The Princess in Chains

Xenia

My mother thinks I'm dead. The whole world doesn't know that I ever existed. My father keeps me hidden in my dungeon. The only place I have ever known. I've become an expert at being lonely and counting time. Watching the different gradients of light grow and fade. My world revolves around darkness.

My father says I'm a monster that inside of me is only a terrifying darkness.

But I don't know what is wrong with me. I seem perfectly normal.

I sit on my favorite cracked wall it's damp. It must be raining tonight. I wonder how rain looks and feels. Is it beautiful or horrifying? Does it prick your skin or does it fall delicately onto your skin?

I look at the wall where I have scratched my name a dozen of times. It is the only thing that holds my sanity. That little piece of humanity. I am Xenia...Xenia...I am Xenia...I am...

The door creaks. My father is here. I look at his face he looks different. He looks grief stricken.

I want to ask what is wrong but that is against the rules. I only speak when I'm told to.

"Little monster you're getting out of this dungeon tonight." He speaks its not a question it's a command.

He throws at me a beautiful purple dress. Beautiful small exquisite jewels are embedded into the dress. Woven in so perfectly. I frown, my father never has brought me presents.

"You need to wear that." He says.

I nod. Curiosity seeps through me and I can no longer keep my mouth closed. "Why are you letting me out of my dungeon?"

I flinch as he approaches me waiting for the blow to come. But it doesn't. "Things outside are not so good my little monster. The Princess Zeara has been kidnapped by the enemy kingdom and you have to rescue her by taking her place."

"You have a minute to put the dress on. I'll wait outside." He walks out in a long stride.

I hold the beautiful dress in my hands. The day I always yearned for is finally here. Outside I will finally find the answers about myself. I will live.

I put on the dress. It feels smooth and silky. Beautiful. I wish I could see how I look. I've never seen how I look. I don't know what color my eyes are. Are they green like my fathers? There's so many things I do not know.

I walk to the door slowly with sweaty hands. My hands shake as I take one last look at my dungeon. It's funny you know... I thought that the instant I got a chance to leave I would sprint out. But now here I am standing at the door that leads to freedom, I'm scared to leave. What if the world is not how I imagined it would be? This is the place I have lived in for 16 years. I know nothing besides this.

I reach for the handle. I remember holding this handle so many times, trying to make it budge open. It never did. But now it opens smoothly with a soft click. It's something so satisfying to open this door with such an ease.

Father takes my arm pulling me with him through dark corridors. Finally he opens a heavy door and I feel breeze for the first time. It's a cool breeze that sends goosebumps down my skin. I could cry of happiness.

I look up to the sky I always wonder how it looked and I'm terribly disappointed. It's black. I thought that there would be something different but it is just like my dungeon.

I go back to marveling the nature. It's hard to see the trees are like shadows and I cant make out much. Soon we approach something that I could only describe as light. "Fire." Father whispers as he watches me staring in awe.

"Your name is now Zeara you are the princess of the kingdom of Corinth."

He pulls at my dress and I hold in a gasp. He rips the dress a little making it look ragged. He points a girl in the distance. "That's her. Go and save her little monster." I think I see tears in his eyes. I must be delusional. Father doesn't love me. He doesn't cry. I will no longer have to burden him by being his dark secret. I don't look back at my old life. Well if you could even call it a life. And I run into the light with not a single feeling of nostalgia.