Chapter 2 - On a faithful day
On another faithful day, I was roaming in the garden when I spotted a little girl around seven or eight years old taking a stroll with her two maids and three knights.
She looked delicate and graceful, with a soft presence that made the guards instinctively form a protective circle around her. I stood still behind a hedge, watching her with quiet curiosity, wondering if she might be the younger sister I had heard about. As she passed by, our eyes met briefly—and in that moment, her expression shifted into one of recognition.
She slowed her pace and tilted her head, as if trying to remember something just out of reach. I felt a strange flutter in my chest, unsure whether it was fear, hope, or something in between. Then, to my surprise, she turned fully toward me and gently said, " Why are you hiding?"
For a moment, I froze, unsure how to respond. I forced a small smile and stepped out from behind the hedge, brushing my hands against my dress to steady myself. One of the knights immediately stepped forward, placing a hand on his sword hilt. "This area is restricted. Identify yourself, child," he said firmly. Before I could answer, the little girl turned to him and said calmly, "It's alright. That's my sister, Lady Estella."
The knights exchanged uncertain glances but slowly lowered their hands. The little girl took my hand gently and smiled up at me. "Come with me," she said softly. "We were all worried about you." Her words brought an unexpected warmth to my chest, and for the first time in weeks, I felt a flicker of hope that maybe I wasn't as alone as I thought.
She led me through the garden paths with confidence, her small hand steady in mine. But just as she started to guide me forward, one of the knights stepped firmly in front of me, blocking the path. "Princess Lumina," he said respectfully but firmly, "you know you can't take Lady Estella away right now." Lumina frowned, looking confused. "Why not?" she asked softly. The knight's expression grew serious. "Lady Estella has caused Princess Lumina harm before. Two months ago, she broke her arm. Until the King and Queen decide what to do, Lady Estella must remain under close watch." Lumina's eyes filled with hurt, and she glanced at me, searching my face for some sign. I forced a gentle smile, hiding the truth I carried inside.
Before I could say anything, a tall figure appeared at the edge of the garden path—my brother, Prince Alaric. His gaze was sharp and unwavering as he strode forward. "That's enough," he said sternly, his voice brooking no argument. He reached out and took my arm firmly. "Lumina is the light of this house. We cannot risk her safety, not again." I tried to protest, but his grip tightened, and the knights stepped in, guiding me away. Lumina's face crumpled with sadness as she reached out to me, but I was pulled further from her reach. As I was led away, I swallowed the sting of rejection and the crushing weight of my new reality—trapped in a body that everyone feared and resented. The knights exchanged uncertain glances but slowly lowered their hands. The little girl took my hand gently and smiled up at me. "Come with me," she said softly. "We were all worried about you." Her words brought an unexpected warmth to my chest, and for the first time in weeks, I felt a flicker of hope that maybe I wasn't as alone as I thought.
She led me through the garden paths with confidence, her small hand steady in mine. But just as she started to guide me forward, one of the knights stepped firmly in front of me, blocking the path. "Princess Lumina," he said respectfully but firmly, "you know you can't take Lady Estella away right now." Lumina frowned, looking confused. "Why not?" she asked softly. The knight's expression grew serious. "Lady Estella has caused Princess Lumina harm before. Two months ago, she broke her arm. Until the King and Queen decide what to do, Lady Estella must remain under close watch." Lumina's eyes filled with hurt, and she glanced at me, searching my face for some sign. I forced a gentle smile, hiding the truth I carried inside.
Before I could say anything, a tall figure appeared at the edge of the garden path—my brother, Prince Alaric. His gaze was sharp and unwavering as he strode forward. "That's enough," he said sternly, his voice brooking no argument. He reached out and took my arm firmly. "Lumina is the light of this house. We cannot risk her safety, not again." I tried to protest, but his grip tightened, and the knights stepped in, guiding me away. Lumina's face crumpled with sadness as she reached out to me, but I was pulled further from her reach. As I was led away, I swallowed the sting of rejection and the crushing weight of my new reality—trapped in a body that everyone feared and resented. I ran my fingers over the delicate embroidery on the bedspread, trying to anchor myself in this strange new reality. Every moment I spent trapped in this body felt like a reminder of everything I'd lost. But deep down, I knew I couldn't give up—this life was mine now, whether I liked it or not.
After a week confined to the dark room, the moment the door creaked open felt like a breath of fresh air. My legs trembled as I stepped out, blinking against the sunlight streaming through the tall windows. The silence of the palace halls was overwhelming, but also oddly comforting. I was given strict orders to stay close and avoid the others, a constant reminder of how fragile my position was. Despite everything, a flicker of determination burned inside me—I wasn't going to let this imprisonment define who I was.
The days that followed were quiet, almost too quiet, as I wandered the less-used corridors of the palace like a ghost. Servants bowed but avoided eye contact, their politeness laced with fear. One afternoon, as I passed a group of maids dusting near the staircase, I heard soft murmurs and sudden laughter that stopped the moment they saw me. They lowered their heads quickly, but I could still feel their stares on my back, sharp as needles. I kept walking, refusing to show how much it bothered me, even as my hands clenched at my sides.