CLAIRE's POVI moment I stepped into the portal, I fell into a small, cramped up tunnel, that seemed to stretch out farther down. The cave was dark, and our only source of light, was the one shining at the end of the tunnel."Where are we?" I questioned, feeling a bit scared and nervous.This was the first time I had ever entered into a portal, so I was a bit disoriented."This is a space connecting the portal to our realm. It would not take us a lot of time to get out of here, do not worry," he said and offered me a hand.I took his hand and he pulled me up from the ground. We began to trudge down the tunnel, and the end was slowly approaching. As we reached the light, it seemed to engulf us. The light shone brightly, blinding me. I used my arm to shield my eyes as the light surrounded us.My eyes were closed shut, as I waited and expected the worse."Claire, you can open your eyes now," I heard Daniel say.Slowly, I took my arms away from my face and my eyes slid open. I was standi
CLAIRE's POVThe voice I heard, resonating and echoing through the walls of the castle took me by surprise. My eyes followed the voice and it landed on a stairs. My eyes fell on a very beautiful woman, walking down the stairs. She had so much poise in her movements, you could tell that she was some kind of royalty.Her hair was a mixture of brown and golden at the tips. She gazed at me with her green orbs that held so much power. As she walked down the Marvel stair way, her heels clicked on it. She approached me, the sneer on her lips never leaving."Who are you?" she demanded, her voice cold and haughty."I'm Claire," I replied, trying to keep my voice steady. She walked closer to me and I noticed the difference in height. Maybe the heels she wore made a difference, buy she towered over me. She was hell bent on ascertaining her dominance.She eyed me from a few seconds and turned to Daniel."Daniel, who is this girl? Are we taking in strays now?" I went stiff and gazed at her. Who
CLAIRE's POVI walked down the broad hallways of the palace, unsure of what to do, or where to go. After my encounter and conversation with my step sister Eliana, I was feeling a bit down, but gazing at the fine and exquisite decor seemed to lift my spirits.I walked further down, my eyes trailing the walls until they stopped at a large painting. It was a painting of my father and his new family. My father was seated on a throne like chair, his two daughters beside him, and another woman that I presumed was their mother.Contrary to what Daniel had told me, my father seemed to have moved on from my mother. From the picture and from the way he interacted, he seemed happy with his new family.Staring at the portrait made me feel left out. What was I doing here? This was no place for me. My mother was not here and my father probably did not need me here.I let out a sigh and tore my eyes away from the painting. I wandered aimlessly around the palace. I passed large room that had a dining
CLAIRE's POVI sat down on the chair, just as the woman had instructed me to, although, I was a bit reluctant to have a chat with her. Something about the way she smiled at me seemed so fake and plastic, it was almost eerie In a way.The woman looked like a doll, with her perfect, white porcelain skin, glowing under the warm sun. She crossed her legs, her silky blue gown, swaying with the movements of her legs. Her eyes were fixed on me, like I was a specimen, put out for observation. "Claire, was it? How do you fancy the palace?" She asked with a curt smile.I swallowed to lubricate my dey throat and spoke."It is very pretty," was the only thing I could voice.Her smile grew even more at my words. "Are you happy to be here? Of course, you may be feeling down due to how my daughter, Diana treated you."I blinked at her in surprise. Was she actually concerned about how her own daughter had treated a stranger like me? I felt my heart melt at her kindness, but I still hadn't guard up.
CLAIRE's POVI snapped my head in the direction of the voice and saw my father, standing at the entrance of the patio. He walked over to the table and looked at Vera."There you are. I figured Claire might be with you."Vera blinked at her husband and smiled."Well, yes I was just having a little chat with her. We were about to go decorate her room and give her some new clothes.""That can wait. I need to have a talk with my daughter."When the word daughter slipped out of his mouth, it made feel uneasy. Although this man was my biological father, I could not see him as one. That was to be expected, seeing as I had never met him or lived with him up until now."Oh, yes, of course," Vera looked at me. "You can find me here after you are done having a chat with you father," she smiled.I nodded and rose up from my chair as my father began to walk out of the patio. I followed closely behind him and we both walked in silence. It felt awkward, but I could not find the anything to say to hi
CLAIRE's POV"This is your room Claire," Vera said as she led me through a door. My eyes went wide as I stared at the room in awe and wonderment. I stood in the doorway of my new room in the palace, taking in the opulence before me. The walls were painted a pale pink, and the curtains were a deep shade of purple. The bed was large and ornate, with a fluffy white comforter and piles of pillows. A chandelier hung from the ceiling, casting a warm glow over the room.My stepmother, Vera, stood beside me, a satisfied smile on her face. "I hope you like it," she said.I couldn't help but feel a twinge of disappointment. The room was beautiful, but it didn't feel like mine. Everything was too perfect, too pristine. I missed my old room, with its cozy furniture and warm colors. Even though my old room was nothing special, it still felt like home to me.I knew it would take me time to get used to it."It's lovely," I managed to say, forcing a smile.Vera nodded, pleased. "I'll leave you to s
CLAIRE's POVI could feel the tension between Vera Eliana. The air was so thick, that you could cut it with a knife. My eyes trailed from Vera to Eliana and I could not help but phantom what would come next. Even the maids had stopped working and were watching closely.Eliana's face was filled with hurt, which was caused by her mother's words."You and father might have accepted her, but I will never accept her!"With that, Eliana stormed out of the room. Vera exhaled and I could see all the tension in her shoulder dissipate. She turned to me, a concerned and worried look on her face."Claire, please do not mind the things she said. Eliana has always been like this. I just wished she would changed," Vera sighed."Oh, that is fine. I do not mind." I replied.I honestly saw this coming and I knew it would not stop here. Vera came back to my side and rubbed her temples. She looked up at the maids, glaring at them."Do I look like I am putting up a show for you? Get back to work!"The mai
CLAIRE's POVI watched as Vera held the fork in her left hand so professionally and sliced down on the meat with the knife delicately. She did it with so much poise that you could tell she had practiced for this.I swallowed, a bit intimidated. But I had to do it. This would be a way to elevate the current picture Diana and most especially Eliana, were portraying of me, in their head.I held the fork in my left hand, just like Vera had done and stabbed Into the small piece of meat. Although my movements were not as smooth as Vera's, I pushed on.I picked up the knife and proceeded to slice down on the meat, when it slipped out of my hand and fell to the ground. Diana and her sister did not care to hide their amusement.They both burst out laughing simultaneously and my cheeks went hot red with embarrassment. The one chance I had to improve my image had gone to waste and all I had done was make it worse.Sitting in between the both of them made me feel even more uncomfortable than it a