Their little snowflake

The Pain of Perfection

"Your Majesty, We have found that the west side of the border is being attacked by some bandits and have recently destroyed one of the tower walls," A small trembling assistant shoved in the woman's face. Red fiery hair and pink petite thin lips that highlighted the maturity of her face, thin scrawny fingers that seemed like that of a witch's touched the documents that were close to her face.

"Briar, What is this?"

"T-the documents...Your Majesty..." She gulped.

"No, I mean what is your incompetent butt doing here? If you can't solve something so simple as bandits then you're not worth your position," She scowled endlessly sighing at the amount of people that have had to fill in her spot as she wasn't the first one.

"Well, your majesty, um, we've had issues with those so-called bandits that claim to have the royal princess of Ephmeral on their side and thus cannot be harmed, the knights have been conflicted and also as to why we've concluded on talking this out with...you..." she bit her lip, her neck started aching with all the bowing and called for the Crown Princess.

"Briar, call that child,"

"Y-yes, your Majesty," Briar glanced at the knights as they nodded and two knights walked out stiffly.

"Phew that was close..."

"Her Majesty the empress is beautiful but her aura is so oppressing, it feels like I'm drowning in icy water...brr!!!"

"I feel bad for the Princess, she's so wise that she has to waste her time of studying by doing these things," one spoke sarcastically,

"Yeah I heard she's sort of chill now. Even that old scrawny butler has taken a liking to her highness unlike before," The knights chatted as they had finally arrived at the chambers.

A light knock came to the girl's door as she opened it wide, "Welcome kind dudes! How can I help ya?" She beamed, there was a bright aura being exuded by our girl's best friend as she was dressed in a small short skirt that reached her knees and nice tapping shoes.

"Oh! Your Highness! How are you today?"

"It's a pleasant day and I feel the same, Your Purpose?" she snickered,

"Oh right, the Empress has called you for some affairs,"

"Agh that old ha-- I mean, the Empress called me for border affairs, right?"

"Yeah, how did you know?" They tilted their heads in confusion, she simply sighed and slammed her doors shut as the knights jumped in place, she came out again dressed in flowers all over her dark skirt and white polo shirt, pulling over two tails on her shoulders.

"Alright, let's go, UGH," she groaned dragging her feet across the marble floor, "Oh! Wait-- Can I go um-- Can I go take a piss? Ooop-- No wait, um I need to head to the powder room! Hehe~" She stammered, the knights simply raised their eyebrows in question and nodded.

She walked away with an awkward smile, but deep inside she felt something piercing her heart, suffocating her entirety. She felt shivers run down her spine, after all it had been 3 years since she last saw her mother, alive.

She couldn't decide whether to love or hate the woman who gave birth and "raised" her to be the perfect daughter. She felt like she was walking on thorns even in her own home, her eyes watered, she held her breath to keep it all inside. "Right, I must prevail. I'm ok. This is ok, everything's ok, I just need to relax and pretend I don't care," She practiced breathing techniques until the watery tears in her eyes went back inside.

She walked towards the large doors that made her fear deepen and frighten her very soul because this person that she so admired and tried to protect, used her life as a shield to protect "her".

She clenched her teeth as they chattered silently, walking through the desolate empty hall that allowed her to see her mother. Back then she would've thought this was a great honor, but ever since her mother's death and will there was nothing to look forward to.

Venus knew what this was about, she wasn't going to stop it though.

"You called for me, Your Majesty?" Venus curtsied, she didn't doubt. The eloquent woman dressed in crimson crossed one leg over the other signaling for the documents.

"As the crown princess, your duty is to solve problems like potential siblings, What will you do if you had a sibling?" Her cranky voice crawled into her mind, she remembered this scene over and over again as it haunted her every time. She knew that there was never a right answer.

-----

In the past she'd said something like this:

"As the crown princess, your duty is to solve problems like potential siblings, What will you do if you had a sibling?"

"What?! How could that be possible?! Mother I know you would never have gone with another man other than the emperor so I am assured," She'd gulped, pursing her lips.

Because a partner is meant to be loyal to one another, and to love each other attempting to understand one another. Isn't that what makes a family?

"Foolish."

"Wha..?" She'd looked up to meet her mother's gaze, she regretted it that instant. Chills were sent down her spine, thus had been made the saddest memory of her past life.

-----

She knew what to say, a "warm" expression faded into her face as she answered, " Well, of course, I would accept them according to your decision, mother, if you want that child to stay at the palace and live as royalty then I couldn't possibly go against your orders, I know you are wise," She complimented, her mother thought for a bit and nodded in response to Venus' words.

In that palace that everyone so admired, she was just a marionette on a stage meant to perform for the audience just to satisfy them. She understood she was nothing more than a tool in the eyes of her mother, so, she stopped trying.

there was nothing more to do. It was just a dark void inside of her, there was no 'her' inside. She didn't have a persona of her own, she had no time to ever find out what she felt in the moment because no one cared enough and it wouldn't matter. To her mother, the Empress, it was just a sign of weakness.

"You may leave then, Crown Princess," Her mother spoke casually, pleased with what Venus had said. Venus smiled, paying her respects and left, with a troubled heart.

"it doesn't matter...Eques, she's back. As long as she doesn't...hah..." There was a bright grin back on her face, "Welp! It doesn't matter! I just have to study everything I can about the noble dragons and what they've helped us inherit up to this day!"