by Snowlondon » Mon Nov 25, 2019 4:51 pm
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Part II.
Princess Nerissa swam through the white marble halls of the palace, grinning as she did so. Next to her swam her best friend, closest confidante, and sister, Princess Kailani. One of them alone was noticeable enough, but together they practically shone. Their bright colours, loud laughter, and high statuses as princesses meant that they were impossible to miss.
The pair came to a stop at a brightly decorated classroom.
“I’m sorry that I have to go,” said Kailani.
“It’s okay. After all, you’re the one who’s next in line for the throne,” replied Nerissa.
Because Kailani was older, she was required to take additional classes about diplomacy and eloquence, to prepare her for the day when she would inevitably become queen. Nerissa didn’t mind - she was grateful for the fact that she could spend less time in class and more doing what she pleased.
After a quick goodbye, Kailani stepped into the classroom, and Nerissa swam off to the royal gardens. She adored playing among the coral and observing the many kinds of fish frequented the reef. From the rainbow of colours to the shimmering waves, she loved the underwater nature that surrounded her.
---
Princess Nerissa and Princess Kailani huddled together outside of their parents rooms, listening to the distressed voices they heard inside. Nerissa wanted to cry, but she knew that as a princess she was expected to stay calm and mature.
Somehow, her parents had been infected with a plague caused by an oil spill. Her father had shown the symptoms first, and her mother shortly after. Despite their many questions, neither princess had been told anything, and so they had found themselves sitting outside their parents’ door, trying to find out just how bad it was.
While she was much better at hiding it, Kailani was clearly just as worried as Nerissa. After all, Nerissa knew that her sister only played with her hair when she was trying to take her mind off of something that she didn’t want to think about - their parents, in this case.
Just then, the door opened, and someone stepped out. As soon as Nerissa saw his face, her heart sank. Still, fighting to keep a tremor from her voice, she asked about how grave the situation was.
“Princesses, it’s time for you to say your goodbyes.”
---
There were times when Nerissa cried so much that she could no longer distinguish her tears from the saltwater of the ocean. There were others when she wouldn’t cry, even when she wanted to. Her emotions, over which she had previously had so much control, were suddenly irrepressible. The only reason that she managed at all was because of her sister.
Kailani was always there for her. Kailani’s support never faltered. Kailani was a constant, steadying presence in Nerissa’s life. Sometimes she’d lend her a shoulder to cry on. Other times she would be there to talk. And occasionally, on the rarest of days, Kailani would make Nerissa laugh, and everything would feel normal again.
The funeral passed in a blur. The kingdom mourned the death of its King and Queen. But eventually, the world moved on, leaving Kailani and Nerissa behind.
“We’ll be okay,” Kailani had said one night, staring directly into Nerissa’s eyes. “As long as we have each other, we’ll be okay.”
---
Princess Nerissa stood in front of her silver mirror, with its border of glittering sea glass. She stared at her reflection. Her scales caught the light perfectly, scattering small rainbows around her room. The moment was bittersweet. She had always known that she would attend her sister’s coronation, but she had never anticipated it being so soon.
She wished she could see Kailani to wish her good luck, but the rules dictated that only a handful of staff could see the soon-to-be queen on the day of her coronation. She had considered disregarding the rules and sneaking into her sister’s room anyways, but she had decided not to. She did not want to risk ruining the most important moment of her sister’s life.
Nerissa stepped out of her room, expecting to find a guard to escort her to the room where the coronation would take place. Instead, she found the hallway to be empty. Strange, she thought to herself. Shrugging, she began to make her way to the room alone.
She was about halfway to the coronation room when a guard grabbed her and began pulling her in the opposite direction.
“Let go of me!” she commanded, attempting to wrench herself out of the guard’s grasp.
The guard relinquished their hold. “I apologize, Princess, but there isn’t much time to explain. You aren’t safe here - you have to come with me.”
Nerissa felt an array of emotions, confusion being the most prominent. Still, she had been raised to trust the guards, and so she swam after the one in front of her. It took all of her energy and speed to follow the guard in front of her, and when they finally stopped she was out of breath.
They had been going too fast for her to pay attention to her surroundings, and so she looked around to find herself back at her room.
“Why did you bring me here? The coronation is starting soon,” she said, still unsure of whatever was happening.
“I’m afraid there is to be no coronation, Your Majesty.”
“Whatever do you mean?”
“I mean, that Princess Kailani was just killed.”
---
After Princess Kailani was killed by humans, Princess Nerissa locked herself in her chambers. Despite the fact that she was the only eligible heir to the throne, she refused to come out. She let no one in, and said no words.
The kingdom needed her desperately, but she was not there. The kingdom began to fill with the humans’ pollution, but she was not there. The kingdom began to crumble and collapse, but she was not there.
No one knows what happened while she hid away. All that is known is that when she finally came out months later, she came out to a ruined kingdom.
From then on, she stayed in secrecy. She covered herself completely in a black cloak, never came out in public, and spoke only to her most trusted advisors. She grew more and more corrupt, refusing to help her suffering people.
Angry and afraid, the kingdom began to whisper. They whispered that she had been infected by the same oil spill plague that had killed her parents, and that she had become a monster. And in their whispers, when they were sure that no one else was listening, they called her the Evil Queen.▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬
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xxxxxxxxxxxHi, I'm Snowlondon!xxxxxxxxYou can call me Snow. I usexxxxxxxxshe/her pronouns, and I lovexxxxxxxxwriting, drawing, and baking.xxxBest Friend x Art Instagram x My Art Shop╰
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