The sun stood high in the sky, its bright light making one forget about the storm that had taken place a few days ago. Little Josephine walked towards the orchard of the castle, her little hand clutching a stuffed bear, a smile gracing her lips as she made her way to her favorite tree.
When Josie got to the tree, her smile dropped at the sight of the tree having a large hole in its trunk. The hole was roughly circular in shape, about the size of a basketball, with edges that were smooth and slightly charred. The surface around the hole was blackened and rough, with tiny cracks radiating outward like the spokes of a wheel, showing a clear sign that the tree had been struck by lightning.
"Oh no," Josephine whispered as her eyes began to swell with tears. Queen Aurora walked in; she had followed her daughter, wanting to spend some time with her. She spotted Josie crying in front of the apple tree, her hand covering her eyes. The plush toy she was holding had fallen to the ground as she continued to cry.
Aurora's eyes moved to the tree and noticed the hole in it, and her eyes softened with love for her daughter. "Josie," she called out, catching the little girl's attention, who hadn't stopped crying. She walked over to Josie and squatted in front of her so she could be at eye level with her. "My darling, what is it? Don't cry," she said, her voice sweet and kind.
"Mama, my tree," Josie sniffed out, pointing towards the hole in the tree. "It's hurt and ruined!!" Josie cried out. Aurora raised a brow. "What's ruined? How so?" Little Josie's brows frowned as she held her mother's gaze with teary eyes. "It has a large hole in it!!" Josie exclaimed, using both her hands to gesture towards the tree, which made her mother chuckle.
"So, just because the tree has a little hole in it, you think it's ruined?" Aurora asked, showing a thoughtful expression as she held her chin between her thumb and index finger. Josie frantically nodded to her mother's question before her own expression turned thoughtful, and she turned to her mum. "Isn't it?"
Aurora stood up, standing straight, and moved closer to the tree, which looked over her. "Life will always appear dark to those who only focus on the darkness. But look beyond the darkness, and you'll find that even in the most darkest of times, and darkest of people, if you look for it, there's light and beauty; you just have to look to find it." She turned her gaze back to Josie. "Do you understand what I just said?" Aurora asked her daughter.
Josie stared at her mother intently with her big green eyes. She shook her head. "Not really." The naïve response of her daughter made Aurora laugh. She picked Josie up in her arms and tickled her tummy, making the girl laugh as well. "Let me show you something." Aurora placed Josie on her shoulder, moving her closer to the hole in the tree. Josie, now smiling, held her hand to the surface of the hole and gasped. "Mama, there are birds!" she said excitedly.
Aurora hummed in response. "Are you happy to see the birds?" Josie nodded. "Yes, very happy!" Aurora slowly dropped Josie back to the ground. "You see, the hole you were so sad about is now a home for those little birds. The hole that made you cry a moment ago is now the reason for your smile," Aurora explained. She tapped on Josie's nose with her index finger, making her giggle. "You don't have to understand what I mean now; you will understand when you're older. Just never forget these words: don't let the darkness ever overshadow your light, my darling."
....
Back in the present. "I see you got your personality from her. Too bad Lucian didn't get any of her sweet nature," Kat said. Josie laughed. "My brother has always had his own way with things. Though in appearance he takes after mother, I won't say the same for personality. He never did take after Father either. My father's name was Edward; he died eleven years after my mother. He and Lucian never really got along. Really, for as long as I had known, Father despised Brother Lucian, and I never knew why."
Kat didn't comment and just looked ahead. "Also, I'm sorry. I recently heard about what happened in the courtroom when you first arrived," Kat heard Josie say. The little statement brought back gothic memories, but Kat didn't intend to think too much of it. "Brother Lucian has always been... decisive, but he is my brother, and I love him," Kat sighed.
"It's alright. It's nice to see he loves you too," Kat said. Josie nodded. "Though it wasn't always that way."
"What do you mean?" Kat asked, turning her gaze to Josie.
"Well, back when I was younger, Lucian treated me as indifferently as he did anyone else. I tried a lot to get his attention as a little child, but he always just ignored me completely. I was so fed up, so I had an idea. When Father was too busy for me, I would get into trouble to get his attention, so I decided to do the same." Josie smiled subtly as she explained.
"So, I climbed up a really high tree and waited for him to pass by. Though I was scared I might fall, I was determined to get his attention." She laughed "Just as I planned, he did pass by, and I called out to him and told him I was stuck, which was true because I really was. I gathered every hope in my heart. He asked why I climbed up the tree, and I said I didn't know. His response made my heart sink: 'If you could climb up, then you can climb down,' and he walked away. I really wanted to cry, but I tried to climb down and ended up falling." Josie took a short breath then continued.
I really thought I was going to hit the ground, I thought he had leftover, but he caught me. He was always so cold, but that day he saved me. Since then, I clung to him, never minding the fact he ignored me most times anymore. I was just fine knowing he cared, alot more happened than drew us closer"
"When I was 15, Father arranged my marriage with the prince as a gift for a deal made between the two Kingdoms," she paused.
"Back when father was king, Davorin wasn't as strong as it is now. We needed alliances to help the kingdom stand." Josie said.
Kat had heard about this grim Vivian, but she didn't think it could have been so bad the king would bargain his own daughter. She nodded for josie to continue, "I didn't want to be married. I pleaded and begged but was only dismissed. No one heard my pleas. I was to be married in a year. A few months after, Father passed. I was devastated and had no one else. Though the king was dead, my marriage to the prince still stood. If I didn't go through with it, a war would be waged. So for the sake of the kingdom, I had no choice. The wedding was to take place, and on that day on on that altar, I lost all hope. I lost myself. I searched desperately for that one person, but he wasn't there. But he did come. He walked up to me and asked me, 'Do you want to get married?' I wanted to break down on the spot. No one asked me what I wanted. No one gave me a chance to choose. And I did. He went against everyone for me, and I'm sure you know the sight wasn't pleasant. That was the first time he called me his sister. He saved me. And yeah, it doesn't change the things he has done, but I will always choose him."
Kat stared at Josie for a while, then sighed. "I'm sorry that happened to you." Josie laughed it off. "It's all good."
"Though..." Kat trailed off, and Josie waited for her to finish her sentence. "I still don't like Mr. Grumpy." Josie burst into laughter. "I poured out my whole story to you, and that's all you can say?"
Josie splashed water on Kat, causing her to whine. "Hey, come on, I was just being honest!" Kat got up and stepped back before running. Josie chased after her.
After spending some more time on the beach, they decided to return home. On the ride back, they both tried to remove the sand that had accumulated on the hem of their dresses. "We should probably not wear such dresses to the beach next time," Josie laughed, flipping her dress up and down to get the sand out. Kat nodded in agreement.
"What's that in your hand?", Kat asked when she spotted something in Josephine's hand. Josie showed her a small snail. "Oh, it's cute, but why do you have it?" Kat asked. "Well, I wanted to use its slime on my face," Josie said, to which kat hummed "Oh, I forgot snail slime had such benefits. But you should probably use a land snail; they carry fewer bacteria," Kat said. Josie responded honestly, "is that so, I wasn't aware." Kat gave a knowing look. "It's not a problem, we could have a face spa when we get back; it would be relaxing." Kat suggested. " Face spa?" Josie asked, confused, Kat took her time to explain how she could.
The carriage pulled to a stop, and both girls got out before stepping into the castle. "I will go and change my dress and meet you in your room later," Josie said, excusing herself, and left to her room, and Kat to hers.
When Kat had taken a shower and changed into a more casual and comfortable dress, she heard a knock on the door. "Come in." Josie stepped into Kat's room, also dressed in a simpler dress. Josie did as Kat instructed. "Okay, let's get started with the face wash," Kat said, leading and showing Josie what to do.
Kat and Josie were now lying comfortably on the bed with black face masks. Kat explained to Josie that she uses avocado to soothe her skin after, so they needed avocado. Josie stood up to ring one of the golden bells to call a maid. Before laying back down, both of them relaxed. "Where have you been all my life" Josie mutterd, and kat chuckled.
Meanwhile, Lucian had just gotten back and was now making his way to his chamber when he came across a maid sweeping the floor. His eyes narrowed to see the trail of scattered bits of sand. As the maid spotted him, she deeply bowed and greeted him. "What is this?" He asked calmly, to only have the maid frightened. "Your majesty, Princess Josephine and Lady Kat..." The maid didn't get to finish what she was saying, as Lucian had raised his hand for her to stop talking before walking away. He need not hear an explanation at the mention of those two.
Back in Kat's room, a maid entered to attend to the ladies. She greeted them with her head bowed. However, when she met their gazes, she screamed, shouting "Monsters!" She hurriedly pulled the door open and ran out, shouting for help. "There are monsters in Lady Kat's room!!" Josie and Kat, now sitting on the bed, turned to each other, surprised, and then quickly got up to go after her. "What's wrong with her?" Josie wondered.
Immediately, the maid ran out, she bumped into two other maids who asked what was happening. She terrifiedly exclaimed, "Monsters..." Kat and Josie came out of the room and met the maid. "Hey," they called out, to only have all three maids scream and run. As they ran, one of them almost bumped into Lucian but hurriedly staggered back to prevent it. Lucian wasn't pleased; his eyes darkened. "What is going on here?" He demanded, to have all of them shriek in fear. "Your highness, they are mo...nsters in the castle!" She breathed out, to have Lucian's gaze narrowed.
Before his attention was caught by the two figures approaching ahead, Kat and Josie froze for a moment as they spotted Lucian, and he didn't look pleased. Their eyes trailed to the maids, who hurriedly stood behind Lucian but still keeping their distance from him, as they were three monsters in the castle, and the one they stood behind was worse than any monster they could come across, if provoked. "My lord, there they are!" One of the maids pointed.
Kat and Josie glanced at each other worriedly before approaching Lucian, their gaze facing the floor. "What do you two think you are doing?" Lucian asked, as both monsters stood before him with their eyes on the floor. The maid frowned, was the king talking to monsters? "It was a misunderstanding," Josephine said, and Lucian clicked his tongue. "Did you both just make it your mission to turn my castle upside down?" He rolled his eyes. "We didn't do anything; it was just a misunderstanding," Kat muttered. Lucian's gaze narrowed.
The maid's eyes widened in shock, and she stuttered, "Princess Josephine, Lady Kat?" Kat nodded, and the maids hurriedly bowed. "Forgive us, Your Majesty, miladies, for the commotion we caused." The maids' bodies shivered with fear, regretting their mistake. They had called the princess and Lady Kat monsters, and now they hoped the king wasn't in a bad mood.
Lucian asked, "What's on your faces?" Kat explained, "It's a facial mask, meant to help our skin." Lucian replied, "Neither of you needed this; you both already looked perfect to begin with." Kat was surprised by the compliment, and Josie tried to smile, but Lucian continued, "You already looked perfectly like monsters; you needed not go to such an extent to prove your point." The maids' mouths almost dropped to the ground, but they dared not say a word. The king's words were sharper than a newly forged blade. Poor Princess Josephine and Lady Kat.
"You are dismissed," Lucian said, and the maids hurriedly left. Meanwhile, the two girls in front of Lucian glared at him as though they could gorge out his tongue with their gazes. Lucian ignored them before walking past them. "Get rid of those things on your faces before you both scare someone to the point they jump off a balcony and die." They wanted to retort, but given the maid's reaction, he wasn't quite wrong.
"I see why you wanted to punch him in the face" Josie said, as they watched Lucain disappear from their sight, and Kat shook her head with a pitiful expression.