Time: Afternoon
Age: Elira – 6 years, Kael – 3 years
The second lesson of the day felt longer than the first.
Elira sat straight beside her elder sister, hands folded neatly, eyes lowered just enough to seem respectful. The tutor spoke about imperial history, but Elira listened more to the silence between words.
Her sister had not spoken to her yet.
When the lesson ended, the tutor bowed and left them alone.
For a moment, neither moved.
Then her elder sister stood. "You've changed," she said calmly.
Elira looked up, startled. "I… have I?"
"You used to hide," her sister continued. "Now you're being seen."
Elira's fingers tightened slightly in her sleeves. "I didn't mean to."
Her sister studied her, eyes sharp but controlled. "Meaning doesn't matter in the palace."
The words sounded familiar.
"Elira," her sister said, her voice lower now, "do you know why people are watching you?"
Elira hesitated. "Because I shouldn't stand out?"
A faint smile touched her sister's lips, but it held no warmth. "Because forgotten things make people uneasy when they return."
Before Elira could respond, footsteps approached. Servants passed the doorway, their whispers quick and quiet.
"…the second princess…"
"…training with swords…"
"…noticed by His Majesty…"
Elira felt her chest tighten.
Her sister glanced toward the door, then back at her. "Be careful," she said. "The palace is not kind to mistakes."
"Are you warning me?" Elira asked softly.
Her sister paused. "I'm reminding you of your place."
She turned and left.
Later, in their small room, Elira sat beside Kael on the floor.
"She spoke to me," Elira said.
Kael looked up. "And?"
"She wasn't angry," Elira continued. "But she wasn't kind either."
Kael nodded. "That's worse."
Elira hugged her knees. "Why?"
"Because anger passes," Kael said. "But caution lasts."
Outside, the palace moved on—quiet, watchful, whispering.
The forgotten princess was no longer invisible.
And invisibility, Elira was beginning to understand, had once been her safest shield.