Found ©️

Chapter 1

Ally

“Your highness, your mother requests your presence to greet King Kekara.” Someone says knocking on my bedroom door.

This again. Apparently I need to go stand there and try being polite. And not make a mistake under my mother’s judgmental eyes. Even with my short time in the Palace I know what is expected of me. And what is expected of me, is for me not to be me.

I climb off my huge king-sized bed, that feels like it should be locked in the tallest tower of a castle. With the furniture in here, I’m not completely convinced I haven’t travelled to a fictional medieval land. One that has a dragon guarding my escape. I know I’m in a castle. But I didn’t expect it to be quiet so, castley? Is that even a thing?

Least the Palace has electricity, running water and toilets. I suppose somewhere along the way it must have been updated, just not within my lifetime. Yes, it is painted a lovely shade of light blue, that makes it look like a comfortable cloud. But the room is so far from inviting.

“Your Highness?” Someone asks, knocking on my door again.

They know I’m in here! I couldn’t be anywhere else, even if I wanted to be. I know stalling for time doesn’t work. In fact, when I do that the queen looks down her nose at me. Like I have done something disgusting. I go and open my door. The one place in this castle that I am meant to feel at home in, and instead I feel like I’m living in a museum. My apartment with Drew in New York felt more like my home than this place ever will.

What am I even meant to say to the man standing there in the penguin suit.

“Sorry. Coming.” I mumble out, feeling like I have to say something.

Anything at least to try and look like I’m not completely out of my depth here. With all of their eyes on me all the time, I just want to go back into hiding. The guards in the corridor all watch me, as if they’re afraid that if they blink, I will disappear. This castle is suffocating.

“This way then, your Highness. Your mother wishes for you to meet him in the Green parlour today.” He informs me.

Oh yes, the Green one. Which is so different from the Red one, I met someone in yesterday. Or the Blue one from the day before. They all haven’t merged together in my head as one. As the only thing that makes them different is the colour scheme.

“Okay.” I say, possibly not the response I should have given.

But I do follow him at least. Following close to his heals, with the guards close to mine. Down corridors that make me feel like I might break something any second. I stick close to the penguin guy though, because I would get lost here so easily. The guards stick close to me, because they can’t risk me being out their line of sight for a moment! I’m not still petrified of the huge men in black jackets that have filled my nightmares my whole life. That’s a complete lie. They scare me even more now. Because now, they are in my nightmares and my waking moments and I can’t escape them even for a second. They are a constant, silent, judging presence.

Eventually, after what feels like forever. And down so many twisty turning corridors that I doubt I could ever find my way back. We arrive at a door that the penguin suit opens.

“Please go inside and make yourself comfortable. King Kakara and your Mother shall arrive soon.” The penguin informs me.

I walk in to the room, the guards who followed me fan out around the room as I go. I sit on a green sofa. I fiddle with my hair curling a strand round and round my finger. Forcing myself not to chew it, because I can’t face another lecture on how unlady like it is from my Mother.

You would think after many, many years of hunting for me and only three months of knowing me. That she would be kind and loving and just want to hug me all the time. But no. She constantly tells me what I am doing wrong. How I should be acting instead. And that’s if she has time to see me. I get it. There is a lot I need to know, but I’m so new to this it’s all completely foreign to me. At no point in my life did I ever ask to be a princess. I just wanted a home and to feel safe and loved. Not have responsibilities coming out my eyeballs.

The door opens and in walks a man with my Mother and a completely different Mr penguin. I quickly get to my feet as he walks over to me. I hold out my hand like my Mother instructed me to my first meeting with someone. He gently lays my hand on top of his as he bows and kisses the top of it. This is still so creepy and, yuck.

“Your Majesty, it is a pleasure to meet you.” He tells me, like this is all so normal.

Like I wasn’t kidnapped my whole childhood.

‘Don’t bow, don’t bow.’ I remind myself.

I can’t bow back to him, I bow to no one. I have to keep reminding myself that, I’ve bowed my head one to many times for my Mother’s liking.

“It is a pleasure to meet you too.” I tell him.

Forgetting how the penguin pronounced this man’s name. My Mother gives me a look, what have I done wrong this time? I have so much to learn and most the time I feel like I’m never going to get it. I long for my old calculus lessons that I thought I would never get. I long to be washing dishes. Which I am fully aware of how ironic that is. Instead, I am being treated like a living doll and forced to meet loads of people who are curious about me. But none actually care to get to know me. No one wanted to know the real me, the person I was inside. How was I meant to rule them if I didn’t get to know them, and they didn’t get to know me?

Sometimes I wish that I could go back, maybe Math and I could have been friends. Who am I kidding? Math and I would never be friends, even if I wanted to be friends with it. But it was still easier than meeting all these people and trying not to panic. Or do something wrong. Not to mention one day having to rule over an entire species, that may look like humans, but are in fact an ancient race. Like vampires and witches, called the Amaris. Meaning ‘Child of the Moon.’ We are not immortal but have a much longer life expectancy than humans. But like a vampire, we must drink blood. Just the thought of drinking blood from a human makes me feel sick but most of my kind do it. I drink my blood from blood bags.

I hope the queen lives forever, because I don’t think I ever want to be responsible for the Amaris. They scare me. I should not be in a castle playing princess, this isn’t who I am. I’m just a sixteen-year-old girl who thought she was seventeen. I have been hunted, with people trying to kill me my whole life. That made so much more sense than this!

I sit when my Mother sits and try engaging in the conversation with the King. Who is paying more attention to me than the other Royal’s mother has introduced me to. As if how I am coping with my schooling here, is of an actual interest to him. I have a few private tutors. Yes, they have found that my magic is severely behind where it should be. But I’m not as far behind as I think any of them feared. I can only thank Drew for that but there is still so much I need to learn. Sometimes I don’t think I will ever learn it all.

The history of my people for a start. It all sounds like a made-up story that was written by their side and is missing all of the important bits. Like how it even happened in the first place. It’s so weird. As if there’s more to it than what they will tell us. But even the history of my people is easier to remember than Princess lessons.

All the names of all the Royal families that sit on the court and there next in line. Who’s related to who and how. It’s so complicated I don’t think I will ever get an understanding of it. So, there’s one king that shouldn’t be on the throne. Because his 3-year-old great uncle is the rightful heir. Because his mother was something or other along their line that gave him more of a right to the seat. Our long lives of around 500 to 800 years make it so hard. Thankfully, my Mother leads the conversation. Soon they say their goodbyes, as they have work to do in my Mother’s office. Leaving me to my own devices.

The moment they have left the room I sink back in the sofa, letting out a sigh. This isn’t me. Sometimes I regret meeting Drew. Or Prince Andrew as my Mother keeps correcting me. I often find myself thinking back to when I met him in Paris less than a year ago. Has it really not been that long? It feels like a lifetime ago that I snuck into the nightclub underage. He wouldn’t serve me alcohol. Then my friends had become his dinnertime special, I had to stand up to him. Our friendship really did have a rocky start. Then when he followed me to Italy on a train. Okay I can’t ever regret meeting Drew, even if at first, I thought he was a weirdo that wanted to kill me.

I play with a loose thread on the dress that the Palace has provided. All my own clothes have disappeared and now I am a dolly that they dress up.

“How many more do I need to meet?” I ask out loud.

Forgetting that Mariana, the only guard who actually talks to me like I am a person and not a decoration, has the day off. I am met with silence. You would never believe that the room has 6 men standing around it. I pulled the thread on the new dress. It was all too new. New parents, new kingdom, new princess, new, new, new. I know, I should have always been a princess. But I was kidnapped as a baby. I was raised in fear of the people I now call my citizens. Apparently by the people that killed my sister.

But that doesn’t sit right with me. I don’t doubt Nicky, the woman I called Mum, loved me. And after discovering that her best friend who she used to talk to out loud was my sister? I don’t doubt that she loved her too. So, her kidnapping me and leaving my sister to die doesn’t sound right to me. But that’s what everyone tells me, and I’ve learned to keep my mouth shut about it. Especially to Marco, Drews big brother.

He spent a good 15 years hunting for me. After he promised my dying sister that he would find me and keep me safe. He had even given up the chance to sit on his own throne in the court to keep his promise. I hope someday someone loves me as much as Marco loved Elizabeth.

I sometimes think I’m a disappointment to him. I think he thought I would be more like her, I think they all did. Rather than the most confused princess there ever was. And one day I will be the most confused Queen there ever was. I’m not Elizabeth though, and no amount of lessons or training will turn me into her. No matter how much everyone wants that, my parents especially.

I see my Mother’s disappointment when she looks at me. I think they all thought I would just settle in naturally and know what the hell I am meant to do. Rather than spend my time craving the outside world. Not just the outside world, just plain old outside would do me right about now!

I DON’T EVEN WANT THE THRONE! I just wanted a family. I just wanted to be safe. I just wanted someone to love me. Which is why I really am trying with them. All my life all I wanted was a home and this one came with a Mum and Dad. I am trying to get to know them but it feels one sided. My Dad goes to try and then its like the next day he’s forgotten what we even talked about. Like he has brought up a few times helping me with my Math work. Several times really. But he never shows up. I get it. They are stressed. They are apparently constantly trying to sort out the mess that is my situation. As my Mother puts it. Not to mention that currently I am apparently getting death threats, constantly. No one will let me see them though. They all fear for my life and safety, so basically, all I am allowed to do is stay in the Palace. Surrounded by huge men in black jackets. 24 7. Not even allowed outside on the grounds to feel the wind on my skin, or the grass beneath my feet.

I feel so alone and being surrounded by people that won’t even talk to me. It’s making this all so much harder. I understand that my parents want to love me, and I truly do want to love them. They spent fifteen years trying to find me, never giving up hope that I was still alive.

Looking around the room I take in all the blank faces as if they are afraid to show an ounce of emotion. It’s no wonder they still scare me and fill my nightmares. I look around the room not knowing what to do with myself. When I was with Drew, I had gone to school during the day. I had made friends with humans and with two other Amaris. Princess Kayla and my boyfriend, Prince Luke. Well, at least I hoped he was still my boyfriend. I hadn’t been able to see him or even talk to him in over three months. I knew he would be back at his boarding school, surrounded by other Amaris. I wouldn’t blame him if he was mad at me, we were still on and off fighting when I was drug away. So it wasn’t the healthiest place to leave our relationship. I wouldn’t really blame him if he had moved on. We never even had butterflies or a spark or whatever relationships are meant to have.

I think the fact I haven’t talked to anyone my own age in months is slowly driving me nuts. I look at the youngest guard in the room with me, he only looks a few years older than me. Blonde hair that is tied up tightly into a man bun. I heard him speak French to another guard when he was off duty the other day. So maybe its just a case of he doesn’t speak English? Maybe that’s why none of them talk to me? They don’t understand me.

“Comment va tout le monde?” I ask, hoping someone will answer my question.

Asking, how they all are.

“Perhaps, ask me the same thing? I am struggling.”

No one answers me though. No one asks me how I am coping with my life being turned upside down. I sit back in complete silence. I don’t even have a TV to distract me. Apparently, the court doesn’t get a signal. Yet they all had mobiles that worked! I was the only one who didn’t. Though I hadn’t actually had the guts to ask my parents for one or much of anything for that matter.

The queen, my mother, lost her cool for my asking to go look around the court on my second week here. But I think I’m the only one who actually remembers that or thinks of it as crazy. Being yelled at in a language I barely understand was crazy.

I looked at the six guards around the room, wondering where Marco is. When I first got here, he was always around. Even if it was just to tell me quietly to sit straighter. Never thought I would miss that, but least it’s someone talking to me. I think because he had been raised a Prince, Marco knew exactly how I should act. I do try to listen to him, even when all I want to do is stick my tongue out at him behind his back. Which I do regularly. Which makes Marianna and Joe laugh. But I can’t so much as get an emotion out of the others yet.

But I keep telling myself to give it time. They’ll warm up to me hopefully.

Unfortunately, Marco and Joe have been busy a lot recently, sorting out all my death threats. Which are real possible threats to my life, keeping everyone on their toes. Why they all hate me so much, I don’t know. It’s not my fault I was born royalty. Trust me, I’ve was dragged into this life. I did come in kicking and screaming. If it wasn’t for that tranquilliser, I would have gotten away from them and would still have my freedom! Though then I have to remind myself these people aren’t the bad guys. They just wanted to return me to my family.

“So, has anyone watched anything good on TV?” I ask out loud.

Then trying my question in three different languages. Hoping someone will cave in and answer me. Break up the silence that is my life. But I am met with nothing. Not even a flicker on any of their faces to show I had said something.

“Read any good books?” I ask.

Still no reply. I twirl some of my strawberry blonde hair around my finger. That after my Mother’s hair stylist got to it, now falls in ringlets. I long to throw on a t-shirt and some jeans, throw my hair up into a plait or a ponytail. And just go outside.

Still knowing no one would answer. “Anyone know where Marco is?” I ask.

No answer but I wasn’t expecting one. I climb to my feet and make a move to the door. Instantly they all spring to action and someone opens it. Heaven forbid, I touch a doorknob. One guard leaves the room before me. He stays in front of me with two to either side of me. The others walking up my ass. I can’t help but wonder how the person in front of me knows where I’m going. But then there’s only certain rooms in the Palace I am allowed to go to, and I did ask where Marco was. I follow him, hoping he will take me to Marco. Least then I will have someone to talk to.