Am I a Villainess?

The Spares

Orion

I am an extra unnecessary child. I've known this since I was very young. The man who I call my father is actually my Uncle, and my mother died shortly after giving birth to me. I don't know who my real father is, but I've  heard the maids gossip.  They say he was a foreign prince who was already engaged when he met my mother. She fell in love and he left her with a baby in her belly before going home.

Draco, my uncle, took me in and adopted me. He promised he would love me and I would always have a place with him. He loved his sister and had promised her that he would look after me. I was legally his son and heir, for a time I fooled myself into thinking I had a place in the Adamaris household.

Draco hired the best tutors and had a portrait placed in my room of my mother, his sister. He said it was important that I knew her face. She had golden hair, large blue eyes and a dainty face. My mother looked kind, and sad. Her name was Alina. 

I met the ancestors and they gave me a protective shell. I was so proud every year when I got my shell. It meant that I was an important member of the Admaris house.  I excelled at everything and told myself that I would earn my place.

Then Draco married a tribal princess. Celeste was beautiful and always kind to me. The maids were nervous about a new lady of the house, especially a tribal girl. When she arrived all their fears went away, Celeste was very capable.

I did not want to get too close to her because I already had a mother, I may not remember her, but she was mine. I also knew that it would not be long before she replaced me with a child of her own.

A few months after their wedding her belly began to swell, and she said I would soon have a brother or sister. I was sure I had lost my place.

The baby came, and I did not see her till her sealing ceremony. Her name was Aurora and she was so small I felt silly for ever being scared of her.

As soon as she could see she began to follow me around, she asked for me on a daily basis and always smiled at me. Her eyes were like mine but her hair was dark at the roots, gradually turning silver at the tips. She always reached for me and called my name sweetly. I was loved. Aurora helped me feel truly loved and see how lucky I was.

Celeste's belly began to swell again, she was hoping for a boy. I was just getting used to th idea of having a little brother. Then tragedy struck. Celeste lost her light and would not come out of her room, my father began to drink. Even Aurora threw tantrums.

It wasn't until lady Silva, Aurora's grandmother arrived that everything got better. Silva had the entire house on a schedule, even me. Theron was training me with the bow, he was a gruff older boy.

Then I made my first friend. Prince Adros was like me. We both felt like extras. Only Adros didn't seem to have anyone that actually loved him. His father seemed indifferent to him and his step mother ignored him. Adros started to teleport to our home often enough that the chef would make an extra plate most nights. He liked to practice fighting with me and played with Aurora. He said that she was a cute little sister.

He told me that he wished he could get closer to his siblings, but he was afraid of facing the new Queen. I had to admit she was creepy. Her smile never reached her eyes except when she talked about her children and when Aurora was being charming. The King seemed more interested in enjoying his wealth than taking care of the kingdom, or his family. Adros was truly alone. But he had me and Aurora, so it was fine.

When Aurora turned one we all snuck away for her awakening, and for Adros to meet his grandfather. Draco told me that the king would call the mountain tribe chief a goat man. I know the King said worse things about the tribesmen.

I saw Adros struck with emotion for the first time ever. When his grandfather handed him his mother's amulet Adros looked as if he would cry. He told me that this was the only tangible thing he had of hers.

Suddenly I felt very lucky for all that I had.

Walking through the forest was frightening, but I tried not to show it. Aurora was my little sister and I had to protect her. When Adros picked her up I suddenly got jealous. She was my sister and she was smiling at someone else. We bickered until we reached a clearing in the forest and Aurora plopped herself in the center.

When we sat in the forest I wasn't sure I would get a familiar, I'm not one of the tribe folk, why would I get one?

Familiars in the kingdom are usually domesticated animals gifted with extra intelligence, usually to do tasks or carry messages. For tribal people familiars were spirit guides with a secondary battle purpose, some of the more powerful ones spoke through telepathy. It was a very deep bond. Deep enough that the death of a spirit animal would mean their human would fall gravely ill and possibly die. The reverse was true as well.

Adros and I waited. I was certain the the forest spirits had rejected us when suddenly lights floated around Aurora who giggled happily and tried to catch them.  When one of the lights finally drifted towards me I smelled pine, another light made me feel the cold spray of a river. The spirits were more like different aspects of nature condensed into light.

A few of the spirits floated towards Adros who stood stiffly. He seemed scared but determined. The spirits wove and danced between the three of us.

Aurora became still and stared past the clearing into the trees where a dryad appeared. I had never seen such a creature. She felt just as powerful as my ancestor, the mer lady, but her magic felt wilder.

The dryad studied us for a time while the spirits flocked to her. She made a motion and a tiger cub appeared beside her. The cub approached me and plopped itself in front of me with a yawn. When I picked it up, the tiger cub yawned and nuzzled me before falling asleep.

When a familiar did not appear for Adros he looked hurt, as if nature itself had rejected him. I though he would cry when suddenly a dragon hatchling landed in his head with a cry.

Hope and happiness filled his eyes and Adros stroked his dragonling.

Aurora looked jealous but she sat patiently until the dryad approached and tapped her gently on her forehead. A glow of magic stunned me for a moment and Aurora giggled. The dryad smiled and dissapeared into the forest.

Aurora looked up at me and I noticed a white crescent moon scar on her forehead. Adros stroked the scar for a moment before turning to me.

"It's permanent." He whispered

I think I'm in trouble.

So do I draw Adros or Orion?
Or maybe one of the adults?
You decide. Or I will eat my weight in bacon.