LUCY:
"Yukino! Wait up!" I ran, tripping over the stupid skirt. Feeling the silky fabric tear under my foot, I reached down and ripped out the hanging chuck. It came away easily and I took off again, trying to catch up to my best friend. The setting sun glared into my eyes from behind paned windows, the glass worsening the glare. Her white hair peeked out from behind a column and I took after it, grabbing her hand as she twirled to get away.
"Hey!" She tried to pull away, but my grip was deceptively strong. I didn't spend my days in this golden cage lounging around. While Yukino was the actual princess and I had started out as her maid, the revelation of my magic turned the whole situation around. Now we were both recognized as royal, rich, and snobby.
"Ladies, what are you doing so far from the main palace?" Our bodyguard and personal stalker, August, leader of the Royal Guard, had caught up to us. I immediately went for puppy eyes while he stayed stoic. Quickly giving up, I pushed past him with a sigh and trudged up the marble steps.
"We haven't even left the main building!" Yukino protested as he shepherded her after me.
"My lady, surely you understand the dangers of leaving the palace. There are many people who—" August's calm tone drove me insane.
"Want to use us and our powers. I get it." I shot at him without turning around. Being one of two celestial mages in the entire damn kingdom was such a pain. Yukino always handled the stress of being cooped up day after day better than I did, but she had grown up here. The palace and its luxuries was her home. I belonged back at the village, chasing good-for-nothing boys into the woods when they pulled my hair and learning how to fight with my friends. Helping kids pull of pranks, going to school, and having a freaking relationship that didn't begin and end with responsibility. Having a boyfriend, for god's sake. In the real world, no one assumed you were safe and they made sure that you were prepared for anything. Here at the palace it was like they truly believed they were untouchable. Fools. I was counting off the days before something went horribly wrong with an unnerving sense of excitement.
I'd already written my last wish and everything. I just wanted to see the outside world again. Picking up speed, I pushed through many sets of glossy doors until I got lost, something I enjoyed immensely. I refused to learn the layout of the palace, needing aimless wandering to keep myself in one piece. Usually I went up until the stairs ended, sometimes even making it out onto the roof, but this time I went down. Nothing like an expedition underground to cheer me up. A sharp pain sliced through my chest, making me double over as I tried to steady myself. It was happening more and more often while the pain kept getting worse. I was suspicious of the attacks, since they started when I had first entered the palace, but everyone seemed to have a reference book open each time I tried to squeeze someone for answers. They remained the same, not varying even slightly from guard to guard, like they all had the answers drilled into their brains. Far from making me give up, their consistency only intrigued me.
The more levels I passed, the grimmer the setting grew. Instead of glittering chandeliers and sparkling marble floors I ran past layers of grime and a few small magic candles that were on the verge of breaking in half. Tired of the long skirt and heeled shoes, I paused long enough to rip up the hem of my dress and tossed the white shoes. Running was a gateway to my past life, one that I had enjoyed with people I loved. Maybe some more than most…
Pushing away my memory of a smiling woman, I focused completely on my breathing, lengthening my stride until I was flying through the hallways. My blonde hair flew into my eyes as I skidded around the last corner and came face-to-face with a door. Stars swam around in my eyes as I slammed into the solid metal at full speed, my right hand crunching with a sickening sound as it darted out to cushion my body. I staggered back and unleashed a string of very colorful words, none of which would pass the lady manners test. Not that I took that crap seriously, of course. Turning to inspect the door, I immediately noticed the string of runes lining the top, a soft yellow glow hanging around them. The door was a dull dark grey, no keyhole or lock visible. The only sign of the thing having any use was a hand-shaped indent centered of the surface. If anything, it was a plain slab of metal with a hand-print at the end of a forgotten hallway. However, anything not white, gold, or shiny didn't belong at the palace, no matter how forgotten it was.
Another pang of hurt across my chest. The runes blinked three times, a soft hum filling the silence to accompany my ragged breathing. I narrowed my eyes, my brain turning over the possibilities. I could've been right and the pain was connected to this metal door, or it was nothing. I was willing to bet my magic that I had been right.
Someone's voice echoed through, sending shivers up my spine. August. I glanced at the door with a grimace, silently cursing the stalker's timing. My hand hanging loosely at my side I ran from the door, fully intent on keeping it my little secret. There was absolutely no need to let the guard and the King know about my latest discovery. Taking several wild turns to leave the door in the dust, I ran into August's search patrol and was greeted by a barricade of drawn swords.
August let out a frustrated sigh, taking in my ruined dress and bare feet. "Stand down." He pulled out a small communication lacrima, bringing it up to his bearded mouth. "We found her."
"Good. Bring her up." A dry, raspy voice that I quickly identified as the King's gave the order. So, His Great Majesty had finally had enough of my runs and antics. Oh goody. Firm hands clamped onto my shoulders and pushed me ahead of them, forcing me up the innumerable staircases to the main palace. Taking side passages to keep me from the view of visitors, my presence was announced and I was led through the doors to the King's sitting room. It was an overly fancy room, adorned with countless painting and tapestries. Cushy couches and chairs framed a massive fireplace, casting an orange glow around the room. Yukino sat on a dark red chair with gold trim, her hands folded neatly across her lap and her eyes down. The King sat across from her, his wide body stuffed into another dark red chair, his eyes focused on me with an insulted rage and his mouth forming an impossibly thin line.
"Princess Lucy." His voice was saturated in displeasure and annoyance. I worked really hard to keep a smirk from sliding onto my face.
"Your Majesty." I think I must have sounded amused, because the line that made up his mouth shrank. "I apologize for my antics."
"We both know that is no longer enough!" He shouted at me, spit flying from his mouth. "You apologize, yes, but you will do it again without a second thought!" How'd he guess? "You've been here for five years! Why can't you be more like Yukino?" The white-haired girl visibly flinched, but no one noticed.
That was it for me. I wasn't someone else, so he'd better not expect that from me. "For the last time, I'm not a princess! I didn't grow up surrounded by luxury, everything done for me before I could even have a chance to want for it. I'm used to having to work for a living, dangerous work. I'm not a lady!" I snarled at him, my anger pushing through. I knew it wasn't the smartest choice, considering he was the King and all, but I would deal with the consequences when they came up. He merely sighed and shook his head.
"You are a daughter of the Heartfilia Konzern. You were born to be a lady, so why is it so hard for you to live up to expectations." He sounded genuinely confused. I was seconds away from ripping out his throat.
"I chose to leave that behind because I didn't want to be a lady! I left, you hear me? I. Left!" I screamed. How dare he bring up my past, the one I'd tried so hard to escape. The village had taken me in, no questions asked. When they did find out about my last name and my relation to the Konzern, they simply skipped over that chapter of my life, not letting it define their view of me. I treasured their acceptance, and giving it up was the hardest thing I'd even done. Pushing through the door to the protests of August, I barged through a group of startled guards and ran to my room. It was a million times smaller than Yukino's, as small as they would allow. Which was still big, mind you. I had to beg to have a small room with little adornment, but they gave. Collapsing on the bed, I sobbed my heart out, occasionally punctuating my tears with colorful words and tasteful descriptions of people I hated. When I was satisfied with myself I pushed myself off the squishy mattress and trudged to the bathroom, ripping off the dress as I went. The hand I had crushed had gone unnoticed, which was a shocking surprise, but it also had started to turn red and puff up. Not bothering to call for maids I started the water and dumped a whole bottle of vanilla bubblebath into the tub. I tore apart the last pieces of the corps of a dress and flung them into my room, shutting the door behind them. I found a wooden comb that I'd snuck in from the village despite being told to leave all of my belongings behind and tossed it in the direction of the tub, a satisfying clunk telling me I'd hit my mark. Pulling my ruined hairdo apart, I slipped into the hot water, a short breath escaping me as the water stung on contact. While I waited for the burning feeling to go away I searched the bubble-filled water for the comb, pulling it out and wiping away bubbles. My fingers scratched two words engraved in the wood, their thin coating of silver paint peeling off. They brought back bittersweet memories, threatening me with tears.
An hour of fruitless attacks directed at me tangled hair chilled the water to past lukewarm and I slipped out of the tub shivering. It didn't take me long to find the simple blue dress I used as a nightgown and slip into bed, the comb locked firmly in my grasp and under my pillow. I slid my fingers along the words again, tracing the outline of each letter.
"How I miss you, mama." I murmured softly, letting the silence lull me into sleep.