Birth Rights

Chapter 3

I was in shock. I mean, unless I was crazy this whole thing was true. Even if I was crazy it was still true in my head. I just couldn't believe that this time yesterday I was looking for my phone.

And to think I was only planning on going on a hike. Yes, I was a hiker. My town was surrounded by beautiful countryside, and I found it very peaceful to be walking with nothing but the blue sky to watch me. This time, it had stopped being so soothing when it became wading through a storm that had come up out of nowhere.

Now I was in a new room in the house of wonders. This time it was a sitting room, and I was sinking into the three seater couch. It suddenly dawned on me that I had left my phone at home. It wasn't lost. I was just incredibly stupid. Ugh.

I didn't think a princess would be stupid enough to leave her phone at home when she was going out alone. Suddenly I started to laugh. The thought wasn't even funny, but I laughed and laughed. The pitch grew higher and higher until I was gasping for breath.

Adam burst in, and his eyes zeroed in on me. He rushed over and grabbed my hands.

"Regina, you're hysterical. Just look at me, and breathe. Breathe in, breathe out." I focused on his words and soothing tone, and gradually I began to calm down. When I was completely calm, I spoke.

"How could any of this be real, Adam? Just yesterday I was worried that I had lost my phone. Now I'm a princess. What does that even mean? Am I going to have to start wearing dresses and hiding out in towers or something?"

Adam smiled. "No hiding out in towers, I promise you. Are you ready for another story?" I nodded.

"Seventeen years ago, a princess was born. Everybody celebrated, as she was the king and queen's firstborn child, and she was healthy. For a time, everybody in the kingdom actually defied our nature and stopped with the violence. It was a peaceful time, but it wasn't meant to last.

"Gradually, everyone became more violent. The princess was still doted on, but we couldn't defy our nature for long. It was fine. Violence is accepted in our society. One day, a man killed many people in a flash of rage. This is less heinous a crime in our world than yours, but it was in the capital, which was a slap in the face to the king. The king and queen left to deal with it, and left the guard in charge of their daughter.

"They took her to a house like this. You were about 3 years old. They set you down, and started looking for something to entertain you with. Unbeknownst to them, she- you- got up and walked over to the door." I shook my head.

"No. Don't say it." My head was still shaking, and my eyes were itching, threatening to spill tears. Adam pressed on, determined to finish what he started. I had asked for it.

"Some guards saw you at the door, and ran over to stop you. They weren't fast enough. You stepped through, and you were lost to us, until now. The king and queen were devastated, but they kept hope that you would return. They will be delighted that we have found you." Adam finished. There were tears in my eyes.

"My parents aren't my real parents." I stated. Adam nodded, a sad look on his face. I thought about all the times my mother had picked me up from school, my father had sneaked me sweets without my mother finding out. All of it was fake.

I pushed past Adam, blinking tears out of my eyes. I rushed upstairs to what I now considered to be my room.

Hours later, I was still lying on the bed I had been so excited about. Adam and Michael had had the good sense to give up after I didn't open the door after the first half hour of them banging on it. My thoughts were going in circles.

I had a good life at home. I fitted in all my life, knew exactly where I belonged even while all my peers didn't. I had had fights, sure, but I had no memories that didn't bring a smile to my face as I remembered.

Now two boys were saying that I wasn't even the same species, forget about fitting in. To say I was in an identity crisis was an understatement. And I didn't have much time to decide if I would follow Adam and Michael to my destiny or sneak away to where I belonged.

I had always thought that belonging and destiny were the same thing. My roiling stomach said otherwise. How could the safety and surety I felt when I thought of home coincide with the pull in my stomach whenever I thought of the unfamiliar Terra?

I found myself poring over every memory I had. Were the tears in my friend's eyes when she had to move away genuine? I was doubting the authenticity of all my relationships for the first time in my life.

But it all felt so real. I had never felt like I wanted more. I always had enough. Or should that have told me something? Should my contentment have clued me in to the fact that I didn't belong?

No. My relationships couldn't be faked. I loved my friends and family. Though I wasn't the same species as them, my love wasn't any less real. My mind was made up. I would sneak out when the boys were asleep. With that decision made, I was much more at peace.