Two Worlds- Laurliza

1 |Broken Princess| ☆

     Eliza tip-toed down the hall of the castle she called "home", candle in hand. The castle was unusually quiet, even at this time of night. She was expected to be asleep by this time.

     Of course, the castle hadn't been as cheerful or quite nearly as loud as it used to be, back when her mother, Catherine, was still alive and well. Eliza still remembered that night....that wretched night.

     All she could remember was fire everywhere and her mother's screaming.

     Eliza closed her eyes and breathed heavily as she remembered that night.

"Lizzie!" her mother had said to her. "Find Angie and Peggy and leave, ok sweetheart? I'll be okay, I promise," Catherine had said, with that same endearing smile she had as always.

But, some promises can't be kept.

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     Eliza continued walking. It was about 4:00 A.M. of the anniversary of that night, almost 4 years ago. Eliza had changed since that night. Her once bright, glistening eyes turned dull, and she found herself crying much more often than she had ever cried before. Some nights, if she was lucky, she would get at most 4 hours of sleep. She was only 13 then.

     Eliza made her way outside to a large garden. Statues of birds and other forest animals lined the gates of the garden. She cautiously opened the gate, as to not make a sound. She slowly walked towards the middle of the garden, where a large patch of Tiger Lillies were growing around a large statue. The statue was of her mother.

     Eliza walked toward the statue slowly. She hesitated, just as she always did while coming here. The face on the statue was just so... real. Too real...

     She stomached the courage to start walking again. She held the blazing candle light to a golden plaque just underneath the statue.

It read, "Here lies Catherine Schuyler. A loving wife, mother, and queen."

"You will be missed~"

     Just as Eliza started to read it as she did every year on this date, it started to rain.

     How fitting.

     Eliza didnt seem to care, nor appear to even realize that it was raining. She just......stood there. Dead-eyed.

     She was emotionless.

     Eliza plucked some of the Tiger Lillies from the ground and  set them upon her mother's grave.

     Eliza had snuck her way back into the castle after staying  in the rain for another half hour or so. It will be okay, she always thought on this date. Everything will be okay.

     She planted herself back into her bed and blew out the candle. She tried desperately to sleep, only to find herself closing her eyes and crying again.

     She "woke up" to the sound of clattering silver.

     "Oh good, you're awake, Ms.!" One of the maids chirped as she handed Eliza a piece of cake on a silver tray.

     Eliza rubbed her eyes.

     "Argh....Good morning Margaret....," she said groggily. She shoved the entire piece of cake into her mouth and swallowed it whole.

     "You sound tired Ms.!" Margaret said a little concerned as Eliza pretty much choked on the cake piece. "......Well...uhm, you have a lot in store for today! You have to take your piano lessons, prepare a public speech, meet your father for lunch..."

     The rest of her words just sounded like static to Eliza.

     She fell back on the bed and closed her eyes.

     "Y'know, I think I'm just gonna lay here for now," Eliza said half-asleep.

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