The Princess Games

Prologue

"I'm going to get you Eli!"

Two young girls were running around the backyard of their home, laughing happily. The oldest, laughing and chasing her younger sister, her fiery red hair flying behind her as she ran. The younger of the two laughed as her curly pink locks bounced as she ran as fast as she could.

"No way Ash! I can run forever!" The youngest laughed as she ran faster.

Laughing and playing, the two sisters were visibly closer than most could imagine being with their sibling. Still being young, the weight of the real world had yet to be rested upon their shoulders.

As the older of the two sped up, she placed her hand upon the younger's back and laughed.

"Gotcha!"

"No fair! I was sure I could outrun you this time!"

The two laughed happily and set off running again. Their lives were happy, their minds were full of the possibilities they could conquer together. However, as they both set off running again, those possibilities were crushed with the weight of life making itself apparent.

"AGH!"

Ashley turned as fast as she could to her sister, seeing her crumpled on the ground holding her legs.

"Eli! Are you okay?" She called, running to her sister.

"M-my legs! My legs hurt!" Eli cried, tears streaming down her face.

Ashley quickly examined her sister's legs, only seeing minor scratches that they both got regularly that she knew her sister to never complain about. Freezing for a moment at the sight of her crumpled sister, she quickly began screaming.

"MOM! MOM, DAD! COME QUICK!!! IT'S ELIZABETH!"

She heard her parents call and ask what was happening, but she was so scared for her sister, scared at what could have caused this, that everything simply sounded like flies swarming around her head. She couldn't think, not of anything but what could be wrong. Before she knew it, her father was scooping up her best friend and running towards the rest of the village. Charging after them, Ashley and her mother were quick on their heels as they quickly ran to the local doctors.

Laying her on one of the beds, the doctor said he would need time to look Elizabeth over. Ashley, out of breath and crying, ran up and hugged her sister.

"Ash... It hurts... My legs... They hurt..." Elizabeth cried in pain.

It all happened so quickly. Them arriving, the sleepless nights that the two sisters refused to be separated from each other for weeks, Elizabeth's pain in her legs going away, before coming back only hours later. But the worst part of it all, was when the diagnosis came.

The doctor was standing outside the room Elizabeth had been confined to for weeks, Ashley sitting inside, curled on the bed with her reading a book.

"I'm so sorry Mr. and Mrs. Everard... But Ms. Elizabeth has some form of illness that we can't identify, nor can any of our magic cure... Either it's something wrong with her nervous system, or there's the possibility that someone may have cursed her... Either way, the poor girl won't be able to walk anymore once it's taken full effect..."

The mother began sobbing, the father clenched his fists, they both looked helpless. Their precious baby girl, their youngest, was inevitably going to lose the ability to walk, and there was nothing they could do about it.

"We can give her some pain killers, and some charms to hopefully stave it off for as long as possible, but I'm afraid that those will only be able to last for two years at a maximum..."

"Two years... By the time our sweet baby is seven... she's going to no longer be able to walk..?"

"I'm afraid so Mr. Everard..."

Ashley could hear the conversation from inside, and though Elizabeth had been engrossed in reading the story out loud for her and her sister, she seemed to understand why her sister began crying. Setting the book in their laps, she turned and hugged her sister tightly.

"Ash... It's going to be okay! Sure we may not be able to play tag or become the first female racers together anymore, but that's okay!" Elizabeth said smiling, holding her sister tightly.

"But... But Eli! You wanted to enter The Princess Games when you were older! When the prince held it in 10 years!"

"That's okay. I don't need to be a princess. Maybe I can work in the shop with Dad! Or even come work here and help people feel better! It'll be okay!"

Ashley could see the pain her sister was trying to hide to help her feel better, and guilt began to wrack her body. Here her sister was, diagnosed to no longer be able to walk, facing a major life problem, and yet she was being comforted instead of being the one for her sister to rely upon.

Their parents entered just moments later and sat down. After giving them the news, they were surprised to see that the girls seemed less phased than they expected. Seeing the pain and fear within her entire family, Ashley stood from the bed, took a deep breath, and made a decision that would decide her life's path.

"Eli... I promise I'm going to find a way to fix this."

The parents looked at her, shocked, their oldest always having been protective of Elizabeth, but they had never imagined her to commit to such an extent.

"Ashley, sweetie, this isn't curable..." Their mother whispered defeatedly.

"No, it is. I'm sure of it. There has to be something! A lost magic or... or maybe an item... Maybe a neighboring kingdom can cure her! I'll find a way! I promise!" Ashley stated, the determination in her voice silencing any disapproving thoughts her family may have stated.

Elizabeth was allowed to leave later that day, a bracelet fastened around her wrist with a small jade fastened within it. Their family went home in silence, Elizabeth being carried by her father home. Once there, her mother began making dinner while Elizabeth sat in one of the recliners in the living room. Ashley and her father, however, disappeared into the store their family-owned.

Though small, and slowly failing due to the demand for magical items rather than normally forged weapons, the blacksmithing shop was filled with metal sheets and bars. The two spoke for a bit and began getting to work. Ashley had only been working in the shop with her father for a short time, handling the cash register and gathering items around the room for her father to work with.

After a few hours, the mother bringing them dinner in the shop so they could keep working, the two stood staring at the creation they had just made. They had seen things like this that nobles had when they faced injuries to their legs and couldn't walk for a short time, and had done their best to mimic the design and utility of what they had seen. Wheeling it inside, the two walked up to Elizabeth who had been reading quietly.

"Is this... What I think it is?" The pinkette asked hopefully.

"We figured, when you need it you can use it, and when you don't you won't have to," The father said smiling.

"But... I thought only nobility could afford these?" Elizabeth said, abnormally aware for such a young girl.

"It's a good thing you live in a blacksmithing family then huh? Come on! Let me help you in!" Ashely said smiling.

Helping her sister into the wheelchair, they smiled at each other.

"Now, it'll take some getting used to, but I figure you'll get the hang of it pretty quick," The father smirked, knowing his daughter well. "Now come on you two little rascals, it's about time the two of you get to bed. It's been a long day."

The two girls giggled, their father smiling and hugging them goodnight, their mother coming and doing the same before Ashley wheeled Elizabeth to their room, and helped her sister change and get into bed.

That night, as Ashley was falling asleep, she could hear her sister, face buried in the pillow beside her, crying quietly. The fiery-haired girl frowned, knowing how hard it must be for her sister to go through this, and not let her fear and sadness show. She rolled over and held her sister to her chest, letting her cry quietly until she fell asleep. Staring at the ceiling, she knew she had to do everything in her power to help her sister to have a normal life.