𝐔𝐍𝐓𝐈𝐋 𝐃𝐄𝐀𝐓𝐇 𝐃𝐎 𝐔𝐒 𝐏𝐀𝐑𝐓 | 𝘮. 𝘢𝘤𝘬𝘦𝘳𝘮𝘢𝘯

𝐁𝐄𝐅𝐎𝐑𝐄

it was hot. yet her hands were cold and clammy. her dress was itchy and her head felt like a balloon. she couldn't wait for the day to end but it was barely starting. she was standing in front of the wooden doors. behind them were people. the townspeople of paradis ready to see their new queen.

soleil stood there, many maids rushing around her, checking her hair, making last-minute arrangements on her gown. she just stood there, thinking.

thinking about her future. everything was going to be different from now on. her life had barely started. and now it was finishing.

she wasn't ready. not at all. but she had to act like it. she had to act calm and steady just how the others wanted to see. in reality she was screaming.

her life was endangered more than ever now. she had to not only look for herself but for her own kingdom. she had nobody to help her. those people she loved so much had been snatched away from her.

just because they were doing their duty. soleil felt a tap on her shoulder. she abruptly twisted her head around. her brown eyes met the dark ones.

"are you okay, your highness?" the black-haired girl asked. she was a few inches taller than soleil, wearing a serious expression on her face. she always had that expression. it made soleil think she didn't like her when the two girls first met.

"mikasa," soleil began. "you can call me leila, you know that."

"your highness," mikasa repeated, her voice deep and smooth. just like a tranquil river. "are you okay?" she asked.

soleil sighed. she was so different. if only she could go back and change things. she would still have more time.

"yeah, just a little nervous." soleil rubbed her neck, looking down. through the corner of her eye, she saw mikasa bow and leave to attend to her hair. soleil frowned. so much weight was on her shoulders. a strand of her hair falls over her face, tickling her cheek.

soleil raised her hand to tuck it away. it all happened  so quickly. a warm hand rubbed against hers, pale fingers wrapping around her palm. mikasa pushed soleil's hand down gently.

"whatever you say," she felt mikasa's breath on her neck. goosebumps formed all over her brown skin. mikasa grabbed the loose strand of hair and tucked it back into its place.

in a low whisper, she said "leila."

soleil's fist rested on her chest, the air around her becoming dense. underneath her ball gown, her legs were shaking. why did she feel like this? was it because of her coronation? was it because she was coming of age? or was it just mikasa that made her feel this vulnerable? was it mikasa that made her feel like this was the last day on earth? was it mikasa that made soleil desire to caress her body, hold her tight so she was always by her side? keep her safe in her loving arms?

soleil came back to her reality when the wooden doors creaked open revealing a tall, blond man.

erwin smith. the commander of the royal guard. "you're highness." he bowed. soleil nodded, signaling him it was okay to stand up straight. he did so, staring straight into her eyes. "the people are awaiting you." his voice echoed loudly in the vast room.

he was wearing his best suit. it was green, a brown belt on his waist, the wings of freedom over his heart and right shoulder. his yellow hair was perfectly gelled.

"thank you, commander smith."

mikasa finished fixing soleil's hair. "this is the best we can do ladies." she said, stepping back with all the other maids. soleil looked back at all of them. there were eight in total. they all had smiles on their faces. soleil could tell they were all excited.

"thank you all so much. because of all of you, people will gawk at me, whispering how beautiful i am." she says dramatically. a few giggles are carried throughout the room.

"good luck, princess soleil!" one maid said. "good luck to our future queen!" the other yelled until all of them were wishing her the best of luck, voices overlapping.

soleil smiled. she looked at mikasa who was in the corner of the room. she wouldn't look at soleil. she did anything but look at her. it was obvious how hard she was trying.

soleil turned around. once she stepped out these doors, her life would change. "change for the better." she mumbled to herself. she would forget the past. once she walked out there was no coming back. pain struck her heart. all the good and the bad memories would be forgotten.

all those lovely moments in the sun, swinging on trees or laying under the stars with her best friend. holding hands because they were friends. they were innocent and pure. it was love in its first few stages. but now it was dead and there was no way back.

erwin walked up to soleil, offering his arm to her. she took it, linking it with his. they began to walk up to the wooden doors. a tear trickled down soleil's cheek. she wasn't a little girl anymore. she was a woman.

a woman with responsibilities. soleil wiped her tear, without erwin noticing. she heard the cheers inside. the yells about how this moment would go down in history. how she would go down in history.

soleil pulled the biggest smile she could manage. the doors opened in front of her. the choir started singing with their angelic voices as everyone looked back at her, cheering.

these people saw soleil as strong, brave and a natural leader. they loved her so much. but all fairy tales come to an end because soleil was neither of those.

she was just a scared child acting like an adult.