CHAPTER THREE

“Being his wife or not you still get recognition status, so that’s all that really matters. You should be thankful its royalty at all especially when your a witch like your mother was.” Ella says lathering my hair. My hands turn into fist’s of anger, clenching my teeth together, that she even has the audacity to bring up my mother in this conversation.

“Ella, I can handle everything here on my own. Why don’t you go and make sure everything is ready for departure?” Aris asked, clearing her throat, standing up to take over her spot behind me.

“We are supposed to do this together.-” Aris cut Ella off. “I’m fine here on my own Ella, you may leave.”

That’s when she stood up and rinsed her hands off one last time before she answered. “As you wish.” She walked out without any other word slamming the door behind her.

    “Thank you, I’m not sure how much longer I could have lasted with her without losing it." I admit feeling an overwhelmed amount of gratitude now that Ella is gone.

"I had enough of her, however angry or not she has of your mother, you are still a princess and deserve to be treated as such." She finishes lathering my hair as bubbles flow over my ears and neck.

I stayed quiet as I pushed myself forward leaning my head back to rinse out my hair, her hands massaging my scalp to help.

"Alright all done, it's time to get out now," she states, taking my hand and helping me securely standing up one foot after another I got out onto a towel laid out onto the floor.

Aris left me there for a minute. 

I began to shiver against the cold air in my bedroom. I wish Ella had left the window closed, it was overly cold in here now.

Aris came back with a steaming towel, wrapping around my shoulders, drying me off; top to bottom.

"Is Isla out of the Castle yet?" I questioned staring toward the window as if I'd be able to see her from where I was standing.

"She should be leaving soon." She looked over to the window I had been staring at as she finished drying my hair.

She laid the towel on the side of the bath, and I stepped onto the cold tile floor as I tip-toed toward the vanity bench. Aris went and got my corset.

The coolness of the floor sent pins and needles through my feet in each step, until I finally got onto the mat, where it wasn't as cold. 

"Why is it so cold here?" I complained as I lifted my arms in a 'T' formation as she wrapped the corset around my body forcing my breasts up high and my stomach to seem slimmer.

"Ella left the window open a little too long this morning." She tightened the back of the corset and all of a sudden the door opened, Aris panicked for a minute pulling the corset too tight making it difficult to breathe.

My hand placed on my chest as I gasped for air, and Aris undid the corset as I took a big gasp of air.

"Are you okay, Princess I'm so sorry," she apologized, looking over to see who came in.

The door closed and even I looked to see who it was. "You haven't even got her dressed yet?" Ella's voice came from behind us as Aris fixed up tightening the corset as she spoke. "What are you doing back Ella? I told you we were fine on our own," 

"I'm here to tell you that everything is already to go," Ella confirmed as she stood with her hands clasped behind her back.

"Nearly everything." I eyed my mother's portrait. "Can you take that to the carriage as well, and please be careful with her."

Ella took down the portrait from the wall, and held it by the sides. "As you wish," and with that she left again.

"Okay now for the dress and makeup and you will be all ready," her voice had a hidden smile in it as she spoke.

I took a tightly pulled breath and put my arms down. "Okay."

I sat down on the vanities bench facing her as she began to do my makeup.

Adding pink blush onto my pale cheeks, as well as black mascara and red eye shadow.

"There, all finished." Aris places down the mascara stick onto the table.

She picks up the brush and puts my hair up in an updo and wraps my crown gently around the top. 

She backs away from me admiring her own work. "Okay you can look now."

I turned around to face the mirror and my face slacks as I see myself. "I look just like my mother, more than usual." I placed gentle hands on my cheeks leaning closer to get a better look.

A knock came to the door and we both froze. "Celeste, are you decent?" It was my brother's voice and I swallowed the lump in my throat.

"Yes I'm ready," I replied nervously hearing the door click open.

I stood up as he walked with a smile on his face turned into complete shock. 

"I, uh, wow Celeste. You look." His black eyes strayed away from mine for a moment,  looking downwards before continuing. "Are you sure you want to go out there looking like that?"

"Why wouldn't I?" I asked, my tone becoming defensive.

"I'm going to give the two of you some space." Aris had an awkward smirk on her face and she curtsied lightly.

The room was full of silence as she made her way to the door, closing it again behind her. "You know why you shouldn't go out like that, you look-." I cut him off

"What, Mave? I look like who, our mother? I can't do anything to fix that, I'm our mothers daughter regardless," I raised my voice.

 I walked towards the window, the carriage sat in the side of the courtyard, awaiting my departure.

"Celeste, you're wearing her dress, where did you even get it, father burned everything of hers I watched!" He yelled at me for the first time in years.

 My breath hitched in my throat as I spun toward him. "Why do you care so much about what I'm wearing or who it belonged to?"

My eyes wild as I stare at my big brother as his hand tugged at the front of his hair in frustration.

"She was a traitor to our Kingdom, do you not remember what she has done?" His voice was frantic and angry, I've never seen him so angry.

I turned away again as tears began to fill my eyes, I will not let him see me cry. Not over this. "What she had done?" I sarcastically laughed as I continued. "Are your memories fading brother?" I could hear him pace around the room behind me. 

It's almost as if I could see him wipe off the imaginary spit off his lips. 

I continued to speak. "Our father forced us to watch her burn alive!" I finished wiping the tears carefully so as not to mess up the mascara.

"Celeste that's enough!" He screamed louder, his voice echoed off the bare walls making me almost jump out of my skin.

"This is what I am wearing, like it or not." I say more calmly now, I was staring at the tops of the trees in the distance.

"Is that so, then Celeste I will not be there to see you off then, good luck with your wedding," Mave sounded hurt.

Hearing his footsteps becoming quieter with the distance and leaving with the slam of the door leaving me alone in my room.

My body was shaking with anticipation of our argument, clenching my teeth together and digging my nails into my palms.

The door reopened quietly. 

"Miss, are you okay?" Aris asked gently, still standing in the doorway.

I sniffled and turned around straightening my dress. "Yes I'm ready to leave now."

"Actually there's something my mother gave me to pass on to you. I would have given it sooner but it was quite hectic today," Aris says, coming in farther and letting the door close gently.

I turned to her, her hands in her pouch pocket on her uniform, taking out a large red velvet pendant box.

Curious, I walked closer to see what she had brought me.

Opening it revealing a beautiful sphere ruby circled around it was perfectly polished diamonds, with a gold pendant laid carefully inside.

I had this strange feeling in my chest other than awe from its beauty I could feel this desire of pure power coming from inside the box.

I could feel Aris's eyes watching closely as if she knew what I was feeling. "Isla gave you this?" 

"Yes, it's another one of your mother's things," she replies as she places it gently on the chestnut table beside my bed.

I didn't know what to say, and I'm struggling for words.

How did Isla save so many of my mothers things?

I stood there as if I was paralyzed, the power I was drawing in was horrifying.

"Would you like to wear it for our departure?" She asked, gently and carefully, to take it out of the box.

"Yes please," I replied, swallowing the lump in my throat.

 My heart felt like it could beat out of my chest, I could hear it in my ears as she wrapped it around my neck.

I closed my eyes as the cool chain touched my skin, I could feel my own magic flowing through my veins.

I looked over at the mirror and my eyes had changed from a light pink to an orange color, as if you could see the flames themself flicker in my eyes.

She put it together with the clasp and it fell against my chest.

"Mother did say it had magic… but I didn't think it would have this much," Aris said, surprised and awe took over her as she stared into my eyes.

I placed a hand on the pendant. It began to feel hot but not enough to burn me, just warm enough to make a difference, I quickly recollected myself.

"Is there anything else before we leave Aris?" I ask, my heart still ringing in my ears.

"No, milady that's all I have as of now," she says, backing away.

"Okay, let us take our leave from this place," I announced, taking one more look in the mirror.

"Right, after you miss." Aris gestured my way ahead and I headed to the door.

We walked down the corridor, maids and cooks all lined up against the wall to say their goodbyes, and I could hear their whispers.

"Isn't that Queen Falynn's dress?" One asked.

"How is that even possible, we burned everything," another answered.

"You don't think she gained her mother's power, do you?" A third chirped in.

"No way, that would be disastrous." A fourth.

I could hear them all the way to the front doors of the castle. 

I could feel Aris become uneasy as she nervously gripped the front of her skirt, we kept walking.

The guards held open the doors until we walked out and all the town's people all stood around the carriage waiting for my speech, but what they didn't know was my plan. 

Mave put my perspective in concrete evidence, I turned to face everyone fixing my crown before speaking. "Good afternoon everyone." 

They all answered at once making it inaudible to point out one from the crowd.

"I understand the way you all view me, you all see me as my mother, instead of me as an individual, and I'm here to show you that maybe you are right." I looked over the crowd as everyone began to mutter and whisper in fearful gasps.

I could feel the flames trying to escape, focusing the energy into my palms, orange flames appeared.