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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"Does this mean I'm imprisoned here?" Jim responded in a hush behind the princesses. They gave him a quick, dismissive look.
A man near the King scrambled his words as he exclaimed, "S-Surely the weather has been overlooked. It cannot be!"
Another person nearer to where the trio stood shrieked, "Is it really true? Is The Great Storm upon us?"
The pitch at which the woman spoke made it seem more like an exclamation rather than a question. Questions and comments erupted in each of the room's corners, making the air more claustrophobic.
"Enough, please!" staggered the Queen in a voice that only ever seemed to peak at a momentous event. "We know you all have questions, and we all completely understand your concerns," she gestured to her husband and the announcer. "But we are informing you to maintain precaution, not to scare anyone. Rest assured, everything is safe and sound."
Murmurs broke across the room for whoever dared still speak after the Queen. She looked at her husband and continued in her sharp tone.
"We request all staff to secure the perimeter of the castle. We also ask to issue public announcements regarding the severity of the weather. We kindly request the relational faction to step forward for assistance. Other specific instructions will be swiftly given to you by your authorities. Thank you, all."
Just as quickly as the room filled, people flooded back out. The sisters backed into one side of the entrance as Jim did the same for the other side. But as they all stood there waiting for the staff to leave in a hurry, they pondered the same question: What storm could cause such peril?
Alyssa couldn't bear her thoughts, so she rushed to the center of the room, pushing past people. As soon as they realized who was pushing against them, Alyssa's route became easier. The announcer and the couple were now surrounded by various people who all seemed to discuss laboriously.
"-Yes, I will get right on that!" A short man turned around to face the kids with a face he couldn't hide. Terror seemed to wipe away his look as he tried to put on an optimistic front. Verbal thoughts and counter-thoughts flew as Alyssa tugged at her mother's arm.
"What are we supposed to make of this situation?" Alyssa urgently hissed.
"Listen, please. We are trying to figure that out ourselves. But for the time being, we have maids going through your rooms, tallying up important belongings for safekeeping. Please try to stay out of the grasp of any staff for this moment and try to—"
"Martha!" King's voice rang.
"I am needed. Please occupy yourself, children." She turned around as her husband inquired about something the announcer had suggested.
"Something about this place, huh?" Jim spoke almost to himself as he looked around the library. Alyssa shut the door behind them.
"Stay here," Alyssa rushed past them, getting lost in the library's maze.
"Alyssa, wait up! Why are we here?" Selina asked, rushing.
"The Great Storm!" came Alyssa's voice from far away, behind bookshelves. Selina walked towards her voice.
"Yes, I know! I seem to be hearing a great deal about it!" Jim followed, not sure where his thoughts were headed first.
"Yes, ugh!" Alyssa seemed to be struggling.
"What?" Selina hurried. They found her in an aisle, with a heavy book slammed against the library floor. Alyssa searched the pages wisely. Jim and Selina paused.
"Now, what is that monstrosity?" Jim inquired as he walked past Selina. He crouched down and inspected it with Alyssa.
Selina did not want to give in and see what the pages they were flipping said. She knew the second she joined, the catastrophe would be real. She had never had a good experience with any books in the library, always somehow letting on more knowledge that would ruin her in some way or the other.
But she threw her thoughts away as she joined them on the floor. The images and words seemed to describe meteorology and weather. There were many diagrams showcasing weather patterns, such as certain cloud formations.
Alyssa continued to flip through paragraphs and images as she slowly paused on a page, inspecting it. Alyssa squinted her eyes, trying to understand the page as quickly as she could.
"No, this is not it..." Alyssa continued to flip through the book.
"What exactly are we looking for?" inquired Selina as Alyssa investigated a new page.
"I know it has to be in here somewhere. Give me some time, okay?" Alyssa flipped a page.
"Alright, but I should get going," Jim said almost regretfully.
"Oh, come on, you are staying here," Selina said.
"What about my family?" Jim continued.
"The townsfolk will be told of the urgency of the situation, too," Alyssa looked at the pair after going through another chunk of the book. "After all, it is best if you stay here."
Shuffling could be heard everywhere in the castle. It was rare not to hear panic amongst the staff.
Jim looked out of Alyssa's window. The usual breathtaking view was blurred by vigorous rain and wind that showed no sign of stopping. Something loud and heavy fell outside the door. Alyssa didn't look up as she continued her pursuit of her book.
"We should help or do something!" Selina finally shrieked after she spent the last 10 minutes pacing around her sister's room.
"There is not much we can do," stated Alyssa.
"Is that book of any use, or are you trying to distract yourself from the looming issue at hand?" Jim chimed. Alyssa ignored him. "Okay, enough is enough. I need to send a message somehow to my family."
"Useless," Alyssa finally spoke. Jim stopped in his motion towards the door as he let the reality of the situation sink in. He didn't know when he would be able to talk to his family. It could be the entire night or, heaven forbid, a week with the royal sisters.
Jim couldn't sleep. The canopy of the bed hung above him. He looked towards his window, the darkness of the storm pushing against his space. He wished his family were safe. He wished he were safe.
