Darling Soul

Chapter Five

She wore her scars as her best attire. A stunning dress made of hellfire.

When the sun came, the girl got up from her bed and got ready for the new day. As she was walking to her door, something burned in her hand and she yelped. When she opened it, there was a burned note. Atlas.

"Dear Sister, Have you gotten my letters? I've been waiting to hear from you but I got nothing from your end. Are you still mad about me leaving? Are you well? Have you fallen ill? Are you lonely? I miss you all the time and I hate that I left you there where so much pain and suffering crawls to you." 

Tears fell from her mismatched eyes and she collapsed on her knees. She was hurting from the betrayal. She knew her parents could be mean and vengeful, her body is the museum of so many strokes of anger, but to conceal her brother's letters? Her person? Her twin? 

She quickly grabbed a note and wrote her message, she closed it in her hand and followed the instructions her brother had left her at the end of the note: she closed her eyes, focused on her destination and blew. The note was gone and the message was delivered: 

"My twin, It pains me to tell you that I never got a letter from you, our parents must have hidden them to prevent me from telling you what is happening. Do you remember what I asked that night? If you were to return without me being here to hug you? I feel sorry for being right. Tomorrow night there will be a ball in my honour, there I will announce a fiancée and the day after I will leave from our home to an unknown kingdom. I wish I could have hugged you longer."

 She cleaned her tears and redid her makeup, she patted her dress and left to find her fiancée. Even though she felt completely controlled by her parents, she wanted to see and understand if she were to marry Kallias she would still be controlled by them. 

She found him in the library and he smiled when he saw her. She was wearing a light green dress and her hair in a braid. 

"My Lady, how are you?", he bowed and she returned the gesture. 

"I was looking for you, your Highness." 

"What gives me the pleasure of your attention?", he gestured for them to sit at the bench by the window and she agreed. 

"I was hoping we could talk about what the future looks like." 

"I'm listening." 

"What do you expect of me as your wife?", she didn't want to beat around the bush, not now, not when her life was at stake. 

"I'm going to be as honest as I can, Princess Astra, I don't need a Queen, I need a wife, because I need heirs. I don't expect you to take on a political role or to make changes in my kingdom. You'll have the finest jewellery and the most gorgeous dresses, I'll give you all the things you want as long as you can give me an heir."

"All you want is an heir? What I'm asking is if that's all you want me for?" 

"It is.", she nodded and got up.

"My lady?" 

"I thank you for your honesty." She left. 

She had one thing left to do, talk with her parents. She ate a quick lunch and stalked towards the Throne Room. The Throne Room had high ceilings with big columns, big tapestries of the color purple and gold, in the middle of the front part of the room there were four chairs. The King sat in the middle with his purple robes, the Queen in the chair next to him with her purple and gold gown and empty chairs next to both monarchs. 

She threw the door open even after the servants told her the King and Queen were greeting the guests that started to arrive. A servant quickly came inside to announce her after she stormed in. 

"Her Royal Highness, the Twin Princess Astra Laeger." She marched towards her parents and stood in front of them. They were staring at her in disapproval and her father looked furious. 

"Astra, what is this?" 

"Your Grace, I'm sorry for my intrusion but I need to discuss something with you.", she bowed her head. 

"But, my child, we are receiving your guests. Could this wait?", her mother loved to pretend she was a doting parent, as if she wasn't the one who handed her father the whip. 

"It's important." 

"Astra-", but the girl interrupted her pleading. The Queen smiled and got up to address the room. 

"My dear guests, my daughter must be nervous about tonight, I'll have a talk with her and then I'll come back to talk to you all. Please, keep my husband company and tell him of your adventures." Both of them left and walked inside a much smaller room, the Queen's own office. 

"What kind of behaviour do you think I accept from you?", she shouted. 

"What kind of mother hides her son from his sister?", she shouted back. 

"What are you talking about, you reckless child?" 

"Is it true, Mother, that you hid Atlas' letters from me?" 

"I don't know what gave you-" 

"Don't you dare lie to me. How could you?", she sat down in a sofa and the queen stared at her. 

"I wasn't going to risk it." 

"Risk what?" 

"You blowing all of this up. We need this." 

"You need this." 

"Our country needs this, Astra. This benefits us all!" 

"But him? He wants me as a heir factory. Is that what you, my mother, wish for me? I know you aren't the most doting, I am well aware, but don't you have any affection towards me? I'm your daughter! Why? Why can't you make an effort to protect me?", the Queen sat down next to Astra and grabbed her hands. 

"My dear daughter, I was never cutout to be a mother. You know that. Your brother knows that. And I love you, I do, but I love this kingdom more. You'll understand that when you are Queen. 

"I'd never put my kingdom before my children." 

"Perhaps. But I would and I did. You'll marry Kallias, he is the Crown Prince of the second strongest Kingdom in the world and you'll be safe." 

"By being used.", Astra let go of her mother and got up in a swift motion. She couldn't be there any longer. 

"You're a woman." 

"I deserve more.", and she left without looking back. 

A maid came to find her in the greenhouse and told her to start preparing for the ball. It was three in the afternoon and the party started at six. She left running to her room, she needed to get ready and still have time to talk to her stranger before the ball started. She bathed with the preparation of her handmaidens, they picked a pink dress for her but she grabbed from the back of her closet a never worn dress. She dressed in the darkest blue shade she had, similar to his eyes, with a slit in her left leg, she put on matching heels and turned around so her back could face her mirror. She put her hair in a ponytail, her face framed with two front pieces, and felt beautiful and confident. She knew her world would drastically change, but she was tired of being controlled.