An Eternal Wintre

Part 1: Remembrance Chapter 1

Anai wakes with a start, a splitting headache forming behind her eyes. Rain splatters against the window as she sits up and downs her daily dose of medicines. Cracking her neck, she swings herself to the side of the bed and plants her feet on the hard, cold floor. It tingles and aches as she stands and stretches.

Nobody knocks on her door or wonders if she's even awake yet so she moves to the window and opens it wide, letting rain water dance its way into her room. It calms her and cools her feverish skin. She stands there a few moments longer before there's a knock and her door, the sound of it opening, then a gasp and rushed footsteps.

With a sigh, Anai steps back as her maidservant, Ruby, rushes towards the window and shuts it. She makes a grumbling sound before turning on Anai and glaring at her. "I have told you time and time again; do not open the windows under any circumstances, especially when it's raining. Do you know what it could do to the flooring?" she asks angrily. Anai only shrugs and follows the woman into the connected wash room.

Anai slides her night clothes off and slips into the tub, waiting for it to be filled with water. Ice cold water splashes its way into the tub before slowly engulfing her entire body. It turns warm and the woman gets to work, washing her hair and entire body, rough yanks of the hair here and there.

Ruby practically pushes Anai out of the tub and into her room, sitting her down in the chair before the vanity. A mirror hangs proudly connected to the little desk and shows Anai back at herself, a pale girl with dark red lips and large blue eyes. "Sit straight," Ruby orders, yanking Anai by the shoulders to sit taller. Her back already starts aching.

Her chin's propped up as Ruby applies make-up to her face, masking her, hiding her. She then moves to do Anai's disaster of a mess that is known as her hair. With a brush, Ruby yanks and pulls before taming the long lavender locks of hair. It's pulled up into a bun before rolled and curled into ringlets that are then brushed out into gentle waves cascading down her back.

After Anai is all made up, Ruby stands her in the middle of the room and starts to dress her. Undergarments of silk first before slipping a heavy dress of deep navy blue onto her body. Ruby laces her in and fixes her hair before procuring shoes. Reluctantly, Anai steps into them and fits them before looking up at the maid. "Is all this really necessary?" she asks, a hint of whining in her voice. Ruby only nods and leaves without a word.

Rebellion gets the better of Anai and she glides over to the window again with the grace of a predator. She opens it again, not as wide as before but enough to let rain in once more. She loses herself as she reaches her hand into the falling water, letting it kiss her hand and fingers. "Ruby's not going to like you ruining her nice dress," a voice teases from the doorway. Anai doesn't flinch or close the window as she turns to see her visitor. Mal, the prince of Lutenia and heir to the throne.

His teeth flash white as he smiles mischievously before entering the room uninvited. "You look as lovely as ever," he says, bowing slightly. She sneers and pulls back, wanting to jump out the window.

"Keep bowing like that and you'll make it too easy to knee you in the face," she retorts before closing the window, never turning her back on him fully. Anai never trusted the royal type. He has the nerve to actually look stricken. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I have lessons to attend." She glides past him and leaves him there, still halfway up from his bow.

She quickly walks down the hallway, guards already following her; no not her, the prince. He's caught up to her and strolls alongside her as if they're longtime friends. "Why do you act so cruelly to me, you know you like me," he teases, walking too close for comfort.

"Because we are not friends at all. I am a prisoner here to parade around for you people. Anything else you'd like to ask?" He doesn't talk anymore after that.