Forever and a Day - Merlin X Reader - Red Shoes

f i v e

Was absolutely chuffed to see this book surpassing 200 reads. If you're still here, thank u for sticking around :) And to those who comment- I luv u

Fear.

That's a feeling I've been accustomed to. It follows you. It's always there even when you have no reason to be scared. You look behind you and twenty feet away is that dark looming figure hiding behind a wall with its nasty scheming face peeking out. And to make matters worse, when it knows you've spotted it, it doesn't even hide. It steps out from it's hiding place and smirks.

And it follows twenty feet behind you. You never know when it'll decide to run up and engulf you. And that just makes it scarier.

I remember my first day of school very vividly. The memory remains deep in my mind, coming out during times I've doubted myself and felt most vulnerable. I was twelve. My parents spent weeks going back and forth on whether or not they should send me to an actual school. With kids. You know, as opposed to being homeschooled.

"She's a princess, what if something happens? With her powers? They're growing. What if someone does something to her?"

"Nonsense, love, she deserves a chance at being a normal kid. She needs to learn how to socialize and make friends. After all, she'll be Queen one day-"

Now, imagine that, going on over and over for weeks. Eventually, they had come up with an agreement. I'd go to school as long as I bring a handmaiden. Though, she had to remain in the back of the classroom at all times to avoid any distractions.

But as I said, I remembered the first day very vividly.

I'll never forget their faces, the redheaded and dark-haired sisters. Drizella and Anastasia were so cruel- even at a young age. They were immensely rich and looked down on everyone. Somehow, unbeknownst to anyone, their father was killed but that didn't stop their mother from looking for a new suitor. They were at the school, but not for long because they'd have been planning on moving out to the country. But that didn't cease their reign of terror.

Why would it?

The first thing they did when they saw me was snicker and I immediately felt insecure. I covered up my arms the best I could in a way to cover myself but what good could my tiny hands do? They hadn't addressed me at all, though, only laughing from afar. That is, until what my teacher called "free time" started. Students were free to eat snacks and play outside for about thirty minutes.

I had been off to the side, reading from a book. It was sunny and warm out, and I had been absentmindedly running my fingers in the grass. I remember feeling a tiny garden ant crawling over my finger when I heard familiar snickering and I looked up.

"They let just anyone come here, then?" Drizella said and Anastasia giggled into the palm of her hand.

"I could smell her from across the yard." The redhead chortled.

"What do you mean?" I foolishly asked. Anastasia and Drizella shared a similar look before bursting into laughter.

"Oh nothing," Drizella said, her nose grossly flaring. "What are you reading anyway?"

"A kiddie book? I read that when I was nine, you must be as dumb as you look."

I frowned as I looked at the cover of the book. It was something I'd always read, and it was full of short stories and poems.

"Hello, are you deaf?"

I looked up and blinked at them.

"Do you need something?" I asked, brows furrowing. "Because if not, I'd like to be left alone, thanks."