Eighteen years of age, she couldn't really believe it.
The raven haired princess sighed as she was leaning against the railing of her balcony, gazing up at the full moon.
She didn't feel like eighteen, and she really didn't feel like taking on the burdens of her country just yet.
"After tomorrow... there's no real freedom for me anymore." She whispered at the moon. She pushed of the railing and smoothened out her lavender coloured nightgown and drew her robes a little closer around her. She made her way back inside her room but let the doors to the balcony slightly ajar, allowing the crisp air to dance around the room as it pleased.
She stopped at the side of her bed and let the silky robe slide to the floor before she crawled onto her bed. She made herself comfortable under the covers and hugged one of the big pillows close to her body.
A single silvery tear slid down her cheek and disappeared in the soft fabric of her pillow. She would never say it out loud, but she hated her life. It was ok when she was on the road and with her friends... but now even that was going to be taken away from her first her mother, then her sister... and now her freedom.
She hated that she was always expected to smile and be happy. To be the perfect perky little princess that always saw everything trough pink coloured glasses.
She hated the fact that Lina and Gourry weren't going to be able to come to her party. She hated that... that Zelgadis never wrote back. Only once, if you could call that writing, a single row that said, 'I don't want it.' Along with the bracelet she had given him.
'I hate you all...' was her last thought before she fell into a fitful sleep.
She woke early the next morning the sun hadn't even risen yet. She sat up in her bed and rubbed her eyes wearily. She didn't feel like getting up, but she knew that she wasn't going to be able to get anymore sleep.
The raven haired princess got out of bed and walked over to the full length mirror and looked herself over. She saw a young woman there, a woman with a nice body and a cute face. She rubbed her eyes again and when she looked back at her reflection she saw her sister for a moment. She frowned and turned away from the mirror.
If her sister was there she wouldn't have to go trough with this day. She wouldn't be robbed her freedom.
She glanced back at her reflection and glared at it... she looked too much like her sister... it was the hair. It was too long!
She stalked over to her dresser and took out a pair of scissors and started to cut her raven locks off, they fell around her and soon most of it was gone. A few strands still framed her face, but the rest of it was shorter then it ever had been. Once she had been proud of her hair, but now it only made her feel sick. It had always been the same, but not anymore.
She ruffled her now short hair to get rid of any loose strands then proceeded to get changed. But not into the dress that she was supposed to wear that day, a blue puffy satin dress with frills. No, she started to go trough her wardrobe and found a dark purple, almost black, long sleeveless dress. It must have belonged to her sister at one point.
She smiled a little, it would suit just fine for this day...
People mumbled to each other when the princess walked down the stairs to the ballroom. No one had seen her before that moment, not even the maids, and everyone was shocked at what they saw. But soon everything was flowing at its normal pace, even though the birthday girl was a little rude to people and hardly spoke during the party.
Amelia found herself in the gardens later that night, it was close to midnight, she had abandoned the party long ago. But she had been a little nicer to people before she left, she fell back into her old patterns.
She could hear the music from inside, it was a happy tune. The princess let out a heavy sigh, she felt so tired, tired of everything of life.
"...I just want it to end... I don't want to be alone anymore..."
"How do you want it to end?"
The princess startled at the silky voice that whispered into her ear. She turned her head sideways and was greeted by a pair of purple eyes. It took her a moment to register who it was then she just turned her head away and breathed his name.
"Xellos..."
The trickster smiled and combed his fingers trough her short raven hair.
"It suits you Ame-chan."
Amelia shuddered, a little because of how nice his touch felt and a little because of how he addressed her. She slowly turned around and faced the Mazuko, letting his hand come to rest on her cheek as she looked up at him with tired eyes.
"Xellos... take me away. I can't stand this anymore. I hate this... I don't want this... can you take this pain away? Can you make me feel alive again?" Her voice sounded drained even to her own ears. And she couldn't believe what she was saying.
Xellos looked her in the eyes for a long moment before he asked in a serious voice, and with a slightly sad expression on his face, but it was only a fleeting expression before it turned into a serious one.
"Are you sure Amelia? Do you know what you're asking for?" His voice was smooth and sharp at the same time when he spoke.
The princess let out a shuddering breath and then nodded her head. She knew what she was asking for. She asked for kind of death that only he could give.
She hated her country anyway. They would do better without her.
She felt Xellos brush a few strands of hair away from her face. That was when she realized that she had her eyes closed. She slowly opened them and looked up at Xellos smiling face. It had never been as terrifying as it was now. She swallowed hard as the purple haired man leaned closer, his hand that had been resting on her cheek made its way to the back of her head. She shuddered again she could feel his warm breath mere inches from her lips.
"There's no turning back after this you know." He whispered.
Amelia closed her eyes and drew a deep breath and let it out slowly then opened her eyes and started into the purple cat like eyes when she spoke.
"I know." Amelia's voice was filled with determination and awareness. Xellos smiled at her then closed his eyes.
"Very well then...This is going to hurt a bit."
And before she knew it there was a searing pain in her abdomen. When she glanced down she saw Xellos staff piercing her midsection. Xellos forced her to look away and captured her lips with his own.
Amelia didn't know what was happening. She felt pain all over, and if felt like Xellos were drinking her up, like he was drinking up her life essence. She felt her legs starting to give away then she felt that searing pain in her abdomen again. She guessed it must have been from Xellos pulling his staff out.
She felt blood running down her legs and pooling at her feet. Suddenly her legs wouldn't hold her any longer, but a strong arm wrapped around her waist supporting her. She tried to focus on Xellos's face, but everything started to go black.
She could hear voices in the distance, they were yelling something. She knew them from somewhere... but somehow it didn't feel like it mattered any longer. She smiled into the kiss, she couldn't feel the pain anymore.
And then the blackness consumed her...