A Princess For Christmas (Of The Dreams We Seek)

Prologue

Dear Avni,

As the leaves turns the color red, it reminds me of how you used to blush, every time you accidently catch me looking at you. I remember how much you were excited when the first time we went for the boat ride on the bake. 

Now still when I sit here and write this to you. The sun sets the same way at the horizon, the birds return home at the same hour. The rays still create a beautiful painting filled with many, many colors I cannot even count. All is the same, except for one thing, you.

The person who showed me all the magic happening around me. The person who made me think by a new perspective. One who made me appreciate the true beauty that had surrounded me. 

The snow is so beautiful this year covering the pine forest, so you remember that place? I hope you do because it is the first place, I ever shown you that was not laced with any kind of Royal infestation as you used to call it.

And it is the first place I saw the real you. The one I had hard time accepting existed. You are the first person who ever made me rethink my decision. As a Prince and as a man. But right now even when I saw all their happy faces, I cannot help but miss yours.

 And I admit I was the one at fault. I was the one who should have told you so that you would not felt betrayed. Still I wish you were here, Christmas is around the corner, and I wished only for you to be around, as we promised.

I know I have broken that heart of yours. But it wasn't my intention at all. I cannot even imagine how betrayed you have felt. If for some reason you find it in your heart to forgive me for my actions, and let me become your friend once again. 

It will be like my most precious Christmas wish to be come true. As it is a season of hope and cheers, I was hoping that somehow, you will be able to find it in your heart to forgive my foolishness, and come back to where you belong. By our side, mine and Serafina's side. She misses you too much and I don't know what to do at this point.

Yours always

Callahan

P.S. I completed the tower and holding on to it so that we can build it in reality when you come and visit., if you do.

Avni looked at the letter touching the ink, thinking about the sad blue eyes when he was writing it. Hoping it would reach to its destination. To her nevertheless. 

She got up from her bed still the IVs poking into her arms and she pulled the stand with her towards the little window that had outlooked the cityscape. Delhi was filled with beautiful lights, little blinking spheres everywhere. 

It was beautiful and it reminded her off the lights they lit all over the garden the day she went there for the first time, as the request of Princess Serafina. Her little adorable fan. A smile graced her face.

She looked at the letter again. She can imagine Prince Callahan hunting the correct words to right to her. Correct sentences to form, correct phrases to be used, even engaging his sister in this tiresome work. 

He was always like that, a perfectionist. And then she closed her eyes, the ballroom of the palace in Winterdell flashed in front of her eyes. All was good, everything was going as she ever wished too. And then came the part where it all fallen apart. 

She realized it was just one lousy dream she was living. A dream that can never be her reality. It was shatter so drastically in front of her eyes. No one can prepare her for the humiliation that came her way. She never felt so betrayed in her whole eighteen years of life. 

And like that, the one person who made everyone smile for no reason had to find her own reasons to do so. And as more she wished she had one, she failed to find it.

That night she left the country of Winterdell and boarded the flight for India, she left behind something so precious to her. Her heart, she left behind into the beautiful wonderland of Winterdell. 

Into the snow covered peaks of the country, and into the peaked pine trees and into those blue eyes of the man she cannot call her own. That night she decided she would never let herself get carried away just to fulfil someone's wish. 

She would never let anyone play her like she let them do it. Not again. She felt someone's hand over her shoulder. "Avni Beta?" She turned around to look at her mother. She tried to hide the letter in her hand but failed to do so.

"Another one from your friends at the royal palace? What does this one says?" Geeta asked looking at her daughter. She lost her smile, and she lost herself and she doesn't even share what was bothering her anymore. 

Geeta hate to see her eighteen-year-old this way. "Nothing ma, I am tired can I go home now?" She asked her mother.

 "soon as the doctor's say it is alright for you to go home. Now I brought you some soup, eat something and then off to bed. Tomorrow you have to go through another series of tests. And then to take up your medication. You need to be healthy again, your friends are worried for you Avni Beta." Her mother told her. 

"I do not know ma why you think that something like this can be cured so easily. I know and you know too that we need to prepare for what to come" She sounded so sad, it is not like Avni to lose her faith and her hope. Her mother's eyes watered.

"How can I not, Avni, you are my little baby. I want to see you smiling again, I want to see you healthy and happy." Geeta said trying to control her tears. "Perhaps I can help you with that" 

Both mother and daughter pair looked at the newcomers. "Sifi" Avni exclaimed as the little girl ran towards her, almost falling down but Avni caught her on time. "What are you doing here? Why were you running? You know you aren't allowed to run this way; you could have hurt yourself." Avni scolded softly. 

"I missed you Avni, so much" The little girl hugged her tightly. "So Did I Sifi, so did I" Avni whispered and let her tears flow. "I came bearing his letter, I wanted to deliver it to you personally" Serafina told her.

 "And I came bearing an invitation for all your family Princess Avni." Avni looked into the kind eyes of the Queen. "Mam, you need not to bother by all this. You could have just given it to..." 

"This invitation is just an excuse Princess, what I wanted to do was to meet you again. You left without telling anyone anything. I thought you might not have liked our hospitability."

"I apologize your highness if I made you feel this way, it wasn't my intention at all." Avni said. "You know you can call me Grace; in a way we are family." The queen was very right, she was part of their family now, part of Winterdell legacy forever.

 "I was just a Princess for mere twenty-eight days. Your highness, and that too because you allowed that to happen. I am not a real princess." She said looking down. 

"From what I saw, you are a good ruler as any princess WinterDell had seen ever Avni. Since your family wasn't present for your coronation last month, I thought perhaps they would like to attend the Christmas celebration with us." 

She was surprise that Queen herself had told them to celebrate the Christmas. But the question is can she go back to the place where she had lost it all?

"Avni, the plane will leave tomorrow, if you can find it in your heart to keep the request of your family on the other side of the world, I would like you to come with us please" With that said she stood up and helped Serafina into her Wheelchair. 

And then walked towards the cabin doors. "I hope you come with us. I hope you do. If not for me then for my children." With that said the queen left her with turmoil in her heart and a light blue envelop in her hand with a royal crest she was too familiar with. 

Word Count: 1462 Words