Dear Isabella,
When you were still here, you called me a pessimistic, bitter girl. Yeah, I agree, so I'm going to whine more now.
Love, V
I woke up in a large, soft bed the next morning. As last night's events come rushing back to my memory, I know I should feel a little guilty.
The thing is, I wasn't.
What do you think of when you hear the word "secret"? Maybe in kindergarten, your best friend skipped up to you, saying "I've got a secret!" in a singsong voice. That friend would theatrically whisper in your ear, preferably in front of the other kids. The secret would be, "I stayed up an hour later than my bedtime last night!" (that's a bit ironic, don't you think?) or "I stole my sister's dessert!" Maybe when the two of you got older, it would change to the two of you discussing who liked who, and what she said, and what he did. Of course, this is just all my hypothetical thinking.
This is my secret. Once I got used to breaking the rules and sneaking out, it became a part of my lifestyle. Seriously it was along the lines of this:
6:30 AM- Wake up
7:30 AM-2PM- Academic lessons
6:30 PM- Dinner
2AM- Sneak out, and don't get caught.
When I was young, my parents only had three rules for me. Never leave the palace. Have no outside contact. Uphold the family name.
Yes, I said palace. My name is Victoria Marie Danforth. Daughter of Celso and Maria Danforth. I live in the country of Spaira, in the royal kingdom of the North.
In a month I will be 17. For two years, I have been Victoria Marie by day, Black Sparrow by night. My life has been split into two. Rules, and secrets. The rules are the backbone of my royal life. I repeat them in my head all the time to control my emotions. See, people come all the time, expressing their opinion, each one thinking they are correct. They will tell you how to carry out your decisions.
Don't snap.
Don't yell.
Don't bend.
Don't break.
Simply put, when each idiotic fool parades into the palace and utters their superior opnion, just nod, and act like it will be given careful consideration.
What a lie that is. I know that every ruler should love their subjects equally, and always try to make their kingdom a better place. However, for the kingdom of the North? Well, it's late to fix it now. Several generations back, the king of Spaira was just terrible. I was just a little girl, maybe six, or seven. After the king's reign ended, some of the royals didn't even try to fix Spaira. My parents have been the first royals in years to actually try.
The citizens try to get their ideas to me as well. Especially at public gatherings, where I am all made up like a new shiny item on display for people to throw themselves at. I am the jewel that the villagers will lunge for. Each one will use the jewel for their own use. In this case, each one will try to tell me how to do my job, in a way that fits their own needs.
I would love to break free from those chains.
I want to take down the Onyx Assembly, the evil organization I have been chasing for years.
The Onyx is run by an unknown person, and I'm determined to find out who it is. Over years after chasing them, I've noticed their MO is to steal ancient, priceless artifacts that have great value to Spaira. .
There's yet another ball tonight, celebrating another year of success for Spaira. I'll be locked in my display case again, not being able to get out, and wishing I had the key.
I heaved myself out of my bed, taking my time on purpose. I felt extra spiteful today. I had to spend all morning being tended to by my mother's assistants. Three hours of brushes tugging at my hair, makeup being smeared on my face, and changing in and out of numerous dresses.
Oh, joy.
Like I said though, I'm used to it. It's been a big part of my life.
XXX
As I sat down waiting to be made up for the ball tonight, I thought about what an amazing escape would be like. I do this a lot. I make up great escapes in my head wishing they were real.
Guests dancing to a waltz, and important people mingling about discussing betrothals, matches and politics. My escape would be quiet, subtle, I think. I would sneak away from sight, hopefully going unnoticed by my family. The ballroom has a secret staircase that leads up to the terrace. It was put in by my great-grandfather, who, like me, was greatly bored at social events. He loved astronomy and everything to do with the outdoors. I would edge my way closer and closer to the top, then making my way into the dangerous streets...
I opened my eyes with a start. It felt so real. It made me so, so angry that I had to be snapped out of my reverie. I felt angrier than usual. It was odd, my emotions have been red-hot all day. Why did I feel like this time, I was especially close to escaping these cursed walls? Why, was it that this time, I felt like I could actually do it?
Don't snap.
Don't bend.
Don't-
I yelled in frustration and angrily slammed a few things off my desk to the ground. In that moment, I realized how spoiled and privileged I was acting. That feeling just added to my anger. I didn't want to act that way. I've always made it a priority to strengthen character. It's just so hard, and I'm so exhausted from doing this every single day.
This daydream felt different than most of the ones I had conducted in the past. It felt like it was meant to happen. Like, something bad would happen if I didn't do it.
But, there are rules, my shoulder angel argued.
Wait. Rules are made, but why can't they be broken? My shoulder devil asked. I raised my eyebrows, listening to my own thoughts, bouncing back and forth at each other. I was tired of listening to my angel for so long.
A pleased and mischievous smile appeared on my face. Mother's assistants were oblivious to my reckless thoughts.
Tonight, it will happen.
A/N: Follow @AnjiandNan on Wattpad for the full story!
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