Daphne felt like she was on death's door, with her breath coming out in short sharp pants due to the smoke caused by the fire, her head reeling with pain. Her hands were on the floor, wet and sticky with blood and alcohol.
'What a way to die,' Daphne thought hysterically to herself.
Her mind suddenly conjured up old memories, from the first time she saw her brother perform magic, the first time when she had failed her magic test, to the dismissive gazes of everyone in her family when years passed and she had nothing. The whispers of 'useless princess' that were initially silenced when she walked into a room eventually transformed into statements said straight to her face without any hesitation.
There was no seat at the table reserved for her, and no one bothered to call her by name. Her title was merely a formality that held no weight.
She lived a life of luxury but it was as hollow as a bird's bones, a perfect gilded cage.
