The Light Within Her - Book Nine

Prologue

A golden cage is still a cage. But we all beg for it, don't we? We all crave the beautiful gowns and shiny jewelry until we are blinded by them. Until there is nothing left but darkness in our eyes. I used to call this palace a home a long time ago, back when I was just a little girl surrounded by warriors. But I grew up and I realize now it is where I feel most suffocated. The expectations and the rules I have to follow every day is choking me to death. No one understands, not even my older brother and sister. Not my Father. Not even my mother, who was raised differently than us. Not one goddamn person this fucking palace understands what its like to feel how I feel.

My light brown hair was tied up in a ponytail, my bangs sliding every which way as I packed my clothes. As I packed everything. I barely listened to my mother as she was rambling to me about how I shouldn't leave. She was waving her hands in the air, trying everything for me to pay attention to her. I went to my closet and grabbed as many shoes as I can fit in my arms. When I walked back out, there was three more people in my room, silent. My father, Sebastian Breevort, has his arms placed in his pockets as he wore simple black pants and a blue sweater. My twin siblings, Aeson and Kalama, were both sitting on my bed and tried their best to speak into my mind. But I didn't let him in. Not this time.

I placed the shoes in another suitcase, zipping it up as quickly as I can. "Where the hell are you going to go, Soari?" my mother raised her voice. That brought my attention back to her. She never raises her voice at me. "Do you really think you can run away and it will magically solve everything? I tried that and it didn't work. It never fucking works, Sor."

My jaw clenched as I turned toward her, heat radiating off of my body. Keep calm, Soari. "All of you don't fucking understand, okay?" I yelled, glancing at my parents and siblings. "I do not want to be put up on a pedestal to look pretty for this Kingdom. Actually, come to think of it, I don't want anything to do with Ambrosia. None of it."

"You don't mean that, Sor." my Father said.

I laughed at him. He thinks he knows everything about me, but he doesn't. "Actually, I do." I snapped. "You don't know what I think, Dad. We may have the same goddamn power but we are not the same. So go comfort Kala and Ace and I will be on my merry way out of this cage." His face fell. The King of Ambrosia, Sebastian Breevort, was hurt by my words. Good.

"Stop this right now," Kalama demanded. She stood up and crossed her arms. "Just stop."

I glared my sister even more. She did the same. "Why don't you go back to the crypts and sob some more, Kala. It's what you do best, anyway. You wouldn't even look at me for most of my life because you were so caged in your grief." I turned toward Aeson. "And you, well, we all know where you spend your days."

Kalama was unfazed except when her eyes started to tear up. So be it. I grabbed my suitcases but my mother, Elora Miller, blocked my path. "Stop throwing a tantrum, Sor." she said calmly. "It's late. We can talk about this in the morning. Please, Soari."

"No." I clutched my suitcases tightly. "I just need space, Mom. From everything here. I hope you all understand one day, but for now I need to leave and not look back for a while." Without saying anything else, I left. And my family let me. I did not know where I was going just yet, but I knew that I was free. Free from the shackles of my title that was given to me at birth. I am free from being pulled apart from the inside out so I can look pretty for my Kingdom. I was the Princess that nobody feared like my sister. I was the one that everyone admired. For what, exactly? Because my powers won't harm anybody, it makes sense that I will be exploited for it?

A golden cage is still a cage. But when you break free, sunlight will beam within you.