What The Heart Knows

8.0

I closed my eyes and leaned back in my chair as my maids did my makeup, hair, manicure, pedicure and whatnot, getting me ready for tonight's party.

My shoulders slumped with tiredness, my eyes growing heavy with every passing second. I hadn't slept all night. A nightmare I wasn't accustomed to for years now had returned, but this time it seemed to be more real and frightening.

It began with the usual, always starting with the memories of the night, yet last night it had a different ending.

I skipped along the path, my grey eyes lightening up at the booths all around the carnival. I rarely got a chance to ever go down to the carnival, only because father didn't think it was a good idea to be going alone in a city where anyone could freely attack if they wanted to. However, today since Serenity- their favourite out of us two, pleaded that we would be allowed to go to the carnival held once a month, father finally gave in.

"Bella, come on let's go get something to eat," Mother called from somewhere behind me.

I glanced back watching as Serenity held on to both Mother and Father's hand, five guards following behind them, while two followed behind me. Jealousy riled up inside of me at the sight of Serenity happily walking with our parents, while I was left with guards.

Ignoring my mother, I smiled up at the guards who in returned nodded their heads at me.

"You guys go along, I'm not hungry. I'll stay with the guards, don't worry about me," I responded, not turning around to check if they listened.

Instead I slowed down my pace to fall in step with the guards, my mood dampening.

"Do you think Princess Serenity is King and Queen's favourite?" I asked the two.

They both shared a look before looking down at me shaking their heads.

"They love you both equally," the guard to my left answered. I had a new guard all the time, and with every passing day it got hard to memorize their names.

I crossed my arms across my chest, stomping my feet in annoyance. "I don't think so," I said, not buying the answer the guard gave me.

Even they knew Serenity was favoured above me. Why wouldn't she be anyways? She was perfect, even at the age of nine.

"I think we should take you to King and Queen, so you may be able to have dinner," the other guard stated.

I stood my ground, repeatedly shaking my head. "Not until someone tells me why I can't be liked. Why can't I be the one loved more than her? Why am I always treated wrongly?"

Before the guards could answer, suddenly a crowd of adults and children screaming, and crying reached our ears, alerting the guards.

"Princess Bella, let's go," they yelled, one of them quickly pulling me into their arms, and running. The other guard ran to where the chaos was happening, screaming orders at the people to get away, as other guards joined to help.

I watched as fire spread around the place we once stood at my eyes widening in fear.

"Where's mommy, daddy and Serenity? We have to find them! We left them behind. Let me go," I cried, struggling in the guard's grip to break free and find my family.

The guard put me down, when we were successfully away from the disaster, holding on to my shoulders to keep me still.

"Listen Princess Bella, there are other guards with your family. They will find them, and we will leave soon. Until then you wait here, somehow something caught on to fire, and now it's spreading like crazy all over the place," he told me.