Prologue

Some stories start with a fight scene or a meaningful dialogue between people or even with the main character dying, and you have to read through the entire book to find out what’s going on. But that’s just a part of the stories written that way, and that’s where the writer wants you to start. In actuality, all the stories begin at the beginning when the character is born when the person takes their first breath.

We all know babies scream their little heads off as loud as possible when they’re born. But my story doesn’t start that way. I was born utterly silent. As silent as a mouth, as my father would say. I would open my mouth, and no sound would come out. I was born without a voice and couldn’t communicate as I screamed. I couldn’t scream as my mother passed away before I could even meet her. Or so my father told me as he read me my bedtime stories.

Moreover, once I opened my eyes, my father said they were the purest white he’s ever seen. Whatever the color white is or whatever color is? I don’t know cause I can’t see. I should probably tell you my name now, shouldn’t I?

My name is Amelia Rose Schnee, Princess of the Kingdom of Dust. But you can just call me Rose. My friends do! Or … they would if I had any. I should probably start the story now. We’ll start when I turn five years old. I wake up and get out of bed which is always a grand adventure itself, as I don’t know which way I’m facing when I wake up. According to the maids, I always make a mess of my sheets while I sleep and flop around on the bed like a dead fish while I sleep. They always find it funny, but I don’t get it.

I reach around and fumble for the edge of the bed while I try to get up and flop out of bed onto the floor. I hit my elbow on the way down and felt the urge to cry, but there would be no point as I still didn’t have a voice. All well. I’m sure that will change soon. My father, King Alfried Roman Von Schnee, keeps getting doctors and healers to try fixing me. And today, the best doctor in the country will heal me … I think. I don’t quite remember what he told me a few days ago, but I think it was something along those lines.

I hear the door to my room open from behind me, which gets my mind oriented to the space. My bed faces the window, and on the left is a wall with plenty of space for me to fall into, and on the right side is the rest of my big room with an equivalent-sized door. On that side are a desk, a chair, and an utterly useless library I can’t read. But my father reads them to me every night.

Then I hear it, an elderly woman calls out, “My goodness! Princess Amilia, where have you run off to?!” the voice belongs to Hildegarden, the lead maid for the castle and the one responsible for making sure I stay alive.

I stand up, wipe the tears from my face, and wave a hand in Hildegarden’s direction. She sees me and sighs, “I told you to stay in bed until I get here. What if you hurt yourself? What would you do then?” she clicks her tongue and walks across the tile floor, her hard souled shoes clacking as she goes. A few seconds later, I feel her hand grab mine and gently pull me from the gap between the bed and the wall. She hands me my cane, and I begin tapping it to know where I am going.

Hildegarden takes me to a chair and begins to brush my long black hair. Again I have no idea what black is. This is just what people tell me my hair looks like. I sit patiently while she brushes the knots from my hair in the most painful way possible. Once done with any task, she clicks her tongue and moves on to the next. In this case, the task is braiding my hair. Click. Now it’s picking out clothes. Why does it matter? I don’t know. I can’t see what she puts me in. Click. Now that the clothes are picked, it’s time to wear them.

She picked out something with a very fluffy skirt and some shoes with a bit of heel on the back. Click. Hildegarden steps back and coos, “Well, aren’t you just lovely today? With that pink dress and matching shoes. Oh, and that beautiful braid.”

I turn back to where I hear her voice and shrug. I don’t know how to answer that, but what in the nine hells is pink?

“Oh, fine, let’s go. Your father is waiting,” Hildegarden sighs, and I jump from the chair and grab my cane. I walk around the room to where the door should be, with only a slight adjustment from Hildegarden, so I don’t walk into the door.

My shoes echo through the halls of my home and drum against my ears. Since I have zero eyesight, my ears are very sensitive, and Hildegarden always picks the loudest shoes for me. After a minute of walking, I hear doors open in front of me and the smell of peaches. That means Jazmin is here today! She always tells me the funniest stories. Then the sound of my shoes softens, meaning I am in the dining hall.

“Ahha! There’s my precious daughter!” my father bellows from across the hall. I smile and run to the sound of his voice, knowing exactly where every chair should be so I won’t run into them. Bam! I run right into a chair, followed by the scent of smoke, body odor, and alcohol. Is there someone else here? “Amilia! Are you all right!?” my father exclaims as he runs to my side, “I told you not to run. It’s dangerous.”

I sit up and nod my head to tell him I’m fine. Then I point to the person sitting in the chair I ran into. My father takes my hand and helps me to my feet, saying, “This is the high priest, James. He is the one to perform your ceremony today.”

High Priest James speaks, “What a lovely pleasure to meet you, Princess Amelia. As your father said, I am High Priest James. It is my pleasure to meet you.”

I don’t know what he does next, but whatever he brings toward my face smells like bodily fluids, making my nose curl. I stepped away and pinched my nose, waving my hand in front of my face.

My father laughed, “Haha! You forgot to wash your hands before sitting at the table. One of my maids will show you where you can wash up a little.”

“Ah, yes, of course, your majesty,” High Priest James agreed and walked out of the room. From the sound of it, he sounded like he could skip a few meals. His footsteps shook the floor as he walked and echoed through the hall.

While he walked away, my father picked me up and carried me to my seat next to his. I could smell the breakfast on the plate before me. It smelled of warm maple syrup, honey, and some salted ham and eggs. I smiled happily, and a little drool escaped my mouth as I grabbed my fork and knife and began digging into the fluffy pancakes, ham, and eggs.

My father chuckled to himself again as I ate and said, “Do you remember what we discussed yesterday?”

I shook my head. I wasn’t listening. He gave me cake, so I wasn’t listening.

He sighed, “Well, that’s my fault for leading with the cake. I’ll explain it again. Now that it is your fifth birthday, we shall see if you have the ability to use magic. The High Priest will perform the ritual to determine that capability. Are you listening?”

I shook my head. These pancakes were the best!

“I should stop leading these conversations with food,” my father sighs.

I nod and keep eating. The rest of the day continues as any other day would. I walk around the big castle listening to Jazmin tell me stories about adventurers and slaying dragons while my father does whatever he does. I stop walking in the hallway as the thought crosses my mind. I should find out what my father does.

Jazmin stops in the middle of her story as I stop and asks, “What are you doing?”

I turned to her and signed with my hands, “Want know what father do.” Yes, I know. Why does a blind child know sign language? The same reason a mute child knows sign language. So I can speak. It was tough to learn, and I still don’t know many signs since I can’t see them.

“You want to know what your father does? Shouldn’t you already know that?” Jazmin says. I ignore this question and continue walking. If I was correct and I am where I think I am. I am on the third floor of the castle in the west wing. So, to get to my father, I need to take the next right, go down one floor, turn left, take the second door on the left, go down the hall, make a slight right, and my father should be in his office third door on the left.

I do just that without any trip-ups or getting lost. Jazmin followed me the whole way there without complaint. Then I heard a yell, “WHAT DO YOU MEAN BY THAT!?” It was my father. I didn’t know he could yell.

I put a finger to my lips to tell Jazmin to be quiet and press my ear to the door. “I mean, there’s no way to do it,” High Priest James says.

“Why?! This is my daughter! Why won’t you do the ceremony for her!?”

“Because it is her eyes. If she cannot see god, she cannot obtain magic power. It is what happens,” The priest says.

“So, because of her blindness, my daughter will miss out on being at least a little normal?”

The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.

“Yes, your majesty. That is correct.”

I heard my father slam back into the chair and said, “Leave.”

“But—”

“I SAID GO! LEAVE ME! LEAVE MY HOME!!”

“Yes, your majesty,” The priest said, and his thunderous footsteps came my way. I heard the door open, and the priest jumped in surprise, “My goodness! Princess Amilia! What are you doing here?!”

I looked up at the voice and signed, “I want magic. Why no magic?”

The priest stammered and said, “I-I-I’m sorry, but I don’t know what you’re saying.”

I signed the same thing again as I felt tears roll down my face. Then I heard my father, “Come here, Amilia. Let High Priest James go.” The big priest walked past me, and I heard his thunderous footsteps echo through the hall. I tapped my cane in front of me and walked into my father’s office. I tapped several chairs and steps as I passed them to my father.

He picked me up with his big, strong hands and set me on his lap, saying, “I am sorry, my darling daughter. But I cannot fulfill my promise to you this time.”

“Why?” I signed

“Oh, darling. I wish I could give you everything you could ever want for the ceremony, but I can’t. I have failed you as a father.”

I shook my head, pressed my face into his chest, and quietly sobbed. My father wrapped his arms around me and held me tightly while I did so until exhaustion took me, and I fell asleep in his arms.

***

I woke up sometime later and rolled out of bed. This time I crawled out of the right side of the bed where there was no wall. I fumbled for my cane and soon grabbed it. I was still wearing my clothes, so I wasn’t undressed yet, and judging from the coolness of my room, it was nighttime or almost nighttime. I walked over to the big door and pulled on it. I was barely able to get it to move, but I got it open and walked out of my room. I didn’t hear anybody nearby or smell anybody. So, I began to wander around the castle.

As I walked, I thought about what I knew about the ceremony I was supposed to do. It would allow me to use magic, and I wanted magic. I wanted to be normal like all the other kids. But to do the ceremony, you must be a member of the church … or do you? Couldn’t a former member of the church do it? Like one of our maids that specializes in cooking and smells of freshly baked bread all the time.

I immediately stop walking and orientate myself with my surroundings. My room is in the east wing on the third floor. When I left, I turned right and walked straight for about a minute. So that means there should be a flight of stairs to my left. I turn left and extend my cane to touch a wall. Then I moved it right, still felt the wall, then to the left, and my cane moved past it. Success! I found the stairs! Going down here to the bottom floor would put me in the kitchens.

So I began my descent to the bottom floor. It was a harrowing task since I could never see the next step, but luckily I had my cane, and there was a handrail too. I quickly descended the stairs as fast as I dared. Soon I reached the bottom of the stairs and felt a warm door, the smell of bread and other foods wafting from the wooden door’s cracks. I fumble for the handle and soon find it. I then pull it open, and a wave of heat assaults my face.

I hear a person hustling around the kitchen area, and I walk in and turn right immediately so I don’t walk off the edge of the walkway, thinking it was a step. Yes, I have done that before, and it hurt a lot. I walked down the stairs without handrails until I reached the floor below. Then I turned to walk toward the sound of the hustling person.

Once I got close, I tapped my cane on the ground loudly, surprising the hustling person. “Oh, goodness!” the woman exclaimed. This is Mary, one of the castle cooks. She usually works nights. “Wha’ are ye doin’ down ‘ere?” Mary asked in her peculiar accent.

I signed, “Want talk with you.”

“Ye want to talk with me? Wha’ abou’?”

“You—” I stopped signing for a moment as I couldn’t remember the right sign, then I began to spell it out with my fingers, “P-r-i-e-s-t-e-s-s?”

“Priestess? Aye, I was once upon a time. Why do ye ask?”

“Want magic. Need C-e-r-e-m-o-n-y. You know?”

“Do I nu the ceremony? Yes, I do. But tha’ is sumthin’ tha’ an official priest nades to do. Isn’t the ‘igh Priest performin’ the ceremony for ye?”

“No. Won’t do,” I signed sadly.

“Oh, dear. Tha’s no good. But I still can’t perform the ceremony for ye. It’s par’ o’ the rules.”

“Please!” I signed.

“No, deary. I can’t do tha’ for ye.”

“Please! Please! Please!”

“Look, deary. I really can’t do it.”

I closed my little fist around my cane and stomped the ground furiously. I swung my cane around my and began hitting stuff with its tip. I hear stuff clatter or shatter as I throw my temper tantrum. Once I finally wear myself out, I sit down and start crying. I wanted to be normal. I wanted the ceremony. I just want to be free!!

I felt Mary’s big hand press against my back and gently rub my back as I silently cried. After a moment, Mary asked, “Ye really want tha’, don’t ye?”

I nod.

Mary sighed and said, “Oh, dear. Oh, dear. I migh’ get in a lot o’ trouble for this … but worst case scenario, nothin’ ‘appens.”

I look up at where her voice came from and sign, “You do?!”

Mary sighed again, “Yes, I’ll do the ceremony for ye. But afterward, ye are cleanin’ up this mess ye made, li’le las.”

I visibly brightened and jumped up in excitement, then stepped on a shard of glass and cut my foot. I would scream in pain, but nothing would come out of my mouth anyway, so I just cried. Mary picked me up, brought me over to a counter, and bandaged my foot quickly before she did anything else.

Once my foot was bandaged, she got to work making something. I don’t know what, but I sounded like she was making it in a boiling pot and smelled like she was boiling animal poo. I pinched my nose at the smell of it and waited for her to get on with the ceremony. Then I smell the boiling pot of whatever, get set right next to me. I nearly gag.

I hear Mary pour some of the whatever into a cup. It sounded thick and disgusting. Then She said, “Drink this,” and put the cup in my hands.

I shook my head vigorously.

“I nu it smells like an animal died an’ was left out to bake in the sun for a month, but I promise ye, it tastes be’er than it smells,” Mary said.

I pointed to the cup in my hands.

“Aye, tha’.”

I pointed at it again.

“Aye, I’m talkin’ abou’ tha’. Now drink it, ye prissy li’le princess!”

I curled my nose at the cup and swallowed. Pinching my nose, I bring the cup to my lips and pour the contents into my mouth. It was thick, warm, and moved down my throat ever so slowly as I gulped it down, one mouthful at a time. And it didn’t taste good at all. It tasted like a boiled leather boot. But I finished the cup and set it down next to me.

“Not good,” I signed.

Mary laughed, “Ye, well, ‘ad to get ye to drink it now, didn’t I? Anyways, ye’re goin’ to ‘ave to ‘ave a lye down for this next par’.”

“What? I don’t understand?” I signed, then I felt my stomach churn into knots, and I clutched at my stomach as I doubled over and tried to throw up whatever concoction I just drank. It burned in my stomach like I had just eaten a coal block.

“Aye, tha’ be the par’ I’m talkin’ abou’,” Mary said before picking me up again, bringing me to a different room, and setting me down on a table. That was the last thing I remember happening before I passed out from pain.

***

“What is this?” a female voice said. It sounded calming and gentle, and it came from all around me.

I turned to find the source of the voice but couldn’t smell or hear anything around me.

“You can’t see me?” the voice asked.

I shook my head.

“Were you born that way? Or is it something new?”

I signed, “Born.”

“Born blind, and it seems you can’t talk either. Oh, dear. Oh, dear. You are an unusual one.”

“Who you?”

“Who am I? I am what you call god. Or rather, I am a goddess. One of several, really. None of the others wanted to see you, so they passed you onto me.”

“Why you?”

“Why? Because I am the very bottom of the gods. I am not unique in any way. I don’t have any followers, and I only have so much power to give people. Most of you mortals have forgotten me.”

I nodded, understanding.

The goddess laughed, “Haha! You are so sweet for being understanding, my darling. So, I take it you are having your ceremony today. The day you meet gods for the first time and become a devout follower. Ahh, so lovely of the other mortals to allow a damaged mortal even to see the gods. I guess things must be progressing in that aspect of mortal life?”

I shook my head.

“No. But how are you here then?”

“Mary did c-e-r-e-m-o-n-y. She no p-r-i-e-s-t-e-s-s now.”

“A former priestess did the ceremony for you? No wonder the gods rejected you down to me. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have met you. And I bet the other gods expect me to pass you on and send you back without magic.”

I shook my head vigorously, “I want! I want!”

“I thought you might,” the goddess chuckled, “Don’t worry, I’ve got your back. I’ll send you back with magic nobody else can use, plus a little extra! Just to piss the other gods off for fun!”

My eyes widened as a smile spread across my face, and nodded excitedly.

“I thought you might like that. Just give me a moment to gather the energy.”

“What your name?” I signed.

“What’s my name? I suppose I haven’t introduced myself yet, have I? Well, my name is Vala, the goddess of energy.”

I cocked my head, curious.

“Well, I’d explain, but it’s more of a show rather than a tell explanation,” Vala said, “but without further ado, let’s get this show on the road.” Then with a loud snap, I felt my body fill with warmth, and I felt all tingly. Then the tingle sensation became a burning sensation that steadily worsened.

After a moment, I felt someone shaking my shoulders and calling my name. “Amilia! Amilia, wake up!” it was my father. I opened my eyes and saw he looked worried as he stood over me with several of the … guards behind him. I can see my father. I can see my father! I CAN SEE!

I looked around, and everything was some bright color with the usual nothingness outlining everything. I can see a couple of meters away in every direction as I lay on the table in the cellar. I looked back at my father as he smiled and pulled me close into a hug. He had stubble growing on his face, and he had many wrinkles on his face too.

Sitting up, I looked around the room again, marveling at my new sight. “Are you alright, my darling daughter?!” my father asked, still worried.

I turned to him and smiled, “I see you.”

“Y-you what?”

“I see you,” I signed again, “You old.”

“Y-you see me? You see me!? But your eyes are still as white as ever. How can you see me?”

I shrugged and looked around for Mary but couldn’t see her. “Where, Mary?” I asked.

“I took her away and put her in the dungeon. I should’ve listened to what she was trying to say. But I didn’t.”

“Release her!” I signed angrily.

My father nodded, “I will release her at once.” One of the guards with my father turned and walked out of the cellar we were in, and his armored footsteps echoed in the cellar, and I could suddenly see a lot more. It was as though sound made me see further. I snapped my fingers and saw the guard exiting the kitchen from where I sat.

“So, since the ceremony was successful, can you use magic?” My father asked.

I nodded.

“What kind of magic can you use?”

I shrugged.

“The god that gave you power didn’t tell you?”

“She tell me?” I signed, bewildered.

“Yes! She didn’t tell you?”

I shook my head.

My father sighed and said, “Very well then. Let’s get dinner, and we’ll figure the rest out tomorrow. It’s late, and I’ve been running all over the castle for you. Oh, and here is your cane.” I took the cane and tossed it aside. I didn’t need it anymore. My father laughed, picked me up, and carried me up the stairs, out of the kitchen, and into the dining hall where an entire birthday Buffett was arranged for me. I honestly was happy.