Many people are fed misconceptions that being a royal was an amazing thing.
Living in a big castle, wearing the finest fabrics, getting adorned with marvelous pieces of gold, pearls and jades, having tons of ladies-in-waiting, waiting to serve you or knights to protect you.
Having a feast for breakfast and soirée with the noble ladies. Attending royal balls and dancing with the Kings and Princes.
But the witch royal known as Princess Elodie would say otherwise. She had all of those things and still felt empty deep inside. The life that she wished for, she would never have it. It would always remain as a product of her imagination and fantasies buried deep at the back of her mind.
Tears slipped from her dark green eyes, framed with long eyelashes and thick eyebrows.
Elodie's body was deepened in the milkwater inside the bathtub. She pushed herself up a little, exposing her shoulders and the upper of her bosom. She then raised a hand and began to leather the soap on her soft pale skin. Her eyes shut momentarily as she took in the scent of roses the soap produced. The same scent that covered the air in the bath chambers. It was magically soothing her aching heart and chaotic mind.
When she received the news of her wedding, her hopes for a beautiful future were shattered. She cried herself to sleep, knowing nothing she would say would change anything.
Elodie knew that this was her fate as a royal. She eventually would get married off someday to some Prince or King out there. But she never wanted this specific man to be the one, no matter what. And now that her father has already given his consent and so did her mother, there was no way she could stop this. She could only sit there and watch as her family painted her future for her.
After almost an hour of a comforting bath, she rose to her feet. Causing the milkwater to spill and splash on the bronze tiled floor, and her long golden hair to cascade on her backside.
Caro, her close maid who had been silently watching her this whole time, sighed. The princess refused to talk, refused to receive any help and barely touched her food ever since the unfortunate news was brought to her knowledge. And as much as she wanted to help her, there was nothing she could do either.
Caro grabbed a folded bathrobe and draped it around Elodie's shoulders, covering her nakedness.
After getting dressed, she was escorted to the dining hall by her knights. Instead of entering, she stood rooted outside, staring blankly at the tall doors. The wooden double doors were designed with intricate curvings and patterns, creating a sense of elegance. The guards moved aside, pushed the door, letting her through.
She took slow steps inside, watching her parents and brothers for a while. The four of them were laughing as they spoke about something over drinks, and breakfast while her insides were getting twisted and turned.
She blinked her tears back, smoothened the surface of her emerald corset dress, and raised her hand to see if her hair was in place, before slowly making her way to the massively filled table. As if there was a feast. The thought of her family celebrating her doom in the name of marriage made her want to vomit.
"Good morning father, mother," she greeted her parents with a slight dip of her chin and then spared a glance at her two good-for-nothing brothers. "Brothers," she muttered, giving them a nod with which they returned as well.
People wished they had brothers. Like her friend Meredith. Elodie, on the other hand, wished she had none.
"Elodie, how have you been, dear?" She wished she could tell how she really was to her father. But all for what? Nothing! He wasn't going to change his decisions anyway. She faced her father with her usual designated kind smile, which she hates so much, "I have been very well father. Thank you for asking."
A low chuckle came across the table, "I am certain you are going to be even much better soon, sister. Finally father accepted the man I brought for you. You did give me a headache for a while," he said proudly, his face mocking her, making anger brew on her chest in his wake.
The King cleared his throat, "Stop it, Harry." He glared at his son. Harry raised his hands up in surrender and continued eating.
"Elodie my dear, like your brother said I have finally found you a man to marry-" Elodie let her knife and fork drop on her plate before her father could finish his sentence. A loud disturbing clinking sound echoed, making all of them stare at her. It was considered rude in the manners she was taught her whole life.
"You mean… a man to sell me off to?" She faced her whole family. Disappointed that all of them shared the same thoughts about the matter. "Elodie, watch your mouth! Where are your manners?" Her mother scolded her, but this only added fuel to the fire they ignited inside her. And now it was time to let it burn.
"Am I wrong, mother? You all are planning to sell me off to this beast of a Prince, and for what? More power?" Her head turned in sync with who she was addressing, "How could you do this Harry, when we all know how crazy that man is?" Harry frowned at her as if she was at fault.
"And you father, just how much power do you need till your thirst is quenched? Till your greed is fulfilled?" She roared at them, unleashing her anger even though it was soon followed by her endless tears and a loud thunder booming from outside. She felt her chest tightening and her throat was in so much pain.
"Elodie! How dare you talk to me like that!" The King scolded her. His forehead dipped with two lines.
"No, father. Today I am not going to listen to anyone. I need you all to listen to me! I don't want to get married to him. Find me anybody else. Anybody else, but crown prince, Adrian!" She got up from her seat slamming the table with both of her hands, causing the glass windows inside the royal dining room to shatter.
Both of her parents were too stunned to even react. Thinking their calm and always collected daughter was acting out of character today, leaving them speechless. "Calm down, Elodie," came her mother's careful voice.
"And who says you get to decide anything about this? If our father says you are getting married to him, then you are getting married to him. And that is final, Elodie!" Andrew, her second brother, spoke arrogantly.
Oh, how she hated these worthless two brothers of hers. She wished she wasn't born in the same family as them.
"I will not Andrew! Father, mother, please think this over. Are you two so tired of me that you are sending me off to him? I'd rather die!" She received a tight slap as soon as she finished her words.
"Mother!" Elodie cried out in utter disbelief, facing the woman who was supposed to be on her side. She was her own mother, so why? "Go back to your room, Elodie. Now!" The woman added with a stern voice.
Elodie stared at her father and brothers, shaking her head. "I will never forgive you all for this. Any of you!" She ran out of the dining hall, wiping her tears roughly. Her knights followed behind her. Why was her own family so cruel to her? Was it her fault that she was born a woman? And now she hates the fact that she is a female. So much so she wished she was never born in the first place.
"Oh my, the Princess is angry again. I guess it is going to rain for a while today."
"How unfortunate. I was going to wash my clothes by the river today after my shift." Said the two guards stationed outside her bedroom who quickly straightened up and sealed their mouths upon her arrival.
Elodie swung the door open and slammed it shut before dropping herself on her bed. Seeking the familiar comfort. Her long golden hair scattered around like a flower garden adorned with bronze hairpins with colorful stones on them. Her heart was in so much pain that she wished she could pull it out of her chest, just so the pain would go away.
All the while, the rain poured heavily outside while the thunder roared as if it was threatening to split the sky into half.
After crying for a while, she got up and went to her drawer. The rain has stopped too. Elodie took out her family spell book. There were a couple of spells that were passed down from one generation to another in their family.
Her great grandmother gave it to her grandmother, and she passed it to her on her deathbed. Growing up she spent most of her time learning different spells in the comfort of her bedroom and away from prying eyes.
As her grandmother used to tell her, a witch needed to know a lot of them just in case they come in handy in the future. Their royal family came from a powerful lineage of witches. But only she was able to unlock the power after her late grandmother. The rest of the family had no power, just some mere gifts to separate them from normal people.
One of the reasons her brothers and parents weren't fond of her. Their parents wished for the sons to be strong so as to continue the bloodline and expand the Kingdom, but instead she was made to be stronger instead. So they decided to use her to form an alliance with a deranged Prince from the most powerful nation to ever exist, the barbarians of the Red nation.
She turned the pages restlessly until she found the one she was looking for. She let out a deep breath of relief. Then her eyes gleamed with new determination.
"I won't let you control me anymore, father. Not you, not my stupid brothers and definitely not my own mother!" She went to stand by the open window, staring at the darkness outside.
Her heart was determined to do whatever it takes to get herself out of this mess. Countless torches from here and there provided a little light only, because of how dark and gloomy the sky was tonight. The air smelled like dump soil and mud.
"Don't blame me for this, father. You left me with no choice." She grabbed her black cloak from the metal hook by the wall and tied it around her neck. She then leaned by the door, raised her hand and whispered some words. Soon heavy thuds like sacks of potatoes resonated.
Elodie stepped outside her room and found the two guards snoring soundly. Smiling, she tiptoed past them, carefully and with light steps she passed by the long dimly lit corridors. Hiding behind the pillars and flowing white curtains from the cold breeze whenever she encountered maids or guards who were patrolling the castle.
She could not let anybody catch her escaping. Elodie was mindful and calculative until she was able to get outside the huge castle with her black horse. The number of people she had to take out with a deep slumber spell was disturbing but she had no choice.
She spared a last glance at her home, letting out a single tear. This was her home, but it never once felt like it to her. She was raised and groomed to be married and had no other purpose in life. Apparently, her father didn't value daughters much.
"I guess I was never meant to be here. This place isn't for me." She murmured, wiping roughly at her cheeks. Elodie pulled the hood further down to cover her face nicely before turning the horse and riding away in the shadows of the dark night.