Behind palace walls

Prologue

"Lady Luna, your instructor is waiting. We mustn't be late today or else your mother will have my head." The young heiress's lady in waiting, Ilianna Kingsley, said lightly and with a small laugh. She was a sturdy woman, her arms were a comforting thing to be held by at night when she read stories to the young princess. Lady Luna, Coraline to her mother and father, felt safe and secure in them, much like she did in her mothers arms.

Coraline huffed into her arms where her face laid, not wanting to move an inch till her back stopped aching from etiquette classes. 'Stand straight, look forward and keep your head held high. You are royalty, nothing less' she heard her instructors words ring through her head like a chiming bell. Then suddenly, was replaced by breaking glass. She looked up suddenly, her hair frizzy and unkempt. She looked around the small lounging area for the royal family and seen a servant boy, around her age, standing over a vase her mother had just purchased to keep all of the flowers her father got her everytime he did something she did not approve of. Water and bright yellow daisies sat askew among the broken glass, and ilianna gasped. The boy's superior rushed over and took his hand, slapping it harshly and quickly three times.

"Antonio Lacoste, you know you must not dust so harshly. No matter how much of a rush you're in to play! I'm so sorry lady Luna, how can you ever forgive us. I take all the blame." The older woman, at least fifty years old, says as she kneels down and folds her hands together.

Coraline looked funnily at the woman then to the boy, admiring his freckled cheeks and dark black hair, then frowned at the tears staining his cheeks and the redness on his hand. She put on her best serious face and looked at the woman. She had her eyes closed still, looking as if she were praying to the young girl. Coraline cleared her throat, allowing the woman to open her eyes and get to her feet.

"I will forget any of this ever happened and not mention your name to my mother, the queen of this land, if you swear never to lay hands on your boy ever again. That is one thing I cannot allow." She said authoritatively. The older woman nodded quickly, her honeycomb colored hair moving with her head. She quickly got a broom and cleaned up the mess, and rushed her and her boy away. They had similar features but Coraline doubted she birthed him, she didn't act as such. With that out of the way she went on with her day as usual, going to her piano lesson then her Italian and Spanish lessons, so exhausting learning two languages at such a young age but they were the two most common spoken languages in her kingdom besides English. Once she was done with her daily lessons she fell down onto the couch in the resting area and sighed. She was exhausted. Her eyes were closed, an arm was draped across her eyes, she was at peace.

Then she was being tapped on her forehead and stirred awake.
"What?" She asked startled. All she seen in the darkness above her were warm hazel eyes, and freckles like stars. The boy from earlier was looking down at her smiling, his boyish grin contagious and made even more cute by the gap in his front teeth.

"Thank you for what you did earlier." Antonio said gratefully, his voice whispering softly. Coraline smiled back, her heart beating faster against her rib cage.
"No problem." She said dreamily, her cheeks reddening. "My names Coraline, what's yours?" Her voice came out smaller than she meant, but he heard it just fine.
"Antonio, but you can call me Toni." He said, his face getting closer to hers. She shared one more look before Coraline's mother called out that dinner was ready. She scrambled to her feet, almost hitting Toni's forehead in the process. They giggled and he walked her to the door to the dining room.

"Let's play tomorrow." He said excitedly, holding her hand. She smiled sadly, slowly letting their hands drop.

"I can't, I have lessons tomorrow."

"After?"

She shook her head. "Bathe, change of clothes, dinner." She listed off the after lessons plan that had been in place for as long as she can remember.

"Before?"

Now that got her thinking....

Lessons don't start until 9 am....

"Let's do it."