Crystal Kingdoms • Book 1 Of The Crystal Trilogy | ✔️

-| 4 / off to a bad start |-

Crystal was shocked when she saw the castle. She had never seen it from up close and it was enormous. All the people from her village could live in there, and there would still be room for more.

She, Andy and the rest of the escorts walked in through the gates and started heading towards her appointed room. Andy would go talk through the King after he dropped her off and she would be called for dinner a few hours later.

Andy led her through some corridors, passing by numerous rooms that she was certain were just as comfortable, until they finally reached her "designated" room, whatever that meant.

She felt like a prisoner from the moment she stepped in. Climbing on trees? Nah. That would be too boyish and dangerous for a princess. Horseriding? Only with supervision. Going out at the market? Of course not! She was royalty. She would be in constant danger.

It felt as if a part of her left her when she went through the doors, but as if she could also take it back. From the moment she stepped in her room, that possibility got lost. There was no return. This was her life from that point on.

She was greeted by a chubby woman, who introduced herself as Margaret.

“You have probably met my husband, Andy. He was the one that led the escort here, after all. Besides, be has visited your village multiple times! He's told me all about you and Benny... You're Princess Crystal, aren't you? I really hope I'm not wrong and embarrassing myself right now...”, Margaret babbled.

“I'm Crystal, you're not wrong.”, she forced a smile. “And you don't have to call me princess or anything... I'm not royal material. And yeah I know your husband. Nice to finally meet you! He talks a lot about you.”, she continued politely, answering all of the woman's questions.

“Oh, thank God! I was worried I made a mistake... You don't exactly look like the king, but you do look a lot like your brother, Prince Tristan, I guess. You're twins, anyway, but then again twins don't always look the same. Caroline on the other hand... There is no resemblance. None at all. She looks like your dad.”, Margaret shook her head.

“Good to know.”, Crystal laughed. It wasn't a fake laughter, but it felt a little forced. She had never been this far from the village, but this wasn't what bothered her.

Her real trouble was the fact that she knew it was permanent. She always wanted to leave and see the world, but she had always planned on returning. Now she felt trapped, and it scared her. She hated being confined.

“Oh, well... I have been babbling for so long I didn't ask about your trip! How was it? You have to tell me everything. I rarely leave the castle anymore...”, Margaret sighed in disappointment.

So Crystal told her everything, but she may or may not have forgotten to mention the boy with the gray eyes from the inn. She would have forgotten about him herself but there was something weird about the way he held her gaze. He had been her age, but there was too much sadness in his eyes. Too much pain.

It was impossible for someone so young. She had never seen that before.

Crystal couldn't really remember what the rest of his face looked like. She had only focused on his eyes.

Maybe she should have tried to talk to him and hear his story, but by the time she thought of that, she was a long way from that inn, locked in a palace for the rest of her life. She had lost that chance.

Now his story would remain a mystery.

Margaret then remembered that she had to prepare her for dinner and teach her the basics on how to act when eating. She got her dressed in clothes too tight to let oxygen flow in and out her lungs, brushed her hair until there were no more tangles and made sure she didn't smell as if she had ridden on a horse for two days in the forest and camped on the grass for an entire night, which was exactly the case.