Many of the stories she had heard spoke of family love, but Alana did not know what family love was. Her mother had died soon after giving birth to Alana, and her father had gone through many mistresses. She had never been picked up by her parents and had never felt the warmth of their hands.
Alana wondered what her life would have been like if she had been born into a different family. If she had a choice, she would prefer a warm life with a father and a mother she could touch.
Ever since she could remember, she had been told that she was a child with little emotion. She was also told that she did not understand the subtleties of the human heart.
The adults around her had put it down to the fact that she was the “Wise Emperor Lorenzo”. They said that Alana, who had the same platinum hair and green eyes as him, was the second coming of Lorenzo. It was said that Lorenzo was an excellent leader, but he had little emotion and could not understand the subtleties of the human heart. Emotions were a hindrance to knowledge. That was what the adults had told Alana.
The pious people of Armenia had always longed for the return of Lorenzo and had blind faith in his miracles. Nevertheless, Alana was not the only one who was the second coming. But the previous king with the same hair and eyes – Alana’s grandfather - was also said to be emotionless and unable to understand the subtleties of the human heart.
In truth, both Alana and her grandfather had been stripped of their natural personalities. They recreated over time to become the “Second Coming of Lorenzo” that people wanted them to be. The Second Coming of Lorenzo was obligated to spend his time in the library.
Of the vast library extending to the 7th floor in the basement of Armenia Castle, the 6th and 7th floors were designated as the rooms for the reincarnations. Alana was only three years old when she was locked in there. The young Alana was assigned to two maidservants who never spoke to her and five strict teachers. Under their supervision, she was forced to read all day long. In the beginning, Alana resisted, complained, and even cried some days, but when she realised that it was all for nought, she gradually became better behaved.
It was impossible for such a child, isolated and lonely from the outside world, to become emotionally rich. The life of the reincarnation in the depths of the underground was set from the age of three to thirteen. During that time, she would follow the example of the Wise Emperor Lorenzo and learn as much as she could. However, unlike her grandfather, Alana was physically weak. For this reason, she was assigned a special aide. That was Callisto..., the future Chancellor, and the boy who was Alana’s fiancé. Only he was forgiven for speaking privately with Alana. Callisto was a kind man who was devoted to Alana.
He would secretly bring her candy and gently give it to her. However, he was not the only one who came to visit. Sometimes there would be uninvited guests. -Her half-brothers. Raymond and Juanito often assaulted her, but the guards, teachers, and servants could do nothing to stop the two princes, and Alana gave up too soon.
Alana’s strength was too weak to resist. It was all in vain.
“I’m sure I’ll get you out of the library soon. So be a good girl and wait for me,” Calisto had often told her, probably because he felt sorry for her.
A good girl – that was what the adults had said. However, Alana did not know what a good child was. The standard of “good” changed with time. “Good” was a label that belonged to the winners.
However, she thought that the correct answer was to keep quiet and not to have a will. It could be said that she was ‘abandoning’ the answer, but the other person would see it as convenient. Even though she was very young, Alana chose to remain silent. People might call Alana’s situation hell. But she did not name it, nor did she intend to recognise it. In fact, she chose not to think about it. In the end, Alana’s life in the library came to a stop at the age of ten, six years before Juanito’s death.
//The mentioning of the thousand-year, Second coming reminds me of William Butler Yeats’ description of the cyclical description of gyres in his poem.
Many of the stories she had heard spoke of family love, but Alana did not know what family love was. Her mother had died soon after giving birth to Alana, and her father had gone through many mistresses. She had never been picked up by her parents and had never felt the warmth of their hands.
Alana wondered what her life would have been like if she had been born into a different family. If she had a choice, she would prefer a warm life with a father and a mother she could touch.
Ever since she could remember, she had been told that she was a child with little emotion. She was also told that she did not understand the subtleties of the human heart.
The adults around her had put it down to the fact that she was the “Wise Emperor Lorenzo”. They said that Alana, who had the same platinum hair and green eyes as him, was the second coming of Lorenzo. It was said that Lorenzo was an excellent leader, but he had little emotion and could not understand the subtleties of the human heart. Emotions were a hindrance to knowledge. That was what the adults had told Alana.
The pious people of Armenia had always longed for the return of Lorenzo and had blind faith in his miracles. Nevertheless, Alana was not the only one who was the second coming. But the previous king with the same hair and eyes – Alana’s grandfather - was also said to be emotionless and unable to understand the subtleties of the human heart.
In truth, both Alana and her grandfather had been stripped of their natural personalities. They recreated over time to become the “Second Coming of Lorenzo” that people wanted them to be. The Second Coming of Lorenzo was obligated to spend his time in the library.
Of the vast library extending to the 7th floor in the basement of Armenia Castle, the 6th and 7th floors were designated as the rooms for the reincarnations. Alana was only three years old when she was locked in there. The young Alana was assigned to two maidservants who never spoke to her and five strict teachers. Under their supervision, she was forced to read all day long. In the beginning, Alana resisted, complained, and even cried some days, but when she realised that it was all for nought, she gradually became better behaved.
It was impossible for such a child, isolated and lonely from the outside world, to become emotionally rich. The life of the reincarnation in the depths of the underground was set from the age of three to thirteen. During that time, she would follow the example of the Wise Emperor Lorenzo and learn as much as she could. However, unlike her grandfather, Alana was physically weak. For this reason, she was assigned a special aide. That was Callisto..., the future Chancellor, and the boy who was Alana’s fiancé. Only he was forgiven for speaking privately with Alana. Callisto was a kind man who was devoted to Alana.
He would secretly bring her candy and gently give it to her. However, he was not the only one who came to visit. Sometimes there would be uninvited guests. -Her half-brothers. Raymond and Juanito often assaulted her, but the guards, teachers, and servants could do nothing to stop the two princes, and Alana gave up too soon.
Alana’s strength was too weak to resist. It was all in vain.
“I’m sure I’ll get you out of the library soon. So be a good girl and wait for me,” Calisto had often told her, probably because he felt sorry for her.
A good girl – that was what the adults had said. However, Alana did not know what a good child was. The standard of “good” changed with time. “Good” was a label that belonged to the winners.
However, she thought that the correct answer was to keep quiet and not to have a will. It could be said that she was ‘abandoning’ the answer, but the other person would see it as convenient. Even though she was very young, Alana chose to remain silent. People might call Alana’s situation hell. But she did not name it, nor did she intend to recognise it. In fact, she chose not to think about it. In the end, Alana’s life in the library came to a stop at the age of ten, six years before Juanito’s death.
//The mentioning of the thousand-year, Second coming reminds me of William Butler Yeats’ description of the cyclical description of gyres in his poem.
