Selina Rose leads a normal life as a princess: attending balls, tending to her garden, and going to school. But soon enough things start to fall apart.
Nothing makes sense in this princess's castle: the walls seem to hear secrets, the library seems...
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"We won't tell Jim, okay?" said Selina, unassured.
It was like her mouth was shut and sealed. Permanent.
"Good night," said Selina in a whisper. Another look. Pity. Without a word, Alyssa slowly turned the lights off in her room. Alyssa looked back at her sister, almost as if she was asking something with her eyes. Selina lay down in her bed as her sister watched.
As Selina closed her eyes, the images of the night flashed against her eyelids.
The room, Jim's wrench hitting the floor with a thud, the screeching noise, the wind, the moonlit windows, the lantern and its shadow on the walls, the book in his hand, the rose, the ticking, the boots, the books, the sound of pages, heavy breathing, the feeling of sitting in the library in fear for minutes, the comments, the tears, the feeling, the room, the red carpet, the lantern, the book. It was all too much, and her head was close to exploding.
Selina pushed her palms into her eyes to wipe the images: the book's spine, the ladder, the wrench.
Alyssa finally removed her gaze from her sister and turned them meet the book instead.
"Were you two up?" said an alarmed voice. Selina's eyes snapped open and bolted up as Alyssa looked at the newcomer. It was their mother.
"Everything alright?" Melissa asked.
"Yes." replied Selina a little too quickly.
"Good," said the queen, eying the princesses suspiciously. "Come along now."
Her mother reached out a hand to Alyssa. She always did as prompted to, the perfect daughter.
Hand in hand, her mother escorted her out of her little sister's room, closing the door gently behind them. Selina controlled her breathing with her palms holding her bed sheets this time. She rolled over. As the moonlight blushed Selina's cheeks, she still lay awake, eyes closed, going through the events in her head.
The thoughts in her head told her that she would not have a good night's rest. Something had snapped today: something had been broken.
"Out of plan," said one part of her brain, and all her thoughts went silent.
With the wind gushing outside her window, the princess slowly dozed off to sleep with no worries.
Yes, none at all. Everything was well, all well.
The book next to her, on the nightstand, set on fire, casting the light all over the room, but the princess did not flinch.
There were no more worries.
A gap. And an incredible headache. Usually, these sorts of headaches are summoned by a scolding or a teacher's word, but this was different. It was an aching deep within the skull. An aching that could honestly only be cured with a cold glass of water.
The princess rolled around in her hair, trying to whisk away perhaps a nightmare from last night that had shaken her with her headache. As she slowly opened her eyes to her canopy, she turned to the left to bask in the 8:30 am sunlight cascading through her overly sized windows.
She turned to the right, slowly blinking to look at her nightstand. There lay a note with words that were too blurry for Selina to understand. She slowly sat up and groaned. Was this what a hangover felt like?
She was merely 18, and many of her classmates would dabble in the usual, well, activities in which a princess was not to occupy her time. Yet, she usually stood by the side, watching as her friends slowly retired their minds into madness over the progression of a night. Many would try to get her to try just a sip, but she knew her royal duties. She could not be found drinking, and most certainly not when her parents did not know of her mingling with others.
She finally started finding her mind and thoughts together, ready to read the words on the note next to her. She picked it up, and it read:
You did an odd one last night, anyway, be happy it is the weekend. Now meet me in the garden in the afternoon. I need some help tending the Hydrangeas. I hope they don't grow pale soon. Anyway, I am off for the day with Mom and Dad. I believe it has something to do with another ceremony for the heir. Sorry, little one, although I am not sure why Briana thought it unnecessary for you to join us. Talk to her, perhaps? Alright, well, enjoy your beauty sleep.
- Alyssa
Selina chuckled.
It was true that Alyssa was the older one. And also the one who would be crowned queen one day. Often, her sister was much busier than her, attending various royal events, including functions around town. The town they were the head of was an undersized, almost village, on a distant island. The people were generous, and so was the food. The luscious forestry led to much growth in the economy as well as resources. It was hard to tell what their small island, named Haven, was the best at.
So she got up. She walked directly from the foot of her bed to her clothing wardrobe next to her privacy screen, on which various leafy and blooming images were painted.
Her wardrobe was incredibly humble for a princess of her influence, but it was all she needed. Often, her wardrobe would be changed to hold the essentials for the next couple of days. Today, she looked through her quaint selection and settled on a blue satin dress without straps.
As a princess, her wardrobe remained chic, even on an off day like today.
She matched the fabric with her own, quite expensive, jewelry.
Most of them were gifted to her by other royals as a gesture of friendship, and others were given to her by her family.
With an earring set she rather adored, she stepped out into an oval-shaped room.
There were just a handful of the bedrooms the castle had to offer. Her sister's was the one that was two doors to her left. Most of them lay unoccupied, as it was only the princesses on this floor.
Making her way down the flight of stairs, she heard a commotion in the distance. But a commotion regardless. She walked a bit until she reached the grand throne hall, the room where much was said.
