https://i.imgur.com/BxvHHow.jpg [https://i.imgur.com/BxvHHow.jpg]

The Princess's dream came about in a splash of colors, blending and bleeding into her reality like a watercolored painting come to life. Each Hue was vibrant and alive, painting a landscape of comforting nostalgia. She dreamed of familiar faces whose welcoming voices called out to her, calling her by name. Their beautiful smiling faces bled into existence as if a masterful deity had hand painted them into being.

The Queen's mighty command had breathed powerful magic, willing the very fabric of time, commanding her memories to accept her new identity. Memory after memory appeared before her like a carousel of time. Every event, celebration, and experience was presented to Sara in such a way, that it was as if her identity had never changed. Her name was Sara, and it had always been so.

Sara's journey through time came to a gradual halt. The vibrant shifting colors painted a scene of a gathering of family and friends huddled together, like a family portrait of the gods. Smiles were worn on their faces, and Sara's heart filled with joy at the sight of it. These were simpler times, and she missed it painfully. Their playful bantering and gleeful laughter always filled her world with delight. Though her mother was rarely present, she was there among the group of familiar faces, albeit a little unenthusiastic, she stood there next to her father, who looked upon Sara with prideful eyes. Her mother, however, looked as if she didn't belong, like a puzzle piece in the wrong box.

She wished that she had had more time to spend with her mother. She longed to be loved and held by her, but her mother never cared for that kind of family intimacy. Her one true love was administering politics, or so it seemed. She had followed her around in those days, Attempting to gain her mother's approval, but she had always looked upon her with distaste. What would it have taken to make her mother smile or fill her with pride? But, alas, somehow, she was not the daughter that her mother wanted, and so she was left to waste away in a cursed existence. Maybe she deserved it. Maybe she just wasn't smart enough to understand what it meant to be a proper princess.

She gazed longingly at the vibrant, watercolored memory of her family, at her mother, and was filled with sorrow. Her mother's neutral expression was casted on her, or was it annoyance? It was hard to tell. The expression on her mother's face looked as if she wanted to ask, "are we done yet?"

She always knew it in her heart, that her mother didn't love her, but she didn't care, because Sara loved her so much.

Gran must have said something silly, because her father's warm grin turned to an open mouthed smile, followed by silent bellowing laughter, which she could just imagine the sound of through the painting's lively detail. Her mother's vacant expression was broken by a sneer of annoyance.

Something wasn't right, though. The longer she looked upon the painting, the more the painting began to change. Was it her imagination, or were the colors of her mother's image moving? She looked at it more intently, looking for the smallest difference. Her mother's face began to melt and bleed through the fabric of her memory, and it was soon replaced by the image of another woman.

The cruel, annoying sneer was replaced by an inviting smile as newer paint was being brushed anew over her. The paint was blended, mixed, and remade into a woman that stood next to her father, breathtakingly radiant, with a silver crown atop her head. The woman held out her hands toward Sara and mouthed the words.

"I love you."

Sonia?

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Sara was sure that it wasn't normal to have a dream within a dream, but nonetheless, she had awoken from her unusual dream into the cursed reality she was used to.

She took long, heavy breaths, and thought about what she had seen and wondered what it could've meant. Surely it wasn't what it looked like. It looked as if Sonia was replacing her mother. Not just as queen, but the very role, but that's crazy. Sonia was a nice person, but she doesn't want to be her mother, does she?

She could feel it, though. Things were changing. Five hundred years have past painfully slow, the atmosphere always felt like a heavy hand of oppression ever pressing down on them. It wasn't enough for them to be trapped, forever separated from their homes in Celestia, but for them to suffer a crippling sorrow in addition was too cruel.

"Why, Mother? Why have you done all this? What is the purpose?"

The light in their eyes have dimmed long ago, accepting their fate. They spent every single day in anguish. But, the times were indeed changing. For one, Sara's mind was free to think and feel without hindrance. She was no longer a slave to the curse. Was this Sonia's doing? She remembered the conversation she had With Gran about how Sonia could possibly free them all from the magical shackles that bound them, which seems to be true. First Gran, and now Sara.

"And now, I have a name."

At first, she wasn't sure how she should feel about it, but it felt right, like it was meant for her all along. She didn't like how much she liked it, but she did. She really liked it. Sara, her name was Sara.

The power that Sonia wielded was astonishing! And she could feel the magic working as soon as the words were spoken.

She didn't understand. There was no way that she could possibly be a mere mortal. Could she be a demi goddess? But for a lesser divine being, the power that she displayed was unfathomable. Who is this woman? What does she want?

After another deep breath, Sara turned her gaze toward the door. Since she was no longer subject to the curse, she was free to walk around the palace. Should she go see her father? She could at least walk around and greet the people. How long has it been since she socialized with anyone? It was so nice talking to Gran and Sonia, that she almost craved more social activity from other people.

She opened the door slightly and stuck her head out before stepping completely into the corridor of polished marble stone, shining with white and gold. There was no one in the large, sprawling halls. No voices were heard, either. It was eerie seeing it this way. In the past, the halls were always full of maids or butlers coming and going throughout the palace. Always someone calling out to another. She could still hear the head maid chastising a bumbling newcomer, who had either dropped something, or had said or did something unprofessional. Sara giggled at the thought.

Directly across from her room, in the center of the palace was a balcony overlooking the central courtyard, which the very palace was built around, because her father new that it pleased her. It contained a massive flower garden, filled with all of her favorite flowers. She looked down from the high balcony, and saw that her beloved garden had withered away, leaving a depressing sight of decay.

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"I'm sorry, your highness. Even the garden was cursed, it seems." A quiet voice sounded behind her left shoulder. She didn't turn around to face her, but only cried, tears falling from the high balcony into the garden below.

"She didn't like it, did she? She didn't like anything that I liked. I disgusted her, in every way. But," she said, "Father also didn't like the garden, but because he loved me, he built his entire palace around it, knowing that it would make me happy. How are they so different from each other? I don't understand!"

Sara's cry echoed throughout the vast central space beyond the balcony, her voice resounding all around her. Her shoulders shook as she cried; her head resting against the white stone.

A hand came to rest on her back.

"She fooled us all, didn't she? But it's ok, your highness, we will survive." The woman said, rubbing Sara's back in comforting assurance. "A time will come when we will all return to our home in Celestia. And I believe in my heart that it will be quite soon.

Sara lifted her teary face to meet the woman's gentle gaze. She sniffed and wiped away her streaming tears. It was the head maid. Sara's heart melted at the sight of her. What a comforting sight it was to see her. She flung her arms around the maid, pressing her face into the woman's shoulder and cried.

My, the women of this palace are so emotional, aren't they? Why, just recently, I held another weeping woman. You guys are quite the pair.

"I've missed you so much, I'm so glad to see you." Sara said, clutching the sleeves of her uniform.

"I want to go see my father, will you accompany me?"

"Of course I will, your highness. It would be my pleasure."

Sara refused to let the maid go, so she held her arm in hers, pulling her along down the bright, immaculate corridors toward the great hall. She told the woman of her time on earth and of her flower garden that she made and kept all on her own.

"That's wonderful, dear. I would love to see it." She said, patting Sara's arm.

"You can! After all, your real body is actually in the same place where I am. We'll just have to wake you up!" Sara was surprised at how simple and casual she said it, she hadn't given it much thought before, but now the possibility of Sonia's mysterious gift made her excited.

"I've no doubt you will. My return to reality is only a matter of time. With you, my life is in good hands." The maid said with a smile.

She stopped, just outside the doors to the great hall and pondered for a moment. The idea of her family and friends waking from their curse was a wonderful thing, but what did that mean for Sonia? What is it that she wanted with her family? Was it power or glory? She already possessed great power as it is. But was it her own power, or did it come from the crest that she also mysteriously possesses? Who is Sonia, and is she truly who she seems to be? Would her father crown her as a favor for lifting the curse? Everything about this seemed to point toward her inevitable reign. She wasn't sure how she felt about that. She wasn't sure if she was ready.

Times were changing, but was it good change or bad? It scared her to think that they would be freed from one curse just to fall into another. Five hundred years was such a long time, even for a god. And she would be damned if anyone would ever deceive her family again.

A sudden pat on her arm brought her back to reality.

"I know that things are moving rather quickly in such a short amount of time, but we can only take things slowly, with one foot in front of the other. It will be okay, Princess."

"You're right. I just need to breath and continue moving forward." Sara replied.

"That's the spirit." The maid said. "Let us keep moving forward, together."

Sara pushed open the massive double doors, which swung open silently amongst a throng of people. There were a multitude of people holding drinks and talking excitedly with one another. The sounds of laughter and happy chatter filled the great hall.

Sara wasn't sure what she expected to see once she arrived, but admittedly, she certainly wasn't expecting such a lively atmosphere.

From what she understood, The people were said to be suffering an endless cycle of despair. Did their reality always start this way? She was curious about this, because her curse prevented her from leaving her room, but now that she was able to freely wonder the palace, she was seeing the cursed dream from outside her chamber for the first time. Sara turned to the maid.

"Has it always been this festive? People seem to be enjoying themselves."

The maid smiled and nodded in agreement before responding.

"It has not always been this way. Gradually, the curse is being lifted, and the hopes of the people are being renewed every day."

"Wow! Is this Sonia's doing?" She hadn't meant to ask that out loud, so the maid's answer caught her by surprise.

"Oh, you know her? She's a lovely woman, isn't she?"

"You know Sonia? Sara asked. "For me, When the dream ends, I wake up in another world, Sonia's world. I've spent a bit of time with her. She's nice, but I still don't know her very well, and I still don't know if I trust her.

"That's fair, given what we all have been through. We would be fools if we weren't at least a little skeptical ourselves."

"That's relieving to hear." Sara said.

"That is, if we hadn't witnessed her sacrifice her life after the declaration of our freedom." The maid said.

"What? What do you mean? How did she sacrifice herself?"

"Let's just say she went toe-to-toe with your mother. You should've seen her. There's a mysterious power about her. Some are even declaring her the Silver Queen."

"Yes, I heard Gran also call her that. What do you make of it? Do you believe what they say?" Sara asked.

"I'm not sure, honestly, but her power is undeniable."

"That I agree with. Why, just before we fell asleep tonight, Sonia granted Gran and I a new identity, where before, we had no name."

"Sara, Are you saying that she named you?" The maid asked daringly, for she never spoke to the royal family on a first name basis. To her, Sara's name had always been the same.

"Yes, it may be hard to believe, but this name is new."

The head maid could no longer hold back her tears. She and her people held onto a tiny flame of hope. Sonia was a mystery, and she brought with her a promise of a bright and loving future. But now, it was plainly seen. Sonia was not a simple flame, but a blazing beacon of which her people could surely rely on. What a miracle!

"Let us go, your highness. Your father is just inside."

The gentle maid took hold of Sara's arm and lead her through the threshold of the massive double doors and through the throng of people. Servants and nobles alike were drinking, laughing and gossiping as if they weren't trapped in stone in a nightmare reality. This hardly seemed like a nightmare, though. Five hundred years. That's how long it had been. Five hundred years of bondage that oppressed her people, but you would never have guessed it by the merry making that filled the hall. It felt odd to Sara, and even a little uncomfortable.

People smiled and bowed as she passed, making way as they moved aside, making a clear path to the throne where her father sat. As the mass of people stepped aside, she could make out a female figure sitting in the throne next to her father. She could see him leaning toward her , a smile wide on his face. Could it be her mother? caught in the moment, she excitedly ran to the throne. She had so many questions to ask.

"Mother, I....."

She halted in front of the throne in shock surprise. It's wasn't her mother. It was Sonia. How could this be? But then, should she be surprised?

Sonia was dressed in a dazzling silver and gold dress and wore the same silver crown that she had seen in her dream. Now she knew, it was not just a dream, but an active fulfillment of prophecy.

Sonia was radiantly beautiful. but above all, there was a powerful aura that emanated from her. When Sonia looked at her, she almost dropped to her knees in respectful worship. Her presence was overwhelming.

Sonia's mouth opened with a beautiful smile.

"Sara, Welcome! It's so great to see you! Sara? Are you okay?"

A lip trembled and a tear fell as she backed away from the throne. The woman before her was strikingly gorgeous and powerfully confident, so unlike the woman in reality, but it was the throne; She was seated on the throne, where her mother was meant to sit. She was suddenly full of confusing emotions, and she wasn't sure which one she was suppose to feel.

"I'm sorry, but I can't do this. I just can't!" She turned around and fled. The great hall in all of its glory, gleamed and shined as it stood in stark silence amidst the fleeing princess. The polished floor echoed each rapid, uncertain step, and the sobbing cry fluttered in the air like moths to a flame. Pictures, paintings, and suits of armor blurred passed her as she ran down the halls of the palace, manic and distraught.

She knew what was right, but it just didn't feel right. She knew she should be happy, but why was she so upset?

She flung herself onto her bed and wept. Scared, afraid, and confused.