Chapter Two: Flying High

* Poppy's POV*

I turn eighteen in a week, and it's probably the most exciting birthday of them all. Being eighteen means I can buy the herbs I need for my potions on my own! No more suspicious looks from maids when I ask for weird poisons. No more bargaining with my older siblings to buy me strange-looking herbs. And no more long 'discussions' (aka chastising sessions) from my parents on why buying blood and poison looks bad for my reputation as a princess.

I mean, I always store the poisons and toxic herbs in a safe place. And the magic seals on the containers only allow me to open them. One time a maid tried to take some poison, to do who knows what with, and she was executed for attempted murder. That was such an exciting day.

After that my father made me cast protection spells on all my herbs. No one has tried to touch them since. Right now I am experimenting with a flying talisman. No one has invented one before because people can just use flying broomsticks in the witch world for transportation. Flying broomsticks are magic items created in labyrinths. But with the advancement in technology, no one uses broomsticks anymore. They don't fly very high and are about the same speed as a horse. I mean cars exist so what's the point?

But I was thinking. If I can make a book fly with a talisman. No magic is needed so it's a low budget. Then I could fly around on anything! How cool would that be! I cackled at my wonderful plan. I stirred the cauldron as I added my ingredients. "One drop of eagle blood for enhanced flight speed. Oops too much. Oh well." I closed the bottle and put it back into its designated spot." I began to chant a spell to give the talisman its power. The runes I had scribbled on the papers glew. A giant puff of smoke that smelled like burnt chicken and lavender puffed in my face. This meant the spell was finished.

I grabbed one talisman from the stack and plopped it on a nearby chair. The chair lifted into the air ever so slowly. Then I thought internally, 'the roof,' and the chair shot up into the air. I laughed happily as the chair flew over the castle and landed on the roof of the palace. I clapped in glee at my experiment's success. 'Return,' I demanded and the chair began to fly back down.

Clap clap clap.

"Another day of creating useless spells I see. What's even the point if you're not going to become Empress?"

I looked over to see my brother, the crown prince, and the only prince, walking into my outdoor lab. I have two labs. "You're not supposed to be out here Francis. It's not safe." He shrugged, "You're here every day. Why can't I-." The chair landed right on his head. He collapsed.

I ran over to him and checked his pupils. 'Knocked out cold.' I walked out into the hall and waved over a knight. "Francis came into my lab without permission and fainted. Please help him to the infirmary." The knight nodded and warily entered my lab. I was immune to most poisons because of my experiments so I wasn't bothered by any toxins that might be in the air. So I wouldn't know if the air was lethal unless someone walked in and died on the spot.

That is why it's so important for people not to enter without permission. There are tests I can do to make sure it's safe, not that anyone needs to come in anyways. But my brother always ignores these warnings. All of my siblings see me as a lesser being to them. As the twelfth burden to this family who serves absolutely no purpose. So when I can do something that they can't - like be immune to all poisons - their pride seep through and they try to one-up me. It's an exhausting cycle that I want absolutely no part in. I already know everyone sees me as a useless princess so why must my siblings strive to remind me of it constantly?

The knight sighed in relief when he didn't immediately die when he walked into the lab and began to pick up the prince. Exhaustion washed over my body as I stretched from a day's hard work. "Time for a nap," I yawned. The knight jogged past me as he went to take care of Francis. I closed and locked my lab then headed to my room.