrounded by laughter and chatter, but it all felt distant, like I was hearing it through thick glass. My twelfth birthday. A big deal, or at least, it was supposed to be. The Vista estate was overflowing with the city's wealthiest children and families, all gathered up to worship me. But I saw through them all, through the smiles and the fake laughs, it had always been like this.

In this wretched city...

I stood at the center of it all, leaning against a marble pillar, a glass of river water swirling lazily in my hand. I could feel their eyes on me—on my white hair, my pale skin—but it didn't matter. I was Fraero Vista, this was life, or atleast the life of a Vista.

"Fraero! Over here!"

I didn't even bother looking up at the shout. It was just another one of those kids, desperate to get my attention, under the orders of their family to try and squeeze every last dime out of me. They all had the same gleam in their eyes—like they thought they could simply win me over with a nice gift or a flattering word. As if I needed any of that, these people need my approval to live. Perhaps that's what makes my life so hollow.

A blonde girl in a sparkly dress waved at me frantically, a nervous smile on her face as she approached. She had a little velvet box in her hand.

"I—I got you something for your birthday!" she said, holding it out to me, all wide-eyed and hopeful.

I glanced down at the box, barely interested, before I opened it. Inside was a silver bracelet, all delicate and studded with diamonds. It was pretty, I guess, if you liked that kind of thing. But I didn't, I much preferred swords and stories of war.

I didn't even get a chance to look at her as I dropped the box onto a nearby table with a soft clink, because the next person was already at the front of the line.

"Another trinket," I muttered, more to myself than to them. "What use is there for a hundred trinkets?"

They all stood there, their faces going red as they waved their presents around, but I didn't care. I took another sip from my glass, already bored. "If you have another trinket to add to my collection, take it away. Do not waste my time." I said, waving them off.

A large majority of the line walked away, quickly, not even worthy of my recognition.

A boy in a crisp white suit tried next, holding out a scroll. "Fraero, this is for you!" he said, all excited, his voice a little too high-pitched for my liking. "A poem, specially written just for you!"

I took a long sip of my drink, then turned my attention to him. He unrolled the parchment, and his voice got all dramatic as he began reciting the lines.

"To Fraero, the jewel of the Vista line,A future so bright, it forever will shine—"

I couldn't even pretend to care. "What's this, a love poem?" I interrupted, cutting him off. "This is pathetic. Do you seriously think I'm going to be impressed by this? This is the eighth poem today."

The boy stammered, trying to recover, but I wasn't interested in listening to his excuses. I rolled my eyes, already sick of it. "Perhaps you should realize it's time to get out of my sight." I said, turning my back on him.

He left, his face shrivelled up, but I didn't feel bad whatsoever. I wasn't here to babysit a bunch of desperate kids trying to suck up to me. I wasn't interested in any of that, I was only hosting a party to get some cool presents, to which I had recieved none.

I was done with this party. I pushed my way through the crowd, ignoring the whispers and the awkward looks as I made my way out. I just needed a moment away from all these simpletons.

The air was cooler as I stepped onto the balcony, the distant sounds of the city were muffled by the walls of the estate. I leaned over the railing, staring out at Alto Mora. It was a grey, lifeless city, the kind of place where people got lost in their hopes. People worked years in the underground mines, digging for riches that would never come. 

From what I understood, the mines had lost the majority of their resources and now we were just funneling the last scraps out.

But none of that mattered. I had everything I needed already. I was Fraero Vista. The heir to it all. What could they possibly offer me? The weight of an entire city would soon be mine to bear, I didn't have time for these crude events.

I turned to head back inside, but a servant was waiting by the door. "Young master, your father requests your presence in his study," he said, bowing.

I groaned. "Tell him I'm coming," I muttered, already wishing I was anywhere but here.

I climbed the winding stairs slowly, taking my time, already thinking about how I could avoid talking to my father for as long as possible. When I reached his study, I didn't bother knocking. I just walked in, a Vista did not need knock.