Date. 09.25.2002
Time. 8.54
Music. Watching SNL
Chapter 12

Copyright. I do not own the Vision of Escaflowne.

Author's Notes. Whew! So I have started my classes for this quarter and they're not that time-consuming. Yet. And I stress on the yet. Of course, we all know that the first week is the easiest. Anyhoo, I'm bored right now so I decided to start typing out Chapter 12. Yawn. We'll see how this one goes.

The Vision of Escaflowne. Parvulus de Crepuscid

Chapter 12. Castles in the Sky

* * *

Appearing in front of the Crusade actually made her feel fairly comfortable. After Van pulled her back, she tried hard to catch up to him and jump into the lead. When he burst through the clouds and was just beyond the leviship's front windows, Sellie wanted to hold back and hide in the vapors. But her momentum forbade her to stop completely, and soon, she was by his side. She could barely see the outlines of the various main deck crew members along with her father's close friends.

And her even closer friend, Rouen.

At the moment she caught his gaze, she felt at ease and no longer afraid. He gave her a quick grin, the same type of grin that she had seen for years that always annoyed her. But now, there was something different going on between them. Whether it was love or not, Sellie knew they would be together further down the road. She had seen it when she re-awoke her dormant power.

She was only thirteen years old. She had plenty of time to worry about love. But for now, she and Rouen would remain best friends.

She had followed her father down below the leviship. She thought that they were going to cruise besides the ship, but he went down even further, beyond the bottoms of the clouds.

They had reached the boundaries of what appeared to be farmland. Nothing but green crops as far as her eyes could see. It must have been around mid-afternoon; Sellie had lost track of time once they boarded the Crusade. Many farmhands were in the fields, tending to the plants. They were too busy working to notice two Draconians flying over their heads.

Sellie stopped flapping her wings and tried soaring again on currents, drooping a bit in altitude. Van, with his hawk-like eyes, noticed immediately, and was by her side instantly.

"You okay?" he asked. Sellie nodded in response, but the weariness in her eyes gave away the answer.

"You worn out?" he added. Once again, Sellie nodded. He smiled slightly, then shifted his flight so that he flew just above her.

"Here," he said. "Give me your hand."

She immediately obeyed, not denying the extra help he was offering. She lifted her hand above her head and he took it, pulling her up to him. As he did this, she tucked her wings in and folded them neatly behind her. Surprised that she actually knew what she was doing, she tightened her grip on Van's arm. He held her tightly with his arm, it wrapping entirely around her smaller frame. He chuckled for a second.

"Don't worry," he said. "I'll never let you go." Hmmm… he pondered on what he just said. That sounds familiar…

"I'm sorry," Sellie whispered.

"For what? This?" Van asked. "You have nothing to be sorry about, Sellie. This was your first flight and you've had a rough few days. Of course, you'll wear out easily. It's nothing to be ashamed about. Your mom would need me after a little while, too."

Sellie blushed at the thought of her parents flying in the night sky, much younger and carefree. She was about to say something about Rouen, but the change in flight pattern befuddled her.

"Let's go back to the ship, alright?" he said firmly. She silently agreed and clung tighter to his arm. He quickly gained more altitude and moved his wings in such a rhythm. With her free hand, she held her loose hair so the wind would not whip it into his face.

Within minutes, he had broken through the low clouds and were in sight of the Crusade and Dralion again. They had only spent about forty minutes down below the haze level. As Van passed the great dragon, Sellie let go of her hair and waved to him. Dralion nodded to her as she and her father neared the ship. She was waiting for the landing onto the Guymelef platform, but it never came. In fact, Van completely avoided it and scaled even higher above the leviship.

"Where are we…" she began.

"You'll see," was the reply.

Bewildered, she watched as they flew to the actual top of the Crusade. In doing so, she spotted a part of the ship where it dipped down, creating a wall that blocked the wind and an area large enough for three large people to fit. Van slowed himself down and braced his feet for impact. He landed rather awkwardly, but made sure he was stable enough to let go of Sellie. She quickly sat down, her wings spread slightly so that they weren't uncomfortable to lean on. Van joined her side and brought his knees towards his chest and rested his arms on them.

Silence lingered between the two, as if each one were trying to think of something to say that wouldn't turn into an argument. Sellie would shift uncomfortably every now and then, due to the newness of her wings. Finally, Van decided the break the stillness.

"This was my hiding place long before you were born," he brought up.

"Oh," she answered rather quickly. "How'd you find it?"

"Mistake, really," he replied. "It was just a nice place to go when I needed to get away from the guys on our trips to visit allying countries during the Act of Alliance."

"Oh," she said simply, then looked off to the side, bringing once more silence to the area. After what seemed like eternity, Van cleared his throat.

"You… uh, did really well for your first time," he said, stumbling a bit. "You're a natural. When I first learned how to… fly, I fell a few times."

"I know… Grandmother Varie told me," Sellie said, holding in a cough.

"What… else did she tell you?" he asked softly, skipping a beat.

"It wasn't really 'telling' me… it was more like she 'showed' me," she straightened out. "I can't remember everything off hand but… if you mention something like you just did, I remember it.

"She also said that she and Uncle Folken watch out for us… and that I shouldn't worry about small things that you and Mom didn't tell me. More things are important."

"Look, Sellie, I'm really sorry for not telling…"

"I know, I know…" she raised her voice loud enough to interrupt him. "Dad… I understand now… I know what you and Mom went through. I know that you were just protecting me." She took his hand. "But you have to understand that I'm growing up. I can make decisions for myself."

He looked at her with no expression on his face. Sellie thought for a brief moment that she should take back what she just said, but he cracked a grin. "You sound like Hitomi," he said quietly.

"I should… shouldn't I?" she replied. Van looked at her and nodded, squeezing her hand gently. At this simple gesture, Sellie broke.

Tears spilt down her face uncontrollably. "I miss Mom," she cried, lowering her face into her hands. "I want her back. I've never been this long without her! And she and I weren't on good terms, too! And now, *I'm* the only that can save her and its too big for me! I just… I just…"

"Shhh…" Van took her into an awkward hug by wrapping his arm around her, careful to not fuss with her wings. "I know, Sellie… I know. I should have done something…more to help her…"

"Dad, you couldn't have done anything. You weren't able to."

"I let her down."

Sellie sniffled. "We'll find her. I'm going to try my hardest."

Van let out a halfhearted laugh. "I know you will. I will too." He kissed the top of her head as she leaned in closer and shut her eyes tight, tears still managing to sneak out. Within minutes, she fell asleep from exhaustion in her father's arm. He decided not to move her just yet and enjoy this moment between father and daughter.

Instead, the two Draconians merely remained in Van's secret place, he trying to contemplate the next move.

* * *

It had been awhile since Van and Sellie disappeared from the Crusade's sight. After Celena's burst of excitement and drawing the others to the window panes, things looked as if to be settling down among the travelers.

Or so it seemed.

Twittering anticipation of what was to happened next was on everyone's mind. Once they returned to Cassia, what would be waiting for them? Would Fate be cruel and Tarn would expect their arrival with an army of thousands? Or would they be greeted by ghosts and phantoms?

These questions lingered inside of Allen's mind as he stood by the front windows, his arms crossing his chest. He found this position most easing when he needed to do some deep pondering. His crew knew it was time to leave him alone when he stood in this stance.

Though he was worried about the upcoming events concerning Hitomi, he would always wander back to the situation between Celena and Gaddes. Was it really a situation, though? Why was he feeling so bitter about this? His Second-in-Command had been his best friend for years and he and his sister had been by his side for almost 20 years now.

He sighed and looked up. Gaddes was muttering something in low tones to Teo at the control panel. Celena sat next to Millerna on the bench with her head leaning on her shoulder. The Queen was stroking his sister's loose silvery blonde hair and tucking it behind her ear. She was childless at the moment, Allen noticed. Rouen must have been with his father in one of the chamber rooms.

He closed his eyes once more, trying to draw strength for what he was about to do.

"Celena… Gaddes… I need to speak with you privately," he calmly said without opening his eyes.

The two straightened themselves and stared at Allen with wide eyes. Celena glanced over at Gaddes with a puzzled look. In silence, they left the main deck and walked down in the hallway, shortly followed by Allen.

"Go in my office there," he said.

Celena grasped the handle and opened the door for the others. They walked into the darkness of the room except for the soft glow of flame from a lamp, and stood surrounding Allen's desk. He leaned over the table and twisted the oil lamp's knob. Light illuminated the room as he gestured for them to sit at the two wooden chairs sitting on the opposite side of the desk. He dragged his own chair just in front of the two and sat down.

"Why are we here?" Celena finally broke the dullness.

"I think you know why we are here," Allen replied.

"Blessed be the gods, Allen," she snapped, raising her voice. "If this your stupid crap you're pulling again about me and Gaddes, I'm going to…"

"Relax, Celena…" he lifted his hand to silence her. "I've been thinking about this and what you, Gaddes, and I have said." He paused, then continued. "What I said about my men on the Crusade was true. They were all thieves and scum… the keyword here being 'were.'"

Gaddes looked at him, mildly perplexed. So was Celena.

"I believe that working for the country of Asturia has allowed each one of you to repay your debt to society. You especially, Gaddes. When you were assigned to work with me 23 years ago, we both were broken men. Marlene was married off to the Duke of Freid and I was shipped off to the borders at the fortress of Castelo. Along with me were fifty-something men that in no means wanted to be ordered around by an eighteen-year-old.

"But somewhere, I found your respect and you found mine. I believe I haven't said that enough. Gaddes, I appreciate you and I respect you."

"Thank you Captain," Gaddes bowed his head. "But it was all because of you, you know. You treated each of us as equals, no matter what we did in the past. You still considered each one of your soldiers as men."

"You *are* men," Allen replied.

"Then why won't you let me love him freely, Brother?" Celena leaned in and asked softly.

His eyes shifted from Gaddes' to his sister's. "You really want to know why?" he inquired. "You're going to think its rather selfish."

"Please, tell me," she begged.

He breathed deep. "It's because you'll be leaving me forever," he said. "You were missing for years and I thought that I would never get you back. And there you were, inside that body of a monster all along, and you were fully returned. I promised Mother and Father that I would never let anything take you away again. I would serve the role as the older brother."

"That's not selfish, Brother," she said lowly.

"There's more," he replied. "I knew that if my best friend would steal away my sister, I would feel like the odd one out. It would seem like I didn't belong with the other two."

"That's not true, Captain," Gaddes protested. "You know that."

"Do I, Gaddes?" Allen looked back at his Second. "We can't see the future." He paused. "Well, *we* can't see the future," he continued, pointing at the three of them. "You may say now that we will always be together, but things change."

"Yes, Brother. Things do change." Celena grasped his hand that was sitting upon the armrest. "People come and go out of our lives all the time. But those who do matter will always remain with us, if not physically, then within our hearts.

"My love for you, Brother, will *never* change. You are my protector, my champion." She looked over at Gaddes and blushed. "But would it be alright if I had two champions? If I had two people remain with me, if not physically, then within my heart?" She squeezed his hand. "Allen, I want you to be alright with this."

"That depends," he said, glancing over at Gaddes. "Will this other person honor and cherish you as much as I?"

Gaddes swallowed loudly in his throat. "Yes," he said.

"Will he remain by your side when you are sick and tend to you as I have?"

"Yes."

"Will he remain loyal to you and only to you?"

"Yes."

"Will he stay by your side if he found out that you had a horrible snoring problem?"

"Allen!" Celena almost slapped his hand.

"Hey, I'm being thorough here."

Chuckling, Gaddes answered "Yes."

Allen sighed once more and took Gaddes' hand with his own free one. He gently placed it on top of Celena's and covered them with his hands, holding them firmly together.

"And," he continued. "If that person involved could forgive my stubbornness and selfishness, I ask this man if he still wants my sister's hand in marriage."

Gaddes looked over to Celena, whose eyes were brimming with joyful tears. "That I do," he murmured.

"Celena… would you forgive your older brother's faults and take this man to be yours in marriage?"

Celena sniffed and wiped away her tears with her free hand. "That I do," she cried.

"Well, if I could, I'd marry you here and now," Allen said. "But I'm not a priest and I'd assume that you'd want to be in a church or…"

He was cut shortly as Celena threw herself into his arms and hugged tightly, sobbing slightly onto his shoulder. He rubbed her back and glanced at Gaddes. The Sergeant simply nodded and mouthed "thank you."

Allen returned the nod and gently removed Celena from her embrace and guided her over to Gaddes. He immediately stood from his seat and took his fiancée into his own arms, holding her as if he would never let her go. He hid his face in the crook of her neck and ran his fingers within her long hair.

The Knight Caeli smiled at the two, then silently left his office to allow them some private intimacy. Just before he heard the click of the door as he shut it slowly, Celena cried out "I'm getting married!"

Allen rubbed the bridge of his sinus and shut the door, an unmistakable tear running down the side of his lean face.

"Hey, what's going on?"

He looked up to see Van coming down the hallway, his wings hidden and shirt replaced, with Sellie in his arms, dead asleep. Her wings were still exposed and tucked underneath.

He grinned at the slumbering girl as he wiped his eye. "First time wore her out?" he noticed.

"Yeah, she wore me out too." He tried to arch his back to stretch out his upper muscles. "But she's a natural at it… just like her mom."

There was a moment of silence as the two men thought about Hitomi in sadness. It was Van first that emerged from the reverie.

"Look, I'm sorry about earlier," he said. "I've had all this anger built up inside and I lashed out at the wrong person and…"

Allen stopped him. "No need. I completely understand."

"And I do appreciate your input, Allen. You know that."

There was more stillness as an apology/acceptance took place between them. Happy with things resolved, Van spoke up again.

"I don't remember which one was Sellie's room," he said. "I was going to let her rest awhile before we landed."

"Oh, I think we put her down here," he gestured down the hall towards the sleeping quarters. He headed the way and looked about, trying to remember which one they had placed her in before.

"Hey, are you alright?" Van asked, shifting the weight of Sellie. "You seem out of place."

"Hmmm? Oh, I'm good," Allen answered absentmindedly.

"Did you clear up the circumstances between you, Celena, and Gaddes?"

Allen whirled around in mid-step. "How'd you know about that?"

Van looked at him oddly. "You know your sister. She is quite the gossip queen."

"Yes I did. That's where I just was before I ran into you."

"And?"

"And now they're in there, trying to figure out the next step in the engagement."

Van cracked a grin. "Ah ha. So you finally came to see the light?"

"I guess you can call it that." He pushed open a door on his right and peeked inside. "Here it is."

The King and Knight entered the room and made their way over to the small cot. Van lowered Sellie into the bed, putting her on her side with her wings spilling over the edge. She curled into an even tighter ball and sighed in her sleep. He pulled the lightweight blanket up to her chin and smoothed it out.

"C'mon," Allen grabbed his shoulder. "Let's go."

Van nodded in agreement and followed the older man out. He took one last look at the sleeping girl, then gently shut the door with a faint click. Then, he turned around and tracked Allen to the main deck.

"So where's our current location?" he asked the crew.

"Somewhere over the vicinity of Lothian, one of the larger cities in Cassia," Piru answered. "It should be about three hours until we are in sight of the Capital."

"Good," Allen replied. "Weather conditions?"

"Though that storm has passed, there will be scattered clouds throughout the area."

"Excellent," he said. "Darkness and cloud cover will give us the hidden edge that we need right now for a sneak attack."

He looked over at Van, whose eyes showed signs of definite weariness. "Why don't you go grab a spare room?" he suggested. "You're dead on your feet."

Though he was about to protest, the King nodded and headed out the door. Allen shook his head.

I don't know how he can do this… he thought. If someone I loved had disappeared, I would be a wreck.

* * *

"So, how was your first flight?"

"Gods, Uncle Folken, it was so great!"

"Really…"

"Yes! The feel of the wind beneath. The sensation of being as light as air. It was almost as if I was living a dream. I knew I've done this before."

"Well, you sort of did. Van took you out at least once a week when you were younger."

"I know. He had this happy look in his eyes the entire time. Each time I'd glance at him, he was smiling. I haven't seen him smile in a long time."

"Of course he was happy, Sellie. This day was as important to him as if it were the day you were born or you were taking your first steps."

"Yeah… I just wish Mom was here."

Silence. "How are you now?"

"I don't know. Confused. Lost. Alone. But calm, too."

"First of all, you are *not* alone. I thought we cleared this up earlier."

"Yeah…"

A chuckle. "You are at a difficult age in your life, niece. You are at a crossroads, trying to decide what path you want to take. You are unsure of what this future holds for you and you do not want to advance. You want to remain in this same place where you have been for years, where everything is comfortable and familiar."

"Yes…"

"Like how you mentioned earlier that you don't want to be a princess."

"How did I know you were going to throw that back in my face?"

Another hearty laugh. "I may not be the one that you should talk to about that. When you wake up, find your father and tell him how you feel. It doesn't help to hide things away."

Sigh. "Ugh. I just want to sleep forever."

"Now, now. You have to go to the Mystic Moon soon to find your mother."

"Will you and Grandmother Varie help us once we're there?"

"I'm not sure yet. We'll find out soon enough. But there are things that you do have to figure out on your own."

"I knew you were going to say that."

"One of the perks to being psychic, I guess, no?"

"No."

A burst of pure laughter. "Well, I'm going to let you in on a little secret. You'll do fine. I believe in you."

"Aww… thank you, Uncle Folken. Maybe that's what I need to hear."

A kiss on the forehead. "Now go. You've been sleeping long enough and your energy is restored."

"Good. Will I be able to see you later?"

"In your dreams."

* * *

She stretched out languidly and let out a loud bellow of a yawn. Giggling at her own intensity, she opened her eyes, expecting to find herself on top of the Crusade, the wind blowing in her hair. Instead, she was in her own dormitory on the ship, a lightweight blanket pulled up to her stomach. Her room was dark, letting her know that the sun had set long before.

She pushed herself up and realized that the weight nestled in behind her were her own wings. She hadn't withdrew them before she had fallen asleep next to her father while they were talking. Besides that, she did not know *how* to withdraw them. Nor did she know how to make them appear. They just did when she was in that triangle with her grandmother and uncle.

Hmmm… maybe I should find Dad so that he could show me how, Sellie thought.

A mist of fear fell over her eyes. He's probably on the main deck with the rest of the crew. That meant he was in public and she didn't want peering eyes staring at her just yet. Van and Hitomi had kept theirs a secret from mostly everyone except for their close friends. Maybe she should hold out here for a little while longer.

Her prayers must have been answered, for within seconds of that last thought, a knock interrupted her thinking. "Sellie? You awake?" a familiar voice called from the other side of the door.

"Yeah, Dad," she replied. "Come in."

The narrow door opened slowly and Van entered, a tray of food and drink balanced with one hand and a fresh shirt folded over the other.

"I figured you'd be hungry," he said. "I always am."

In fact, she was… for the first time in a while. She tried to think back when was the last time she actually ate something, finally deciding was the banquet dinner the night before. Even then, she didn't eat much.

"Thanks," she answered. "But I want to know something first. How do you… you know… put these things back in?"

"Oh yeah," he smiled. "It's really easy… and it'll be similar to when you want to release them." He set the tray on her bedside table and pulled her out of the cot. "First of what you want to do is find the concentration of where your energy lies. For your wings, it back here," he said, pointing to just between her shoulder blades. "You feel that knot there?"

She nodded. "That's where you want to focus on. Right now, your wings are out, so the knot doesn't feel as condensed. It's like an open hand," he held his hand out with his fingers spread wide. "You're going to want to tighten your muscles so that knot seems more like a fist." He pulled in his hand tight and turned it into a ball.

Sellie nodded again and closed her eyes. After what seems like forever, a faint glow emitted from her and her wings disappeared into her back. She let out a gasp as the last of the molted feathers swirled in the air.

"Celena gave you one of her smaller shirts," he handed her the clothing from his arm.

"That's so weird," she noticed as she pulled the new shirt over her head. "I can still feel them, just beneath my skin."

"You're always going to feel them now. When you want them out, simply gather your energy into that knot and push out." He picked up a fruit. "Piscus?"

She shook her head, but did grab the chunk of white bread sitting next to it. As she took a bite and chewed, she recalled her dream conversation with Folken. She sighed and placed the roll back on the plate.

"Something wrong, Sellie?" Van asked, immediately noticing her action.

She looked up to meet his gaze. "Dad, I need to tell you something that's been bothering me for awhile."

He led her over to the cot and sat down next to her. "Sellie, you know you can tell me anything," he said softly.

"And you promise you won't get mad?"

He smiled again. "Yes, I promise I won't get mad."

Sellie breathed deep. "I never wanted to go to that celebration party for Lord Tarn's birthday."

Van let out a laugh. "Gods, is that all? I thought it was something else."

Sellie held up her hand. "No, that isn't all," she said, cutting him off. "I don't like going to parties in general. I hate the mingling that we have to do with all those strangers. I hate dressing up in all these formal wears that I only wear for one night. I hate answering all those older people on how I plan to rule Fanelia.

I hate being this person that's above everything… as if I have the control. I don't like it. I don't like being royal or a princess or whatever." She paused. "I just want to be me."

Instead of reacting how Sellie thought that he would, Van rubbed her back and gave her a grin. "I know how you are feeling, honey. I really do." His gaze turned to the floor. "When I was only a little older than you, I had to do the Rite of Succession and slay the dragon in order to become king. I did not want to do it. I begged Balgus and Palos to let me off, but they remained by their beliefs. This Rite would prove that I was able to handle such a stressful occupation.

"When my father died when I was much younger, Folken was sent out to find the dragon's nest. Though my mind repeatedly told myself that everything would be alright, my heart held doubt and that I would eventually have to take his place. I would have been happy if Folken had returned and become king, and I would only be a brother to that king. I didn't mind.

"But Folken didn't return and it was decided that when I turned 15 years old, I would be sent out as well. For ten years, I dreaded that day when Balgus would come to my quarters and tell me it was time. Since I was the last Fanel by blood, I was pushed into politics, religious studies, and social affairs one after another. They wanted to make sure that I would turn out fine if I was able to kill the dragon.

"For ten years, I didn't want to be a prince. I wanted to just play about in the forest or the lake with Merle while Folken took care of Fanelia. Call it selfish or whatever, but I hated my life. I hated what I turned into. But you know what made me change?"

"What?" Sellie asked.

"Your mom. When she first came to Gaea all those years ago, she made me realize that the person I had turned into was not the person I wanted to be for the rest of my life. Within those colors when we were with each other and fighting in the Great War, I changed. And after she left, I *wanted* to be king. I wanted to guide Fanelia and her people into prosperity and peace. I wanted to make it so that when I had children, they would not have to face the same hardships that I had faced."

"So what you're saying is that at some point, I'm going to want to become a ruler? When I meet a special person?"

"It seems to me that you've already met a special person."

Sellie blushed. "Daaaaad…" she said, annoyed.

"One day, you'll see the big picture and where you fit in life. I did." He kissed her forehead, in the exact same spot where Folken kissed her in her dream. "Let's go see what's up. We should be in the capital of Cassia at any moment."

He took her hand and walked to the deck. With each step, she pondered on what he said. One day, you'll see the big picture and where you fit in life… I did…

When would that be?

He pushed open the door and emerged into the lit room. As soon as she took her first step, an eruption of clapping and hooting filled the area, Gaddes and Celena being the loudest.

"Let's hear it for Sellie and her first successful flight!" the Lieutenant shouted, cheers soon following. She blushed and smiled. Just something like this made her feel more comfortable among these people, as if they accepted her for whatever she was.

As soon as the commotion died down, Van walked over to Allen next to the windows. "What's our location now?" he asked.

"We should be minutes away from Cassia," he answered. "Reeden is lowering us over the palace so we can get an aerial view point before we make our first move."

"Good. I told Dralion earlier to hang back a ways by his waterfall and that I would give him the signal when he was needed."

From that loud upsurge of applause, the deck was now deathly silent. It seemed as if people were holding their breaths so see what was to come.

Finally, Sellie could see the highest buildings of the castle. One by one, the lower structures emerged until they could see all of the palace clearly. Except there seemed to be one problem that everyone noticed at the same time.

"Where is everyone?"

* * *

Whew! I worked up a sweat on that one! Hehe. I haven't been able to write lately because I've been working on my lecture classes and my computer class. I thought at first that I wouldn't have a lot of work, but I lied. A lot.

I got the best news today! When I woke up to go to brunch with my roommate Abby, I checked my email just to see if I got anything. And I got one that said I won second place in the Escaflowne slogan contest at www.lizzard.net/Escaflowne! I FLIPPED out. I didn't even really try to do anything much. I just got bored one day and made it. If you're interested in seeing it, its posted at that site. Plus on top of that, this is a totally awesome movie site if you've never been there.

A week from tomorrow, I'm seeing the American Idol tour! I am such a big big dork. I'll be the 20 year old standing in a crowd of teeny boppers (no offense to anyone).

Chapter title comes from the song lyrics from "Before Your Love" by Kelly Clarkson.

"I wanted more than just an ordinary life
All of my dreams seemed like castles in the sky"