Hera relaxed against the soft sofa, letting the cushy pillows surround her. Opening her book, she inhaled the wonderful smell that came with an old book. She started to read the first sentence, but hadn't even finished when she heard a screech from down the hall.
"Hera?" her mother's voice called. "Hera! Where are you? Get in here!" Hera, frustrated, threw down her book and stormed into her mother's bedroom. Her mother lay sick in bed, sneezing and coughing, and complaining more than usual. "Oh Hera, my princess, I love you dearly but you trouble me so. Can't you do something useful and get me some water?" The princess could hardly handle this; Hera had a horrid temper and was in hysterics half the time.
"Why, mother, why? I am a princess, not a maid!" She stomped her feet, and shrieked as loudly as she could. "Get one of your servants to do it." Tears came into her eyes, and she sat down on the bed, next to her mother. "I don't know why you treat me so. I just want some time alone."
"My goodness child!" her mother exclaimed, and shoved her off the bed. Hera toppled over, landing on her hands and knees, then collapsed into an upset mess on the ground. "How have I raised you like this, you ungrateful little witch? Already a young woman of sixteen, a princess too, and you don't know how to act." With this statement, Hera let out a longer, louder sob. Her mother's voice softened. "I'm sorry, my dear. You are just so trying."
"Some queen you are!" Hera screamed, and fled the room in passionate anger.
She ran up to her chamber, and flung herself onto her bed. Tears streamed down her face, and her forehead throbbed with a horrible headache. She had forgotten about her calming book and comfortable chair; her thoughts were now entangled with how hard her life was. In the next room, her sister, Adrienne, heard the loud crying. She knocked on the door, and ignored Hera's vulgar "Go away!"
"Hera, whatever is the matter?" she asked, sitting across from her sister on the bed. Hera looked up to see Adrienne, then turned away in disgust.
"Oh, it's you," she sneered.
"I'm only your sister," Adrienne defended herself, not keen to rudeness.
"Yes! That's the problem! You're my sister." Hera got up and started imitating Adrienne, walking around in a ridiculous and proud manner. "Look at me, everyone! See the perfect little princess! Don't pay attention to my three younger sisters, because I'm twenty-one and just wonderful! I can dance and sing, and I learn all my lessons too! I'm mothers favorite!" At the end of this performance Hera collapsed again into a heap of tears on the ground. Adrienne paused to collect herself and take a deep breath, knowing that her little sister really was just a mess of emotions and ridiculous notions.
"What is this really all about, Hera?" she asked.
"Mother-mother asked me-me to get her a glass of water!" Hera stuttered between sobs. "When she could-could have had a servant bring her o-one." She stopped crying for a second to scream "She would have never asked you!" And then dropped her head to the floor again. "We all know that when mother dies she'll pick you to take her place as the Queen of Hearts and send the rest of us to rule the Spades, Diamonds and Clubs!"
"That's not true," answered Adrienne softly. And she wasn't lying. It was obvious to everyone but Hera herself that she was her mother's favorite. Perhaps it was because Hera was as unstable and messed up as the queen. Adrienne, however, took after her father, and was much more calm and level-headed. "You seem tired, sister. Why don't you sleep?"
"I'll try but I'll probably just lie there for hours," Hera scowled. This pleased Adrienne, because this way she had overcome her sister's emotional issues and wouldn't have to deal with them until the next day.
"Sleep well!" she called as she closed the door. Once outside, she shook her head and, with worry and disapproval filling her tone, asked herself "What is Wonderland going to do when she is the Queen of Hearts?"
