Paper Boats

[ᴍɪʀᴀᴄᴜʟᴏᴜs ᴀᴜ] Séraphine

Five hundred years before Marinette stepped out into the world as the heroine Ladybug, another girl was given the same power of the miraculous earrings, but she wasn't exactly sure how a lady of royalty was to turn into a lady of bravery.

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"Let's have a run down of tomorrow's schedule, shall we?" Lady Olivia took a seat beside my bedside table, reading a list on her hand as I snuggled deeper into my pillows. "Right. Ten-thirty, you will be meeting up with the Parisian prime minister. He'll be offering you a lovely piece of French jewelry, and you will say?"

"Thank you," I replied rather softly, as I was so close to falling asleep.

"No," she let out a stern warning. "You cannot accept them."

"No, thank you." I sighed, and tossed my head to the other side of the room that had a window overlooking the Notre Dame.

"Next, twelve-twenty, you will have lunch with the Deveraux sisters, two of France's most eligible ladies." She paused for a moment, then continued on. "They'll be offering you a diamond ring, and you'll reply with?"

"No, thank you," I replied, then sat up straight with my dark hair cascading on my chest.

"You can't decline them, my dear," Lady Olivia corrected me once again. "Declining them would be most embarrassing for the two ladies, and—"

"Oh, for once, would you speak to me as if I were a human being, too?" I let out an exasperated sigh, and stood up for the window. The entire city was truly magnificent. A hundred million stars in the sky seemed like they could illuminate the land on their own, along with tiny glowing embers from the candles in each and every home on the streets of Paris. All the people seemed to be happy in where they were, all except me.

"We just got here," I added. "Can't we have a holiday here first? Do I really have to go out and about with my duties from the very first day? This is Paris, after all. Shouldn't I at least get to see the marvelous streets of France first before anything else?"

"Princess, you know why we have come to Paris." She approached me slowly, and took my hand in hers. "You know you must negotiate with the royal family about their motives to conquer our country. You know that you must make a good impression to all of the French first, before attempting to persuade them. Little Angleterre is such a weak country compared to this. As a princess, you know must know what is to be done for your kingdom. I trust that you know what's right, my dear Séraphine."

It has always been engraved in my head that my duty was to my people. Whenever I tried to go do things that would make myself happy, I was always told to sacrifice my own desires for the good of our nation. It was always like that. I was always the one to sacrifice. Never have I ever put anyone else as a priority before my people— not even myself.

I was given the name Séraphine, a fiery name for a young girl. I was taught at a very young age that I was the Princess, and no one else in this world could be as powerful as I was. With my parents brutally murdered when I was six, I was told that I could assume my right to the throne as its rightful queen, but as for now, as I have not come of age, I still remain my kingdom's crown princess. The most powerful of all, but not as of this moment.

My father's cousin became my regent. Uncle Laurent said that he would immediately let go of his position as I turn twenty-one, but the thing is, I don't think I'm anywhere near ready to be queen. I've always known that I was potentially going to be powerful, but I never wanted that kind of power in my hands. I wanted myself to see the change I make in this world right in front of my eyes, and just through my windows. I wanted to interact with the world, not as a princess, but as just myself- just plain, little Séraphine. My cousin, Ayla, thinks I'm rather delirious, as she wondered why I would want to decline the power I had. It's just that, it's not the power I think the world deserves.