-Ustrea-
It's all so unfair. I was the princess. I was to marry the prince. I was to be Queen. Now it's all been ruined. It was already a struggle to get my father's attention. Now it seemed if I wasn't doing something wrong, I didn't exist.
To make things worse, she just keeps trying to be nice. After all the stuff I did. Everything I said. If she knew about it all she'd do the smart thing and throw me in the palace dungeons. I'm sure that's what our father would do.
I could take being left out from being introduced at the ball. I could stand seeing her in that beautiful dress which perfectly matched her crown. But to see her wearing the crest of Varezia on her Pelmora robe broke something.
Father had called me unworthy of it. That my cruel treatment of those I saw as lesser would not go unpunished. I was only doing what mother had taught me. If he doesn't like it, maybe he should've been around more.
Now I've been kicked out of the only place that's been mine. And she pities me still. Poor, mean, pathetic, unwanted Ustrea. The child born of duty next to the child of love. Begging for just the tiniest piece of our father's affection.
"I can give you what you seek." A voice whispered behind me.
I turned, seeing no one in the dark alcove. Shaking off the disturbance, I snuck back to the Varezian dorms. They all stared at me. People I once called friends now revealed to be nothing more than opportunists.
They whisper and I feel their eyes, but I have no interest in them. I only watch them. Her and her friends. Laughing together over misadventures in class. Her and her prince. So cute and romantic when they think no one can see. When she's in private lessons. Learning what I had been up until she came and ruined it all.
"Those lessons could be yours once again." The same voice whispered.
Could they be mine? No. Impossible. Nothing short of her death would restore me as heir. Even then, I believe my father would refuse my position out of spite.
"Your Highness?" A voice called for my attention.
I turned to see a professor standing behind me.
"What do you need, professor?" I asked him.
"The headmaster wishes to see you." He told me.
I quickly stood to follow him. Whatever the headmaster wants has to be important. I know he cares for me at least.
"Good evening, Your Highness." The headmaster greeted with a bow.
"Good evening, headmaster," I took a seat in front of his desk, "You wished to see me?"
"Yes, I wanted to know how you've been holding up with all the changes going on with in your family." He told me.
"It has been difficult," I confessed, "I feel like an outsider looking in. Like I'm the unwanted bastard child that they are forced to take with them."
"How tragic." His eyes filled with sadness for me, "Surely your father has tried to make this whole ordeal easier?"
"If anything he makes it harder," I scoffed, "He insists I watch as he raises her up and pushes me further down. He won't even allow me to use the royal rooms in the Varezian dorms. Rooms she doesn't even need."
The headmaster looked like he wanted to add something but I didn't give him the chance. I continued on with barely a breath.
"And she is hardly any better." I ranted, "The perfect Victoria. Asking for advice and help but then disregarding it all. Making everything look so effortless. Knowing that no matter what she does our father will support her. He never gave me that support."
"Seems this has been weighing on you for a while." The headmaster gave me a concerned look.
"It has," I confessed, fighting back tears that threatened to fall, "I just wish everything could go back to the way it was. Before she came here."
"What if it could?" The headmaster asked, a strange gleam in his eye.
"What?" I looked at him, confused. What could he be implying?
Before he could elaborate further, a knock was heard at the door. Professor Zekora entered without an invitation, much to the visual displeasure of the headmaster.
"Professor, this had better be important for you to barge in uninvited." The headmaster said, glaring at the intruder.
"I am here with an official message from the King for the Princess Ustrea." She informed us.
"What's the message?" I sprung up, surprised my father would send anything.
"The King offers an apology to your highness for the harsh behavior he has shown these last few weeks." She relayed, "He says he just wanted things to go perfectly for your sister's first outing. You will not be excluded from festivities again and the royal rooms in the dorms have been prepared for you."
"I accept the King's gracious apology." I said stunned. I never imagined he'd change his mind so quickly.
"If you'd come with me, I'll key the rooms to your magic so you may come and go as you please." Professor Zekora gestured for me to follow.
"I was still discussing things with the headmaster." I explained.
"That's alright," The headmaster waved me off, "It's getting late. We'll continue this another day."
"Very well then," I turned back to Zekora, "Lead the way."
We walked in silence for what felt like ages. The empty halls making it feel later than it was. We had barely made it halfway when the professor suddenly stopped.
"None of this would have happened without your sister." Zekora told me.
"Excuse you?"
"This evening, after classes, your sister demanded I take her to the palace so she might talk with the King." She informed me, "Just as she has since her return to Pelmora. Tonight, I relented. She confronted your father about how he has behaved and refused to leave without his word that it would never happen again, along with an apology. I was asked to witness the promise and relay the apology."
"Why you?" I asked, wondering why Victoria wouldn't just take all the credit.
"She didn't think you'd believe it coming from her," Zekora confided, "In fact, she didn't want to be mentioned at all."
"Whatever for," I was stunned, "Surely, she knows the leverage she'd have on me if I knew she was the one who spoke on my behalf. I'd be in her debt."
"She doesn't want you to be indebted to her, she just wants you to be her sister."
That hit me hard. It was consistent with how she'd been since this whole thing started. Not wanting to gain anything from me but a connection. But there had to be more.
"That can't be the only reason." I pointed out, "Otherwise you'd have stuck to your promise and not informed me."
"She wanted you to believe that your father came to this conclusion on his own," Zekora confessed, "But I thought that would be a cruel thing to do to you."
"Cruel indeed." I looked at my feet.
"I hope you give Victoria a chance," Zekora said, "She could really use someone to talk to. There are things I am teaching her that she can't share with anyone but you. She'd benefit from your insight."
Give her a chance. A chance to be my sister. To be my friend. I could advise her. Teach her the inner workings of court. Help her study the long list of families. She wouldn't turn me away; she was making that very clear.
You've worked too hard to give it all up. That voice whispered to me as I lay in my new bed. I did work hard. Hoping my father would notice. He never did. But he notices every little thing she does.
All you need is the power you should have had from the beginning. The voice felt like it was right beside me. We can help you take it from her.
But would that mean she'd die? The people, my father, they'd never accept me if I appeared with her power and she was gone. They'd kill me.
No one needs to die. The voice soothed. It's a simple, harmless switch. As long as you do as we say, you'll have the life you were always promised.
What would I need to do?
Swear you will do as we command.
I swear.
As I thought those words, it felt like I was floating in a void. I felt the weight of chains wrapping around me as I received my instructions.
Watch her. Watch those around her. She wishes to be close to you. That will make her eager. It will be her weakness. Use that to our advantage. The voice commanded. When the night is right, dine with her in private. Order the food to her rooms and we will know that everything is prepared. Do this and your wishes will be granted.
I felt myself settle back on the bed, the weight of the chains still present. I sat up and looked myself over. I saw now chains, but I could still feel them. A magical contract. I was bound by my agreement.
So, I watched them. Week after week. Looking for the right moment as we neared the end of the school year. Finally, it came. The Prince's pilgrimage through Aivoria. An ancient tradition.
Her Prince would be gone along with his advisors. The other three wouldn't be suspicious if she missed dinner. She'd been eating with Zekora most nights anyway while studying. This was moment.
Everything would be alright. My father would see me for all the effort I put in. No one would be hurt. And maybe, when it was all over, she'd get her wish. We could be sisters.