Amara's POV

A real.

How childish could I have possibly been to suggest such a thing.

We were strangers. No more than common enemies I'd imagine.

So to see him agree to such a trivial thing was quite the surprise to me.

Were seemed to be ways out until we were to arrive at the castle I grew up in still.

After a day of walking we finally rested and I dreamed a memory from long ago.

My mother...I had almost forgotten her face...red hair like a rose with eyes as blue as the sea the same as my brother and mine.

My brown hair was a given gene from my father though and again my brother shared the same brown hair.

I was but a child then of twelve when the final argument between my mother and father unfolded before me.

She was leaving my father, the soon to be King of Northern Aster.

A woman of fair beauty of that of the fairest rose.

She had enough of being unloved by him, seeing he was taking another woman.

Later on my step mother would then be crowned queen as would take the place of my real mother.

But I didn't mind.

She was sweeter than my blood mother.

Lily was her name, Queen Lily Aster with hair as fair as the gold of wheat when it shimmered on a summer day.

Honestly it was almost white in some lightening as well.

She was compared as a lunar flower, at least in my father's words.

That day of the argument my father Allerick was to be kinged...my blood mother fought in words with him as I was hidden underneath their bed.

Luckily they were unaware that I was even there.

"Marcella! You can't be serious?!" My father followed my already fuming mother into their bed chambers.

"You mistake me! I'm not a woman meant to be as that of equal value to a book on a shelf or a drink in the cellar. I am not to be used when it is most convenient for you whenever you see it your pleasure to do so! I am a lady, a woman of value. I will not diminish my stand any longer."

"Marcella stand your tongue!"

My father was known for drinking while hanging around my mother's childhood friend.

I could see and understand why my mother was furious even just being twelve of age as I was.

My mother wasn't the sweetest or most compassionate woman but she did care for me and my brother at least.

"I won't!"

"Marcella I'm not asking. Stand your tongue woman!"

My father commanded but my mother did not seize.

"I will not love a man like you anymore than I have! I am not your pleasure for you to hide away from the world like a drug of potent pleasure. I am not some woman who is to be toyed as she is nothing. I am someone. I am me. I am a self valued and highly esteemed lady who will walk right once more and forever more! I am to be a queen not a whore. I am a lady whom you've disregarded as less!"

"You will be no queen in title if you continue to act this way Marcella."

"No...I won't be...not to you at least. But I too have de-valued myself. For what I am worth is so much more than I was wanting to live for...before I did love you oh great King of this land...but once my eyes were finally open I saw nothing but regret of every touch of you. Having to wonder if your love was even real. Seeing your heart harden right back to the start. Drinking like a pig while I was pregnant and even now, twelve years down the line."

"I've always loved you Marcella. Know that. Even though as a prince I did wed you and took upon your children...I did love you even so."

"Love me? You liar! If you did you wouldn't have loved another! While I was pregnant nonetheless! To think I thought you'd change. To keep up with your ignorance and child's play was my mistake! My greatest mistake was letting you have all of me like a lamb on a dinner plate to a wolf who couldn't decided if he wanted to set me free or not devour me whole. You may have been kind at the start but now to me, you are just a lesson to be forgotten! A lesson to know men are thieves full of greed. That a woman's heart only means that of the equal value of a one silver coin."

"You meant the world to me my love...You-"

"I told you, don't lie to me. After falling for Lily you took me as something to be easily spent. Well then, you best be on your way. To find a woman of such value who seees you the same. While you wait and suffer. Drag your heart while it's cast aside by her and then and only then may you tell me how it feels to be forgotten."

"Lily is not like that."

"Well then, you are one lucky King to have picked such a beautiful woman as her. My dearest friend whom I can no longer love seeing that she stole the man I once loved. She was like a sister to me and you took that away too as you will take my children away just the same. I doubt you'd let them leave with me."

"That is correct. If you leave now Marcella, you leave alone. As much as I do not wish it."

"Don't lie like that. You wish for me to go so you don't look like a scandal. But I'd gladly leave if it means freedom. Tell my dearest daughter that I love her. And my son to stay strong."

When I heard her say those last words I about sobbed.

She had never told me she loved me directly but then I finally knew, within that moment my brother and I meant the world to her.

But I knew deep down...there was more to my story that involved my mother than met the eye.

What did my father fall for another woman? Why didn't he truly love and acknowledge my mother as she wished?

My blood mother, what was your real reason for leaving us?

Leaving me?

You spoke once before that you saw true greatness in me, but why leave me?

Why?

I then I felt a shake and I awoke.

"Wake up Sunshine."

"I'm awake."

"We'll be there very soon, be on your guard." He then tossed me a small dagger.

"Don't get your hopes up. It's an over used dull blade, if you're lucky it'll at least be able to cut butter."

Him and his smart remarks.

———

We finally made it to the castle and it was already in shambles.

Burning and burying the dead and soon to be dead people of Aster and also faces I've never seen before.

"Seems your people choose to burn my home to the ground."

"Seems that way. The sooner we find the princess the sooner we can leave here alive. And the sooner my men can retreat and let your home heal."

"Heal? It would take decades if not centuries to rebuild."

He looked at me sharply with his hand over his sword.

"Then we must move quickly."

How was I to make a plan?

A plan that would have me still under his promise to protect me.

A plan that would give me a believing decoy in my place as princess.

And then it hit me.

My mother gave me a decoy many moons ago. Her name was Tela.

I wasn't allowed to become her friend in fear that I would someday have to use her like this...but she knew what she agreed to.

And we became friends anyway.

As much as I wished for a better plan this was all I had right now.

And if on cue I had seen a glimpse of royal apparel worn by Tela who disguised as Princess Amara, aka me.

"Hurry! Follow!" I spoke bolting after her.

I wondered why Tela wasn't protected by Seth who was the royal knight in charge of her safety.

As my brother's royal knight was William.

And where was Kairi? Now that I think about it I hoped that she was okay.

Thoughts whirled but I stood ahead of my thoughts.

Ian was fast in his feet so I had to keep up.

"There!" I shouted.

I'm sorry Tela.

Ian lunged as if he knew exactly who to grab from the crowd, binding her with rope and hiding her in the shadows of an alleyway as I followed.

"Now, let us escape this place." Ian spoke softly as he covered Tela's mouth with a cloth making her unconscious.

He then pulls out a horn and blowing it as his men retreated almost instantaneously.

"Just like how I had said. Find the Princess and no more war. And you are free to-"

Before he could even speak about taking his promise from me Seth appeared ready to fight Ian and I.

(Marcella Aster)