Separated

Part II: Rosaline

I threw myself onto my bed in my nightgown after a long day of sampling perfumes. I had taken a bath to wash off the unsatisfying combination of sweet aromas and horrid stenches. As I lay on my side, I looked out the double glass doors that led to my balcony, the Border being the main thing I saw. I kept looking at it, wondering how such a massive structure was built.

"Excuse me, princess?" a faint voice said from outside the bedroom. "Are you coming to the coronation banquet?"

I shifted onto my back on the bed and groaned. I had completely forgotten about the coronation banquet tonight. Every wealthy person in the kingdom would be there.

"I'll be just a moment!" I called out to the servant.

"Of course, miss," the servant said. I then listened to the servant's footsteps becoming quieter and quieter. I debated whether to get up and get ready or just feign sickness and stay within the comforts of my own room.

But my mother would kill me if I missed tonight. I had to give that speech she forced me to work on for hours every week for the past two months. I sighed and looked toward my closet, where all of my dresses resided. I walked over and picked a violet leather gown with gold trimming. I picked out a pair of black flats to go with it, which I put on while traveling down to the banquet hall. I had my speech papers and my crown (which I hardly ever wore) in my left hand, and my left shoe in my right. I scrambled to put the shoe on before I entered the banquet hall where I was sure hundreds of people were waiting.

"About time you came," was the first response from the Queen upon seeing me rushing into the banquet hall. "Fix yourself up. Your hair is a mess."

I straightened up my crown, hand-combed my hair, and looked back at her, who cleared her throat and visited with some of the guests.

The entire time, she kept looking at me as if she expecting me to do something wrong. First, I casually went to the refreshment table, which consisted of cracker sandwiches and desserts in servings as small as one's thumbnail (she caught me measuring). I then saw a miniature stone fointain in the center of the refreshment table. Fascinated, I dipped my hand in the water, running my finger up the stream of water repeatedly and watching it open up like a curtain below it. Out of the corner of my eye, the Queen glared at me and gave her infamous malicious look. I snatched my hand out and walked away, pretending to take notice of the architecture of the castle.

After a while, she eventually went in the front and got everyone's attention.

"Attention, ladies! As you know, it has been 17 years since my crowning over this kingdom, and I would like to say how thankful I am to serve you as my subjects and I am always glad to kindly help you in your needs..."

I almost choked on air. The Queen glared at me, daring me to make another move.

As she rambled on and on about her achievements, I noticed her magnificent dress. It was a large golden gown adorned with silver lace and it had another one of those extravagant collar pieces that extended upwards beyond her up-do. I had always hoped to inherit her dresses from her when she got older, but I had only received one my entire life, and it wasn't even as elegant as the others. With some slight alterations, I began to use that one very time I snuck out to the village. Maybe this time I could get close enough to the Border to touch it.

Or go on the other side.

I had too many questions about the other side to keep them unanswered. I knew what the Queen had said about them, but I couldn't help but feel she was wrong, somehow.

"...and now I will give those opportunities to my daughter when she receives the crown next year."

My mom cleared her throat and was looking in my direction.