20 Years Ago
"Well, why can I not join you?" asked Cori, pouting. "There is plenty of room in the carriage; I'm only small."
"I am truly sorry, little Cori," cooed Alfreda. "You are a little young for this shopping trip."
"But Sophia is going! And she's younger than me!" Cori pointed to her cousin Sophia Vipond. "I'm ten, and she's only seven."
"In years, yes, she is younger, but far more mature in mind."
"I'm already wearing corsets!" Sophia chimed in, pridefully sticking her chin up at such a horrifying fact.
"Exactly," purred Alfreda. "And her magic has developed, whereas you cannot even cast a single spell yet."
Sophia Vipond flicked her fingers and produced the tiniest blue flame in her hand, a giddy grin spread across her face.
Alfreda cocked her head to the side, then, in a moping voice, said, "Sorry, dear little sister, but this shopping trip is just for us."
"I am sure you can join us next time!" said Sophia, but she received a stern look from Alfreda that could be felt even through her mask.
Princess Cori sat on the marble steps leading to the royal castle and watched as the carriage left the grounds and disappeared out of sight with her sister and her cousin inside.
"It will be alright, Your Highness," hushed Rhea, Cori's nursemaid. "We can go on a shopping trip without them if you would like. I know a lovely tea shop that serves delicious cakes."
"Thank you, Rhea." Princess Cori shook her head, blubbering, tears in her eyes, though, with her mask, no one could tell. "But I just wanted to spend time with someone more my own age for once." She clutched onto the nursemaid's dress as the old woman comforted her.
After the ten-year-old princess had calmed down, her cries now occasional sniffles, she thanked Rhea and said, "it was probably for the best. I have training later in the afternoon, and it would be best not to tire myself with shopping beforehand."
Rhea nodded, smiling gently. "I am sure that there will be plenty of shopping trips in the future. And Your Highness will have more money saved up for it."
"Yes! I will have more than Alfreda!"
Now perked up, Princess Cori headed back into the castle accompanied by her nursemaid.
*
Dressed in light leather armour and protective headgear around her mask, Princess Cori made her way to the training hall and began slashing at a straw dummy with a sword as she waited for her teacher. Rhea stood at the sidelines, cheering her on until the door slammed open, and she fell silent.
Cori sheathed her sword and fell on one knee, bowing her head low.
"Arise," said a flat voice.
The princess obeyed and gazed up at the towering figure before her: Queen Consort Henrietta, her mother.
As usual, Queen Henrietta was adorned in resplendent gold heavy armour with black embellishments, all matching her mask, gold with a set of black eyes and lips. A lace-like pattern of black spirals formed on her forehead and grew upwards, then jutted out into a thin thorn-like crown spiking out of her head. At her side, as always, was her spear, which she dared never part with, even when at parties and other social gatherings.
"What did you do wrong just now? Tell me," ordered Queen Henrietta.
Princess Cori hesitated, glancing back at the training dummy, trying to recall what she had done wrong if she had at all. "I um..."
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Welfare and Warfare
Fantasy(Book four of the Harm and Harmony series) It has been years since Henry was imprisoned in a hell dimension called The Eternal Abyss, which is infested with monsters and other prisoners that have lost control and will do anything to survive. What ha...
