Dandelions

Chapter 1

Mara's POV

I sigh seeing the world I see through my window as a breeze flutters the drapes. The world, I once lived. The world I love and the world I hate. The world I wish to live and the world I hate to live. Whatever I see through the windows of this lonely little castle in the hill, the prison in which I 'm being surviving in these thirteen years is the world I live. Being born as a princess hasn't brought me anything good so far in my life. All what it could bring is loneliness, loneliness and loneliness. I have heard of princes who come to rescue the princesses from the abyss they live in my bed time stories long ago. No, that is not my wish is. How can I ever trust a strange man while the man I trusted the most, the man whose beard was my swing, the lap was my cradle, the back was my play horse and the arms were my world wanted to send me away, far away from him, far away from my ummi, far away from the palace, my abi, the great king of kingdom Salahiya. The man I love and the man I hate. The man I wish to see and wish not to see. Habeeba was saying that the people believe that this castle is full of black magic, so that no one except my teachers dare to visit. But my wish was if I could find at least a ghost just to accompany me.

"Peace be upon you my dearest princess" I wipe off the tears those roll down my cheeks hearing the one and only comforting voice I was hearing in these thirteen years.

"Peace be upon you Habeeba" I say looking at the tall figure that moves to me wearing a smile in her face. The only soul that keeps my soul nourishing.

"Did my darling princess cry?" she says resting her arms on my cheeks. "What really made her sad? Did she find any shortcoming with this old lady? Or in this castle?"

"Castle? it is prison Habeeba, an abyss." I say rising to my feet. "The place where loneliness rules"

"Princess"

"Please Habeeba, don't try to convince me, I'm enough with this. It was all my fault, my fault for being born as a princess, a name sake princess who live her life worse than a slave in between these tall walls. I wish I were never born" I say gritting my teeth. "Sorry for being grumpy Habeeba" I add a second later.

"No mentions my dearest princess Mara and if that is what your worry is, then I'm here to deliver you the message that this miserable life is going to come to an end" Habeeba adds drawing the drapes to cover the windows.

"You mean?"

"I mean the great king of Kingdom Salahiya has sent a message asking to bring the princess of Salahiya, princess Asmara back to the kingdom" she smiles, grabbing my hands to her chest. "Are you happy my little rose?"

"But?.."

"But..why suddenly? Is that what you want to know?"

"But there are two more months for me to turn eighteen" I remind her not to remain here some more but to confirm the news.

"Of course you are, but a duty is waiting to be fulfilled by you on behalf of your citizens before you turn eighteen"

"What is that?"

"Wait a little longer princess"

"Haven't I waited enough? I have been waiting for thirteen years to know all these, to know why I was sent here when I was just five, what really happened on that mysterious night and So many questions Habeeba, so many" I flinch as she places her hands on my shoulder. "Pardon me, once again pardon me Habeeba, I didn't mean to hurt you but.."

"No mentions once again princess, I was doing my duty"

"Duty? Is this your duty Habeeba, you had to waste thirteen precious years of your life simply because to serve me. What do you get in return Habeeba? Why did my abi ruined your life with mine?"