The 100 short stories

Forgotten (part i)

Clara never felt like she fit in. She was born a week late to parents who weren't prepared to become parents. They were too busy running their kingdom. She was mainly cared for by her nanny, Aurora. As Clara grew up she would go to Aurora for all things motherly. Her own mother was too busy being a queen.

    Aurora was there for every big moment of Clara's life. She walked for the first time when her nanny clapped loudly for her. She was there when she said her first word, for the first day of school. Clara remembered Aurora being there for far more than her parents were. When he cut herself climbing the tree outside her window, Aurora kissed the bruise and bandaged it up.

    Clara didn't know much about Aurora's life. Sometimes she mentioned a daughter around Clara's age. Occasionally she'd mutter about having a boy who was older and more stubborn than her. But she never shared details. She was always there for Clara as the mother she didn't have.

    All her life Clara had been forced into classes to learn about becoming queen. She didn't fit into those royal classes. She didn't want to become queen. She cared about the people in her kingdom, but she didn't want to rule them. She didn't want to take on that kind of responsibility. She felt like she lived a life years ago where she had to make those big decisions. She didn't like it then and she didn't want to do it again.

    She even had dreams about taking care of her people. Dreams that always left her breathless and screaming when she woke up.

    No matter what the nightmare was about, there was one constant. A boy with brown eyes who promised her everything would be okay. Even in her dreams he could calm her down and she felt like he was important. Clara never told anyone about him. He was her secret, something she wasn't sure was real, but desperately wanted to find.

    It was Clara's 18th birthday. Finally she was of an age where her parents wanted the kingdom to know she existed. So they threw her a ball. The court yard was covered in extravagant decorations. Everyone was invited, even the village commoners. The king and queen wanted to find a husband for their child.

    They were hoping to find a prince to run their castle when they were done.

    Aurora dressed Clara in a light green ball gown that fell to her ankles. It made her eyes pop against her blonde girls. She did her makeup and then pinned her curls up in a small bun. Clara barely recognized herself as she stood looking in the mirror.

    "Wow," Clara sighed, smoothing her hands over her skirt, "I look like a woman."

    Aurora laughed and gently tapped Clara's chin. She did that whenever they shared these moments, "that you do my dear. A beautiful young woman looking for a handsome young prince."

    Clara rolled her eyes, "I don't want a prince or a husband. I just want someone who cares about me. Not this castle."

    Aurora squeezed her shoulder, "find me tonight. I'll introduce you to exactly who you're looking for."

    Clara hugged Aurora tightly and then there was a knock on her door. It opened to revel her father. He stood there in his best dress clothes and smiled at Clara as she stood up straighter. She always felt like she had to be on display when her parents were around. She felt like she was more than a daughter for them. She was a piece in their kingdom.

    "Father," she nodded her head as Aurora took a step back and then let father and daughter have a moment. She smiled warmly at Jake as she walked out of the room and closed the door behind her.

    Her father took a step towards her, his hand resting on the post of her bed, "my daughter. You look beautiful."

    "Thanks," she blushed as he let out a slow breath and she looked down at her dress. She felt silly dressed up for this party. She didn't even want a party, she just wanted to spend time with Wells and Raven. She only had so much time left with them before she was forced to shadow her mother. She didn't want to waste her birthday talking to princes that weren't worth her time.