Aulelia

November 1487 PD

I feel a little guilty. I haven't written in over a year. But I guess I haven't felt as if there was anything important to write about. The searches for my sister have increased, but I feel as if hope of finding Rora is fading.

Father yelled at Wil today, telling him he needed to pull himself together if he was ever going to rule this country. Father didn't know I was sitting in the room, hidden behind the curtains like a child. I guess you could call it instinct. Rory and I would always hide here when Father came to "talk" to Wil.

Yell, more like it. I love Father, I do, but I've always hated how stern and harsh he can be with us, especially Wil. I understand that taking care of a country is stressful, but it's not like he's doing it all by himself. Not only does he have all sorts of counsellors and advisors and the like, but he has Wil. Wil has been doing so much lately that I feel as if he's running himself into the ground. Not to mention his searches for Rora are becoming more frantic.

I think that's the big problem with him. He misses her dearly, and the stress of her disappearing is tearing him in two—one half is throwing itself into his royal duties in order to try and distract him, and the other half is struggling harder and harder to try and find her.

I miss Rora. She was the strong one of us three. Not physically, but mentally. When Mother (31) died, Rora took on so many of her duties, including helping Wil and I through it. She would've made a wonderful mother to some wonderful children one day, but now I don't know what her fate is.

She's alive, that much we know. Her jewel on the tapestry tree (22) is still glowing. She's alive but dare I say it, I almost wish she were dead. I love her, so much, and I wish she was back, but if her not being here is destroying Wil this much, I'd rather that stupid jewel stop giving him false hope and stop glowing so he can heal.

I'm a horrible sister for thinking that, aren't I?

Annotations:

22) Jewel/Tapestry Tree: Refers to a magical tapestry that displays the most recent 10 generations of the Gedonelune Royal Family. Every time a person is born into it, a glowing jewel is added with a name beneath it. Every time a member of the royal family dies, the jewel attached to their name stops glowing.

31) Mother: Refers to the late Queen Aurora Aulelia Gedonelune (née Fraunces). Married to the late King Roderick Gedonelune, mother of King Wilikin Gedonelune, Princess Aurora Gedonelune, and Princess Aulelia Gedonelune.