Princess Aurelia had everything.
Silk gowns. Gilded mirrors. A room in the tallest tower with sunlight that touched her face each morning before the maids did.
But she wasn't free.
Not really.
Not when every step she took was watched, every word weighed, every movement judged. Not when she was the daughter of a dead mistress and treated like an echo instead of a person.
She stood now at the edge of her balcony, the crystal necklace heavy against her collarbone. It had belonged to her mother—the woman her father had loved more than any queen, and the woman the court had never truly forgiven.
Aurelia's eyes drifted toward the gardens, where her brothers trained with swords and laughter. Elias caught her gaze from below and gave her a small nod; silent, loyal, understanding. He always knew when she was spiraling.
She loved them, her brothers. All five of them, even when they were loud and arrogant and too noble for their own good. They'd each been promised kingdoms of their own, groomed for leadership. Even her sisters, now married and scattered across distant empires, had left behind a legacy of power.
But Aurelia was the youngest.
The mistake.
The child who shouldn't have been born.
She was her father's quiet favorite, yes, but never his heir. Never his pride. Just the soft shadow of a woman he lost too soon, a girl meant to be married off like a peace offering.
Her future had been signed away in ink and blood months ago. A foreign king. A stronger alliance. A kingdom across the sea. She hadn't even seen the man's face, only the crest on his letters, golden lions with ruby eyes.
Her heart ached just thinking about it.
Still, she endured. The smiles. The rehearsed lines. The queens' sharp eyes as they adjusted her posture and reminded her, yet again, not to speak unless spoken to. Especially not at court.
She bowed. She obeyed.
But she never belonged.
At dinner, Lady Seraphine's words were sugar-laced poison. "Aurelia, dear, try not to frown so much. You'll scare your future husband."
The other queens tittered. Aurelia's hands curled in her lap.
She said nothing.
Not yet.
That night, when the halls had quieted and her ladies had gone to bed, Aurelia stood before her mirror, pulled off her tiara, and set it on the velvet cushion like a burden she couldn't carry anymore.
She looked at herself, really looked. The silver of her eyes. The slight wave in her hair. The necklace glowing faintly in the moonlight.
This wasn't who she wanted to be, she laid flat on her bed as she drifted off into a deep sleep.
And then the dream began.
She stood barefoot on a mountain, wind tugging at her hair. The sky above was dark, yet full of stars, swirling and shifting like they were alive. Her chest burned; not in pain, but with a strange warmth.
She looked down.
Glowing lines shaped like flower petals were blooming across her skin, soft and golden, starting from the crystal on her chest and pulsing outward. It felt ancient. Familiar. Like something deep inside her had finally awakened.
The wind howled. The stars blinked out. Her feet left the ground.
She gasped.
And then she woke up.
Aurelia sat bolt upright, drenched in sweat, her breath coming in short, sharp bursts. The room was quiet except for the crackle of the fire. She pressed a hand to her chest.
The necklace was still there.
Still cold.
Still silent.
She fell back onto the pillows, frowning at the ceiling. The warmth was gone, but the feeling lingered, something waiting, something old. Something… hers.
Eventually, sleep found her again.
"Princess, it's morning," said a sweet voice, gentle fingers brushing a strand of hair from her face. "Time to rise, Your Highness."
Aurelia blinked her eyes open to find her personal maid, Mirelle, smiling down at her, flanked by three other maids carrying basins and towels.
They helped her out of bed, bathed her in rose-scented water, and wrapped her in soft silk. The other maids curtsied and slipped out with practiced grace, leaving Mirelle alone to brush her hair as Aurelia sat at the vanity.
Mirelle hummed softly, her eyes dancing with excitement.
Aurelia arched a brow at her reflection. "You look as if you've swallowed a secret. Out with it, then. What's gotten you so bright this morning?"
She was woken by the sound of laughter and the soft rustle of skirts.
"Princess, it's morning," said a sweet voice, gentle fingers brushing a strand of hair from her face. "Time to rise, Your Highness."
Aurelia blinked her eyes open to find her personal maid, Mirelle, smiling down at her, flanked by three other maids carrying basins and towels.
They helped her out of bed, bathed her in rose-scented water, and wrapped her in soft silk. The other maids curtsied and slipped out with practiced grace, leaving Mirelle alone to brush her hair as Aurelia sat at the vanity.
Mirelle hummed softly, her eyes dancing with excitement.
Aurelia arched a brow at her reflection. "You look as if you've swallowed a secret. Out with it, then. What's gotten you so bright this morning?"
Mirelle grinned. "It's the day of the village fair, my lady! The biggest one of the year. Music, dancing, fireworks, sweets…oh, it's always so wonderful. I haven't missed a single one since I was a child."
Aurelia's eyes lit up, curiosity piqued. "The village fair… I've read about it, but never seen it."
Mirelle paused, mid-braid. "You haven't?"
The princess shook her head. "Never. I've never even been outside the castle walls."
"You've never—!" Mirelle's voice cracked in disbelief, then softened. "Oh, but my lady, you'd love it. The colors, the smells, the food, the people… It's magic."
Aurelia turned to her with quiet wonder. "Then I want to go."
Mirelle's smile vanished in an instant. Her hands stilled in Aurelia's hair.
"My lady," she said, lowering her voice, "you know you're not allowed to leave the castle."
Aurelia stared into her own reflection, the same silver eyes staring back.
"Yes," she said. "But I didn't ask if I was allowed."