Princess Luana stared into the darkness, well actually, staring might not be the best term. Could blind people stare?

It was a concept Luana had always thought about when out on her balcony every night.

The air was warm and inviting, not unlike a warm blanket on a stormy night.

Luana desperately tried to shake the thought from her mind, but it was too late. Flashbacks of that night were coming back, or at least what she had heard of it, she was only three.

It was a pleasantly warm evening, setting the scene for a beautiful dawn the following day. King Altarus Targus Amitas and Queen Meridia Lucinda Verias were at the gates wishing some friends farewell, and then they returned to their room.

But then it all turned sour.

Screams and shouts were coming from practically everywhere in the Forbayan Castle. The people of Forbaya, the monarchy of Forbaya specifically, was under attack.

The foreigners were using some kind of advanced technology, which involved a bright red light. People, after seeing the light directly from the source, claimed to have lost vision.

King Altarus and his faithful soldiers quickly put on their armour and rushed out to battle, while Queen Meridia and her maids hid.

And while all this chaos was going on, Princess Luana remained oblivious, confined in her own safe-haven with her beloved harpsichord. The soundproof walls blocked out the uproar the war was bringing.

Luana was having a good day. She had finally nailed down her father's hardest and most beautiful harpsichord composition and kept playing it over and over again.

Suddenly, the door burst open and two men came charging in.

Luana jumped and turned around.

The taller of the two men fiddled around with a black thing in his hand.

"Just do it!" the shorter one commanded.

"Are you sure? It's only a little kid," the taller man responded, his voice deep and low.

"Do it," the shorter man said firmly.

Luana watched in curiosity at the two odd-looking men. They were not in purple or gold garments.

"Fine, but should we really kill her?" the taller man sighed.

"Your heart is becoming weak, Ignatius. Is this because you are attacking your own blood?" the shorter one commented.

The man called Ignatius did not respond.

"We will not kill her, but we will…" the shorter man allowed his voice to trail off.

With a curt nod of his head, Ignatius flipped the black thing once more and pressed small button that sat on top.

A burst a red light shone directly into Luana's eyes. Her eyes watered up and she let out a cry.

But the men had run off and closed the door. Nobody would be able to hear the little girl, confined in her 'safe-haven'.

Luana grasped her music and looked at the notes, it comforted her slightly to see something familiar. She then brought it to her chest and held it tightly, not daring to let go.

The little princess shut her eyes and cried herself to sleep.

At daybreak, the war was won and the survivors were cheering, until Queen Meridia let out a scream, which rivaled all of the previous night's chaos in one.

King Altarus was lying dead on the drawbridge. A loving husband, a proud father, and a strong leader was he. He would be missed by many.

Meanwhile, Luana roused to a dark void. She could hear or see nothing, though she could still feel the manuscript in her arms.

Luana was found in the mid-morning by her mother and Queen Meridia let out another wretched scream upon finding out that her charismatic daughter was blind. But nobody heard this one.

This was their secret, the castle's secret. No commoner was to know of Princess Luana's blindness.

And all Luana could do was listen to the heart-wrenching events of the previous night.

Dong! The clock had struck one.

Luana sighed and realised how long she had been standing outside. Time just moved without her.

How much time has passed since that night?

Luana failed to believe she was becoming of age very soon. Very close to the age where she would have to marry someone to take her father's place and title.

Would anybody marry her? A blind princess?

That's the advantage of having an arranged marriage, she supposed, whether they like me or not, they must marry me still.

The coming of age scared her greatly. There was only one thing she had not yet done, heard her father's best composition.

She didn't even know the name. She could read music before she could read books. Now, she could read neither.

How many people can play the harpsichord? How many that have not yet been killed? How many in Forbaya? Very few, or none at all…

Luana cringed at the thought. She couldn't stand a lot of thoughts nowadays.

She held the manuscript closer and inhaled the scent of dried ink and parchment. Never had it been so comforting as it was now. Then again, it felt like that every night to Luana.

"Princess, please come in. You have been standing out there for over three hours now," a maid's desperate voice called.

Luana sighed and turned to the voice, "I don't really think I can catch the flu on a night like tonight. But I will come in anyways, sleep is calling."

The maid took her by the arm and somewhat dragged her. Luana hid her anger; she didn't need help going everywhere. Being blind did not burden her direction around the castle.

Undeniably though, it did help. It shortened the amount of time it would have taken.

Once in her room, Luana found her bed and crawled into it. There she saw that night in clearer detail all over again.