Audrey and Cecilia

Like the ocean, Audrey wanted to float away. She hated everything that humanity had made and loved the serenity that nature brought her, especially the ocean. She wished that the world would open up and consume her, but she held on because her heart was attached to some humans. Yet, there was no one around her. 

It had always been that way, her teachers would come and go as the day wore on, the maids would clean and feed her, and then she was alone. Today was Friday, so it was family dinner night, although, she doubted anyone wanted her there. She was ten years old today, but she didn't think that was important, and she knew that no one else would remember. She walked from her balcony into her beautiful, decadent room, her maids changed her clothes and she let them, never smiling, never changing her expressions. Everyone knew that being her maid was a useless job, she was unloved by the family, and only the least qualified people in the palace were sent to serve her. However, they were still very good at their jobs and very professional. 

Once, she had complained about something, and the disdain she was shown was something she would never forget. She knew, she had always known, that her role was to stay silent and exist until she could leave them all forever and disappear. Disappear with her fiance, Duke Edmond, he was two years older than her and he meant the world to her. She saw him once a month, they had tea, read books, and she would show him her garden. He was the only one who truly knew her, the only one who saw her. She loved him dearly.

She hoped that he loved her too. 

She, stupidly, held hope that this Friday would be better than last week. She hoped that maybe they would look at her, say her name, and ask her about her week or her studies. She had worked even harder than the week that had passed, her etiquette was near perfect, everything she did was near perfect, and surely they would see her now. Her dark hair was silky and flowed down perfectly, her eyes were blue, like the rest of her family, her skin, her nose, everything looked like those around her except for her hair. Only her father had dark hair like hers, everyone else had beautiful blonde hair like her mother. 

She bowed to her parents perfectly as she entered the room and sat in her chair, at the very end of the table as it always was, for some reason further than anyone else. The four seats around her were always empty, and further up the table sat everyone else. She was always an outsider, looking at the wonderful family, hoping she could feel their warmth. None of her brothers bowed as they took their places at the table, they instead would get a warm smile and a hug, and although it seemed unfair that she was treated this way, she didn't know any other kind of life. 

Once, she hadn't bowed to her parents when she came in and tried to get a hug, and the look of anger in their eyes was one she would never forget. Her nanny gave her a terrible beating that night, her shins bled and she eventually fainted from the pain, her nanny was crying too, but her parents said that she would be fired if she didn't strike Audrey one hundred times. After that, Audrey never made the mistake of being informal around her family. 

So she sat in her chair, her feet not tall enough to touch the ground, hoping someone would say her name or call on her. She snuck some glances at her family, hoping they would see her, but no one turned. No one looked at her for even a second. Instead, she hopelessly listened, knowing that she was not allowed to speak first. 

The King adored his sons and his wife, he loved talking to them about their achievements. The Queen had held a wonderful tea party this week, everyone was talking about the wonderful atmosphere she had created and the fashion trend of carrying a parasol she had started. She was considered wiser than ever to the entire kingdom. His oldest son, Rodrick, heir to the throne, who was fifteen this year, was a star at the Royal Academy, his grades were stellar and his affinity with light magic was beyond anything anyone had seen since his mother. His second son, Derrick, fourteen years old now, was a knight whose military wisdom had led them to victory in a small battle with their opposing country, he was renowned for his genius with a sword and military tactics and was known to be unbeatable at chess. After they talked about these achievements, they would explore the political and economic state of the country, the Queen would deliver the latest gossip from the women of the empire, and eventually they would all retire together to the living room. She was not welcome to follow them. She once tried to follow them and met a similar, painful fate, as any other time she tried to gain attention. 

She walked into her room, she was bathed by her maids and soon she was completely alone. She stood at her balcony and stared at the stars in the sky. She wished she had never been born, that her miserable existence had never come to be, she wished she was dead. However, her pity parties never lasted long, as she would feel the darkness inside her come out and greet her. 

"Hello, Achlys." She would say as the God of Darkness would hover in front of her.

"Oh, Audrey, happy tenth birthday." He grinned as he produced a beautiful black rose from his palm. "You're the most beautiful ten year old Princess I've ever seen." His sugary words made her smily as she accepted the rose. "So, since you are so beautiful, the world can't turn if you aren't a part of it. So please, don't wish for something so morbid on your birthday." 

She nodded and wiped any remaining sadness from her eyes and face, she gave him a big grin before heading into her room, him following her. He was a beautiful being, his skin was chocolate-y and smooth, she thought it looked like porcelain with beautiful gold ribbons - his veins - streaking through his whole body. His face was, of course, Godly, with large, sharp eyes, eyelashes that, when batted, could create breezes, everything about him oozed power. He was, after all, a literal God. She had been blessed by him, but no one saw, and he had stayed with her since. He could feel her emotions and hear her every thought, there were no secrets between them, and he taught her how to use the dark magic she had a brilliant affinity with. 

This was the reality of the Royal family, they were either born with an affinity for light magic or dark magic. No one else in the world was able to use either of those magics, which was why they were Royal. Her father had married into the family and had an affinity with fire magic and water magic, which was also extraordinary and rare. 

Achlys would teach Audrey how to use her dark magic, since it was even rarer than light magic, he would show her how to heal with it, how to fight with it, everything. Audrey picked up on how to do everything extremely quickly, he hadn't seen a mortal with such an affinity for darkness in a thousand years, so he immediately decided to bless her and align a part of his soul into hers. Something no God had done in more than five hundred years, and no one knew. 

Just as Audrey was about to say something, her door was hit with an urgent knock. Achlys disappeared and she opened the door, her nanny stood in front of her, bewildered. 

"The Lost Princess, Cecilia... she has been found."