twin crown

T E A S E R I

C H A P T E R   O N E

Eleanore

Were she the reader of the book about her life, she would dare to say that she'd hate herself. For any reader, it would seem as if she were that careless princess, grown up like in a fairy tale. But most forgot that no princess in a fairy tale ever had a happy ending.

Not if they had been born with that title, not when they had grown up in a castle with nothing to worry about, except maybe those silly shallow things, like for instance which dress she should wear to the evening ball. How she should wear her hair. If she should wear the rose or the lavender perfume.

No reader would ever ask, what there was to see below the shallow surface of that princess. Not even she herself would bother.

Was there even something to see?
She wasn't too sure about that.

No one would see that that shallow and careless princess was just a facade put up in order to survive.

And so Princess Eleanore of the Light Court, the heiress to a kingdom surrounded by cold ambience in a land of eternal sunshine, forced herself to put on that facade and step outside of the door before tilting up her chin, ignoring the servants that could have been her friends so easily and put step in front of step and walked to the great staircase leading down to the ballroom.

She heard laughter and for one moment, she allowed herself to halt. To breathe.

It was an evening like any other.

Through an open window a cool, summerly evening breeze swept into the castle and made the princess shiver.

Dimly, she could hear the orchestra in the ballroom tune, getting ready to play and hear the chatter of the nobility, no question, saving themselves a partner for later.

She let the soft sounds and lively melody carry her away, let herself sink into it, and forget the world around her for a minute.

It was only a matter of weeks until the peace anniversary and with that until she was of age. It was only a matter of weeks until she was expected to marry a nobleman.

Another fresh breeze came through the window and brought the princess back from her thoughts.

She opened her eyes and instantly swayed back a few steps at the sight of Lady Viviana's face close to hers.

"Princess Eleanore.", Lady Viviane said, a slight smile tucking at her lips.

Eleanore tried to put on a smile, and apparently, it was enough.

"What are you doing up here? Enough of this gloom of yours.", Lady Viviane declared, taking Eleanore's arm, "You'll miss the whole fun of the evening, princess!"

With that, she made her way down the long staircase and tugged Eleanore with her. Her hand felt warm and soft.

Eleanore prayed to all the gods ever in existence that Lady Viviana wouldn't turn around so she wouldn't see the blush that now crept up her cheeks or that at least the dim light would do its best to conceal it.

Before the big doors of the ball, they haltered, Lady Viviana doing the opposite of what Eleanore wished for, turning her way, surveying her, and brushing a strand of Eleanore's hair behind her ear. With a reassuring smile, she let Eleanore pass in front of her like it was supposed to be. Eleanore withstood the urge to touch where Lady Viviana's hand had slid along her cheek.