And so I decided to update this story, possibly re-write a few things, and actually try to continue this story. I always liked this idea and I was kinda bummed when I hit a wall with the last chapter. This chapter isn't so different from the 1st version, though I changed a few details and such. Hope you enjoy!

CHAPTER 1

The Castle's Secrets

Growing up in the Distant Castle, she learned manners, politics, and even how to find loopholes in the rules. However, she was separated from outside the castle walls. She had no outside friends, except for her servants. But now because of that day, everything...changed.

She always liked to look out to the ocean and the lands that seemed to stretch out for days. Too bad she never stepped foot on the mainland. Honestly, who's brilliant idea was it to build a castle in the water? The only way to access her home was by boat and only people of the highest prestige, or the proper papers, could dock their boats in the built in ports of the castle.

But that was the only downfall of the castle. The famous stronghold, known for its beauty in innovation and architect, was painted a pure white, and it was given several new coats every week. The castle could glow in the dark if such an ability existed. All of the windows were blue stained glass and the rooftops were painted gold. The castle was built on top of large concrete pillars, and rooms and other buildings were connected with inner passageways. Her home curved in on itself, resembling a coil. Starting from the bottom of the castle lived the richest merchants, and slowly going up were the nobles, castle residents, and at the top was the castle itself where the royal family resided.

The Distant Castle, it was called. The mysterious castle that controlled everything from the Vast Hills to the Tempest's Mountains, and it held a secret that only a handful knew about.

A princess. Hinamori Amu.

The king was murdered when the queen was pregnant. Worried for her daughter's safety, she gave birth to Amu with only a select number of servants and nobles knowing. She explained to Amu that when she turned eighteen, her mother would announce to the world of Amu's existence. (The princess was over the fact that she didn't exist in the people's eye, but it annoyed her to some extent)

Two days were left until that day would arrive.

The princess sat on the window sill of the bell tower, the second to highest tower in the castle. She had the window open to let the ocean breeze go through her rose hair and her muddled thoughts. It had been busy at the Distant Castle for the past weeks in preparation for her celebration and the princess was given questions as to what she would like for her party, but she could care less. At least her lessons dwindled for the last few days, giving her more time to herself and wandering around the castle.

During one of her government lessons, a team of seamstresses came into the room to ask her preference for a list of dresses. She was wearing one of the dresses they offered.

The gown wasn't form fitting, it was flowy with two layers of light fabric that billowed behind her as she walked. It had a golden floral pattern at the hem and had silver beads sewn at the top of the bodice. She wore gold bangles on her left arm and one was looped on her right ankle. Though she was thinking of removing the damned thing because the charms from the anklet would get tangled in her sandal straps.

"Ah, Princess Amu desu! There you are desu!" One of her servants exclaimed in a huff.

Amu turned her gaze from the sky to the green hair and eyed servant. Su's apron was stained, hinting that she was in the kitchen helping prepare sweets and the like. "Yes?" She asked.

"Oh! W-where's your crown desu?" Su asked with her usual faint voice, but Amu could sense her nervousness.

Amu silently reached for her discarded crown that was cast away to the other side of the small sill and held the crown with anything but delicacy. She swung the crown back and forth with her index finger and thumb, giving Su an odd look.

"Please put it back on! It looks beautiful on you―and your mother would have another fit if you get it scratched desu!" Su colored and looked away, embarrassed at her sudden outburst. Guess preparation for the party was getting to her too. "My apologies―anyways, your lessons are about to start desu." She fumbled with the hem of her skirt momentarily and waited as Amu sighed and pushed herself off the window sill, lazily putting the crown on top of her head.

"Can my lessons just continue after the celebrations?" Amu muttered, mostly to herself, while fixing her hair.

The crown did look beautiful, Amu would agree. The silver crown had four gems sitting on top of a floral design, one red, orange, green, and blue. But the darn thing would get tangled in her hair just like that anklet and it gave her a headache, so she would try to wear it sparingly.

Her skirts let out a soft whoosh! as she started to make her way to the stairs with Su exactly five steps behind her. "Where are the others?" Amu asked as they descended the winding staircase. Her skirts billowing behind her.

"Dia and Ran are coordinating with the other servants, and Miki is busy with the royal painters desu." Su called back. The four, despite their status, had been best friends with Amu ever since she was little. Amu would always drag them into her shenanigans and, despite getting reprimanded every time they got caught, continued on until Amu was around fifteen. The air started to feel more tense...unsettling sometimes as the topic of politics would arise in the castle's halls.

They reached the main hall, which had brilliant stained glass windows running from the marble floor to the arched ceilings. Chandeliers hung from chains, but they were mostly used as decorative purposes because the castle mainly ran under natural light. And just like the outside, in interior was painted white, and a few golden banners hung on the walls every now and then.

The hall was bustling with servants, knights, and nobles, and a few bowed politely as Amu passed them. She couldn't wait until the party was over. She somewhat missed the quietness of the castle.

Amu had made it down a smaller hall and made it to a set of doors with gold trim along the edges. She gave it a good push and the smell of books and old parchments filled her nose. The scent of the library.

The Distant Castle's library was the biggest room in the castle, the second being the throneroom. And it was adorned with the same blue windows and arching ceilings. There were so many bookcases that the architects had to construct a second floor, which wrapped around the perimeter of the library.

In the center of it all was a grand table with a stack of books and paper. Her tutor, Nikaidou Yuu, sat at one of the chairs, casually going through a small book. He looked up through his thin glasses, which made him look goofier than he already was, and smiled. Su bowed and remained at the door as Amu approached him.

"I was wondering where you ventured off to." Nikaidou mused and closed the book with a small thump. "Surely you're not bored with my lectures?"

She responded with some amount of sass, laced in eloquent sentences. "I will have you know that I wasn't avoiding my lessons. And no one can possibly be bored with your presence considering the number of times you tripped down the stairs in the past few days." A smirk curled her lips.

Nikaidou tapped the book lightly on her head and laughed. "Your mother would push me down those stairs if she heard you speak to your elders like this."

"But she's not here now, is she?" The princess took the book out of his hand and put it on the table. "So what's the lesson for today?"

Her tutor hummed with content and strode over to a large book and and unfurled a rolled up piece of parchment. "Geography!"

"Geography?" She repeated without bothering to hide her distaste. "But I had geography yesterday! Could it be possible if we went on to subjects that...matter?"

"Your Highness, your announcement to the people will be in two fortnights. It will be to your advantage that you know the lays of your land before that happens."

Letting out an un-princess-like huff, she went on over to his left side and peered down at the map of her future kingdom. She already knew the basics: the Distant Castle's reign stretched from the Vast Hills to the Tempest's Mountains.

Nikaidou pointed at a small bay just south of the Distant Castle. "Remind me, what's this?"

"The White Cliffs of Aiden." She replied without hesitation, and then pointed out, "I've learned about that yesterday."

"Repetition is best for the mind when it comes to geography." He told her. "Care to tell me what you've remembered?"

Amu sighed. "The White Cliffs of Aiden is one of the main fishing cities in the kingdom. Home to a few hundred thousand citizens, the city brings in fish with nets overflowing. During the fishing season, the city can reach record numbers of fish caught. They also have beautiful beaches and have the largest port, both for trade and coast guards." He nodded, impressed. Amu glazed over the map, catching a little shaded portion of the land. It was located north of the Distant Castle, nearing the Vast Hills. "But what's this?" She tapped her finger on the small province. "The pattern here is different from everything else."

Nikaidou examined it for a moment and cleared his throat after a few moments of silence. "That's Easter. It's nothing of importance."

"Easter?" She peered down at the map. It was such a tiny thing, no bigger than the size of her thumbnail. "Then why is it on our country's map if it's unimportant?"

He adjusted his glasses. "Easter is it's own country." He explained, albeit reluctant sounding. "They are ruled over the Platinum Castle. It's a very small country, but it is wealthy."

"How come I don't hear more of this place?" Amu arched a brow and gave Nikaidou a look. He gave her the usual smile, though his tone had changed over the course. "Surely we trade with them?"

"We ah...don't trade as often as one would think. Easter likes to work on their own...the Platinum King isn't a man of agreements."

The doors suddenly swung open and they all jumped as a younger man walked in with a handful of parchments and books. He didn't pause in his stride and made his way over to the table, beginning to sort out the things he hadn in his hand. He looked up, green wispy hairs hung in front of his glasses. "Sorry, am I interrupting something?" He asked through an emotionless expression.

"No, no, Kairi." Nikaidou waved his hand dismissively. "You can continue whatever you were doing."

Kairi was one of the scholars who resided in the noble residences of the Distant Castle. At the young age of fifteen he was admitted into the Distant Castle after showing his intelligence to the nobles. He was taken under Nikaidou's wing, and he was the same age as Amu.

She wasn't much on speaking terms with the boy since he seemed so...intimidating. He didn't partake in many conversations.

"So, ah, where were we?" Her tutor asked.

She blinked. "Easter. The Platinum Castle?"

"Oh!" He nodded. "Your Highness, Easter is nothing to really go in depth with. It's ruled by the Platinum family, and only two members are alive."

Amu stared at him, finding it hard to believe that that was the only bit of information he was going to give her. "That's it?" She deadpanned. "If I don't know any better, you're hiding something from me, Nikaidou!"

"She'll eventually rule as a queen," Kairi called out from the other side of the table, "it won't hurt to give her some information."

Amu gestured at the young scholar. "See! He agrees!" She didn't care that she looked like a child. The air Nikaidou was giving off was one that made her more curious. What so bad about Easter and the Platinum family?

"Well I'll be honest," Nikaidou bristled, "our archives do not hold much information about Easter. Easter is very much its own nation and doesn't want to be involved with 'outside' countries."

The rest of her tutoring consisted of many failed attempts to learn more, but Nikaidou was stubbornly adamant on keeping her out of the dark. Much to Amu's annoyance. The hours ticked away and Amu left the library, mentally worn down and hungry. Dinner wouldn't be for another bell toll and her stomach was screaming at her. Maybe Su could make her something quick.

The princess strode through the large hallways with purpose―a food related one at least. She didn't like being escorted by her servants or by guards, she found it too suffocating. It's not like the guards would join in her conversations either. Instead, the Distant Castle's knights were stationed at all the entrances of main hallways and rooms. Their silver armor glistened under the light that poured through the windows. Faces always set at a neutral expression, unmoving.

Creepy.

Amu had her sights set on the Grand Hall, the main party room as she called it, where all festivities were held in including mealtime. Upon reaching a set of great doors, one of the knights pushed it open for her and she was greeted by the vibrant colors of the royal crest. The Grand Hall was the third largest room in the castle. Known for its great pillars, ascending staircases and a elegant balcony that overlooked the hall, it could easily hold crowds of more than a few hundred guests.

Large bouquets of pink, blue, green, and orange flowers were being carried by frantic servants, being placed and replaced every few minutes. Kitchen maids ran from one side of the room to the other, carrying baskets full of food. Oh, where on earth was Su?

Her entrance startled a few servants and they quickly bowed to her before scurrying away, and it attracted the attention of one particular woman in the center of the hall.

Dressed in warm colors of red, orange, and gold, Queen Midori turned around with a surprised yet gentle expression. "Ah, Amu!" She called out. Amu took a moment to glance at the magnificent crown that sat on her mother's head. It was essentially the bigger, more glamorous version of her own tiara. The four colored gems were larger, all being held together by twisting diamond encrusted vines.

Amu internally groaned and approached her. "Hello, Mother." She replied while trying to be heard over the commotion.

"How do you like it?" Midori asked with a great smile. She spread her arms out and pointed to the golden banners that hung down the cathedral ceilings. "Just wait until they add the rest of the decorations! The orchestra will be over there," she pointed at the center of the hall, just below the balcony.

"It's great, thank you." She replied almost distractedly as she tried to look from the corner of her eye to spot Su―if that were even possible.

Midori didn't seem to notice her daughter's distraction and instead cupped Amu's cheek gently. "I am so proud of you." She said with this tone of sincerity that made almost anyone lose any rage they had and immediately come to love the queen. Amu looked at her with renewed interest and touched her mother's hand. She sighed with a smile and leaned into her mother's touch.

"Is there something you need?" Her mother asked.

Amu blinked. "O-oh, I was just looking for Su."

"I think I saw her a few moments ago running into the kitchen―you're not going to get a snack are you?" She arched a brow suspiciously.

Amu gave her mom a half-smile and shied away from her mother's hand. "I just want to look at the food that will be at the celebration!"

Her mother sniffed, obviously not believing her but she let the subject rest. "Fine, fine, go ahead. Don't eat too much." Amu nodded enthusiastically and continued her search for sweets and the like.

The rest of her day went without a hitch. Amu managed to convince Su to give her a taste of the cake they were planning to bake, and she got out of another painting session with Miki. Amu always hated having her portrait painted and Miki knew very well, but under the incessant pressing from the queen, Miki had to hound her friend down. It failed though.

Amu was now in her room, getting ready to go to bed. Now dressed in a simple night gown, she leaned against the floor lengthed window that overlooked the village that sat on the edge of the cliffs. The faint lights flickered at her almost teasingly and beckoned her to come over for a quick visit. She sighed. If only it were that easy.

Maybe when she was queen she could see what it was like on the mainland.

The sun had set a few hours ago and so the only light in her room was a small candelabra that sat on her white and gold trimmed night stand. Amu went to her bed and quickly put out the flames. Tomorrow was going to be even busier than today. The tired princess slipped under the sheets and closed her eyes.

She didn't know how long she was sleeping until she heard the sound of glass shattering and scream echo from the halls and into her chambers. Amu woke up with a start as her doors were thrown open and four figures rushed inside. One of them closed the doors as the three approached her bed. Amu sat there panicked as her vision tried to readjust. She relaxed when she recognized the similar shades of hair from all four figures.

Su and Miki were carrying lanterns, all four of them were wearing dark cloaks. "Princess, please get up desu!" Su urged as she tugged Amu's hand impatiently.

"W-what's going on?" She asked, still dazed.

"The castle's under attack!" Ran screeched and her three friends shushed her.

Amu's heart sunk to her stomach. What? Her thoughts were scattered as Su put a cloak on over her shoulders and rushed her to one of the walls. "What about my mom?" Panic started to climb as she started to wake up.

"We don't know, desu." Su murmured. Her friends helped Amu locate her sandals just as Miki pressed her foot down at the base of the wall. A panel of the wall creaked open and dusk scattered about as it swung open.

"Oh," Amu scrunched up her nose and waved the dust away from her face, "when was that there?"

"Now's not the time! Hurry!" Miki exclaimed and the four rushed inside, the door closing with a low thud. When the door closed, and array of lanterns lit up down the wall, spiraling down a stone staircase. Their footsteps echoed loudly off the stone walls. It was cold and damp and Amu shivered.

"Where's Dia?"

"At the dock. She's getting a boat." Miki explained. Amu tugged her cloak tightly around her. The sound was faint, but she could hear the sound of more crashing glass and an array of shouts being casted from one side to the other.

"Who's attacking? Where's my mom?" She repeated, on the verge of screaming.

"We'll tell you everything we know when we get to the mainland." Ran replied this time.

"The mainland? Really?" Amu asked, suddenly excited despite the circumstances.

"Yes! C'mon!" She said as she descended the staircase with surprising speeds.

Walks turned into jogs as they went down the never ending staircase and Amu was starting to see stars as they kept spiraling downward. When they finally reached the bottom, the arrived at at room carved out of stone yet again. The ceilings were low and it smelled of seawater. There were no windows to Amu's misfortune, but the night sky filled the room when Ran and Miki pulled on a stone wall. It scraped loudly and it was cracked open just so they could shimmy through the crevice.

They now stood in what looked like an abandoned dock as the water weathered down the stone walls. The ocean was merely a few feet from Amu. She didn't have much time to take in the sights as Dia pulled up in a small boat.

"Thank goodness you're alright," Dia sighed out of relief and the four piled into the boat. The orange haired girl pushed off the dock and silently maneuvered their way from the castle.

"Can you please tell me what's going on?" Amu whined impatiently.

"Shh!" The four servants exclaimed. Amu shrunk back.

"Where's my mom?" She asked quietly.

The boat swayed from side to side as the small waves started to carry them away.

"We told you, we're not sure desu." Su put a hand on the princess's shoulder.

"But―"

"Please hold yourself together desu! We don't want to be caught by them desu!" She replied in a whisper.

"Princess, I know you're worried right now, but we need to keep you safe. We can come back when everything has calmed down." Dia offered.

"Yeah! Don't worry!" Ran chirped.

Everyone in the boat sshhed her.

Amu noted that Dia didn't give her a certain date as to when they would return―if they had something to return to after this anyways. The princess finally looked behind her and gazed at the the home she lived in. She could see wispy plumes of smoke coming from the number of torches that were held by unknown men. The white walls of the castle were now draped in a dull orange and yellow. The calm internal lights of the castle were replaced with the intensity of multiple torches, the windows were smashed―the image of the perfect castle was tarnished.

Golden eyes were cast upon the midnight sky with the stars winking at her. The half moon poked in and out of the thin clouds that lazily hung in the air. Letting out a sigh, she closed her eyes in hopes of escaping the frightening image of her home.

Hoped you liked it. I don't know when the next update will be, but please leave a review and tell me what you think!

-Jen