The Land Of Camellias

Prologue

The second heir to the queen and princess of Sun Malum lived lavishly, just as any princess should.

Nearly everything she could ever desire was at her fingertips, and knowledge was well within her reach in the vast castle library. She wanted for nothing and had everything. Except for her true freedom. Her head lay heavily on her arms on the smooth wooden table where she sat. Even death was but a distant stranger to her, for she was cursed with the presence of its opposite. She could not escape life, as much as she wanted to. She stared mindlessly into the three silent flames. Hot wax fell upon the side of her hand- making it sing with a fleeting pain. Hardly paying the feeling any mind, she stood. How much time has passed since that day? Six years? No- it felt like more. Perhaps something more like seven. That didn't feel right either.

    This should be but a blip in time for someone such as her. Yet it was a slow and agonizing burn. Like a tall candle. It felt like it had been decades. Ah, she remembers now.

It has been exactly one decade since she was placed here. Though on the rarest of occasions she could visit the garden and speak with maids briefly to help keep her sanity about her. The one mercy that was given to her so graciously by her mother. Stepping out onto the balcony, she closed her eyes, enjoying the cool night air. Fall is coming. You can see it, dancing there in the trees below.

The trees in these parts were fairly unique. They bloom all year round, save for spring. Raising an open hand to the wind, she let the air flow through her spread fingers. The colors were always changing. Though, they never did match the seasons. They turned a lovely shade of green in the coming months of early fall. Later into fall, they would fade into a soft blue and then a delicate lilac purple.

In the winter the trees would be blooming with pink flowers and bright orange leaves. In spring, they would shed their leaves and blooms, patiently awaiting the coming summer. Then into Summer, the blooms would be a darker lavender, while the leaves faded to black, the whole process starting again. Folding back her long hair from her eyes with her forearm, she began to tie it away from her face- twisting it. The moon was as luminescent as ever and hung in the starry skies.

Narrowing her mismatched eyes, she reached into one of her dress's pockets and revealed a smooth little red stone. A single rune was carved into one of its flat surfaces. 

How long, she wondered aloud to the night. "How much longer must we stay like this?"

An owl far in the distance called out into the chilling night. How she wished she could join her, out in the sky. She longed all her life to experience what had been stolen from her. The soft drafts of wind blew right through her, chilling her to the bone. The sheer sleeves of her short black dress did nothing to keep her warm- not in the slightest. Pulling her knees atop the wide railing of the balcony, she clambered to stand. Nearly falling from the height, she quickly regained her balance, not quite ready to leap and try to greet death.

Carefully leaning down, she grabbed hold of the heeled shoes that sat next to her- bound together with thick a gold-colored ribbon that smelled terribly of copper. The night fell silent- even the wind had calmed somewhat. It was as if The Forest was holding its breath with anticipation. With a sharp inhale, she pulled her arm back behind her head, pulling her muscles taught. She whispered to the night- hoping it would hear her plea.

"No longer."

As hard as she could, she launched the little red stone towards the full moon, one leg lifted behind her. Her face fell as it dawned on her. She didn't hit the moon like she hoped she would. Instead, it fell close to the ground.

Faintly she registered, she was falling. The momentum of her throw was pulling her forward, towards the earth and forest below. Yet as she was, she saw the stone strike something. It made a neon yellow ripple in the air, with a strange warbling sort of sound before a crack formed. The crack connected to the ground like a bolt of lightning, the air becoming silent and still.

It spread, and soon enough a hole formed- the yellow barrier falling away in dissipating shards.
She smiled ruefully, not bothering to try and save herself from the deadly height. Despite everything she desired, this was the best way to achieve happiness. For her and her brother.

So she fell, and all at once her world went dark as fear gripped her heart with an iron grasp.