The Lost Heir

Ancient History

My quarters are only a short walk from the Throne Room. It's an elegant room, much like the rest of the castle. It's bigger than my home. I turn to Rosalie in amazement. She tries her best to hide a giggle, she doesn't succeed.

"Tomorrow we are going to have a ball to honor your return. You'll have to meet with several of the nobles. You may have heard of them. I won't be able to give you much details about them on such short notice. However, I can answer any questions you may have." She smiles a radiant smile. Now I see why she's known as the epitome of beauty and grace.

"There is still one thing that's unclear. If I am the princess, why would the king want me alive? What does it matter if I'm dead or if I'm married to one of his heirs?" As I ask, I can spot Rosalie falter.

"My father believes that if you rule beside one of his children, the resistance may cease to exist. All they want is for the true heir to take the throne. Whomever you choose, will rule beside you. Once you are married to one of my brothers, there will be no reason for a war amongst our people. They will come together as one." She divulges. Her bright hazel eyes wonder to my neckline. They open up in shock. "Do you truly believe that you are not the princess?"

I give her a quizzical look as she reaches towards me. She pulls out the necklace from under my clothes. The necklace I have had for as long as I can remember. My mother told me that I must never take it off, so I haven't. She stares at it for a long moment before glancing back up at me.

"There is a story that many have not heard. It is only known to those that were close to any previous rulers of Eradonia, it is also in ancient books. I only know of it because I have read nearly all the books in the library. It is a story that not even my father knows of. In the early days of Eradonia, there was a queen. Her name was Solaire, I believe. The king was called Alain, very similar to slain. The books claimed that Alain killed dragons to protect Eradonia, to make sure that this kingdom wouldn't be kept from thriving. After all the dragons were slain, he gave a necklace to his lover. In only one other book, the story is different. Queen Solaire was the one to murder the beasts. She had powers beyond compare. King Alain made her queen because of her beauty and he thought she would be an excellent companion in wars. He gave her a necklace to suppress her powers when they were not in war, to keep her from turning on him. Throughout the rest of history, the necklace was passed down through her lineage to the children that were thought to possess those same powers." She explained.

"I am no witch!" I shout. I've had enough with this nonsense. "Has everyone in this castle misplaced their sanity? First, you steal me from my home, from my mother. Claiming that I am some princess that no one has even seen or heard from in well past a dozen years. Then, I am forced to choose between your brothers. To spend the rest of my life in this castle, filled with people I have never met until today. Lastly, you accuse me of being some sorceress. I am not the princess and I'm not a bloody witch!"

She stammers back, losing composure. After a moment at a loss for words. She looks me in the eyes, then bows. "I apologize. I did not mean to cause you panic. I have matters to attend to. Dinner will be at dusk, don't be late." As she turns towards the door, I feel as if I should apologize.

Everyone here acts as if they know me so well, it's making me think I don't even know myself. I know who I am. I am Cosima, a farmer's daughter. I am not Emaline, the heir to Eradonia. I do not belong to a long history of witches, nor do I belong to some prince. I belong to myself. It's time that these stuck up nobles learn that.

I spend the next few hours bathing and picking through dresses. I try to find the least elegant dress that I can, much help that does. All of these dresses look custom made. Made for a princess, of course. As I make my way towards dinner, I bump into a servant.

"My apologies, your grace." The servant bows.

"No worries, darling. You may call me Cosima." I reach to greet her and lift her to her feet.

"I am Elizabeth. Are you heading towards dinner?" She questions.
"I am, do you know the way?" I ask. She nods and leads me the way. Before opening the dining room door, she looks at me.

"If you ever need any help with anything at all, like getting to know more about the nobles, please don't hesitate to ask. Us servants know more than the king would care to believe." She does a short curtsy, then scrambles away.

Dinner goes by quickly. The princes discuss wars while Rosalie makes faces at the things they speak of. It's clear that she's not one to glamorize war. Severin cuts in every now and then, giving advice to the men. She makes sure that they don't do anything to break the peace of the commoners.

After their conversation of war, they discuss my schedule. The two first days of the week, I must spend with William. The third day is with Severin to discuss my queen duties, it's supposed to help me prepare to rule. The third and fourth days are with Bryce. And the last two are to practice being a princess with the assistance of Rosalie. They do allow me to take one day of the week for myself. I must choose as the days come.

For now, I just need to prepare for the upcoming ball. I'm sure there's not much to learn. I understand the basics of royalty pretty well. Mother has already taught me how to dance with poise, how to speak to royals and nobles, she's even allowed me to know the ranks and names of all those above us. I even understand that the slightest misuse of my words can be taken rather offensively. What can I say? My mother wanted to make sure I never ended up in the same predicament as my father.

After dinner is finished, I head to my quarters. I try to uncomplicate my life with my thoughts. Perhaps all of this is a ridiculous dream.

"OW!" I scream as I pinch myself. My door abruptly swings open.

"Oh. Pardon me. I thought you were hurt." Rosalie apologizes after I give her a grave look. She quietly closes the door behind her and walks a little closer to me, whilst keeping her distance. Probably to refrain from upsetting me again. "I need to ensure that you're ready for tomorrow. The castle will be hectic so I won't have any alone time with you. Do you know of the Duke of Armridge?" I shake my head. "He is of the utmost importance. His land is known for their wine. Very wealthy land, if you ask me. He will want to meet you to see that you resemble Queen Estelle. Thankfully, you do. All the others shall introduce themselves to you. The Duke, however, expects you to know him. After all, he is your uncle. He's searched for you more than the rest of the royals and nobles have. He'll be happy to finally reunite with his beloved niece. I hope you are experienced in dancing techniques and pleasantries."

"All of this may be new to me, but I do know a lot about royal customs." I answer.

"Well, if that is all, I must go make sure that everything is in order. The day after the ball, you will meet Severin for your time together. I'm not sure if I will be able to speak to you like this until the weekend. Sleep well, Princess Cosima." She states as she exits.

Goodnight, Princess Rosalie. I don't have enough time to say it out loud, as she is already gone. This place is all new to me and I don't quite understand what led to my whole life changing, but it does feel comforting to hear someone use my name and not Emaline's. My thoughts escape me as I drift off to sleep.