I’m sitting in the big beautiful library in the city of Lillass, It’s quiet, and I’m enjoying this time alone even though I’m alone most of the time. I love spending time reading I’ve read every single book in the big library most of them probably more than once. My favorites or the fantasies, the romance, the adventure. They are everything I can’t experience on my own. I love dreaming about the world and seeing what it is like with my own eyes. I enjoy imagining what life would be like if I were someone else and if I was able to experience love, adventure, and much more. This is also why I love looking at the beautiful paintings adorning the walls of the Castle. My favorite isn’t the portraits but it’s more the landscapes where I can dream myself into a world that isn’t here.

The wind is blowing outside the window while birds are flying by, I turn my head to the window that’s behind me looking out at the birds playing around in the sky. I continue fantasizing about the birds in the world and love them for a while until the doors to the library open. The doors are pretty far away from where I’m sitting But as soon as I hear I jump from my seat sitting straight like I should looking at the door I take a deep breath Of relief as I realize it’s just Amanda, my stepmom.

She walks across the library over to me her heels clinging on the floor. She looks at me with a smile, the brightest smile. “How are you doing darling?” She asks me. I smile back at her as she approaches me “I’m doing just fine” I look up at her. She looks down at the book I’m reading “Really that one again isn’t it about the thousandth time?” She says with a slight giggle. I blush lightly “Maybe” I say not laughing. Amanda Sits down in the chair across from me. As she sits down her face shifts from the fun happy face he had when she came into a more serious one almost looking like I’m in trouble. “Are you coming to the festival?” She says in a serious tone. One of the biggest festivals of the whole year is coming up and like usual I’m not going to join. I look down at the ground she already knows my answer “Why won’t you join” She exclaims. She isn’t yelling but she’s sounding very Stern. I turn around and look out the window behind me again not saying anything else. “I know you don’t like it and I know you don’t like smiling and waving But please your dad would be so happy…” She says with a sad tone of voice almost a little frustrated.

I sigh deeply, rolling my eyes. I didn’t enjoy being at social gatherings after my mom died. It’s not the fact that my dad remarried soon after I love Amanda, She’s so nice and good to me, It’s the fact that everyone expects me to be okay I’m still in mourning I know that mourning usually it’s only a year or too but I’m still in the mourning. I don’t want anyone to look at me celebrate me or anything. I’m tired of pretending to be something I’m not, The people know that I’m not what they want me to be. I’m a disappointment to my family but also to the people. Even the way the people described me when talking about me or the royal family You can hear how much of a disappointment I am to them. They want me to be this beautiful, Perfect doll. They want me to be a statue of Beauty and perfection but not have a personality of my own. Honestly, that’s more what my dad wants me to be than anything else. I get snapped back to reality, As Amanda clears her throat. I look over at her. She knows why I don’t want to join. She knows what the people say about me and what the people say about her. The way people describe us is two different sites of Reality. Honestly, people think we hate each other But she is my second mother and I love her like it. And she treats me like it. “I really do not want to attend the festival…” I say looking away from Amanda. Amanda looks at the floor and takes a deep sigh “I understand”.

We sit in silence for a few minutes. After a while, we start talking about everyday stuff nothing that important but it’s nice to be in her company, I enjoy the time we spend together especially since she’s one of the people I spend the most time with. My brother, His wife, and my Dad is often very busy. Amanda makes a point to spend time with me and makes me feel special when she spends time with me. She’s the youngest child of a family as well and the only girl. She knows what it’s like to be left behind In the family and has made it a point that I never feel like that when I’m around her. She’s one of the biggest positives since my mom died.

I noticed how her blond hair shone in the sunlight from the window behind me. It glittered like it was gold. Her golden hair was in Stark contrast to her dark-as-the-night-sky brown eyes. They were almost so dark that she couldn’t see the difference between her pupil and the rest of her eye color. I definitely understand why their Kingdom describes her as beautiful. She’s wearing a beautiful red dress. Often wears red or pink colors. Or at least always something bright. Besides the gold they both often wear my dad and her where very different types of clothing. My dad often wears dark clothes. But the bright colors on Amanda Complement her beautifully. Today is no different. Especially with the Beautiful sunlight shining in making her lightly tamed skin Look beautiful. After a while of Us sitting and talking we hear a knock on the big doors to the library. The doors open and a head pubs in through the crack of the door. It’s one of the many maids of the Castle “Her Majesty the Queen, The ministry the king, is waiting for you” The maid says with an almost fearful look in her eyes, I can see it’s one of the newer maids so she must be worried about doing something wrong. I look over at Amanda, Amanda knots receiving the message. She looks over at me with a smile “I’ll talk to you soon” She says before getting up and walking towards the door her heels clicking against the ground again. The maid and Amanda quickly leave and I’m alone in the library once more

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A few days later I’m standing in the library once more Browsing the books running my finger along the old spines of the books. Figuring out which book I should read. There are many beautiful stories in this library. The library is quiet as usual but this time there is another figure in the room, the library keeper, we are on opposite sides of the room as we browse the books. I finally settled on a book one of my favorites a love story between unlikely lovers. I look down at the book smiling and blushing slightly. Instead of sitting in the library, I start to walk out the door. It’s a beautiful day outside I should probably go sit in the garden I think to myself while walking. I opened the big brown doors to the library. They’re heavy and they give a big squeak as I opened them. I walk into the corridor Lined by portraits of old kings and queens.

Halfway down the hall, I stop in front of the portrait of my mother. Just like myself, my mom is a bigger woman, A bit on the curvier side. We both have brown cheeks with freckles on them and a light blush. I’m a spirit image of my mother All the way down to her light skin almost paper-white. Unlike my mother I have straight black hair my mom has slightly curly brown hair. The portrait displays her on her wedding day. She’s wearing a beautiful white dress and her hair with a Terraria in it. Her tiara had white pearls in it. It’s a Tierra I have inherited but I was never aware of it I always keep it on this way as it reminds me of my mother it was her favorite piece of jewelry. Along with her Tierra, she also had a big necklace on. The address wasn’t form-fitting it was big and poofy. And her hair was long And just like my own dark brown like the bark of the tree. And again just like myself, she had piercing blue eyes The painting really makes this clear and it’s beautiful. Many people think it’s unbelievable how much I look like my mother, My brother is a bit more of a mix of our Mum and Dad. Besides the portrait of my mother is a beautiful portrait of my dad and Amanda. It’s a beautiful portrait they look so happy together. I will say that in the portrait you can really see my dad’s age compared to Amanda. I like to imagine that my mom would be great friends with Amanda if she knew her. And I like to imagine that my mom is looking down on us and happy that my dad found someone else to love. Next to their portrait is the portrait of my brother, Crown Prince Alexander ll of Luminara, and his wife and his young son. They’re adorable. My brother almost looked like a copy of my Dad when he was younger. Blonde hair and bright blue eyes, and his son look exactly the same. His wife on the other hand has dark brown eyes and dark brown hair. In the portrait, my brother is wearing his soldier uniform in our national colors. Red, blue, and gold. Unlike my own face and my mother, he is very thin and you could almost see the bones in his face. I smile while looking at my whole family I love them all dearly but I always feel forgotten. I stopped looking up at the paintings and started walking towards the end of the hole ancestors of mine on every side of me Some people who are almost completely forgotten like myself. I wonder what I will be remembered as if I you wouldn’t will if people see my portrait and remember who I am. It’s a scary but interesting thought I think to myself as I continue walking to the end of the hallway, leaving through one of the big doors into the garden.

A month later, I’m sitting in a beautiful caring on a train. I’m sitting with my dad and Amanda we’re on our way to Mousix, the town where my brother and his family live. I look out the window taking a break from the book I was reading. Amanda and Dad are talking to each other while I look out. You can get anywhere in the country by train. It’s a beautiful way to get around quickly. The view outside is a big forest filled with big trees probably been there for thousands of years. I wonder how many different animals live in this forest along with all the small towns that must be around it. The small towns we visit from time to time or some of my favorites. Life in the small town is so different compared to what it is in the bigger ones I wish I could visit there more. Especially my favorite one, Lowchurch. It’s in the clearing of a big forest just like this one. It only has a population of 190 but it has a beautiful library. I hope I can visit soon again it was a wonderful visit last time.

I snapped back to the present moment with my dad asked me a question I didn’t hear the question but I noticed that he was talking to me “What?” I say. “Are you joining us for the summer festival?” He asks very formally. “I don’t know yet,” I say and look away. “The planner would like to know soon so everything can be planned properly,” He says putting extra pressure on properly. Everything needs to be perfect and everything needs to be proper.

Amanda tries to change the subject “Amelia Have you decided where you want to hold your birthday party?” She asks. I look back at both her and my dad “No but please come with suggestions” I say smiling a little awkwardly. “Well you could hold it at Winter Castle It’s perfect for the time of year” Amanda suggests. That’s not the only reason she wants it to behold there it’s the biggest castle in the country and it’s an important birthday It’s the Year when I need to find a suitable suitor. “I guess so” I respond to the suggestion. The room feels with awkward tension until knocking on the cart door can be heard. One of the workers on the train comes in and says that we will be there in a few minutes. My dad tells me to get ready and looks at Amanda telling her the same. Everything needs to be perfect and proper. I look out the window and see that the terrain has changed now it’s filled with feels of wheat and after a few minutes, it changes into a beautiful bustling City. Filled with mostly cobblestone and brick buildings. Amanda changed her seat to sit next to me. Asking me if I would like her to help me fix my hair I didn’t notice anything was wrong with it but I let her. Finally, the train stops and my dad and Amanda stand up. The cart door opened and my dad and Amanda stamped out, I stood up brushing down my dress before going out behind them.