From the diary of Griselda Vargas-Beilschmidt

69

Something different this time.

Do you remember when I talked about the Fantasy au a while back? Yeah, well, I finally decided to try it.

So, ladies and gentlemen, I present you *drum rolls* 

The lost princess: chapter 1!

Snowflakes were chasing each other outside as a family rested inside their home. The two youngest children, only seven at the time, were sleeping, huddled together in a warm blanket. The girl's white skin seemed to be glowing in comparison to her brother's greyish skin hue. He could make his skin just as light as her, but when asleep, he always shifted to his more natural form.

The world slept, and so did the family. But to the girl, sweet dreams would not come.

She squeezed her eyes closed forcibly, then opened them. And what she saw was not her home in the mountains and the snowstorm outside.

It was a garden. A beautiful, colourful garden with neatly trimmed bushes and rows and rows of flowers of many kinds, more than she has seen her entire life. There was a fountain in the middle, and statues standing along the wall, as if on guard. The Sun was shining brightly and warmly, yet she didn't feel the warmth. The sky was blue with a few clouds scattered here and there, and overall it was a very beautiful day to spend in a very beautiful place. Her eyes were open wide as she took all the colours and brightness in. And then she heard something.

Something like the gate opening. The girl quickly whipped round to see a high metal gate with elaborately carved spikes on the top, apparently to keep thieves and assassins out. However, it was not a thief the girl saw. It was another girl.

About her age, or maybe a bit younger, with long blonde hair in an intricate braid -the girl tugged at her own short light hair that couldn't grow for hell with a pang of jealousy- a big smile and shining eyes as blue as the sky above them. And her wear- that's what was strange. She was dressed in a quite expensive-looking dress with lots of frills and embroiding. A child of high status, huh?

The girl fumbled with the gate lock, trying to unlock it with a big, old key. There wasn't single other person around, keeping an eye on her. Was she allowed to go here alone? That wasn't our girl's problem.

Finally, the gate gave way, and the long-braid girl let out a squeak of delight as she ran inside.

She forgot to lock the gate behind her.

The girl observed the long-braid girl run around for a while, smelling the flowers and skipping happily between the flowerbeds, and felt like skipping, too. For a moment,everything was warm and safe and perfect.

And then the gate creaked. Both of the girls turned around at the sound, and paled. The warm spring sun hid behind a cloud and it was suddenly chilling.

A tall feminine figure dressed in white from head to toe. The lady had long hair, also almost white, and a pale face with violet eyes. She was by all means beautiful, yet both of the girls unconciously stepped back. There was also something not good about her, something dangerous. The lady's eyes were locked on the long-braid girl's. Her thin lips formed a small smile and both of the girls gasped in unison.

"W-who are you?" the long-braid girl asked quietly. "Who are you?!" she yelled after she got no reply. Our girl stepped in front of the long-braid girl, overwhelmed by the pull to protect her, but as she moved to grab her shoulder, her hand slipped right through it as if she were a ghost. The long-braid girl shivered and the lady stepped forward.