SIX YEARS EARLIER
It was my tenth birthday. I absolutely hated birthdays.
I've never had friends, so I had nobody to invite. The only guests were my fathers friends snobby children.
I was in the middle of opening my gifts, none of which I really liked, when my mother called out it was time for cake.
I went into the kitchen to see if Abigail was around.
Abigail is my sister. And my best friend. We're only a year apart, making our bond stronger.
Abigail was not in the kitchen, but my father was. He was sitting at the table, with his phone pressed to his ear. He looked tense, scary even. I've never seen him like this before.
He turned in my direction, and his eyes met mine. His a brilliant green, mine, a dark boring brown. Everyone in my family looked the same. Green eyes, like brown hair. Like the picture perfect family.
Everyone except for me. I had dark black hair, it was curly out of control, but it fell in natural waves down my back. I had dark brown eyes that I found absolutely hideous.
Standing next to Abigail, with her toned dark skin, light brown hair, and green eyes, I looked like a troll.
My father continued to stare at me, while talking on the phone. I couldn't hear small any of what he was saying.
"Blair!" I heard my mothers voice call out, so I left my angry looking father alone in the kitchen on his phone, and went back into the living room.
My mother stood next to the table with a smile across her face, and a chocolate cake in front of her.
My favorite.
I walked over to the table, and sat. We did the usual routine, singing, cutting, then giving me the first piece, as I was the birthday girl.
Everything was normal. Completely fine, completely normal.
Until the sound of a shattering class echoed down the hallway, putting an abrupt halt to our light conversation.
My father sprinted down the hall, yelling to my mother.
"Anne!" He called out, and my mother turned toward him, "Anne, I knew it. They promised. They're coming for her."
That was all I heard before my mom lifted me up in her arms and carried down the familiar hallway to Abigail and my bedroom.
But she didn't just put me inside, no, she carried me in, and opened up a latch on the bottom. I had no idea this was there, but I was terrified.
Who was coming for Me? Why did they want me? What was going to happen to me?
My mother placed me down, and with tears in her eyes, said, "Blair, sweetie, I'll explain everything layer, okay?" I nodded, and she continued, "but I need you to go down this ladder, and stay down there without making any noise. I promise you'll be okay, but this is the only way to keep you safe."
I rushed down the steps at the sound of the door being kicked open. My mother closed and the locked the latch and I stayed completely silent in the dark.
I could hear footsteps, and soon heard shouting. I was hoping fathers friends had gone home, they didn't need this drama.
But what about Abigail? Why weren't they coming for her?
A few hours later the shouting stopped, and soon the house was quiet again. The latch was opened and I crawled out, hugging my mother as soon as my feet hit the floor.
She released me? And I went to sit on the bed. Expecting an explanation of everything.
Mother took a deep breath, sat beside me on the bed and looked deep into my eyes. "Blair, sweetie you need to understand this okay? It's for your own good. I promise." I was beyond confused. What was she talking about? What was for my own good? "Darling, you are not my biological child. We are not your biological family. You are a child who was born into the royal family, the princess. But when the castle was under attack and the enemy wanted you, we offered to take you into our home and pretend you were ours. We told nobody, not you, not Abigail.
But now the enemy still wants you, and they have found out that we have you. So keeping you here is a danger to all our lives. We've spoken to the king and queen, your real parents....." Her voice was strained as she said the words, but I was intrigued. A princess? Me? No, it couldn't be possible. Could it? "The king and queen decided it would be safest to have you go live with them again. With guards and high security, you will be safest. And the enemy will no longer want anything to do with us, so we will be okay too.
Blair, i know it's a lot to take in at once, but you're leaving tonight."
No. Not tonight. I can't go tonight. I sat there, speechless. All I could do was nod, before mom pulled me into another hug.
"You've acted like our real daughter, and we have loved you like one. But it's time for you to go home to your real family. And live the life a princess like you deserves." She smiled at me, even after all this a proud gleam was in her eye. "Come on, father knows. But you still have to tell Abigail."
Oh, Abigail. My dear sister, my best friend. How could I possibly leave her?
❤️
ABIGAIL
❤️
I was sitting in the kitchen like father had instructed while those scary man ran through the house calling for my sister. I was confused, and scared, but I didn't dare move.
Why didn't they want Me? Why only her? What was going to happen to Blair?
After a few hours, the men left, and Blair came out.
She walked into the kitchen, and a sad look was on her face.
She told me of how we weren't her real family, that she was a princess and must go away. For good.
"Abi, your my sister, and my best friend. Believe me when I say I don't want to leave you, but I have no choice. In order to keep you, mother, father, and even I safe, I must go away to the palace.
I don't know when or if I'll see you again, but always know I love you with all my heart. And no matter what they say, you are my real sister and nothing can change that. Ever. Okay?"
She looked into my green eyes with her chocolate brown ones that always seemed to hold something more behind them.
I nodded, before she was pulling me close to her in a tight embrace, "Blair?" I whispered into her hair, she pulled back only enough to keep me arms length away with her hands on my shoulders, "I love you".
"I love you too, Abs. Forever, always. And I'll never forget you or any of you, for that matter. You've all been so kind, and raised me to keep me and the royal- I mean my- family safe. So thank you. I love you all."
She was holding back tears, I could tell. Trying to be strong for our sake. I pulled her close to me once again, and whispered to her, "Blair, it's okay to cry".
I soon felt her warm tears joining mine as we hugged for what could be the last time ever. I couldn't bare it, the thought of never seeing her again.
But I could do nothing about it if I wished to keep us all safe.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
AND THATS THE FIRST CHAPTER! I decided to start it off a bit mysteriously but as this story goes on it will become more clear.
This book is going to be my summer project and I can't wait to see what happens with It! Please leave feedback!
