Author's Note: As a reminder, chapters 1 through 3 are co-written with Moofy-Fan. Ideas in future chapters are also half hers.
Chapters 1 through 3 are the "Husky" arc. The plan is for each character to have an arc before we have them meet and begin their adventure together. Enjoy!
Princess Keane was bullying Princess Myrrha again. Naturally, it was entirely Myrrha's fault. Or at least that's what everyone said.
As always, the two princesses between Myrrha and Keane found it hilarious. It was so unlike Keane to be so bitter and mean, for one thing. And as soon as Keane's back was turned, they'd start giggling about how jealous it was so obvious Keane was.
Keane was the perfect queen, and sure to be a great empress one day, as she constantly reminded her younger sisters. Especially Myrrha. Myrrha didn't seem to get that one fact through her head. Keane had the hardest classes, was the picture of beauty and grace, strength and intelligence. Had actually had boys that weren't even engaged to her propose! While Myrrha, Husky, preferred to hide in her room with a book, sneak out to the guards' training quarters to practice her staff, or skulk around the harem's garden, often clinging to her father instead of seeking out her peers.
In conclusion, Myrrha was a baby. So insisted Keane whenever the fourth princess was within earshot. Myrrha was a baby who acted like a boy. She had an ugly, rough boy voice like her father's, all husky and accented and gross. These giant eyes that wanted to bug out of her strangely shaped head, that boring and weird straight silver hair.
That the very boys that proposed to Keane would follow her little sister with their eyes and comment on how pretty she looked meant absolutely nothing, because obviously no one cared what boys thought. That the empress always seemed to have an extra special smile on her face when speaking to or of Myrrha was just Keane's paranoia – after all, her father had told her so. And he was first king.
Keane spun in front of the mirror in her dressing room, laughing in delight. Her formal gown was gorgeous. This would be the best day of her life – so far, anyway! Her handmaidens giggled at the happiness exuding off the pretty redhead, and one sat the eleven year old down to finish pinning up the girl's beautiful red curls in a formal style.
It was the day! She'd finally be officially named crown princess! Everyone in the empire and surrounding kingdoms would know! She'd been trained and worked like a slave since before she could walk for this day! Etiquette, politics, mathematics, history, philosophy – she could match most adults with her knowledge, and even at her young age she was a charmer that easily became the center of attention in any room she entered.
Her father, Lord Dylana, knocked and entered her room, his own face beaming with pride. He was also dressed in his finest, a formal outfit suitable for any king, his own curly red hair tied back. He had every right to be happy – not only was today the fruit of all his and his daughter's labor at becoming crown princess, but his own status as first king would be assured. He would become the second most powerful person in the country, and his wife the empress' chief advisor.
"Congratulations, Keane," he said affectionately, holding out his arms.
Keane's eyes lit up – forms of affection from her father were quite rare. She rushed over and leaped into her father's arms, squeezing tight and smiling up at him.
"It's done, Papa!" she said excitedly. "It's finally that day! We made it!"
Her father leaned down and kissed her forehead, making Keane's eyes tear a bit in joy.
"Now just the queenship, darling. You've done so good."
"…is it really a done deal?" whispered one of the maidservants to the other, a little too loudly.
Keane felt her father stiffen and she instantly knew to back away as she saw her father's eyes flash. As she knew he would, he stalked over and slapped the insolent young maidservant across the face.
"You dare doubt Crown Princess Keane's abilities?"
"No!" protested the maidservant, pressing a hand to where she'd been struck. "I meant no disrespect, my lord! Just that I thought being the firstborn was no guarantee of the queenship!"
"The only times a firstborn has been surpassed were when they were woefully inadequate. How dare you insinuate that my Keane…!"
"N-not that! J-just P-Princess Myrrha…!" whimpered the maidservant in terror, unable to shut her mouth as she stumbled for an excuse for her behavior.
"Father!" cried out Keane, scared of the signs of her father's sharp and harsh temper. His hands had actually clenched as he took a menacing step further.
He seemed to come to himself at his daughter's cry, and he lowered his hands and deliberately unfisted them.
"You'll see," he finished instead, turning stiffly on his heel and stalking out.
Keane's smile had dropped at the maidservant's words. Myrrha. Myrrha again.
"Why is it always Myrrha…?" her broken voice trailed off. Then she shook her head in annoyance.
"No!" she shouted, more to herself than her maidservants. "I've done everything I was supposed to! I'm just as good as my mom always wanted me to be! I'm finally ready!" she insisted, a rather uncharacteristic bite in her normally sweet demeanor.
The older maidservant gestured warningly for the younger maidservant to keep her mouth shut and stepped forward.
"Of course you are, dear. Now come, let us finish getting you ready for your big day."
"Why do I have to go?" whined Princess Myrrha as her father ran a brush through her long, silky, straight silver hair. "It's Keane's big day! Everyone knows it! No one will even notice if I don't show up!"
"That's very rude to your mother and sister," said her father in his usual eternally patient, even borderline emotionless, manner. "The ball was your mother's decree, and follows tradition. And don't you want to congratulate your sister? Princess Keane has been working very hard for this privilege."
Myrrha sulked as she only could alone or around her father. "Keane's always mean to me!"
"Keane's not a bad girl. She's just scared."
"Why?"
"Because you can do everything she can."
"Why should that worry her?" asked Myrrha, turning to look up at her father with genuine confusion.
Her father's normally cold expression softened. "Some people worry about their position in life, Myrrha. Keane is one of those people – she needs people to encourage her, to compliment her, to let her know she's doing the right thing. That's not a good or a bad thing. You, on the other hand, already know what you can do. You don't care what others think. That's why it's especially important that you congratulate her on her big day."
"But why should I have to? She's mean!" whined Myrrha.
Lord Marein sighed and tapped his daughter teasingly on the nose. "What did I just say, love? Do I whine when the other kings insult me?"
Myrrha huffed. "But you're a grown-up! And girls are worse than boys! Girls are evil!"
Marein chuckled softly. "To some degree, that may be true. And perhaps today you'll just have to pretend to be a little grown-up, hmm?"
"Okay, papa."
"Good girl."
"Papa?"
"Yes?"
"I love you."
"I love you too, Myrrha."
Myrrha, in what she thought a very responsible and grown-up decision, had chosen a much simpler gown than usual for the pronouncement ball. A simple white silk dress with no frills or layers at all, with a blue sapphire necklace that had been a present from her father, and the matching sapphire earrings that were her single treasure – being from both her parents. Her father had actually helped her mother select the present for her last year, and it was the only true sign, however small, that her mother maybe loved her as much as Keane and the others.
Not that she dared tell her sisters the history of the earrings, as her father had warned her that could make them a target for stealing. It would especially be looked down on, since Myrrha and Marein were considered quite low in the royal hierarchy, with three princesses being above Myrrha. They were small and unnoticeable next to the finery of the older princesses, though, so the sapphire studs generally escaped notice.
What Myrrha could never have predicted in her childish innocence is how incredibly beautiful she looked in simple clothing. Even though she was a mere child of eight, she absolutely glowed in the white silk, and stood far apart from the other princesses with her simple elegance, in stark contrast to their gaudy jewels and layers upon layers of frills and fabric.
Not that she even knew she was beautiful – all she knew was she got weird attention that she absolutely hated. Her reason for wearing simple clothing was an attempt to escape notice, completely not understanding that it was her huge, catlike blue-purple eyes and sleek, silvery, almost light blue hair – the very things she was tormented for by her sisters as marking her as an ugly freak – that actually made her so incredibly beautiful. That had people glancing at her amazingly handsome and foreign-appearing father and instantly falling into daydreams about how the fourth princess would look as an adult woman.
Her father, Lord Marein, also dressed in a far simpler style in comparison to the other kings of the empress' harem. Though, unlike Myrrha, he knew full well that his simple style highlighted his strange hair and exotic eyes, and certainly caught his wife's attention. He took secret malicious joy in wearing the colors, and occasionally a piece of the garb, from his native country absorbed into Northern Sailand – knowing that doing so drove the other kings, especially the pompous Lord Dylana, up the wall in helpless rage.
He may have accepted that, as a gift to her highness, he was forced to concede to his wife as his superior – but like hell he was going to concede the same of the other kings in the harem. He would bow and be polite as Sailandian etiquette demanded, but his mind and heart would eternally be free. As he prayed his daughter's would as well. He had raised her to be strong, and thankfully she was turning out to have a personality very similar to his own.
So when his daughter gave him a quick hug before jumping back and spinning around, asking a quick, "How do I look, Papa?," he already knew his answer.
"Quite nice, my love. You won't shame your mother or myself at all."
Myrrha beamed at the response. Not beautiful. Not pretty. Just nice. Exactly what she wanted to be. Then she glanced down the curved hall and her smile fell, remembering that they had to actually put in an appearance at Keane's ball now. Where she was sure to be mocked, and she was sure weird boys would follow her around. Of course, the boys were freakishly nice to her, so she didn't care much – it was when Keane and her other two older sisters started going that things got nasty.
Her father set a hand on her shoulder and leaned over. "Words only hurt if you give them power," he whispered, knowing exactly what she was thinking about.
"So if I tell myself it doesn't hurt, it won't?"
Marein smiled slightly, almost unnoticeably to anyone other than his precious daughter. "It'll take practice, but yes."
"Okay, Papa, I'm ready."
"Good girl. Let's go."
Myrrha took her father's large hand with her left, while her right fisted in her dress. She could do this! Her papa had said she could, so she would! Her papa put up with mean words from the other kings all the time, and he never let it hurt him – so she would learn to do the same!
As it turns out, they were one of the later parties at the ball, which the rival kings and princesses would whisper slanderously was on purpose to attract more attention. In truth, though, they would not have attracted attention at all with their polite and simple entrance through the side entrance, except for their remarkable appearances.
The entire royal family and all the closest nobles were assembled for the ball, which started with dancing, led to a banquet, climaxed at the announcement of the next queen, and ended nicely in further dancing and congratulations. There were never any surprises at such events, and the whole evening and following night was certain in everyone's minds to proceed smoothly.
Princess Keane was naturally the center of attention. Everyone knew it was her night, after all. There was no reason for it not to be – she had met every qualification for crown princess. Keane had never disappointed a tutor or failed an exam. Her answers to political questions were spot on, and no one doubted her ability to listen and apply what she heard in what she believed the best way possible for Sailand. There were even whispers that the brilliant young princess would solve the +anima revolt problem upon her ascension to the throne.
"Feh. I can do that," huffed Myrrha softly, helping herself to a glass of punch and ignoring the usual stares following her around. She was being a big girl and not clinging to her father tonight – he had told her it was important that she reach out to others socially. To her, that just meant walking around the room a few times before grabbing a seat and hoping to be ignored. How she wished she could've hid under the table with a good book.
"Thinks she's so perfect," cursed Myrrha, glancing in annoyance at Keane chattering away with a group of other young women, including several other princesses and many of their female cousins, noble ladies in their own rights.
Naturally, Keane caught her eye and the first princess' usually soft brown eyes hardened in anger. The pretty redhead seemed to tense, and of course that meant every person in her little clique glanced over at the object of their heroine's irritation.
Myrrha would never know what went on in Keane's mind in that split second. An ego-blowing memory of a maidservant's words in her room not two hours ago.
'Is it really a done deal?' 'Being the firstborn is no guarantee of the queenship.'
Her father interrupted even in her own mind, though the memory of his words made her heart sink further.
'The only times a firstborn has been surpassed were when they were woefully inadequate!'
If she… if she wasn't announced… was it possible? Could Princess Myrrha become the next queen?
But… but… she'd done everything! She'd tried so hard! She was her mother's firstborn – shouldn't that count for something?
'Woefully inadequate!'
How did others see her next to Myrrha…? She already knew. She knew Myrrha was more beautiful than herself, or at least would become so. She knew that it was not normal that Myrrha could equal her on the same test, considering Myrrha was three years her junior. She knew that she would lose to her little sister in a duel if her sister was armed with a staff, rather than a sword. Luckily her father had only seen their duels with swords, which Myrrha had a problem with, being so much smaller than Keane.
And Keane knew, no matter what her father said otherwise, that the queen loved Myrrha best. She'd found out about the earrings. And she made a point of never mentioning it, especially not stealing them… because she'd never gotten anything from her mother. Certainly not a hand-chosen gift that the queen had consulted her father about.
And that little witch had the nerve to wear those very earrings this night! On Keane's special day! As if to rub it in Keane's face that mother loved her more.
Well, so what! Keane would be queen anyway! Myrrha could do nothing about being fourth princess, and there was absolutely no reason to supplant Keane as first princess.
…Right?
Oh, please, please, let it be my day… Not Myrrha's…
And Myrrha chose that moment to stick out her tongue.
"Why… you… Husky!" growled Keane.
"Husky?" asked one of the princesses next to Keane, feeling no need to lower her voice. The only one not involved in conversation that could possible overhear was that annoying fourth princess anyway.
"Because of her voice!" scoffed Keane, no longer even aware of what she was saying. She just had to release her jealousy somehow or she would explode.
"Husky! I love it!" giggled the second princess, glaring straight at Princess Myrrha and smirking as a blush rose in those delicate porcelain cheeks.
Myrrha did something her father would verbally disapprove of, though inwardly probably be preening about, and marched right up to her sisters and cousins.
"There's nothing wrong with being called Husky!" she insisted. "I like my voice! It's like my father's!"
"Yeah, your father's," mocked the third princess, repeating an old insult. "I guess you don't realize your father's a man? A little girl with a man's voice?! Oh, that's hilarious!"
Myrrha's blush grew. "I never said I had a man's voice!"
"Oh, but you did!" retorted Keane. "And it's just as well, you little boy! You're secretly a boy, aren't you? I knew things didn't add up!"
"Myrrha's way too ugly to be a girl," agreed the second princess.
The third princess joined in. "Yeah, with those bug-eyes, and that freaky hair!"
I'm the one that gives words power, thought Myrrha to herself, even as she felt the bite deep in her heart. "I don't have to be pretty to be a girl!" she returned, knowing as soon as she said it how pathetic it sounded.
"She admits she's ugly!" cheered several of the girls at the same time, and they started laughing cruelly.
"Well… well…" fumbled Myrrha, trying desperately to come up with a comeback. She saw a couple of princes in the corner, not knowing that one was Keane's favorite fiancé Straton, just knowing that they'd been nice, if weird, to her in the past.
"Well, boys are nicer than you mean girls anyway!" she finally retorted, spinning on her shoes and trotting off to talk to Straton, who seemed surprised but quite delighted to have attention from the pretty, and usually anti-social, fourth princess.
Keane absolutely burned in fury. "That witch!" she cursed.
"Now she even wants to steal Straton from you!" incited the second princess, mock angrily, even as her eyes slid in amusement to watch the angry blush in Keane's face rise.
"He seems to like the attention too, stupid boy," added the third princess, catching on, while the other girls in the group, not knowing the envy the second and third princesses held for both Keane and Myrrha, agreed wholeheartedly, thinking it was just more attack-the-upstart gossip.
"Why couldn't she really be ugly and stupid?" whimpered Keane to herself, her anger dissipating somewhat into helpless frustration as she reminded herself that Straton was her fiancé and Husky couldn't do anything about that.
"What was that?" asked the young lady closest to Keane.
Keane pretended she hadn't said anything and changed the subject. Though later she made certain to claim Straton as her dance partner for the entire pre-banquet dance program.
And Myrrha, of course, appeared to not notice or care at all.
Author's Note: Hope everyone enjoyed chapter one, and please review!