Princess Thea Queen of Starling
I hummed thoughtfully as I brushed my long hair. "Felicity?"
"Yes Thea." In the mirror, I see her turn to look at me.
"Do you think mother would be upset if I ask that Roy Harper be assigned to our personal guard when we go to that all kingdoms ball?" I ask, trying to sound nonchalant.
"Are you kidding?" She snorts, "Your mother suspects something already, of that I am sure." She tells me, raising an eyebrow at me.
"What if Oliver asks for me?" I swirl around to look at her, a mischievous grin on my lips. "What then?"
"Well," She nods, considering my words. "well then, she might be suspicious, but she would have no grounds to deny the request or evidence to prove that he's being untoward or out of bounds with you."
"But he's not. He won't even look at me." I whine, turning back around with a huff. Scowling into the mirror I pick up my brush and aggressively yank it through my hair.
"Thea." She sighs, coming up behind me and putting her hands on my shoulders. "You know it is against the code of the Royal Guard to court the royals which they protect. Even if he wants to, it is punishable by expulsion and removal of knighthood, even so far as being banished from the kingdom entirely should your father or mother wish it.
"I know." I sigh softly, "I wish it were not so." I set my brush in my hands and look at it, twirling it around between my slim fingers. "I do not see why it even matters. I do not matter to the kingdom." I admit, "It is not me, but Oliver who shall become the next ruler. Whose children shall be the next rulers after him. I am nothing to this kingdom." I admit my feelings to her, my chest tightening with the urge to cry.
"Oh Thea…" She moves to crouch next to me, "You know that's not true." She takes my hands, stopping them from fidgeting. "Yes, your brother shall be the next King, but you are just as important. Don't you ever forget that." She brushes a stray tear off my cheek before she stands back up and wraps her arms around me. "We all care about you so much Thea." She whispers in my ear. "So much. We, the people, we care about our beautiful Princess."
I am at a loss for words, what I want to tell her could get my mother killed, and I have already spoken of it to one already, which is one more than I should have. I do not wish for her companionship to go away should she reject me, so for now I keep my mouth shut. The knowledge swirls around my mind, bright and glaring. The truth. The truth is that I am not a true Princess of Starling. I never have been. My whole life has been a lie, and yet what a wonderful lie it has been. Until the truth wormed its ugly self to the surface and shattered my reality.