《A Spark Makes A Fire》 Chapter 1 ¡°Elara!¡± I am pulled from my head by a voice calling out to me. I can immediately recognize this voice as my mother¡¯s. ¡°My apologies, mother. I am paying attention now.¡± She begins to go off on the same rant that she makes every day. ¡°You need to be better. As the princess, you set the example for girls all around the continent! You must live up to society¡¯s standards. Revalia expects more of you. I expect more of you.¡± I¡¯ve heard these same words almost a million times before, but I still reply with, ¡°Yes, mother.¡± ¡°You need to be more like your brother!¡± I have to physically restrain myself from rolling my eyes. ¡°Yes, mother.¡± My older brother, Astin. The perfect, never wrong, golden child. The heir to Revalia¡¯s throne. The conceited, snotty brat who will run the country soon. ¡°He knows not to answer the press¡¯s questions. Why don¡¯t you know that? Why can¡¯t you do anything right?¡± I look down at my shoes, afraid to meet her eyes. It¡¯s never good to meet her eyes when she gets angry like this. ¡°My apologies, mother. I should have known better.¡± She begins to yell. ¡°Yes, you should¡¯ve! God, it is so hard to love you when you act like this! Why can¡¯t you act like you¡¯re deserving of my love for once in your life?¡± I fight the urge to flinch. By now, I¡¯m staring at the floor so hard that I¡¯m practically burning holes into it. ¡°My apologies, mother. I¡¯ll do better, I promise.¡± She just sighs and replies, quieter now, ¡°Leave me, Elara. I can¡¯t stand the sight of you right now.¡± I lift my head ever so slightly, enough to spot the door and quickly and quietly make my way out of her room. Once I get to my room, I step inside and lock the door behind me. I let out a breath I didn¡¯t know I was holding. I am lucky today. She usually hits me when she gets that angry. Suddenly, I hear my door unlock and I panic for a second, only to find my bodyguard stepping into my room behind me. ¡°Please lock the door behind you, Callista.¡± I hear the lock click into place. I begin to silently weep. Callista is at my side in an instant. ¡°What is wrong, my princess? How can I help?¡± I look up at her with my tear filled eyes, and hold out my arms for a hug. For only a moment, Callista looks shocked, before she extends her own arms and holds me while I cry into her shoulder. The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation. I don''t know how much time passes, but when I pull my head from her comforting shoulder, the sun has set and someone is knocking on my door. I wipe my face, and look up at Callista. ¡°Thank you greatly. It won''t happen again, I assure you.¡± Callista nods at me, then bows her head. I stand up and walk to my door, praying that whoever is there does not ask about the redness under my eyes and the puffiness of my face. I open my door to find my brother, standing there with a bored expression on his face. ¡°Sis, I shouldn''t have to wait for you to open your door. It should not take that long.¡± I roll my eyes. ¡°Well, Astin, maybe you should learn to be more patient.¡± He pushes past my shoulder and strolls into my room without a care. He doesn''t spare Callista a glance, which I hope she doesn''t take offense to. ¡°Sis, did I ask? So, what did you do to piss off mom this time?¡± Thinking back to our argument makes me want to cry, so I simply reply with, ¡°Nothing, dear brother.¡± I bat my eyelashes at him and cup my hands so the point sticks. ¡°You selfish jerk.¡± Without thought, I quip back, ¡°You nosy asshole.¡± He sticks his tongue out at me like a bratty child. ¡°Well, don''t piss off mom tomorrow. We have to present ourselves to the people.¡± He acts like I can''t remember that stupid shit by myself. ¡°I know, dipshit. I''m not stupid.¡± He rolls his eyes, which signals that he is about to leave. I step to the side so that he doesn''t run into me again. ¡°Goodbye, brother.¡± He scoffs and walks out of the door without a second glance. When he leaves, I lock the door and tell Callista that I''m heading off to bed. She bids me goodnight, then steps outside of the room to guard the door while I sleep. I am so exhausted by my fight with my mother that I forget to change from my day outfit into my sleeping clothes. As my head hits the pillow, I pray to Thalian that tomorrow will be an easier day. Chapter 2 I awake to the feeling of my lady¡¯s maid, Coral, shaking me awake. ¡°My lady, you must awaken for your presentation, so you can get ready.¡± I sigh, and sit up to let her know I am awake. ¡°If I must, Coral.¡± She grabs my hand and begins to lead me to my dressing station. Out of the corner of my eye, I can see Callista standing by the door, most likely to escort me once I am ready. Coral begins to take off my clothes from yesterday, stripping me down to my undergarments, as I try to remember what I am supposed to say at today''s presentation. I realize that I have forgotten to ask Callista to turn around, only to look and see her already facing the wall. I appreciate her greatly. As I look back towards Coral, I see her shoving two necklaces in my face. A silver necklace with rich red rubies encrusted into it and a gold necklace with beautiful blue jewels that I can¡¯t remember the names of right now. I look at Coral expectantly. ¡°You know me, Coral. You know that I don¡¯t wear gold jewelry. You know that red is my favorite color. Which do you think I am to pick?¡± She smacks my arm and giggles at me. ¡°I was just messing with you, Elara. Now, come with me to pick out a dress.¡± I roll my eyes as she drags me towards my enormous closet. There are dozens of dresses to pick from, but Coral always makes it easy for me. ¡°Okay, darling, I want you to pick between these three. They will compliment your necklace beautifully.¡± I look at the three dresses she has laid out for me. There is a red one with silver threading that looks beautiful. However, it is a glittery fabric, and I hate the feeling of glitter against my skin. The second one is a beautiful gold dress make with silk, which I love the feeling of, but I fear the gold of the dress and the silver of the necklace would clash. The third and final dress is perfect. It is a beautiful, rich dark maroon with silver floral embroidery. It is not too puffy or big, and compliments my body perfectly. Of course, Coral can tell this is the one from the look on my face. ¡°Alright, dearest. Let¡¯s get you in the bath and get you all cleaned up.¡± After one of the quickest baths I¡¯ve ever taken, I sit down in front of my mirror so that Coral can do my makeup. She picks a beautiful burgundy eyeshadow, and makes my eyes look smokey enough that I love them, without them being too smokey for my mom. She¡¯s always been great at that. She applies the perfect amount of blush to my cheeks, and adds a beautiful red lipstick. She then begins to style my hair. While brushing it, she hums along to the tune that she knows always calms me down before events like this. Sometimes, I wish she was my mother, but I would never tell a soul that. I am taken out of my head once again by her asking me which hair piece I want. They are both beautiful, but the one that stands out to me is a beautiful hair comb adorned with silver flowers that have red gems in the middle of each of them. I pick this one, and Coral smiles at me because she always knows which of everything I am going to pick before I pick it. This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. She places it in my hair, and as I look into the mirror, I am in awe of Coral¡¯s abilities. My hair is tied up in a way that looks beautifully effortless. The hair piece is the star of the show, tying up my hair beautifully. Combined with my makeup, she has made me look like a true princess, and I hardly ever do. Before I have time to truly express my gratitude, she pulls me away to put my dress on. After I am fully dressed, I look into the mirror at myself. The girl looking back at me is almost a completely different person. I turn to look at Coral. ¡°Thank you so much. You did amazing.¡± She smiles at me with that same wise smile before saying, ¡°Of course, sweetheart. Now, go darling. Your people are expecting you.¡± I look over towards the door to see Callista, except she is now in a suit instead of her usual gear. I guess I was right about her escorting me. The suit is a beautiful maroon that perfectly pairs with my dress. Her hair is sitting wavy on her shoulders, where it would usually be tied up. Her beautiful green eyes are accented by the smokeyness around them. She looks so perfectly beautiful that I can¡¯t help but feel underdressed next to her. As I approach her, I can feel myself blushing and I pray to Thalian that it just looks like my makeup. ¡°Shall we?¡± I raise my arm. ¡°We shall.¡± She raises her arm and I link our arms together. As I look at her considerably taller stature, I see a slight blush encroaching on her cheeks as well. We start to walk towards the coronation room, where there will most likely be hundreds of reporters and Revalians alike. ¡°So, how are you feeling?¡± I¡¯m trying to make small talk so I''ll feel a little less embarrassed. ¡°I¡¯m feeling fine. Are you nervous at all after your fight with your mom yesterday?¡± I flinch at the mention of it. ¡°It¡¯ll be fine, I''m sure. She wouldn¡¯t bring it up in front of all of these people. She¡¯s too calculated for that. Always thinking 3 steps ahead.¡± Callista tilts her head to look down at me, worried. ¡°I know you¡¯re acting okay, but you should know that I¡¯m here for you, okay? If you need to vent about any of that stuff. I can see how it gets to you. How her little comments chip at your confidence. If you ever need anything, I¡¯m here.¡± I pause for a second then. Nobody has ever said those words to me before. I¡¯ve never been allowed to be upset at anything she does. No one has offered me someone to talk to, or a shoulder to cry on, and I¡¯m taken completely by surprise. Callista looks over at me once again. ¡°My lady, are you okay?¡± I immediately regain my composure. I hope she doesn¡¯t see how much her saying that truly meant. ¡°Of course, Callista. Apologies.¡± I keep walking, and hope she doesn¡¯t bring it up again. Luckily, she doesn¡¯t. She does, however, keep sneaking glances at me with a worried look in her beautiful green eyes. As we reach the coronation room, I plaster a smile on my features and begin to walk into the room with a million flashing lights in my face. Chapter 3 I walk into the room to see my mom staring at me expectantly from the platform built for events just like this. As I walk up with Callista at my side, I feel her squeeze my arm in support, which I am forever grateful for. I walk up to my mother and place a kiss on each cheek, pretending this is normal for us. Callista and I take our seats next to my brother, whose eyes hold a look that say, ¡°Mess this up and I''ll kill you.¡± I look back at him with an expression that reflects, ¡°I won¡¯t, you dick.¡± I then look back over at Callista, and notice my shoulders loosen. She puts her hand on my knee and squeezes it gently, a reminder that she isn¡¯t going anywhere. I place my hand on top of hers as an expression of gratitude, before looking out towards the sea of people in front of us. The cameras are still flashing, though less so now as mom stands up to give a speech to the people. ¡°Great people of Revalia, thank you for joining me today. I am so honored to have all of you supporting me and my family. Myself, your Queen, Queen Cecelia.¡± There is a round of applause. ¡°My dear husband, King Regulus, who wishes he could be here to greet all of you but is unfortunately preoccupied today. My darling son, and the crown prince, Prince Astin. And finally, my precious daughter, Princess Elara.¡± I feel my eyes starting to well up, but I push the sadness down. ¡°Thank you to their escorts, Daria and Callista for helping them today.¡± You can tell that Callista did not expect to be mentioned, as the warmest smile I¡¯ve ever seen graces her face for a short moment. ¡°We welcome you into our home. Today, we are not here to talk about much. I just know that it¡¯s been a while since you¡¯ve seen all of us, and I wanted to change that. So, with that said, does anybody have any questions they¡¯d like for any of us to answer?¡± Almost everybody in the room raises their hand, and Mom calls on somebody in the front row. ¡°You there, what is your question?¡± The person she pointed to stands up. ¡°I was just wondering, could we get a comment from Princess Elara about her recent controversy in the press?¡± My mother looks over at me and beckons me towards the podium she stands in front of. She grabs my arm with such force that I know it will bruise later, most likely as a warning. I get in front of the podium and look out towards the crowd. ¡°To our wonderful people, I apologize for any discomfort I may have caused. I realized recently that I should have handled my actions better and not snapped at the press in the way that I did. I only ask for your forgiveness as I do my best to repent for my actions.¡± Everything I said in that speech was untrue, but I don¡¯t want to risk making my mother angry. I walk back towards my seat on the stage, while my mother asks for more hands. She calls on someone near the back this time. The girl stands up and looks at my brother, Astin. ¡°Can the prince make a speech? I just love hearing his voice.¡± She is practically swooning. There is a round of whoops and hollers from the crowd. He flashes his golden boy smile and walks towards the podium. My mother looks at him as if the sun shines out of his ass, like she always does. He begins to speak into the microphone. ¡°Well, I didn¡¯t prepare a speech, but whatever a lady wants, she gets.¡± He winks at the girl who asked the question. She practically faints. ¡°As the crown prince and future King of Revalia, it is important to me to keep all of our citizens happy. If this is what keeps all of you guys happy, then I am happy to oblige.¡± He continues. ¡°I want to say thank you to my mother, Queen Cecelia, for holding this presentation today. I am so thankful for the opportunity to look at all of your beautiful faces.¡± He really is laying it on thick this time. I think this is the stupidest thing ever, but it¡¯s easier to manage with Callista by my side. I look over at her and she takes my hand into her own. She squeezes it reassuringly. My brother finally finishes up with his stupid, charming bullshit and comes back to sit down next to me. My mother looks out towards the crowd again. ¡°We will take one more question.¡± Everybody raises their hand higher, hoping they will be called on. Mother calls on someone towards the middle of the crowd, on the right side. A man around my age stands up. ¡°When will Princess Elara begin looking for men to marry?¡± I have to hold myself back from puking. Mother smiles gently. ¡°We will most likely begin looking for matches within the next year or so.¡± I place a smile on my face to conceal the panic beneath my features. Mother will force me to marry within the next year. I believed I had more time. I guess I was wrong. It takes all of my might not to puke right there on the stage. Mother begins to speak again. ¡°Alright, that is all we will talk about today. It has been a wonder seeing you all, and we will see you at the next presentation.¡± Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon. We all walk off of the stage together in a line, while the camera flashes pick back up again. Once we get through the door and it closes, I look towards my mother. ¡°Excuse me for a moment, but I must use the bathroom.¡± As soon as I turn the corner and I am out of her sight, I sprint to the nearest bathroom and throw up in the toilet. After sitting there on the ground for a second, I realize that mother is most likely waiting for me. I quickly flush the toilet and clean up my makeup. As I step out of the bathroom, I see my mother waiting for me at the end of the hall with a scowl on her face. I walk over to her quickly, but not too quickly, hopeful to not agitate her further. ¡°Why were they only asking questions about you, Elara? Why couldn¡¯t you let your brother shine for once?¡± She is almost yelling. Beside her, I see Callista, Astin and Daria staring at me. ¡°But, mother, Astin did get to speak.¡± I am almost silent as I speak. Clearly, this was the wrong thing to say as she only gets angrier. ¡°You listen to me, Elara! I am your mother! You will treat me with respect!¡± She is very angry. ¡°My apologies, mother. I was not aware I was being disrespectful.¡± This must¡¯ve been the wrong thing to say as well, as she raises her hand and slaps me. She then grabs my arm and throws me to the ground. As I lay there on the ground, I can feel blood pooling into my eye. One of her nails or rings must have broken skin. ¡°You are worthless. You are nothing without me, Elara! Remember that.¡± She then walks away and leaves me laying there on the ground. Once my mother is gone, Callista runs over to help me up. My left eye is completely swollen shut, as well as full of blood. With my other eye, I look around at the other people. Callista looks worried, Astin looks smug, and Daria looks downright horrified. My ears are ringing slightly, but I can hear Callista speaking to me. ¡°Come with me, Princess. Let us go to your room and get you cleaned up.¡± Walking hurts, and I''m 80 percent sure that there is some form of gash on my back from my mother throwing me, but I follow Callista because I can¡¯t handle being around Astin¡¯s dickishness right now. When we get back to my room, Coral is already sitting on my bed waiting to undress me. When she sees my injuries, she immediately goes into nurse mode and rushes towards me. I am so dizzy from the blood loss, but I know I need to tell her about the gash on my back. ¡°Bleeding¡­ my back¡­¡± My words are heavily slurred. Coral is amazing though, and immediately recognizes what I¡¯m trying to say. I can hear her speak. ¡°Callista, I need you to help me get this dress off of her back. Now!¡± I feel the fabric peeling off of my injury, and I hiss in pain. I can feel the worried expressions on both of their faces. I begin to feel my consciousness fading and reach for Callista¡¯s hand. For the next half an hour, I blink in and out of consciousness as Coral treats my wounds. Everytime I wake up, Callista is holding my hand tighter until finally, Coral is done and the pain is fading. As the two lead me to my bed, I hope that Callista isn¡¯t looking at me naked. The moment my head hits the pillow, I begin to feel tired and within seconds, I am asleep. Chapter 4 I awake from my nightmare, breathing heavily. I look over at one of my many windows and see that it is pitch black outside. I quietly and carefully reach into my bedside table and pull out a pack of cigarettes. I move over to my favorite windowsill almost silently, avoiding all of the creaky floorboards. I snap my fingers and a small flame appears floating above my index finger. Suddenly, a voice comes from behind me. ¡°I thought royals weren¡¯t allowed to do that.¡± Callista steps forward into the small amount of light that the flame brings. ¡°I won¡¯t tell if you won¡¯t.¡± She slides into place beside me on the windowsill. ¡°Why aren¡¯t royals allowed to use magic anyway?¡± I sigh, preparing to tell the story. ¡°Generations ago, royals could use magic as freely as they pleased. They were more powerful than regular civilians, and people loved to see their beautiful magic. Then, my great great-grandpa became King. King Cerulean. He loved his magic, and loved showing it off to the people. However, he began to crave more power, as tyrants always do. He killed two of his three children, hoping to use their blood to siphon their power. He pretended their deaths were both accidents. He reached out to all the best scientists in the kingdom, and blackmailed them into working on this secret project. He threatened their families if they were to ever tell the truth about what had happened to his children. However, the public always finds out, and find out they did. When they learned the truth, they were outraged. They felt so betrayed by their darling King. The parliament ousted him from the throne, and my great-grandma became Queen at just 14. Ever since, royals have been banned from doing any magic. They are deemed too powerful.¡± I take a long drag off the cigarette. ¡°Wow, fun family story.¡± I look over at her. ¡°Nobody likes to remember him. Ask anyone else about that story, and they¡¯d behead you.¡± I laugh under my breath. Our conversation dissolves into comfortable silence, before Callista looks over at me. ¡°Can we talk about what happened today?¡± I sucked in a breath. I always hated lying to her. ¡°She¡¯s never done that before. We¡¯ve fought, sure, but she¡¯s never put her hands on me like that.¡± She scoffs. ¡°Don¡¯t lie to me, Elara. I saw the scars. I saw the bruises. Why would you let her do that to you?¡± I snap. ¡°What, you think I could stop her? I couldn¡¯t even if I tried! She¡¯s been beating me for years, and the only ones who know are Coral and Astin. Astin couldn¡¯t give a fuck less, and what is Coral to do? What am I to do?¡± I begin to sob silently. Callista pulls me close to her, and I cry into her shoulder. After a while, I pull away. ¡°She always tells me I deserve it. Maybe she¡¯s right. Maybe if I was a better daughter, she wouldn¡¯t. Maybe I¡¯m the prob- ¡° She interrupts me then. ¡°You are not the problem. Nobody deserves what she did. Does. She¡¯s manipulating you to make you feel worse for her abuse. This is not your fault, I promise.¡± I look over at her and smile softly. The stars illuminate her eyes so nicely. ¡°Thank you, Callista.¡± I pull another cigarette out of the pack and light it with my finger. After taking a drag, I silently pass it to Callista. ¡°So, why doesn¡¯t your dad stop her?¡± It¡¯s my turn to scoff now. ¡°My dad and I have spoken, just the two of us, three times. I¡¯ve counted. I doubt he even knows my middle name, and he definitely has no idea about the beating.¡± I look up at the moon. It is full tonight. It reminds me of me. People think the moon shines so brightly on it¡¯s own, but all of it¡¯s light comes from the sun. People think I shine so brightly, but all of my light is from the love that Coral and Callista give me. Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation. I look over at Callista and examine all her features, even though I already know them so well. Her beautiful green eyes that carry so much life in them. Her wonderful brownish-red hair that¡¯s color belongs to Callista and Callista alone. It¡¯s shade so unique, I''ve never seen anything just like it. The soft freckles that litter her cheeks and the slight blush those same cheeks carry everytime she looks at me. She is pure perfection. She carries the kindness of a thousand people. Her love is so pure, and you can see just how much she cares by how gentle she is with everything she touches. As I snap back into reality, I realize that maybe I do view her as more than a friend. Maybe my feelings for her span wider. I blush just thinking about it. I suddenly realize that she is also examining me in the same way. I turn my head away and try not to think about it. Callista begins to step out of my windowsill and walk away, but she looks back for a moment. ¡°Goodnight, my Princess.¡± I look back at her and smile fondly. ¡°Goodnight, Callista.¡± She walks out the door and I stay on the windowsill for a moment, and then I slip down and head to my bed for a night of restful sleep. As my head hits the pillow, I hope I will dream about Callista. Chapter 5 I open my eyes to find disappointment, because my dreams about Callista were much better than the boring monotony that is everyday. I am snapped out of my head from a knock on my bedroom door. As I sit up to open it, I pray it is not my mother as I am not dressed and awake yet. When I reach the door, I open it to find Daria, my brother¡¯s bodyguard standing there. ¡°May I come in?¡± Her voice is timid and quiet. ¡°Of course, Daria.¡± I step aside to let her in and she rushes inside quickly. ¡°I just wanted to say that I¡¯m sorry for how your mother and your brother treat you. I see it all and while I can¡¯t do anything because he says he will punish me, I want you to know that I support you and that I am sorry.¡± I am shocked for a moment trying to process her words. ¡°Of course, Daria. It isn¡¯t your fault that they are the way they are. You¡¯ve been nothing but kind to me, and I have nothing against you.¡± She smiles sweetly at me in a way that projects innocence. I can see the palpable relief on her face. ¡°I¡¯m always here for you, miss. I¡¯m in your corner. If you ever need help or even just a friend to talk to, don¡¯t hesitate to call me.¡± She curtsies slightly, then leaves my room and walks down the hall towards my brother¡¯s quarters. I close my door and lock it behind me, and go to sit on my bed. I can¡¯t stop thinking about her words. ¡­because he says he will punish me,... I already knew that he was a terrible person. Watching the pleasure he takes in my punishment proves it. I didn¡¯t know, however, just how much he takes after our mother.. I realize suddenly that it can¡¯t keep going like this. This needs to end. My family cannot continue to get away with this. Maybe I deserve their punishment, but Daria, that poor, sweet, innocent girl could never deserve their abuse. They need to be stopped. The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation. I go about my day pretending that everything is normal. I smile, explore the castle, and make small talk with all of the castle workers. I ride my horse and pretend that nothing is bothering me at all. Once night comes, I quietly go to sit on my balcony, praying that Callista will not follow. She doesn¡¯t thankfully. I look at the book that I stole from the library earlier. ¡®Using Magic To Change Your Face: Fixing Your Ugliness Into Beauty¡¯ I begin to flip through the pages, until I find the incantation for temporary complete facial transformation. I begin to practice the incantation over and over and over again. Once I''ve mastered it, I begin to practice doing it with just a wave of my hand and the thought of the spell. It doesn¡¯t take me long to master that, too. I finally sneak back into my room, satisfied with my work tonight. I fall asleep with the hope that tomorrow, I can get more work done. When I wake from my slumber, and repeat the same routine all over again. This time, I steal a book on voice modification, and once I get back to my room for the night, I practice how to do that too. This incantation is harder to learn, as I have to change my voice enough that no one would ever hear it and think about me. However, after a couple of days of practice, I learn how to do that, too. After perfecting both of the spells, I begin to devise a plan to sneak out. I am clever, but so is Callista, and I can¡¯t have her catching me and stopping me. Eventually, I decide that my best bet is to learn a good illusion spell so that I¡¯ll look like I¡¯m still sleeping peacefully in my bed when she comes to check on me. After stealing another book, I learn how to do that, too, and now, the plan is set. In a couple of days, I will sneak out using the illusion spell and go into the village and inspire change with a different face and a different name. As my head hits the pillow tonight after a week of little to no sleep, I close my eyes and pray to Thalian that Callista doesn¡¯t catch me, as I drift off into a dreamless slumber. Chapter 6 When I awaken the morning of my plan, Callista is sitting in the chair by my bed and staring at me. I look over at her, and just the sight of her makes a smile bless my features. She makes me feel safe, not just physically, but I know that I can truly trust her. If I told her right now that I wanted to run away, she¡¯d get the getaway car. ¡°What is it, Callista? Am I needed for something?¡± You can tell she didn¡¯t know that I was awake, because she stumbles in her chair and looks away from me with a slight blush on her cheeks. ¡°Nothing to worry about, Elara. I just thought you looked so peaceful. I can barely see you nowadays without that crinkle in your brow from the intense weight on your shoulders. It¡¯s just nice to see you with no worries for once.¡± I smile gently, before looking away as I notice the blush creeping up my own cheeks. ¡°Is there anything I must do today? Do you know, Callista?¡± Her features harden, a slight scowl replacing the beautiful smile there only moments before. I somehow already miss it. ¡°Your mother has requested a visit with you today.¡± I try my best to keep the smile on my face and the worry out of my eyes, but I can tell she notices. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Elara.¡± I look back at her. She looks so guilty, as if she¡¯s the reason my mother acts this way. I sit up and take her hands in my own. ¡°This isn¡¯t your fault, Callista. She¡¯s just like that. I¡¯ll be okay, don¡¯t worry.¡± She looks up at me with tears in her beautiful green eyes. Suddenly, I wish that I could take all of her sadness for myself. I don¡¯t know why I feel like that. She just looks at me before saying, ¡°I just wish that I could protect you more. I mean, I''m your bodyguard. I¡¯m supposed to protect you from harm and yet I can¡¯t protect you from the only person that is harming you. I¡¯m so sorry, Elara.¡± I look at her and wish she knew that it¡¯s not her fault. ¡°You¡¯re not doing anything wrong, Callista. You make living in this place bearable. And, I mean, I¡¯m luckier than most. I live in a castle, for Thalian¡¯s sake. I¡¯m literally a princess. I think, in her mind, she¡¯s just toughening me up, and it has made me tougher. I¡¯m grateful, in a weird way.¡± She looks at me with pity. It¡¯s as if she understands something that I don¡¯t. She stands and wipes the tears from her eyes. ¡°Well, you should get dressed. Your mother expects you as soon as possible.¡± I look down at the ground. ¡°Very well.¡± I ring for Coral and begin to get out of bed. As I walk to my dressing station, I can see the bags under my eyes. I pray that Coral can cover them up, otherwise Mother will be upset. Coral arrives very quickly in my room and gets to work right away. By the time she is done, I look like a true princess, whereas most times, I look like shit. She has managed to cover-up the darkness of my under-eyes whilst still making the make-up look natural, which I am eternally grateful for. After taking a second to breathe, I make my way out the door with a silent look towards Callista telling her that I will be okay. When I arrive at my mother¡¯s door, I knock lightly, as she always says princesses are supposed to. After she answers the door, her face twists into a scowl as soon as it meets mine. She looks upset, and so I bow my head. ¡°Mother.¡± Before I say anything else, she grabs by the hair and drags me into her office. I try not to show how painful it is. ¡°Elara, have you been practicing magic?¡± I make myself look shocked at the question. ¡°Mother, I know royals are forbidden to do such a thing. I would never.¡± I try to make myself sound convincing. ¡°There are books going missing for days at a time from the library. They are all about magic use. Do you expect me to believe that it was your brother?¡± I force myself to not roll my eyes. ¡°No, mother. Maybe it was one of the staff?¡± I look down ever so slightly, afraid to meet her eyes. ¡°You think I didn¡¯t think of that, Elara? If it is one of them, then it will be dealt with swiftly. Look me in the eyes and answer my question. Are you using magic?¡± I meet her eyes. I just barely stop myself from cowering at the intense anger in her gaze. ¡°No, mother. I would never break your rules, or the law.¡± I pray that she doesn¡¯t see through me. You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story. She finally breaks our eye contact and from the look on her face, she thinks I¡¯m telling the truth. She seems disappointed that in her eyes, I am. I try not to let it go to heart. ¡°Fine, Elara. If I find out it was you, however, you will be swiftly punished.¡± I look towards the ground. ¡°Yes, mother.¡± She glances at me. ¡°Leave me, Elara. I no longer have any use for you.¡± I make a slight curtsy, and immediately walk out the door before she can get any angrier. When I arrive back to my room, I am bombarded by Callista immediately running up to me and asking if I am okay. I quickly dismiss her questions, assuring her that I am okay. Afterwards, I simply sit down at my desk and begin writing a more well thought out plan. Callista just watches me carefully with her worry obvious on her features. I try not to focus on it too hard, but fail, and walk over to her to let her know once more that I am okay. Once she sees me getting up, she looks away and pretends she wasn¡¯t staring. ¡°Callista?¡± She looks over at me. "Yes, Elara?¡± I smile at her gently. ¡°I know you¡¯re worried, but I swear on the god Thalian himself, I am okay. Mother didn¡¯t do anything. You have nothing to worry about.¡± I can see how the stress is affecting her. She¡¯s sweating profusely, and her eyes are bloodshot and darting every which way. She sighs a bit at my reassurance. ¡°I know, Elara, but I¡¯m still worried.¡± I smile at her out of sympathy more than anything. I walk up to her and hold out my arms. She accepts my hug almost instantly and burrows her face into my neck. I feel a slight blush creeping up my cheeks, but I ignore it. We wait for a minute longer than we should before pulling apart and going our separate ways. She goes to stand outside my door, and I go back to my desk to keep writing more intricate planning. After a while of just sitting there and studying what I have written, I use my fire spell to burn the paper, erasing any evidence of my plan. I then call Coral to come take off my makeup and get me ready for bed. After doing that, I close my eyes and lay there for a few hours, getting some non-restful sleep and preparing to wake up in a couple of hours. I wake up right on schedule, ready to sneak out. I complete the illusion spell with no trouble, and change into a basic shirt and trousers that I stole from Callista with the excuse that I wanted to be able to wear normal clothes, which wasn¡¯t a lie, per say. After I put them on, I realize they are so much comfier than my dresses, and now I get why Callista wears them. I then step out onto the balcony, close the door behind me, and begin to use the bricks of the outside wall to help me climb down. As I look up at my balcony one final time, I come to the stunning realization that my life will never be the same after tonight. Chapter 7 As my feet touch the ground, I dust myself off and begin to sneak away from the castle. When I finally reach the castle gates, I simply climb over them before running away quickly and quietly. After walking for about 20 minutes, I finally reach the center of the town nearest to the castle. There, a party is going in full swing. I¡¯ve only ever been to boring balls, and thus, I decide to check it out. I quickly use the face and voice change spells and walk into the celebration happening on the streets as I try to piece together what is going on. I am quickly approached by a young looking guy, and I pray to Thalian that he isn¡¯t a creep before turning to face him. ¡°You look like you¡¯re not supposed to be here. What are you doing in this town?¡± I was confused as to what he meant before looking down at myself and seeing that I was standing fully straight, with my hands crossed in front of me. I rolled my eyes. ¡°What are you doing in this town?¡±, I playfully shoot back. He chuckles slightly. ¡°Touche, touche. Vesper.¡± He reaches his hand towards mine. I smile at him shyly. ¡°Ellie.¡± I shake his hand. ¡°Nice to meet you, Ellie. Hope I haven¡¯t made too bad of a first impression.¡± I look towards all the partying. ¡°It could¡¯ve been worse.¡± He laughs and looks towards the partying, too. ¡°You want me to get you a drink? It could help you loosen up.¡± I chuckle at him and look back towards him. ¡°How do I know you won¡¯t spike my drink?¡± He looks up wistfully. ¡°Well, for one, I¡¯m not interested, and two, to really hammer that point down, I¡¯m gay and not interested. Why, you want some of this?¡± He winks and rolls his hands down his body for dramatic effect. ¡°Nah, dude. I guess you can get me that drink, then.¡± He smiles widely at me. ¡°I¡¯ll be back in a minute, princess.¡± He walks off to go grab our drinks. I panic for a minute at the nickname before I realize that my face is disguised and he was probably just joking. I let out a breath that I have been holding since he left, and I just keep telling myself that it was a joke. He walks back up to me with two drinks in hand a minute later, smiling when he sees me. ¡°I got you something I think you¡¯ll like. Here, try it.¡± He holds the drink out to me and I take it reluctantly. I take a sip and I¡¯m immediately shocked because I can¡¯t taste any of the alcohol in it, and it is delicious. I smile at him sheepishly. ¡°I do like it, thank you.¡± He smirks at me, before looking back at the party. ¡°No problem, princess. So, what''s on your mind tonight?¡± I look over at him. He has this curious expression on his face, like he actually wants to know the answer. I can¡¯t really tell him the truth, though. ¡°Just, the weight of the world feeling like it¡¯s on my shoulders. Basic existential dread. Anything on your mind?¡± He smiles at me. It¡¯s nice, small. ¡°Just you.¡± I laugh lightly. ¡°Why so interested in the likes of me, Vesper? I¡¯m not that cool.¡± He looks at me again, like he¡¯s studying me to make sure he never forgets a detail. It makes me feel slightly uncomfortable and I have the slight urge to squirm underneath his gaze, but I don¡¯t. ¡°You just look like you feel so out of place. Have you ever even been to one of these things?¡± I smile in a way that looks more like a grimace. ¡°Not really. I don¡¯t leave home much.¡± That is technically the truth. I almost never leave the palace. He smirks like he can finally understand me. ¡°Okay, now I get you. C¡¯mon, come dance with me.¡± He holds out a hand to me. I have to stifle my laughter at the fact that he thinks he gets me. ¡°Okay, fine. Let''s dance.¡± I place my hand in his and roll my eyes as he pulls me towards the center of the chaos. Right as we get to where all of the dancing is happening, this fun, upbeat song that I¡¯ve never heard starts playing. Vesper must see the look of confusion on my face, because he smirks and lightly giggles at me. ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Ellie? Never heard this song before?¡± I can tell by the tone of his voice that he¡¯s amused. I nod at him. He smiles genuinely, like reassurance. ¡°Well, that¡¯s okay. Just follow my lead. You can do that, can¡¯t you?¡± I smile lightly back at him and nod, suddenly very insecure about my ability to keep up with him. He takes my other hand and before I can understand what is happening, we start skipping around in a circle. Suddenly, he turns me and turns himself so that we are both facing each other¡¯s backs and puts our arms over our heads. Just as suddenly as we stopped, we are skipping in a circle again, and I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve had this much fun in a long time. He looks over at me and sees me laughing and having the time of my life, and in turn, he smiles and begins to laugh too. I can¡¯t even hear when the song ends, and I don¡¯t register it until he stops me, still laughing. ¡°C¡¯mon, let¡¯s go sit down.¡± He drags me away from the party, us both still giggling. He sits us down at a bench on the outskirts of the party. He looks over at me, smiling. ¡°I¡¯m glad you had fun. I think we should be friends. You seem cool on the inside.¡± I look over at him, smirking. ¡°What am I on the outside, then?¡± He looks back towards the party. ¡°Just guarded, nothing bad.¡± I roll my eyes, looking back towards the party. ¡°We should be friends, but I have to go in a minute. When is the next one of these things? We can meet up there.¡± He looks over at me, curious. ¡°Four days, same place. I¡¯ll see you there, princess.¡± He stands up from the bench and begins to walk away from me and back towards the party. ¡°Wait! How will you know how to find me?¡± He doesn¡¯t stop walking, even as he turns back towards me and says, ¡°I¡¯ll just know. You¡¯ll see me again, don¡¯t worry, princess.¡± Then, he turns back towards the party and disappears in the crowds. This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it I smile at myself lightly, before remembering the reason that I¡¯m here in the first place. I begin to quietly make my way away from the party as I walk through the streets of this small town. Eventually, I come to a small building that looks abandoned and tattered. In that moment, I know I have found the perfect spot for my first piece. I take the spray paint out of my bag and get to work. Once I am done, the wall reads in big bright letters, ¡°IS SHE OUR QUEEN? OR IS SHE OUR OPPRESSOR? IS THERE REALLY ANY DIFFERENCE AT ALL?¡± The goal of this is to make people think, and I pray that this will do that. So, with my first act of rebellion under my belt and a little less of the weight of the world on my shoulders, I begin to walk back home. When I arrive to the gates, I quickly and quietly climb back over them before climbing the wall of my tower and reaching my balcony with ease. Quickly and quietly, I flick my hand and take down the illusion spell. For a moment, I just sit there, the breeze blowing ever so slightly, taking in what I had just done. I just rebelled against my own mother. The thought is immediately followed by another. I actually went through with it. I don¡¯t know how long I sit out there. I just know that when I come to, Callista is sitting next to me. I panic for a second, before realizing that she is not upset, and probably doesn¡¯t know what I have done. She looks over at me with a tired look in her eyes. ¡°How are you, Elara? Truly, how are you feeling?¡± I sigh, loud enough for her to look concerned for a moment before I say, ¡°I feel like I''m on top of the world.¡± She looks back towards the endless night sky, filled with stars. ¡°That¡¯s good, Elara.¡± I look over at her and I''m suddenly hit with a pang of worry. ¡°How are you, Callista?¡± She has this sort of sad look in her eyes. ¡°I¡¯ll be okay, Elara. No need to worry about me.¡± Suddenly, I now know how she feels when I say that, because the worry has not gone away. It has only amplified, and it will only continue to amplify. I want to tell her that it¡¯s okay to feel bad. I want to tell her that she can talk to me. I want to tell her how much she truly matters to me. However, I say none of it. Instead, I ask her a question. ¡°Do you want to hear about the stars?¡± Her expression softens as the tension seeps out of her shoulders. She looks over at me and smiles. ¡°I¡¯d love to hear you talk about the stars, Elara.¡± I look up at the night sky, completely littered with stars. I point towards the brightest star above us. ¡°Do you see that star right there?¡± I can tell that she has no idea which one I¡¯m talking about, but she nods yes anyway. As I begin to ramble about all the stars and constellations, I can tell that this was what she needed. By the time I have slowed down, the sun has already started to rise and Callista has readjusted so that her head is resting on my shoulder. She is completely asleep, which I envy greatly. My mind has not been able to quiet enough for me to fall into rest. I have been running my hand along her hair, and I continue to do so as I whisper in her ear. ¡°Callista? Darling, it¡¯s time to wake up.¡± I repeat this over and over again until she finally begins to stir from her slumber. As I continue to try to wake her, she just nestles her head into my chest and clings to me more, as if begging to stay asleep. If I could, I swear I would let her sleep here with me all day, but I can¡¯t. ¡°Darling, please. It¡¯s time to get up now, okay?¡± She groans into my shoulder. When she finally sits up, she looks around dazed for a moment before realizing what is going on. Immediately, a blush graces her cheeks and she looks mortified. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, m¡¯lady. I just had not had that good of sleep in a long time.¡± I try to restrain myself from laughing, and I mostly succeed. ¡°It¡¯s no worry, Cal. I¡¯m glad you slept well. I was just waking you up because the sun is rising and we both have to be up soon for different things.¡± She smiles gently at me, an embarrassed blush still visible on her features. ¡°Of course, El. I¡¯ll get out of your hair. See you at some point today?¡± I smile at her gently as a warmth fills my chest. ¡°Definitely.¡± She slips back into my room and makes a quick exit. After she leaves, I go back into my room and immediately collapse onto my bed. For hours, I lay there trying to process everything that happened tonight. One detail sticks out in my mind: I told Callista about the stars. Chapter 8 A few days pass without any incident. Things are a bit awkward between me and Callista for a day or two, but eventually we go back to our normal. On the day of the party Vesper told me about, I am practically buzzing with excitement. I get to go out and have fun again. I get to live as I would if I was just a normal girl. I have noticed that there has been more chaos around the palace. Mother has been pacing around her office everyday, and I can only hope that it is because of what I have done. I can tell that today is different, though. From what I have seen, she seems angrier. I can only pray to Thalian that she won¡¯t want to see me. Of course, as always, my prayers aren¡¯t answered. A couple of hours after I wake up, Coral comes into my room to tell me that Mother is expecting my presence as soon as possible. I sigh, and as Coral gets me ready, I pray to Thalian again that nothing I do will upset her further. Once Coral is done getting me ready, I take a deep breath and leave my room for Mother¡¯s study. I don¡¯t know how much time passes, but suddenly I blink and I am there. I lightly knock on her door, so as to not upset her. When she opens the door, I can tell she is already fuming, so I don¡¯t say anything and simply curtsy slightly. I look back up at her. ¡°Mother.¡± She looks down at me with the anger of a thousand men, and it takes all of my courage not to cower under her intense gaze. ¡°Daughter. Please, enter.¡± She steps out of the door frame to let me in, and I immediately walk inside and sit at the chair in front of her desk. As she closes the door, she looks back at me. ¡°Did I tell you that you could sit, Elara? Stand, now.¡± I instantly scramble to my feet. She stares deeply into my eyes, as if she is searching through my mind, and for all I know, she could be. After what feels like an eternity, she finally looks away and walks over to her desk. She looks back at me with no visible emotion. ¡°Do you know anything?¡± Her tone of voice is cold and calculated. It is almost scary. ¡°About what, Mother?¡± She sighs deeply, sounding almost disappointed. ¡°I knew you would say that.¡± She pulls a folder out of her desk, Then, she opens it and hands me a picture. It is of the words I wrote on the side of that building. There are people all around it staring in shock. I put on my best poker face before looking up at her with confusion and fear in my eyes. ¡°What is this, Mother? Who would do such a thing? You are the greatest ruler Revalia has ever had!¡± I make my voice sound shocked. Her face stays unreadable. ¡°Do you know who did this, Elara?¡± I force a look of confusion onto my face. ¡°What? No, Mother. I haven¡¯t left the palace in weeks.¡± She looks closer at me, inspecting my face for any proof that I am lying. When she finds none, she looks back down at the picture. Her eyes fill with fury. Suddenly, I come to the realization that her anger will be directed towards me, and I begin to mentally brace myself. ¡°Come here, Elara.¡± I immediately walk up to her, and when I am within her space, she grabs my arm and yanks me towards her. She is holding my arm with such force that I am sure it will bruise. She stares at me with pure hatred in her eyes. ¡°Promise me you don¡¯t know who did this, Elara.¡± My mind is now filled with fear. ¡°Yes, I promise. I have no idea, I swear.¡± She lets my arm go, and for a second, I think she will let me leave. I can¡¯t even comprehend what is happening before the back of her hand is meeting my cheek with such force that I am knocked towards her desk. Instinctually, my hand raises up to touch my face where she has hit me, only to find a small cut barely a centimeter under my eye. Presumably, it was made by the silver ring on her pointer finger of her right hand. The family crest. As my finger grazes it, it begins to sting and then bleed profusely. Tears well up in my eyes. ¡°Begone from me at once, Elara. I need to think.¡± I rush towards the door, only to hear her voice signaling me to stop. For the smallest sliver of a second, I stupidly believe that she will apologize. She doesn¡¯t. ¡°If I find out that you are lying, and that you do know who did this, you will be swiftly punished. Is that understood, Elara?¡± I look back at her, though I can only see her silhouette through the tears I don¡¯t dare to let fall. ¡°Yes, mother.¡± She then waves her hand at me and I rush out the door, closing it behind me before the tears start to fall. I run to an alcove in the corridor before collapsing against the wall and beginning to sob uncontrollably. Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website. I am there for a minute or two before someone finds me. Through my tears, I cannot tell who they are, but once I feel her hand on my arm, I can tell that it is Callista. Without thinking twice, I instantly turn to face her and begin to cry into her shoulder. For a second, I regret doing this, because I might get blood and tears on her shirt, but she immediately grabs me and pulls me closer to her. She then proceeds to hold me while I cry. The entire time, she whispers reassurances into my ear, though I can barely focus long enough to hear them. After what feels like forever, I pull away from her shoulder and wipe my eyes. When I open them, I see that her shirt is covered in my blood and tears. ¡°Oh my Thalian, I am so sorry. I didn¡¯t mean to, I promise.¡± There is an urgency in my voice. Panic floods my mind at the thought that she might not forgive. She looks down at her shirt and looks back at me with pity in her eyes. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about this. I¡¯ll be fine. Are you okay?¡± She brings her hand up to my face and without meaning to, I flinch. She pauses. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I should have asked first. Can I touch you?¡± I nod my head hesitantly. She slowly moves her hand to me until her hand is cradling my face, her thumb lightly brushing against my cheek. I lean into the touch while she closely examines the cut on my face. She smiles slightly before looking back up into my eyes. ¡°You should be okay. It might leave a scar though.¡± I can hear my breathing pick up as worry floods Callista¡¯s eyes. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Through my shallow breaths, I manage to get out, ¡°Mother doesn¡¯t like imperfections.¡± She looks confused for a second, before actually processing what I¡¯ve said. ¡°Hey, it¡¯s okay. I¡¯m sure Coral can cover it up. She¡¯s amazing at that kind of thing.¡± When I hear her words fully, my breathing begins slowing down to its usual pace. ¡°You really think so?¡± She smiles comfortingly at me. ¡°Of course, Elara. You¡¯ll be okay. Now, let¡¯s get you back to your room.¡± I sigh with relief, both at her words and the thought of my room. ¡°Okay.¡± As we walk back to my room, a question enters my mind. When we finally reach the room and head inside, I can¡¯t help but ask. ¡°Hey, Callista?¡± She looks over at me. ¡°Yeah? What¡¯s up, Elara?¡± I feel my brows furrow in thought. ¡°How did you find me?¡± She thinks for a second before saying, ¡°I don¡¯t know, honestly. I just had this gut feeling that you weren¡¯t okay. Then, I just blinked and I was at your side.¡± I tilt my head in confusion. ¡°That¡¯s weird. Well, thank you regardless. Thank you for being there. I hope you know just how much you mean to me, Cal. You are the only person who could¡¯ve made me feel better back there. You¡¯re the person I care about the most in the world. So, thank you. For everything. Truly.¡± She smiles at me, so sincere that I feel my heart melt a little bit. ¡°Of course. I¡¯m always here for you, El. Whenever you need anything at all. You¡¯re the person I care most about, too.¡± She moves over to me and hugs me, and I practically melt into her arms. Her arms are my safe place. Her arms are my home. The palace may be my house, but she truly is my home. All too quickly, our bodies are separated as she goes to stand guard at my door and as she walks away, I get the sudden urge to pull her close to me and never let her go. I don¡¯t voice this urge, though. I simply let her walk out the door, as I feel an inexplicable ache in my bones that settles into my ribs without her near me. As I lay down on my bed to take a nap before tonight, my final thought is of one person. Somehow, I already miss Callista. Chapter 9 When I awaken from my slumber, the sun has already set and the clock on my nightstand reads 11:27 PM. Luckily, I have woken up just on time. I quietly sneak over to my dressing station and put on some clothes that I had stolen for the party specifically, a black crop-top with red lace detailing and a pair of black jean shorts, perfect for a hot summer night like tonight. I can only hope that Callista didn¡¯t notice the clothes missing from her closet. I quickly put up the illusion spell, before stepping out onto my balcony and climbing into the night. I climb down the tower in the same way I climbed down it just a few nights before, carefully and quietly. After jumping the palace gate and walking all the way to the town, I cast the face and voice change spells and walk into the party, quietly slipping into the crowd. I know Vesper said he¡¯d find me, but I wanted to give him a bit of a challenge. As I lightly sway to the music, I feel a tap on my shoulder. I turn to see Vesper, staring at me with a smirk on his smug face. ¡°I told you I¡¯d find you, and find you I did. What¡¯s up with the outfit?¡± I roll my eyes at him and slowly spin in a circle dramatically, showing off the outfit he so clearly is judging. ¡°What¡¯s the matter? You don¡¯t like it?¡± I fawn up at him through my eyelashes to add to the dramatics. ¡°Woah, I didn¡¯t say that, princess. Just wondering what brought this change, that¡¯s all.¡± I smirked at him, my plan seeming to have worked. ¡°Calm down, I was just joking. Borrowed some clothes from one of my friends, that¡¯s it.¡± He quirked his eyebrow. ¡°Is this friend here with you?¡± I look away from him and back toward the dancing. ¡°No.¡± He smiles slightly. ¡°Does your friend know you¡¯re here?¡± I huff a laugh under my breath. ¡°No.¡± He turns to face the dancing, too. ¡°Does your friend know you took their clothes?¡± I turn back to look at him. ¡°No, she does not.¡± He laughs then, big and hearty like I just told the funniest joke. ¡°So, why isn¡¯t she here with you? Strict parents?¡± I roll my eyes slightly. It¡¯s funny how little he knows about me. ¡°Sure, let¡¯s go with that. Wanna dance? I¡¯ve been waiting till you got here.¡± He steps in front of me, turning to face me and hold out his hand. ¡°Shall we, m¡¯lady?¡± I roll my eyes and smile, before taking his hand. ¡°Of course, good sir.¡± As we are dancing, my mind can¡¯t help but wander back to Callista. I can¡¯t help but feel as though I am betraying her somehow. Even though we are just friends, she is the person I want to spend the rest of my life with. Even just being friends with someone else feels like betrayal. I don''t voice these thoughts, though. Instead, I pivot my thinking to what I will write tonight. I can¡¯t think of anything, so I just hope that it will come to me in the moment. When I come out of my own head, I see Vesper staring at me with a curious look in his eyes. ¡°What is it, my prince? What causes you worry?¡± I swoon for extra effect. He rolls his eyes at me affectionately. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it, princess.¡± ¡°Okay¡­¡± He laughs at me. ¡°I''m gonna go get a drink, you want anything?¡± I smile at the gesture. ¡°Just whatever they have. I''m gonna keep dancing.¡± ¡°Alright, princess. See you in a bit.¡± He walks off and leaves me dancing there alone. The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. After a while of dancing alone, I am knocked off my feet by someone walking into me. I feel hands reach out and catch me before I hit the floor. I look up to see a person, smiling and blushing in embarrassment. ¡°I am so sorry!! I did not mean to run into you, I promise. I''m Vale.¡± I smile gently at them. ¡°It''s no worries. I''m Ellie.¡± I stand up and we shake hands kind of formally, then laugh over how stupid shaking hands with someone is. ¡°So, how are you? Are you having fun tonight?¡± They start to giggle, and I feel embarrassed for a moment, before I realize that it¡¯s not at me. ¡°I¡¯m good, thanks. I think your friend might be having a bit too much fun, though.¡± I turn around to see Vesper, dancing on a table and very obviously tipsy. Suddenly, I realize that I didn¡¯t tell Vale that we were friends and when I turn around to face them, I can tell that they¡¯ve realized this, too. ¡°Sorry, that sounded so creepy. I saw you dancing with him earlier, and I figured you guys were friends. Sorry.¡± I laugh, trying to show them that it¡¯s okay. ¡°It¡¯s okay. I¡¯ll be right back, I have to go get him off of that table.¡± They smile at me. ¡°Of course.¡± I turn and walk over to Vesper, who is now loudly singing along to the song playing, though completely off-tune. ¡°Hey, Vesper!¡± I have to yell to be heard above the music. ¡°Hey, Ellie! Look at you, making friends. We¡¯ve got a social butterfly, everybody.¡± He gestures at the people watching him and they all laugh. I can feel a blush creeping up my cheeks in embarrassment. ¡°Yes, yes. C¡¯mon, let¡¯s get down now.¡± He frowns and begins to pout, but I drag him off of the table anyway. I walk back over to Vale, who is almost crying laughing, and it only gets worse when they see the pout on Vesper¡¯s face. I smile at them. ¡°Vale, meet Vesper. Vesper, this is Vale.¡± He waves at them defeatedly, and they wave back with a smirk, their face cherry red from their laughing. In an instant, I realize how late it must be. ¡°Hey Vale, what time is it?¡± They look down at their watch. ¡°It¡¯s 2am, why?¡± I try not to show my panic on my face. ¡°Because I have to go. You two have fun. When is the next one of these? I¡¯ll be there.¡± They laugh, breathy and kind. ¡°No worries. The next one is next week, Friday. See you there.¡± They salute me, and then walk off with Vesper trailing behind them. I immediately run away from the party, desperate to find an empty wall to write on. Once I do, I stop and think about what I want to write. After a minute or so, I have an idea. With spray paint, I write ¡°The People¡¯s Queen? More Like The People¡¯s Jailer. RISE UP.¡± After writing this, I quickly run away and run back to the palace, praying that I¡¯ll make it back to my room successfully. I make it back to my tower without any trouble. Once I reach my balcony, I immediately de-spell the illusion. I then head back into my room and immediately crawl into my bed, suddenly aware of the fatigue present in my body. As I feel my eyes start to droop and close, my last thought is of Callista. I wonder how she would feel if she knew that I was making friends. Would she be proud of me, or would she scold me for leaving the castle unprotected? Chapter 10 I awaken to the sensation of somebody shaking my shoulders. I turn my head and see Callista with a panicked look on her face. ¡°My princess, your mother will be here shortly, You must awaken, now!¡± I can tell that she is terrified, but not for herself. She is scared for me. ¡°Callista, what is happening?¡± She looks at me with an urgent look in her eye, one I''d never seen before. ¡°Your mother has spoken to you about the lies being spread around the nearby town, yes?¡± I nod my head quickly. ¡°Another lie has been painted, and she is worried it might cause uprisings around the continent. She is angry, and she wants to take out that anger on you, so you must get up, now!¡± She immediately tugs me up and out of bed. She gets me standing just before my mother bursts into the room. This is the most angry I¡¯ve ever seen her. She immediately walks towards me and grabs my arm extremely harshly to pull me closer to her. Out of the corner of my eye, I can see Callista flinch. Based on the expression on my mother¡¯s face, she clearly notices too. She lets go of her grasp on my arm to walk over to Callista. Once she gets close enough, she slaps her so hard that Callista is knocked into my bed frame. Without thinking, I rush towards my mother and forcefully push her away from her. ¡°Stay away from her!¡± My mother clearly did not expect this, because her face fills with shock, only to be replaced by fury a moment later. ¡°You think you have the right to lay hands on your mother? On the Queen of Revalia herself? I promise, you will regret that.¡± I don¡¯t even have time to process her words before I am shoved to the ground. I can feel my head hit the floor and my ears begin to ring. Immediately, I can sense magic being used, and all at once, I realize that this will be worse than the others. I sit up on my elbows and almost instantly feel a sharp stinging feeling in my stomach, and the abdomen of my shirt begins to soak through with blood. Then, as suddenly as the first cut, I begin to feel that stinging pain everywhere. My face, my arms, my legs, my chest, my back, even my hands all begin to burn and bleed. As the blood begins to drip into my eyes, I look over and see Callista frozen in shock, fear coating her features. I look down and see blood soaking the ground around me, and my elbows slip on it, causing me to fall back and hit my head again. As I blink, my vision begins to get spotty. I can hear my mom faintly speaking, and I focus all of my energy into hearing the words. ¡°Oh, what I came in here to tell you is this. In order to build morale throughout the continent, you are to be wed. A prince from Lyonahia has generously accepted our offer in order to prevent an uprising. He will be here next week, and you two are to be wed in a month. We are announcing it to the public tomorrow, and I wanted to be so kind as to let you know before they do. You always know how to ruin things, don¡¯t you, Elara? I only wanted to get you excited for your wedding.¡± I hear her heels clicking away against the floor, followed by the sound of the door opening and closing. Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more. Almost instantly, I feel a presence at my side that I recognize as Callista¡¯s. She takes my hands in her own, and I can faintly hear her screaming for Coral. I feel myself being lifted, and I use the last of my strength to look at Callista and faintly whisper, ¡°I will never let her hurt you.¡± After that, my mind fades to black. . . . . . When I wake up, I am immediately confused by where I am. I am laying in a bed, but it is not my own. Out of the corner of my eye, I see Callista rush to my side, so I turn my head to face her. I must move it too quickly, though, because my head begins to burn. I reach up to my face to find it covered in bandages. I can see Callista looking at me with both pity and anger. ¡°How could you do that, Elara? I can defend myself!¡± Confusion floods my emotions. ¡°I told you, Cal. I will never let her hurt you. She can take her anger out on me all she wants, but never you. You¡¯re too important.¡± Her face fills with frustration. ¡°And you¡¯re not?! You almost died! She almost bled you dry!¡± I lift my hand up to her face and cradle her cheek. ¡°It is always worth it to protect you, Cal.¡± Her face nuzzles into my hand. Her face softens. ¡°You don¡¯t have to do that, El.¡± I smile at her. ¡°I know.¡± I scoot over on the bed and pat the space beside me. Her eyes widen for a moment before she hesitantly lays down beside me, just facing me. For a while, we just stare into each other¡¯s eyes. Her eyes have this sparkle in them, like the stars themselves hide in her eyes during the day. They have this gorgeous lavender hue to them, which is only accentuated by the bright red tint of her hair. Instinctually, my hand comes up to cradle her face. Immediately, her hand does the same, and her thumb begins to lightly rub the scar under my eye on my left cheek. She has this soft smile on her face, like she feels at peace with me. ¡°So, where are we?¡± She smirks at me. ¡°In my room. In my bed, more specifically.¡± Suddenly, she pulls me into her chest. ¡°Get some rest, El. You¡¯re weak right now, and you¡¯ve lost a lot of blood.¡± I wrap my arms around her torso, and let my eyes drift closed. My final thought is of her. I have never felt more safe and at home than in this moment in her arms.