Freedom comes at a price and a young Earthal princess must live the life of somebody else, even if it means facing evil threats and impossible odds.
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As someone who craves freedom, Princess Clarabelle cannot just stand by and let her life be take...
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IT WAS one of the last days of summer, and the sun was sitting flush to the horizon, bringing in another warm, clear day to Sierra Kingdom. Clara was to be seen huddled at the back of the palace kitchen near the garden. Her hands were scalded and splotchy and tender to the bone.
Since this early morning—when she sneaked in the swarm of buzzing servants—she’d done little more than wash an endless pile of dishes. She worked on scrubbing plates and bowls and gravy boats and whole armies of silverware.
The sheer amount of work was astonishing. And Clara didn’t mind the bins of food-caked plates arriving. She was still gleeful for someone putting on a hard amount of tasks. Anyone could see it with the way she hummed a merry tune as her hands and maid’s uniform were soaked in bubbles.
Unlike the standard eighteen-year-old girl, Princess Clarabelle Zolene had no social life. The Earthal Princess was kept behind the curtains. For them, she was too precious to be left alone with untrustworthy people. She was always told that trust was valuable and she shouldn’t give it to anyone so quickly.
Sighing, she allowed the vision of the bustling towns outside the castle to paint a picture in her mind. She imagined the happy faces of their kingdom’s subjects, peaceful and content with their lives.
For royalties, it was essential to build a connection with their people, something she wasn’t allowed to do. The king and queen feared those who desired the gifted power their daughter possessed—an ability above all other elements, granted by the Guardian Deity herself—and only one individual in every century was chosen to be the bearer. For them, the only place that could give her protection was this castle. But all Clara could think of were all those missed chances for adventure and freedom.
Her family had always been close to her heart, but it didn’t mean their relationship was easy. Clara wanted to live a life of her own while they wanted her to follow the handbook of being an obedient daughter.
And when she wanted to escape her bitter reality, she’d strip off her lascivious clothing to pretend as a maid to experience being normal. In that way, she could be near other servants. She would find herself amused with their latest gossip. However, to make that happen, she had to put her power to work. A change to her hair color and an illusion of a different face would be enough to fool them.
Now, Clara’s hair was the color of brown earth, replacing her lustrous vanilla hair. Her once silver eyes became the hue of the night sky. And the face she begrudgingly copied was of the girl who she knocked out, tied, and gagged behind her closet doors.
By tonight, everyone at the castle was buzzing about the party. Her party. But to Clara, it only meant her actions were restricted. She stared down at the tin tub of scuzzy water, full of loathing.
A light tug on her dress pulled her attention from the dishes. Peering down, a small smile curved her lips at the sight of another dear friend. A cute and tiny four-legged creature looked up at her with his innocent beady eyes. The fur that surrounded his eyes was spotted in a different shade of purple. Two feathery wings were sticking on either of his sides, and two baby spiral horns were protruding on his head. If there could be a creature who could see through her power’s illusion, that would be the anima—the cursed creatures.
