The Rise of the Lost Princess

BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BE- I rolled over and cut off my morning alarm with a groan before slowly sitting up in my narrow bed. Facing the light lavender walls of my small bedroom and scowling at the light pouring in through my window, I tried desperately to mentally prepare myself for the day. It was my turn to cook breakfast that morning, and I wasn't excited about it. I hated those mornings. Not because I had to be the one to cook, I actually enjoyed cooking and baking and making food out of simple ingredients. It was actually one of the only things I enjoyed about living here. But it meant that I also had to feed Aline, my mother. That was my absolute LEAST favorite chore. I would rather do something else, anything else. Alex would be running her bath and attending to all of her other needs while I did this, and though doing that for her wasn't very pleasant either, I still found it more preferable than feeding her. I didn't have to look her in the face when giving her a bath... I traveled down to the kitchen and could hear the water moving through the pipes, which meant Alex was already starting her bath. With a deep sigh, I began cooking breakfast for the three of us and tried not to think about what I had to do afterward. I made my way down to our small kitchen. The cabinets had been painted a soft blue I guess to make it seem more cheery, but they contrasted harshly against the green counter tops. Our refrigerator was old and worn, clearly having seen better years and we had no dish washer, just a shallow double basin sink. That was the other part about breakfast duty I couldn't stand, having to wash dishes though I would still take that over feeding Aline. With a heavy heart, I pulled everything I needed out to start cooking. For me and Alex, I kept it simple. Buttermilk pancakes with a generous side of fruit as a compliment. I started the coffee pot so it would be ready once Alex was finished. For Aline, I made a maple brown sugar oatmeal. I hoped that the sweetness of the oatmeal would make what came next a little easier. I knew it wouldn't, but I still had to try. It had been this way for as long as I could remember. Alex and I take care of the house. I can't remember the last time I had ever seen Aline do anything. But I mean, she had to do something when we weren't home, at the very least. I mean, the bills were getting paid, not once had our utilities ever been shut off, and we never had an "over due balance" notice in the mail. Alex didn't work between school, sports, and then taking care of the house. He really didn't have the time. I once asked about getting a job, but he was insistent that it wasn't necessary. "We don't need extra money," he had said. "The bills are getting paid just fine." "Yeah, but how are they getting paid?" I asked, but he didn't give an answer. Unlike me, he knew better than to ask Aline those hard questions. Not that she ever answered the easy questions, but the hard ones would send her into episodes where she wouldn't eat for days at a time and she wouldn't move out of bed for us to bath her. Sometimes, I couldn't stop myself from asking difficult questions. But I couldn't help it, there were so many questions I had that only she could answer. My father had walked out when Aline was pregnant with me, and since then, she had been alone with just me and my brother. I know a situation like that had to have been hard, but it was still difficult not to hold any resentment towards her. She had done the bare minimum until Alex and I were more or less old enough to fend for ourselves, as much as two 6-year-olds could fend for themselves. He basically became my primary caregiver after that. As I got older, I didn't understand why she would even bother to keep us, but Alex and I stuck together, and we didn't complain to anyone but each other. We had seen enough TV and movies to know what happened to kids with parents who didn't take care of them, and neither of us wanted to be split up. That was the only reason I put up with it. So I couldn't be taken from Alex. Though he was 18 already and I would be there soon, it was extremely unlikely that they would let me stay with him. They would put me in a different home with strangers for the last few months of my 'childhood' and then throw me into the streets like they did every other kid like me. If that happened, there was no guarantee that I would ever see Alex again, and that just wasn't an option. I was pulled out of my dark train of thought when Alex came into the room. His shirt was slightly damp, and his brown hair fell in waves just below his eye level. "She's ready for you now, Anita." He said, and I felt my gaze slide past him to her slightly open bedroom door. I couldn't rearrange the features on my face fast enough, and he saw the hesitant scowl on my face. "The sooner you get it done, the sooner we can go about our day." He didn't say it harshly. His voice was soft and full of encouragement. I looked up at him and saw the sincerity in his face, his bright green eyes gentle and silently begging me to just get it done so we could go about the rest of our day.. I let out a soft sigh. "Okay." I said, collecting her food onto the breakfast tray and making my way into her room. She was sitting up in her bed, staring blankly at the space above her blanket. The sight made my stomach flip. At one point in time, I am sure my mother must have been beautiful. She had a small frame, like I did, and though her hair was usually a mess, it was a beautiful chocolate brown. Her face also had a pretty shape with full lips and long lashes. I didn't know what her eyes looked like. She never looked me in the eyes. But even just from this, I knew she was beautiful. It was just hard to tell at first glance. You really had to look at her to see it. I looked down slightly, and I hated looking her in the face. "Good morning," I said, trying to sound cheerful. " Your breakfast is ready, I hope you like it." I said, taking the seat next to her bed. I set up the tray we used to feed her and placed the bowl of oatmeal on it. "It smells soooo good, you wanna bite?" I said, scooping up a small spoonful and holding it up to her so she could take a bite. She didn't move. "Is it too hot?" I asked, pulling it back and blowing on it to be safe before holding it back up to her mouth. She still didn't move. I let out another small sigh. "Please eat, Ma, I promise it tastes good, I'll show you." I took the bite of the oatmeal in my mouth and swallowed it. It was good, more than good. " See? Just try it." I scooped up another spoon and held it up to her again. Nothing. Did she really have to make it this hard every single time? "Come on, Ma, you need to eat. I could make you something else if you wa-" I was cut off when she threw her bowl off the tray and knocked its contents onto my lap. And it burned. "Ouch, ah, OW, damn it!" I yelled. "Alex, please help! It HURTS!" Alex was already halfway through the door. When he saw the scene in front of him, he grew livid. "Aline, why would you do that?" he demanded. He never raised his voice at home. He was always very calm and controlled. Not now, though. Now he was furious. It was also the first time I'd heard him call her by her name... I remembered once that he would look at me like that more than he would look at her. There had been a time when she had been a true mother to him, and I was certain part of him blamed me for the change. There was a part of me that blamed myself, too. She didn't respond, not as I expected her to. But she was breathing heavier, the only sign of her distressed state. Alex slowly came over to me and picked me up, trying not to touch my freshly burned skin, and carried me out of her room and to the washroom upstairs. Once inside, he carefully set me on the edge of the tub. I whimpered as he lowered me down. He straightened up and looked at me hesitantly before saying, "Do you need me to help you out of those.. or do you have it?" He asked, looking only slightly uncomfortable. Alex had been taking care of me for most of my life. There had been a few times he had to either give me a bath or at least help me undress growing up, but we had both been little kids. I knew he didn't feel comfortable undressing his teenage sister, and I REALLY didn't feel comfortable with it either. "I'll manage, we might be a little late, though." I told him. "I'm not too worried about it." He said, "Burn cream is in the medicine cabinet, I'll bring you a change of clothes." He closed the door and left me to clean myself up. I slowly stripped out of my pajamas and shirt, inspecting my burns. The bright red splotches were spread over my upper thighs and lower abdomen. They stung and pulsed, but thankfully, they didn't look too serious. I carefully and slowly made my way to the cabinet to pull the long tube of cream down. I slowly spread the burn cream over the burns and then wrapped them. Once I was finished, there was a soft knock on the door. Cracking it open, I saw Alex grabbing me some loose-fitting sweats and a T-shirt. "Thanks." I said, grabbing them from him. "I'll meet you downstairs." "Alright." he said before walking away. I carefully dressed and glanced at myself in the mirror. It was long enough for me to know I could NOT leave looking like this. I grabbed a brush and yanked it through the knots in my bright red hair, and then pulled it into a messy knot on the top of my head. I quickly brushed my teeth and applied just the barest bit of concealer to hide the bags under my eyes. This was really the only make-up I had as a gift from Alex. The bills may have been getting paid, but we didn't know where the money was coming from, and it wasn't like we could ask Aline for money to make a beauty store run. Once I was satisfied that I could do no better, I took the time to look into my eyes in the mirror. They were the color of amber, almost like honey, the only feature I liked about myself. I took a deep breath before I made my way slowly down the stairs, grinding my teeth against the pain of my burns and met Alex in the car. He saw me wince as I lowered myself into the passenger seat. "You could always stay home. You don't have to force yourself to come to school." As if staying home was a real option. "I'll survive." I told him before settling into my seat. With a shrug, Alex backed out of the driveway, and we were on our way. Unknown POV I watched from my position just down the road as the two of them got into the car. The young princess was walking stiffly as if she were in pain. It was good to know that Aline was still enduring the curse, though it was frustrating that she hadn't yet killed the girl. Her will was stronger than I anticipated, but I should have expected that. I had kept close and maintained a watchful eye the last seventeen years. In all that time, Aline was always successful in stopping herself before causing her daughter too much harm. But it was entertaining watching her succumb to it from time to time, even if it was only briefly. Time was running out, though. The girl would be eighteen very soon, and once that happened, the curse would lose all effects. We would have to strike fast in order to prevent her from taking her children and running back to that useless husband of hers. I should have killed him before going into hiding. Thankfully, I still had connections inside the palace, keeping a close watch on him. He had no idea that Aline was still cursed, nor that his precious heir was suffering. It was important it stay that way. My eyes lingered on the boy, and I was filled with the determination I felt every time I saw him. The Prince had his own plans for the girl, but nothing would stop me from getting the boy. A young man needs his father after all.