Everything I Could Never Want

Chapter Three

I've never seen someone's eyes light up in so much fury than the eyes of my brother in that moment. He began to tear his sword from his sheath. "You are not my sister. Kneel before your king, you whore," Sucking in a quick breath of air, I stepped back. "Kneel," His voice echoed through the chamber. I fell to my knees. He was so angry. I had seen his angry before, but not like this.

"Andres enough," The woman standing to the side of Andres, my mother, rested her hand on his arm. "Put that away." The anger faded slightly from his eyes, but they still looked like roaring flames. He slowly sheathed his sword, but he did not take his hand off the hilt. My mother did not take her eyes off Andres as she ordered, "Leave us." The soldiers rose. I rose to follow them out. "Not you." The queen mother's attention had shifted to me.

The doors closed with a boom. Silence. Seconds passed. But it felt like minutes. And a minute feels like eternity. My mother clicked off the risen platform that held the thrones. "You look so much like my daughter," She whispered. "Her hair is brown, like yours, but she dyes it blonde. She adds freckles to her nose, but her face is plain. But your eyes, they're like mine, brown. So many have brown for eyes though." She glanced down at the floor. But then she stared deep into my eyes again. "Danielle never lets herself be seen without makeup. But you have none on. And you are in rags. But..." Her eyes lightened. I could see love filling up in them. She suddenly grabbed my arms and held them as tight as she could. "Danielle? Danielle! You are my daughter! You've changed, but you are her." She wrapped me in a hug only capable of a mother. "I've missed you." I felt dears drop onto my shoulder.

I hated to tell her I missed her. I hated for her to think that after all she put me through she could just come back, hug me, tell me she loved me, then expect me to love her again? I could barely force myself to touch her back.

"Mother enough," Andres ordered. That may be the only time I would appreciate his bossiness as my mother quit smothering me. "Mother, do you know how many people have brown hair? And how many people have brown eyes?" He stepped down off his risen platform. "Are you not seeing this?" He gestured to my face.

My skin was two different shades of pale. One was almost ghost while the other looked more like Andres and my mother, a tanner pale. Blotches of the ghost pale appeared all over my face. The most noticeable of them was on my eyelid. It covered most of it and some of my eyebrow, causing a section of my eyebrow to become grey.

This was why none of the soldiers knew who I was. This was how Andres did not recognize me. This is the reason I was able to escape detection among the nobles.

"Danielle looks nothing like this," Andres gestured to me once again. "Danielle did not have these...these..." He huffed. "It doesn't matter. This is not her." He turned away from me and plopped onto his throne. "Guards," He called. The door burst open. "Escort this girl out of here and put her in the dungeon. She will hang tomorrow for impersonation and treason against the royal family."

No, I was not going to die tomorrow. And I was not going to the dungeon. I was too perfect for that. "King Andres, wait!" I stepped forward. "When we were young, you snuck into my room at night. You told me about this girl who you thought was so cute." Who was she? Who was she? Name. Name. I needed her name. Rae... Rae... "Raelyn. Daughter of Lord Preston Shellford. You were devastated when she died from a carriage accident. You never told anyone this but me." He stood, there, unmoving. Until the guards grabbed my arms. They started to drag me out of the room.

"Wait," Andres stepped off his platform yet again. He needed to make up his mind where he wanted to stand. Honestly, it was getting annoying. "Release her." The guards obeyed and released their grip on me. I dusted off the areas where their hands had been.

"Mother," I gripped my left arm. "Do you remember this?" I turned my left arm over to expose a thin scar running down the length of my underarm. My mother examined the scar, poking at it. "I ran through your rose garden one day to retrieve a ball. I was young, and had forgotten about the thorns. I was cut all over, but one thorn cut deeper than the rest." My mother said nothing. She only embraced me harder than the first time. I wondered how much of this I would have to put up with.

"Danielle," Andres joined the great big hug, only causing more discomfort for me. "Servants!" He called after him and my mother finally released me. Four women came rushing into the room. "Get Princess Danielle cleaned up. And one of you send for her ladies." Andres turned to me. "We shall have a feast in your honor tonight. The return of my little sister calls for a grand party."

"And where do you intend to get the funds from?" Shivers traveled up my spine. I would not turn around. He is not here. That is not his deep, scratchy voice. I froze. It was not him. It couldn't be.

He approached the spot where my family was gathered around me. Bowing, he turned to see what had Andres and my mother's attention. That's when I was forced to look at him. Lord Androwe Hache.

A/N: Remember to love yourself. It does not matter what color(s) your skin is. You are all beautiful/handsome (whichever you prefer). Don't forget this. Ever. Comment what you think is going on with Androwe. Why is Danielle so afraid of him? If you think this chapter deserves it, vote! It helps me so much. Follow if you want updates on when the next chapter is released! Love y'all!