The life of a young princes
it's not a dream
- Layla Uzuri's POV -
I'm older now. Well old is relative, as my dearest husband taught me. I love him and it's a good thing i do, because where i come from that isn't a normal thing to have for a woman. A loving husband. He respects me and that's the most important thing. Even now that we are married he never forces me, if i don't want to talk then i don't have to. He won't like it but he won't force me. And that's a good thing, a luxury i suppose. I grew up with many luxuries, after all i lived in a palace, i still do, it is just much different now. Why not start my story at the age of, lets say five? My oldest brother is nine at that moment, he has been with the military for three years, you can see it. My second oldest brother is seven, two years in the military. He doesn't like it as much though.
I always liked Ajani over Zelgai. And mom always liked Zelgai over me or Ajani and dad always likes the the most. He says i'm his little angle, a gift from tash himself. The little calormen princess, and in truth calormen hasn't had a princess in a long time, well they had my mom. But she didn't have any brothers, so it was different. A princess in my situation, with two older brothers. That's a rarity. And my nurses have always expressed that. I needed to be perfect in every way. Dad doesn't like it at all, he lets me do things that are actually forbidden. But he is a decendant of tash, so everything he says is law, he taught me to read. Something woman can not do, they aren't allowed to do that anymore. Not after Soray the betrayer, a far decendant of mine. She was a sister of Prince Rabadash, and she betrayed the country by trying to make peace with neighbouring countries. My people do not like peace that much. And as Soray was called the betrayer so was Rabadash called the peacemaker.
Names of mockery often. Of course, in a nation where war is the absolute glory how can peace be a good thing. But father taught me to read and write. I have a gift with words. Probably the only thing i have a gift for. I am not good at sitting still, i love being active. Being free and running. And up until last summer i was able to. But it was then that my training as a princess started.
"sit up strait your highness", "ellbows in your highness", "that is not a way for a propper princess to walk your highness", "royalty never runs your highness", and so they went on and on and on and on and on. And if i wasn't behaving propperly, then i'd get lashes. There are a few scars on my back, not many though. Just a few. They only hit the era's that are always coverd with fabric, so the small of my back is unscattered. I still have to wear the formal attire do i not.
-Flashback-
"Sit still princess" and the little girl sighed. She did not look happy at all. Dressed in a light pink attire, it was way to formal for her. But her highly pregnant mother had chosen it for her. "i am sitting still" i said. As i glared to the woman doing my hair. She just smiled and went on with her work. Ooh how i hated people like these, they were the people that took my free play time away. And put me in painful oncomfortable things like these. And they made me go to stupid parties, like this one. I didn't like parties.
I huffed as she pinned up another one of my long strands of hair. The jewlery i was wearing, in my hair and on my body, were ancient, older then i was or would ever be. From the dawn of calormen they were from the first queen. The wife tash himself choose. She sighed as they put in yet another painful pin. She just kept repeating the same painfull process and i told her not to do. It was then that my mother, the queen, barged in the room. "YOUNG LADY" she screached. In that awfully high pitched voice of her. "DO NOT MOCK TRADITION" she jelled. As the maid kept on putting pins in my hair.
"Your are to the the wife of a high ranking noble or military man, do you think they will indugle your childish behavior" i was only five. I wasn't going to mary yet? I began to panick i didn't want to leave my daddy. "No no" i cried. "STOP CRYING YOU INSOLENT CHILD" apparently my make up was running out. "Don't do that mommy" i cried. She struck me. Loosinging a few pins, rather painfully, "listen to me you ungrathfull unworthy child. You follow what you are told or you'll pay for it. NOW STOP CRYING"
I stopped crying and my mother left the room. I sat frozen in my chair as the maid redid my make up. She redid my hair pins. I felt the same pain but i didn't complain. I didn't want to anger or upset mom, after all she was carying my little sister. Or brother. I knew the empire wanted another brother. But no one could judge about that. Today was the anual summer ball, an event like many others i had to attend. Another hour of torture and my make up was done. I hardly even blinked and didn't nod with a smile as the maid left. She had an odd look on her face. But i wouldn't dissapoint mom again,she'd have a daughter to be proud off.
After all i was five. And i was more then a big girl. I walked, with my guard of course, to the great hall, a special room used only for these occasions. It was more of the grand ball hall, or something. I didn't quite understand. As i walked in many aplauded. And i joined my family at the table. Sitting at the right hand of my mother. Besides my mother sat my father and besides my father again Zelgai and then Ajani. We always sat like this. It was the propper way to sit for us. It was what people expected. It was what i had to do.
During the night i didn't dance. I just sat on my chair smiling politly at every male smiling at me. My father visited me that night. When i was removing the pins. "What happened my little princess?" he asked me. Gently; kindly, the way i was used from him. "Nothing my lord" i said. He sighed. "I told you not to call me that when we are alone" "yes father" i said and i smiled a bit. He seemed to be a little bit reliefed to see my smile. "Always remember my princess. Don't let anyone change you, you are who you are and don't forget it" i smiled more whidly. "Yes father" and then he hugged me. "I love you my little princess." he kissed on top of my head. "i love you to father" i said. He released me. "Now go and sleep" "yes father".
I skipped off to my grand round bed. Closing the veils around it i watched my father blowing out the candles. "Go to sleep little princess" i stubbornly crossed my arms. "my big princess" i then smiled and laid down. Satisfied. It were mere moments between when he closed the door and that i was off to sleep.
