I woke up, took my bath, and walked down to the dining room like on any normal day—only to realize it was not like every other day. The dining room was empty. No food. No Aunt Viv. No Raya. No arrangements at all.
Confusion settled in me just as a voice echoed through the room.
"Don't think you'll be waking up to breakfast without earning it."
It was my supposed mother.
I stood there, stunned. I did not understand what she meant by earning breakfast. I had always thought eating was simply… normal. But it seemed they had already found a way to turn even that against me.
And I had not even been taken to their own home yet.
"Meet me at the garden," she said, then walked away.
I sighed, gathered my gown, and began walking toward the garden. The moment it came into view, I froze. Books—thousands of them—were scattered everywhere, stacked in piles, packed into boxes, filling the space until it felt overwhelming. I let out a silent cry and forced myself to keep walking.
"Raya," I called.
"Yes, milady," she answered.
"What is happening?" I asked, my confusion evident.
"You are to undergo training," Raya replied. "How to be a proper princess… something like that."
I sighed again and wanted to run, but what could I do? Nothing.
The training began, and I was made to read countless educating books. Strangely, each one felt endearing in its own way. I found myself admiring the bravery and spitefulness of some of the princesses written within those pages. Their strength, their defiance—it all fascinated me.
Yet no matter how much I read, I could not see myself in their place.
After reading countless books, it was time to put their lessons into practice. Aunt Viv came to cheer me on, but her sister, Vikki, barely allowed her to do anything.
The first task I was given was to walk with boldness across a thin block. I did not do well at all, which made Aunt Viv's sister shout, "This is the simplest task, and you are already failing."
I only looked at her.
The remaining tasks were no better. I failed every one of them and could not understand why my supposed mother was making such a drama out of it. By evening, I had not even eaten a single bite.
There was one last task, and my body was already giving up. Stars swam in my vision, words reached me only in muffled echoes, and I felt dangerously wobbly on my feet.
"You will now demonstrate some flexibility," my supposed mother said.
I looked at her in disbelief. How could she say such a thing when I looked as though I might faint at any moment?
"How can you ask her to do that?" Aunt Viv protested. "She has not eaten all day, and you still expect her to continue?"
"She is a princess. She is meant to know these things," Vikki said coldly, "which is evident you did not—since you failed to teach her properly."
"This is my home, " Aunt Viv replied, her voice firm and unyielding. "You will not come here and order everyone around as you please."
I stood there silently as the sisters argued, my body too weak to react.
"Fine," Vikki said at last. "In that case, we will be leaving tomorrow."
With that, she walked away.
The moment she was gone, my strength gave out and I collapsed onto a chair, exhaustion washing over me. Raya rushed to my side at once.
"Are you fine, my princess?" Raya asked, her eyes filled with worry.
"Yes… I'm fine. Just tired," I replied, though I still looked worn out.
"You should eat. You look like you're about to pass out," Raya said as she helped me up from the chair.
Raya helped me to the dining room, but I barely touched the food. My mind was still trapped in the argument Aunt Viv and my supposed mother had earlier. Their voices echoed in my head, sharp and unyielding, leaving a heaviness in my chest that no meal could ease.
When I decided to go to bed, the voices still echoed in my mind, refusing to fade. I still didn't want to believe that I would be leaving the place I had always thought of as home for another, unfamiliar kingdom. I lay awake in the darkness, staring at the ceiling, wondering when my life had stopped being my own.
I closed my eyes, and suddenly a memory that felt foreign flashed through my mind. It was blurry, distant, like something I hadn't lived—yet somehow remembered.
An unclear image formed: a face stained dark, bruised and battered beyond recognition. I couldn't see who it was. The figure moved closer and closer, each step heavier than the last.
I jolted awake, gasping for air, my chest rising and falling rapidly.
It felt real. Too real.
It felt like something I had done… but how?
I tried to sleep after this memory but images could not help but flash through my mind.
So I stood up, went to the window, and sat there, letting the cool night air brush against my skin as I began to think.
I wanted my life to go exactly as planned—a soft, quiet life tucked away in the safety of the castle. Just me, Raya, and maybe Aunt Viv. No crowds, no expectations, no unfamiliar kingdoms. Only silence, familiar walls, and my own thoughts to keep me company.
But once again life seems like it's playing its own games.
And I think this memories don't even end here. Sigh!