“Mademoiselle Kana! Please wake up! You will be late!” Kana’s most loyal servant Calixte Victor said with a good morning kind of feel. He opened up the curtains which shined the morning light into Kana’s eyes. “Please Mademoiselle, don’t make me ask again.”

Kana climbed out of her luxury bed, crimson colored sheets with a magnificent golden frame. She yawned very loudly, brushed her hair until it was socially acceptable to get dressed and sat down on her dressing chair. As it always happened, Kana had 15 minutes to just look around her room as the Dressing Servants arrived late. Her room had rose colored walls, white, red and pink. She had her own bathroom within it. Kana always thought her room was too big for her, they were even adding a kitchen just in case she wanted a midnight snack. Just as she thought the room was about to swallow her, her dressing servants bursted through the door. “Listen up! I know I’m late again, but we have one hour to get you dressed for your meeting today.” Mademoiselle Bureau said with a fast past.

Suddenly they grabbed Kana, stripped her down and put her in the bath tub. “Scrub scrub scrub.” Kana had to say with Mademoiselle Bureau as she was washed. Next she was grabbed out of the tub after being washed and fit into her under garments. Today they were blue, and were swallowed by the first layer of her dress. That layer was white, followed by a light pink top layer. Dark pink sleeves were put on her arms followed by faintly light blue gloves. Then they put sparkly pink heels on her feet. After that, they did her hair in a bun and placed a crown on her head. She was now ready and Mademoiselle Bureau had finished with three minutes to spare. “Okay  Kana! We are finished! You look absolutely beautiful! Just like your mother when she was a young girl. Oh do I remember all the trouble she would get into. If your grandmother would have ever found out the things your mother did, oh she would be furious. I’d be out of a job if I didn’t help your mother cover it up. Well, I’ll give you a few minutes to let everything set in. Farwell.” Mademoiselle then walked out of the room.

Kana walked over to the mirror. She definitely was beautiful, her dark brown hair shined with a radiant glow. Kana was in love with her dress as well, she took a twirl in her dress and truly felt like the princess she was suppose to be. Her mother would have been so proud of her if she was still around. She still remembers that day, the day when the thieves came and took her mother’s life. That day had always haunted her since she was a child. She then remembered Mademoiselle’s comment about her looking like her mother. When looked in the mirror again, she smiled. As long as she could see her own reflection, she would be reminded of her mother, as if she never left. She realized she was going to be late, and hurried to the door to see a short angry Mademoiselle Bureau waiting for her.

Kana arrived at the meeting she was forced to go to. She sat down at one of the open seats. When she looked around, she saw all these great rulers with their children waiting to discuss what the chairman has to say. Kana then saw her father, he had a fake smile on his face, he always had since the passing of her mother. He had gray hair and was wearing white and red. Their eyes met up and he came and sat by her. “How is my little Kana doing?” He said with a fake cheerful voice.

“I’m fine, but look the meeting is about to start.” Kana had responded quite bitterly.

“Can we take our places everyone?” The chairman yelled out to settle everyone down. “For those who do not know me, I am Victor Acord. Others, it is great to see you again. It is 1348 and we are about to face a great evil, plagued by God himself. Italy has fallen apart and no one will go near its borders. There have been very serious rumors that God sent a plague to Italy and is now killing us all.” When he paused, the crowd gasped in fear. “So far, it is called the Bubonic Plague, rumors of a Septicemic and Pneumonic Plagues have also rumored to be going around. The church doesn’t know how to clean this evil from the lands.”

Kana then interrupted him. “Do you know where this plague came from? There has to be a good explanation, right?”

“Kana calm yourself! Do not disrespect the man.” Her father shouted at  her.

“I’m sorry.” She said as her voice got quiet real quick.

“Kana, I will answer your question. Death ships. Weeks ago, trade ships arrived in Italy and that’s when the plague had rumored to be started and it can happen to any of us. We do know that is is spreading by rats! Fleas! Infected! You name it!” Victor answered.

One of the people there stood up and angrily yelled, “That is impossible! My kingdom is clean and it can never happen to us rich! It is only a problem for those who aren’t rich enough to escape to the comfort of their own homes to be safe. ”

“I see a rat!” The jester yelled in agony. Everyone then gasped and then were relieved when he said, “Just kidding, it was just a joke.”

“Okay everyone, meeting adjourned, see you all in about a month.” Victor said while still a little out of breath from the jester’s cruel joke.

Kana walked outside and waited for her carriage to arrive. The summer sun soaked her skin. A gentle breeze hit her as her ride showed up. The horses galloped to a stop, she hopped aboard and they set off once again. After about an hour, she arrived back at her castle. Something was wrong, a guard came to her, and took her to her room. “Kana, please stay in here. If you see a rat, don’t touch it. Somehow a rat got into the palace.” the guard said with extreme emergency in his voice.

Many hours later, her father came in. “It’s alright now. We searched every inch of this palace and killed any rodent we found.”

Kana knew he was lying, not about the rats, but about something else. Her father was a book, he was easily read. “Father, you know I can read you like a book, so why are you lying? What happened out there?”

He responded in a bitter-sweet tone, “Why are you always so resentful to me? I try my hardest to make you happy, but I know I can never replace your mother.” he then paused for a minute. “The truth is that, before today, we didn’t realize the rats were deadly. Your grandmother got sick with the plague and the doctors couldn’t help her. They say she has a week left to live.”

Kana had a single tear run down her face. Her father wasn’t lying this time. For the first time in a long time, she finally gave him a hug. “How did my grandfather take the news?”

“Not very well, we have to plan two funerals. He was so upset that he killed three guards. He is going to be hanged tomorrow. I’d say my goodbyes tonight if I were you. Tomorrow I need you to go into town and be there for him.” her father said with complete agony.

That night, she said goodbye to her grandparents. It didn’t feel that bad to her, but she just didn’t expect to lose them so soon. She never knew her grandfather would become a murderer or her grandmother would be so painfully ill.

The next day she was greeted by a different person than usual. “Hello my name is Juvia. I’ll be taking Calixte’s place from now.” she said with a morning cheer.

Kana stretched and yawned. “What happened to Calixte?” she asked.

“I’m sorry but he kind of died yesterday. He was in the wrong place at the wrong time when your grandfather freaked out.” Juvia said with sorrow. “No one said anything because there was a chance he would live, but died in the middle of the night.”

“I don’t know how much more I can take. My heart feels like it is going to explode from all this sadness.” Kana replied.

“You at least still have your father, and you have me now! I know we will be just the best of friends!” Juvia said.

“I don’t know about my father. I’ve always resented him since my mother’s death. We barely get along and he lies all the time. I’m the one who can see it though.” Kana murmured to Juiva.

Just then, Mademoiselle Bureau bursted into the room. She looked at Juvia. Juvia had blond hair, blue eyes, thin, and wore a blue and white dress. Juvia was quite beautiful, and Mademoiselle Bureau was jealous. She was really big, brown hair with some grays, a big mole on her face with some hair crawling out of it, and wore the customary brown and tattered work dress with a white apron on the bottom half of the dress. “Alright Kana! You know the drill!” She yelled out across the room.

After a few hours, Kana arrived in the town. She looked around, bodies were everywhere, filling the streets with a wretched smell. Fires burned as bodies were tossed in them, Rodents scurried the streets as the sick moaned in agony from the black pussy cestes on their bodies. Kana wanted to throw up, she didn’t realize how bad it was outside her castle walls and felt bad for the people of her kingdom.

The trial started. Her grandfather was hung within minutes. Kana didn’t even shed a tear, she had to stay strong for the kingdom. Everyone wore black for the rest of the week. That’s when her grandmother died. For months the kingdom was swept with darkness, no one talked, no one got close in fear of the person dying in a week or so. Kana’s room was changed to dark colors and requested to only wear black and white dresses. She would only talk to Juvia or her other maids. Juvia had grown to be a great friend of hers, they were similar age, but Juvia was a few years older. Kana felt as if Juvia was an older sister that took care of her.

With each growing month, the kingdom got less and less involved. Crowds of people waited outside the walls, wishing that the castle would provide shelter for the people who weren’t infected or needed a job or food.

A year after the outbreak of the Black Death, Kana’s father became infected. When she heard the news, she didn’t know what to feel. It was difficult to wrap around her head that her father was going to die. Four days later, her father was another person in the rising death count. She didn’t even bother to speak to him before he died. No regret flowed through her mind, she knew it was pointless to be sad about her father. She knew he loved her the best he could, but they weren’t close and now she would inherit the whole kingdom.

The funeral came. Kana felt the pressure hit her, she was now going to be queen and she didn’t feel sad for her father’s death. How could she possibly rule with no experience. She knew what she had to do. That night, she wrote a letter to Paris, to say the kingdoms should become one, since no one was left to rule this area of France properly. It was finalized a week later.

Juvia the next morning, walked in to wake up Kana. She screamed as she saw Kana’s body lying on the floor with a knife lodged within her chest. Juvia ran towards her, shaking her to see if she would possibly still be alive. Kana had died. Juvia then noticed a letter on a table near her.

“Dear Juvia,

I could no longer deal with the pain. I lost so many dear friends and family members that I couldn’t take living anymore. I always treated you like family even when I had a bad day. Don’t blame yourself for my death. Paris is now the true ruler of France and this castle has no value. I leave you with everything. Start a new life from my death and make this castle see the light again. For the longest time, all the walls would see were darkness. It’s time for a change of happiness. It’s all up to you now.

Love,

Kana Lyon”

Juvia did just that. She had a beautiful funeral for Kana. The castle was then redone to show the beauty that had long disappeared over decades of neglect. If only Kana were here now, she would have realized it wasn’t so bad, that things do get better. Years past, and Juvia married and had children. The first child she had was a girl, she named her Cana. She spelled it with a “C” so that way it was a reminder to always see the good things and not the darkness within the purest of things. For as long Juvia would live, Kana would never be forgotten.