~Eight years ago, Emily is 11~

I was completely dressed, in a plain purple short-sleeved dress with the skirt coming to the knees. I tied a white apron around my waist, just stopping above the skirt length. With my hair tied back, I looked into the mirror and sighed happily. Goodbye dresses that you couldn't breathe in! It felt good to be able to inhale precious air again.

"Emmel- I mean, Emily- are you ready?" That was the head maid, Dawn. She seemed nice enough, although I wouldn't doubt that she had a dark side, bringing fear to anybody who wasn't a competent cleaner. She had incredibly short flaxen hair, which shocked me. Who would want that short a hair? Although, once I had thought it over, I realized it may be good for fighting. Although I really couldn't see Dawn as a lady who would know her way around a sword and pistol.

"Yes, I'm ready" I called out before opening the door to meet her.

"Good, it fits. We don't hire people as young as you usually, so it isn't the standard uniform, but at least the colours match. Come on now, let's introduce you to the princess," We hurried along the many hallways of the palace, with Dawn giving me five second etiquette lessons. I guess she didn't know I used to be a nobles daughter, because I had heard this entire speech before.

The princess's bedroom was only accessible from the outdoors, so we went through the bustling kitchen to the gardens that were in a word- immaculate. There seemed to be a gardener for every bush, trimming and cutting and planting. The nobles were around, admiring the flowers and idly wandering through. It seemed like such a dull life, something told me I wasn't going to miss it much.

We climbed the stairs, with soldiers lined up against the walls, armed and prepped for battle. I stared in awe of their swords and guns- I had my Fathers gun, but I knew that real guns would be harder to use compared to peashooters. Perhaps I could eventually learn how to fight like a real warrior.

The soldier closest to the door looked us over, and proceeded to open the door to the princess's room. The room itself was a colossal size, drenched in deep and dark purple. And there was the princess in the middle of the room, looking highly unregal in her pink frilly pyjamas. The first thing I noticed was her auburn hair- tied up in a knotty mess- but that didn't distract me from the abnormal colour it was. It seemed too bright too be real, I'd never seen that colour of hair naturally.

She looked like she was fit to explode, at the rate she was fuming- her bright hazel eyes looked like they were on fire. I turned to see what she was so angry about; it was a servant holding up what had to be the most uncomfortable-looking dress I had ever laid eyes on.

"I'm not wearing it!" bellowed out Princess Annabel. "I want to be able to breathe!"

The servant sighed. "It's your Fathers orders; he has some very important guests coming today and you need to be dressed appropriately."

Dawn cleared her throat, and the two stopped to look at us. Annabel's eyes widened when she saw me. She pointed at me. "You!" She cried out. "What do you think of this dress?"

"Hideous," my mouth said disobediently, and I slapped my hands to my face in stupidity. "I-I'm sorry I spoke my mind without think-"

I was interrupted by the princess, who had burst out laughing. "Brilliant! I have a feeling I'm going to like you. Are you my new maid?"

I nodded. "Yes Princess."

"Call me Annabel, what's your name?"

"Emily."

"Well then, Emily," She gestured over to the gargantuous wardrobe looming behind the servant. "Choose an outfit for me, anything you like for these important guests."

I gulped. How was I supposed to pick an outfit that was regally acceptable, but also comfortable? Walking towards the wardrobe, my heart quickened and I opened the doors. Inside was such a large variety of clothes: there were dresses, skirts, shirts, trousers, boots, and shoes and so on. My hands felt the silky smoothness of each article of clothing. There was a box at the bottom of the wardrobe, caked in dust. I opened it up- it looked like a wedding dress of sorts. I closed the box, and continued to search on. In a blind panic, I picked out a dress that didn't have a corset, or look like it needed one.

It was baby blue, puffing out a little at the skirt with a light purple ribbon as a belt. The sleeves were three-quarter length. I grabbed some light purple flat shoes that looked like they would match, and I took my choice to Annabel. She took the outfit off of me and smiled, before turning to face the servant. "This is fine enough, is it not?"

"I'll find your Father and check," The servant mumbled, trudging out of the room.

She turned back to face me. "Thank you so much for saving me, I hate corsets. Oh, just you wait until you meet Elliot and Logan! It'll be great, I'm sure they'll be excited to meet you. There's also Walter and Jasper, not to mention Percy…"

She went on to list a few other names as she took the outfit I had chosen and got changed behind a screen. "So I'm surprised they hired somebody as young as you. Why did they do that anyway?"

I wasn't prepared for anybody to know my backstory- not yet. I was scared about how people would look at me. I think I just really wanted to sit in the shadows, and wait out the storm. So I lied. "I lost my parents, and they took pity on me. So I work, and they give me food and a bed."

She didn't say anything for a while. "I'm sorry about your parents," she said quietly, and then stepped out from the dressing screen. The dress fitted her perfectly, and she looked like a true princess. She walked over to the mantelpiece and opened up a large jewellery box, which held inside a simple yet beautiful tiara. It was pure silver, with delicate leaves and berries decorated on it. The jewels were pearls and diamonds. She used the mirror to place it on top of her head, pulling her braid out to let her hair fall around her shoulders. She looked breathlessly stunning, like she had a glowing aura surrounding her. I stood staring at her whilst she brushed her hair, and I hadn't even realised that Dawn had excused herself, so it was just Annabel and I.

"This was Mama's crown," She said in a voice barely audible. "I only wear it if Papa has important guests round."

The late queen passed away around five years ago, and rumour had it that the King still mourned at her tomb every day without fail, before everyone woke up. There had been some disease going around, and by the time a cure had been created, the Queen was dead. I had only been six at the time, and I didn't remember the news of the Queens passing. I only met her in paintings.

"Right, let's go introduce you to Logan and Elliot!" She grabbed my hand and pulled me out of her room into the bright sunlight. As we ran past the soldiers, each stood straighter and saluted, saying phrases such as 'good day princess' and 'my princess'. Then I realised- it wasn't just the soldiers, it was everyone. This girl was loved by everyone. She smiled back and replied to them all, using their first names.

She steered me through the gardens to the building I recognised as the catacombs, where the late queen was buried, and we ran to the right of the building where a giant willow tree stood. Beneath it were two boys lounging around and casually chatting. One was visibly older than the other. The eldest had dark hair that was almost black, and the youngest had light blonde. Annabel waved at them and they waved back, so she continued to pull me along to the willow tree.

"Hello Elliot, hello Logan. This-" She gestured at me, "-is Emily, my new maid, but also my new friend. So be nice!" Her laugh was loud, but light hearted.

The dark-haired boy, who I now knew as Logan, smiled from behind his mop of hair. So this was Annabel's brother, the future king of Albion. He was a handsome fifteen year old, who like Annabel was dressed smartly in preparation of the castles guests. Elliot, the blonde-haired boy stood up and stretched, putting away a book and grinning at me. He wasn't dressed as smartly, but still wore expensive looking clothes. I felt very uncomfortable in my cheap maid's uniform.

We sat underneath the willow tree and talked, with myself narrowly trying to avoid any questions to do with my past. I felt guilty lying to them, but I just couldn't tell the truth. Eventually, Annabel and Logan were called away to meet the kings important guests, and I was whisked away by Dawn, who was going to show me the ropes of the castle.

I couldn't sleep that night. The bed was comfortable, it was blissfully quiet and I was certainly exhausted, but the nerves of running away from home were too much for me. I pulled myself out of bed and changed out of my nightgown into some trousers and a shirt I had borrowed from Dawn's extensive spare clothing box.

Then I saw my father's gun, which I had placed on the bedside table. It gleamed in the moonlight, almost as a sign. I grabbed it and left the sleeping chambers to find a place to practice. On the tour Dawn gave me, I had seen where the servants dumped the rubbish, and I was certain I had seen some glass bottles being disposed of that would be perfect for target practice. I was right- at the top of the bin much to my good luck were four perfectly good empty bottles. I took them all, carrying them in a box that was also in the bin. I left the castle grounds, and went over to a wall and placed the bottles on top.

I had never used a real gun before, and didn't exactly know what to do. I found that there were five bullets already loaded in the gun, and so I aimed at the first bottle. There was a loud 'pop' sound, and I screamed in surprise. The bullet hadn't even grazed the bottle. I was more determined this time, listening through my head to Father's teachings. This time, I was able to hit the neck of the bottle, and it smashed to pieces. I jumped in victory, and continued to try and shoot all the bottles.

Three bottles were smashed, but by then I was all out of bottles. Disappointed that I hadn't got them all, but pleased I shot some, I grabbed the last bottle and turned around to walk back to the castle. Much to my surprise, a large muscular man was standing there. I took a step back. "You're very good at shooting," The odd man said, "Is that your first time?"

I nodded, too afraid to use my voice. He laughed, with a very booming tone. "Well, you're a natural!" He stood where the sliver of moonlight shone, and I could see his face. Although scarred, his face seemed soft, and his eyes looked kind. "Although, you could do with some work on your technique. What's your name?"

"I'm Emily," I said nervously. My Father had always warned me about strangers, and said I must be careful, but this man seemed friendly enough.

His happy expression changed to one of recognition. "I'm Sir Walter Beck. You wouldn't happen to be Princess Annabel's new maid, would you?"

"Yes sir, I am."

"Well she hasn't stopped going on about you since you saw her this morning. It appears you made quite an impression on her." I blushed, not sure what to say. "Listen; how would you feel about some training with Annabel? You seem capable enough, and I've been looking for somebody willing to work with Annabel. She's a little… rough. What do you say?"

I smiled. "Sounds perfect."

~3 years ago, Emily is 16~

Five years had gone since I first started working at the palace, and much to my surprise only Jasper and the King knew about my past. My real one, at least. Every time my Father came to visit, The King would kindly give me an errand that meant I was conveniently out of town.

And so the charade went on. Annabel, Elliot, Logan and I became the greatest of friends, even if I did feel like a lower class compared to them. I was certainly jealous- I had to do a truly astounding amount of work before I got the rest of the day to relax. Some days the work piled up so much I wouldn't see Elliot or Logan for a long time. Of course, being Annabel's maid meant I saw her every day.

But this day was different.

I woke up early, changing into my uniform and hurrying over to Annabel's room to wake her up for the day. On my way, I passed Walter. "Emily!" He said. "Training will begin early tomorrow at six o'clock, don't be late again."

Walter had stayed true to his word, and trained me to fight with a sword and gun. Although in the process I terrified some wandering nobles by shooting their hats off often, I was certainly getting better. Not as great as Annabel though, she could instantly pick a weapon and know how to use it. I was in awe, and also very much jealous.

"Thank you Walter!" I told him and I continued on to Emily's room, that hadn't changed at all in five years, apart from a new addition to the room – Clover the dog. Apparently, on a walk around Bowerstone, Jasper had found the puppy abandoned and brought him back to the King. It was funny, as it reminded me of the day he'd found me in the streets, and brought me back to the castle. King Sparrow thought that the puppy would be perfect for Annabel, and he was right; she squealed so loudly in delight one of the guards thought she was being attacked.

And now the fully grown dog stayed loyally at Annabel's side always, unless one of the servants had food in which he would betray that loyalty and run off in hope of scraps. And that morning was no exception, with the two of them snuggled up together in bed, dead to the world. I walked, slowly and quietly towards Annabel, resisting the urge to laugh at her truly impressive snores.

I opened the curtains widely, and gently shook her awake. Then, as she adjusted to the bright light, I found her planned outfit of the day and threw them over her dressing screen. Annabel dragged herself out of bed, with Clover bounding out to say hello to me, in hopes of food. "Morning, Emily."

"Morning. How's your Father been? I heard from Dawn that he wasn't feeling too well."

"He isn't too great," she said from behind the screen where she was dressing, "But he's strong, I'm sure he'll be fine. So what are we doing today?"

I pulled out a piece of parchment paper with today's duties. "There's very little, and it all seems to be in the afternoon. That means you have the morning to be with Ellioot" I laughed and teased. She had made it very obvious that she loved him more than anything else.

"Do you think he likes me too?" She said in a small, innocent sounding voice. If I didn't know better, I would think she was scared. Fortunately I did know better, and this was her shy, yet slightly happy voice.

I began to tidy up the bombshell of a bed the princess had left. "Of course he does," I said, "I'm surprised you haven't noticed. He's been trying to ask you to court him for weeks!"

"Then why doesn't he just ask?" Annabel poked her head round the screen to look at me and I laughed. She had the same stubborn expression on her face as when I first met her in the same room.

"I don't think it's as easy as that," I replied, "After all, you are the princess."

At that point, Annabel stepped out from the screen fully clothed, so we left to find Elliot and Logan underneath the willow tree that had become our place to meet. It was the place that would eventually be where Elliot was laid to rest, killed by the person sitting next to him.

But I didn't know at the time.

Annabel plonked herself beside Elliot in a very unladylike way, but that was how she was like when Elliot was near. I however, sat down more gracefully next to Logan. And we all stayed like that. Logan would quietly read his book. Elliot would play his lute. I would sing. Annabel would dance. And it was perfect. The days where the sun was out and shining were my favourite days, as it meant I could arrange a picnic for us all to eat. Those were daydreaming days.

Logan laughed to himself. "What are you laughing at?" I asked, trying to read over his shoulder.

He then proceeded to read an excerpt of the book, finishing with "…'And perhaps, man may be able to fly.' Honestly, the nonsense some people will come up these days is truly comical."

Our laughter was interrupted by one of King's Sparrows personal servants, who was red in the face and breathing heavily. His eyes seemed full of terror. "Princess Annabel… Prince Logan! Please come to your Father's chambers at once!"

Fear crept into Logan's and Annabel's eyes, and they stood up, following the servant into the castle leaving Elliot and I underneath the willow tree.

"I wonder what's happened," I mumbled, "I hope it's nothing bad."

"Did you see that man's face? He looked terrified. I think… no…" Elliot's voice trailed off, leaving us in silence.

I decided to change the subject. "So, are you any closer to asking Annabel about courting you?"

"No," He said miserably, strumming a melancholy chord on the lute, "I might as well give up, I'm too shy."

"No!" I laughed. "You can't give up because Annabel would never forgive you, or she'd probably end up asking you instead." He smiled continuing to play the minor chords on the lute.

"And what about you Miss Emily? Do I suspect correctly in thinking that you dream about a King-to-be?" He teased, his eyebrows raised.

I laughed and blushed, hiding my face. "It's only a teeny-tiny little crush and I'd never want to be queen! Besides he's always too caught up in his book to notice me." I layed down on the grass, felt the blades between my fingers. The breeze began to pick up, and it started to get cold. "Do you think we should get inside? It's starting to get cold."

All of a sudden, there was a great noise coming from inside the castle, and all the nobles in the garden turned to look in curiosity. A man walked out. "Ladies and Gentlemen, may I have your attention please. His majesty, King Sparrow- is dead."

And then there was only silence.

~A few weeks later~

"Long Live the King!" A child ran past smiling. Of course, on the day of great celebration, there was also great sadness.

King Sparrow was dead, and Logan was now King. Neither Annabel nor Logan was taking it well, and both had trapped themselves in their rooms. Annabel had lost weight as she refused meals, and she looked pale. Throughout the entire coronation, I heard that Elliot held her hand.

I wasn't allowed to be at the ceremony, considering I was a maid, so I waited with Dawn in the servant's quarter. It was rather boring, hearing the bells chime and having orders barked at us until our feet ached.

There was so much food to be prepared, so I was redistributed into the kitchen to clean up the mountain of dirty dishes. Although I had been practicing my kitchen skills as much as possible, I wasn't trusted enough to serve nobles food, especially on such a big day. In the end, I had finally got the hang of washing up, and became a lot faster.

Finally, I was done for the evening, and was allowed to leave to pick up my duties with Annabel. I strolled around the gardens, stopping at the catacombs, where two caskets now stood. The building was surrounded by chrysanthemums, a known favourite of the Kings. I twirled a white one in my hand, admiring its beauty, before I heard two familiar voices coming from the willow tree.

I turned to see Annabel and Elliot standing close to each other, leaning up against the tough bark of the willow. They hadn't seen me, so I sneaked over to a bush that I hid behind to watch and listen. Annabel seemed much happier, almost as happy as before King Sparrow passed away although there were still tear stains visible on her cheeks that Elliot was so dearly stroking. It seemed that Annabel didn't need my assistance for the evening.

Just as they began to kiss, I felt a warm breath of air trickle down my neck, and a voice that said: "You know it's rude to eavesdrop on people."

I span around to see Logan standing there, dressed in his coronation outfit and crown that was gleaming. "Log- Your Majesty," I said, before curtseying as he began to try and stifle laughter, for the reason that Elliot and Annabel were still underneath the willow tree.

"Please Emily, just stick to calling me Logan," He said, still trying to contain his laughter. After he had calmed down a little, he peeped through the bush at Annabel. "She looks happy," he sighed, "I'm glad."

"Oh? I thought you said it was rude to spy on people?" I teased. He seemed more like himself too, like Annabel.

He straightened up, and pointed at the crown, "I'm King, I can do whatever I please," which led to more laughter, until we both eventually ran off as to not alarm the kissing couple to our presence. We had ended up back at the back entrance of the castle, heavily guarded by even more soldiers than usual. The coronation ball inside sounded like it was in full swing, even though it was so late in the evening.

"Well, I suppose you have to go back to the ball now?" I asked.

"Yes… and then I have to pack."

My eyes widened. "Where are you going?"

"We got a sudden message from Aurora this evening," He started, obviously stressed about the entire situation, "A man died sending a letter of help from a woman called Kalin, saying about how they are under attack. So naturally I'm sending a small selection of soldiers out there with myself to see how we can help."

"I thought Aurora was a dead land."

"…So did I."

I smiled sincerely. "Just come back safe, okay? I don't think Annabel is prepared to be Queen," I joked, but I was still half serious.

He put a hand to my cheek, like Elliot did with Annabel, and looked strongly into my eyes. "I will be back," he said with confidence and I believed him. And just like that, he pulled away and walked up the steps back into the ballroom, and I left to go down to the sleeping quarters, my mind reeling.

Logan had been missing for two months. The people of Albion grew more concerned each day, including Annabel, Elliot and I. Rain kept falling, and the streets of Bowerstone were flooded. Poor Walter was left to deal with the snotty, irritable nobles that were constantly complaining about the worsening weather. I could hear their shrieks in the garden from Annabel's bedroom, where I was dusting around the ornaments. Annabel was sat by the window, looking out at the sea in the distance.

I had no words to comfort her- If Logan was missing for another month or so, the court would have to declare him dead. I was just as worried; he'd only just become king, and he was gone. Some rumours had surfaced saying that he had run away from his duties on purpose and was never coming back, but they were quickly put to rest by Annabel's menacing glares.

We were interrupted by Jasper and Walter running into the room, dripping in rainwater and panting out of breath. Annabel stood up, with hope twinkling in her eyes. "Is he-"

They nodded. "But he's in bad shape," Walter said, but Annabel had already left the room into the rain, heading down the stone steps into the main part of the castle. Clover jumped from her bed, bounding over to catch up to Annabel. I followed after Clover and Annabel, with Walter and Jasper trailing behind. We ran all the way to Logan's room, where a doctor was attending to his wounds. There was a giant gash on the side of his face and blood had tried all over it. He winced as the doctor cleaned it up.

Annabel stood there in shock, until the doctor stood back to let the two reunite. Immediately she put her arms around her sobbing, but his arms stayed at his side. "I missed you so much," she cried, "What happened out there?"

"I don't want to talk about it."

"But-"

"I said I don't want to talk about it!" He pushed her away, and she was obviously hurt. She ran off without saying anything, Clover whining and trailing after her as always. He sighed, and sat down on the oversized bed.

Jasper had run off after the princess, and the doctor excused himself, leaving just Logan, Walter and I in the room. My mind was fuelled with anger. He'd been gone for months, leaving her sister sick with worry and after he finally returned home he pushed her away from him?

I held my tongue, preparing to excuse myself to leave Walter and Logan to talk. But before I could, Logan turned to face me. "Is there something wrong, Emily?" His voice seemed different- harsher.

"No," I said quietly, staring at the floor, "No, your majesty."

"Then Get. Out," he thundered.

I blinked back tears as I replied. "I apologize, excuse me."

"Stop blubbering and get out of my sight. You sicken me."

I turned and hurried out of the room, keeping my head low. It was only after I had closed the doors did I let my walls crash down, and I used my hair to cover the tears that fell. I did really like him, how could he treat people like that? That wasn't the Logan I knew, that wasn't the Logan I liked. I walked the empty halls of the castle with the rain pattering against the windows. I hugged myself for warmth, and for comfort.

It only got worse. This was what became known as the beginning of the Age of Oppression.

~Author's note~

Hello! Thank you for being patient as I wrote this, and I'm sorry that it isn't continuing on with the story and that it's just another flashback. This was going to be in chapter 13, but it would have made the chapter much longer than the other chapters.

Anyway, the next chapter will be continuing on with the story! Thank you for reading and I hope you enjoyed it, see you next time!

MM.