Seraphine

The loud banging on my door signalled the beginning of a challenging day. I grew weary of Elara, the persistent disturber of my sleep often questioning who truly served whom. Reluctantly, I rose to face her intrusion. As expected, it was Elara. I shot her an irritated look and rolled my eyes. "What?" I asked. "What, what?" she replied. Ignoring her, I returned to my bed. "What are you doing?" she scolded. "I'm tired," I replied, feigning exhaustion.

Elara prepared my bath with warm water, adorning it with handfuls of rose petals. "Sera, come take your bath," she insisted. Faking sleepiness, I resisted. Unperturbed, she pulled me out of bed, and I found myself on the floor. Stubbornly, I lay there. "Seraphine! We don't have all day," Elara exclaimed in frustration. I continued lying motionless. Frustrated, she tugged at my dress, revealing my naked body. Swiftly covering myself, I darted to the bath. I emerged promptly, draped in a towel. Elara handed me a fresh dress, assisting me in putting it on. "Your father wants to have breakfast with you today," she informed me while combing my hair. I nodded in silence.

Dad was absent from the dining room, possibly attending to matters more pressing than his only daughter. As usual, I dined alone. Returning to my room, I lay on my bed, contemplating life within these castle walls. Unknowingly, tears welled up. Elara entered, embracing me. She was more than a servant; she was my confidante. Sharing tales of her life outside the castle, she provided a connection to the world beyond. "You're really lucky, Elara," I remarked, gazing at her. "And you're funny," she giggled. "Sera, you are a princess; you can have anything you want with just a snap of your fingers," she reminded. "But I am not allowed to leave the castle," I replied, turning away. "Oh, Sera, that's for your protection, and you know that, don't you?" "I do, but it doesn't change the fact that I feel so lonely in this castle. I want to see the entire kingdom of Myrindor. I want to do things my mates are doing. I don't want to stay locked up at all times, or is it a crime to be free?" Elara took a deep breath, then stood up. Pouring a jar of water into a cup, she handed it to me. I hesitated, then drank the water. Clearly, water wasn't what I needed. Elara sat next to me. "Sera, I will be back in a while; I need to replace the flowers in the vase with fresh ones," she said, pointing at the vase. "Can I come with you?" I held her hands. Elara smiled, pulled her hands away, and left the room without a word. Unsure of what to do, I lay back on the bed, feeling abandoned by everyone Mother, Father, and Elara. Since Mom's death, Dad had become a mere shadow of himself, more serious and rarely smiling or laughing.

The castle wasn't the place for me. Grateful for the care I received, I still longed for more. Lost in thought, I suddenly drifted into sleep.

"Wake up, Sera." I opened my eyes slightly, finding Elara holding a white jasmine flower. She replaced the old hibiscus in the vase. "Sera, your father wants to see you; he awaits you in his bedroom," she informed me. I nodded and left to see my father, taking a deep breath before knocking on his door. "Come in, Seraphine." I entered, sitting next to him. He smiled, patting my head gently. "I have something for you." "What is it, Father?" I asked. He retrieved a blue crystal necklace from his pocket. "This belonged to your mother; my mother, your grandmother, gave it to her. Seraphine, it is more than just a necklace; it symbolizes greatness. My beloved daughter, I want you to have it and promise never to take it off." I nodded, wearing the necklace. He smiled, kissing my forehead. "It looks good on you." I examined the beautiful necklace. "I asked the royal chef to prepare only your favorites for dinner." "I will see you then for dinner, Father." He nodded, and I left the room.

Dining with my father after a long time was truly enjoyable and memorable. We laughed and ate together. I missed him greatly and also Mom; her death had left a profound wound in my heart that would take time to heal.

After dinner, I joined Elara in my room. She had already prepared water for my bath. I quickly undressed and got into the bath, eagerly sharing details of the dinner with Elara. The sight of my father laughing brought immense joy. I wished every day could be like this. I dressed in my night garment, and Elara returned home.

Surprisingly to Elara, I woke up early, took a bath, changed into a new dress, and ate breakfast before Elara arrived. I had a plan to disguise myself as a servant and leave the castle without raising suspicion. Knowing Elara wouldn't agree, I proceeded without consulting her. I stole a maid's clothes and an old veil to cover my face. Elara would take my clothes for mending and repairs; my plan was to follow her without detection and explore Myrindor.

Elara entered my room with disbelief, inspecting my skin and hair. "What has gotten into you?" she asked, puzzled. "As the future queen, I should learn to take responsibility for myself and the kingdom." Without a word, she walked to my wardrobe, pulled out some clothes, and approached the door. "I will be back in a moment," she said and left. I swiftly retrieved the hidden clothes, donned them, and covered my face with the veil. Opening the door, I followed Elara. A significant obstacle was the castle guard, requiring familiarity with every servant for security. Observing Elara conversing with a guard. I wait for Elara move further away from so I ran past him pretending to catch up with her. "Elara, wait for me!" I shouted He grasped my hands, pulling me back. "Who are you?" he asked. "Elara is my sister," I lied. Removing the veil, he surprisingly didn't recognize me thanks to my attire. "I am supposed to arrest you for trespassing. Since Elara is close to the princess, I'll let you go. You have to promise to never come to the palace uninvited." "I promise, sir," I replied. I asked him to escort me out to avoid arrest by other guards. He scrutinized my eyes, frowned, and said, "Let's go," leading me outside the castle. I couldn't believe my eyes; I was really outside. Myrindor was a truly beautiful kingdom. Unable to find Elara, who had disappeared, I covered my face with the veil and left the castle premises to avoid being spotted.