Lost Eternity // Killian Jones

Birthday

One month later

it's around 7 o'clock when I wake up. Today is a special day for me. It's my birthday. I'm turning 11. I love my birthday. Usually, my father organizes a big party for me. It's the time of the year when I can wear my most beautiful dress, and everyone takes care of me. This year, when my father asked me what I wanted for my birthday, I asked for books. He was quite surprised because he knows I'm not very scholarly. What he doesn't know is that the books I asked for are mainly travel stories. I managed to convince my mother not to tell my father. That's mainly why I'm looking forward to this evening.

Around 8 o'clock, I hear the door to my room open, and guessing it's Jenny coming to wake me up as she does every morning, But instead I see my mother coming in with a breakfast tray.

"Happy birthday, my princess, did you sleep well?" My mother asks cheerfully. "Today, because it's your birthday, you're allowed to have breakfast in bed," she adds, placing the tray on my bed.

"Good morning, Mom, and thank you! My birthday is starting off great," I say, eager to hug her. My parents are quite strict about manners, and eating breakfast in bed is considered a crime worthy of death by them. So, I'm delighted to do it without reproach.

As I start eating, my mother looks at me tenderly before saying, "About the books you asked for your birthday, Jenny went to pick them up this morning from the bookstore. She'll bring them to your room later today. But don't forget, your father mustn't see them."

"Really? That's amazing! Thank you so much, Mom, and don't worry, I'll be careful," I reply with a mouthful, which doesn't go unnoticed by my mother.

"Young lady, just because it's your birthday doesn't mean you should be careless," she gently reprimands me.

After finishing breakfast, my mother gets up from my bed and starts to fetch the dress I had specially prepared for today. She helps me get ready. Today, I'm wearing a beautiful pale pink princess dress, with delicate short lace sleeves. The skirt is full, with layers of tulle adding lightness and volume. At my waist, a pink satin sash is adorned with a pretty bow. The bodice sparkles with pearls and sequins. It's truly the most beautiful dress I've ever worn.

"You look stunning, my darling," my mother proudly says, looking at me. "Now it's time for your hair," she adds, guiding me to the chair in front of my dressing table.

For my hair, my mother has created soft, gentle curls that delicately frame my face. She then braided a beautiful crown adorned with pink flowers and small sparkling beads, adding a touch of magic to my hairstyle.

Once the hairstyle is done, I hear the door to my room open, and my father exclaims, "My goodness, you look beautiful, my darling. You're breathtaking. Both of you," he adds, looking at my mother.

"Thank you, Dad. You're not too bad yourself for your old age," I reply, joking slightly. I get up and approach him, and he gently takes me in his arms. "Happy birthday, my darling," he says softly.

"Thank you, Dad," I say as I break away from his embrace.

"Well, I still have a few things to finish for tonight's ball. I'll leave you ladies," my father says as he leaves my mother and me.

The day passes relatively quickly. Jenny came to bring me the books that I eagerly started reading. I spent most of the morning and early afternoon reading. I also managed to find them an adequate hiding spot even though it was a bit complicated to find one. I ended up putting them behind my wardrobe where I keep my dresses.

The Ball shouldn't be starting soon. I'm excited to see people, even though I suspect there won't be many people my age. Except one: Lubin, the son of one of my father's close friends. We're the same age. Unfortunately, much to our parents' dismay, we don't get along very well. I find him selfish and arrogant. One day I caught him belittling one of the palace servers just because she forgot to remove an olive from his cake. I can't stand people who think they're entitled because of their status, he thinks otherwise. That's the main reason why we can't stand each other.