Once upon a time in Ventralli

Fallen Feathers

Once upon a time there was a very happy girl named Emmaline. She was the princess of Ventralli and since she was very small her favorite activity was painting. She took the brush and started mixing colors, creating forms that left breathless everyone who saw her job.

Her life in the palace was great and she was really happy... except for the arranged marriage. Her parents told her that one day she would marry the Winter's prince, but she couldn't stand the boy. He sought every opportunity to disturb her, pull her hair and even ruin her paintings.

She didn't stay far behind though. She devised plans to let him like a fool or make some jokes that made her laugh for days. He seemed so strange with his big blue eyes and hair white as snow.

The unexpected "war" among the children was worrying to their parents. As hard as they try and talk to them extensively, they failed to get along. So they decided to separate them for a while and wait for them to reach maturity to try to change the relationship they had.

The kids felt a little weird to not see each other anymore. After all this time, their fights had become something to look forward, a way to have fun. But eventually they moved on and both became exceptional.

Emmaline spent her hours drawing, her paintings took the breath away from all the visitors who came to Ventralli. Her little sister was even jealous of her talent.

On the other hand, the prince became a very handsome boy and it came the day after so long that he would see the princess again. He was really nervous, didn't know how she would react. They could no longer be fighting and the future of his kingdom depended on their alliance. He hoped she wasn't a spoiled child who would make fun of him.

But when he arrived at the Ventrallan palace, the princess was all he could see. She had become the most beautiful girl he had ever seen and her character was as impeccable as her paintings. She was kind and sweet, leaving the prince completely spellbound.

They spent several days knowing each other, Emmaline was amazed with the prince. He was charming and kept wooing her. It made her feel very special. Despite being already arranged, he believed appropriate to ask her hand in marriage and she didn't hesitate a second to say yes. They hug overjoyed.

The engagement party was held that night. Emmaline wore a beautiful white dress embroidered with shiny stones that were reflecting the light through all the room, combined with an elegant white feather mask; even her eyelashes were shining. She looked like a swan.

She danced and danced, the prince holding her in his arms as both smiled. But when she stepped out for some fresh air, an evil man surprised her, taking her away from there. He had the darkest eyes she had ever seen. She couldn't do anything to escape, as he was very strong and she ended up trapped in a cave in the Paisel Mountains. She sought ways out, but the place was a maze and the man who claimed to be obsessed with her and want her for himself, had guarded any way out.

She waited patiently for days, waiting for the perfect escape opportunity, a moment when the man were distracted. Surely they would be looking for her, but Primoria was huge and they wouldn't know where to find her.

Finally, the opportunity came a night. She had already memorized the paths of the cave and the man had just fallen asleep after drinking so much wine. She had behaved for having more freedoms, but hadn't given him what the man wanted, so he was drowning his sorrows. Not that it mattered to the princess, after all, he had kidnapped her. But her kind heart made her feel a little sorry for him.

Once she was sure he was asleep, she took his horse and made her way back to the palace. She travelled until she came back to Ventralli. When she approachedthe gardens, she saw the prince and felt an immense joy invading her. But then saw he was with her sister and both were smiling and laughing. Emmaline stepped back as if she'd been hit. She felt wound, betrayed. It seemed as if her absence meant nothing to them, as if she were in danger while they were having fun. She felt her heartbreak into pieces and ran away from them, needing to think clearly. But that was a bad move, since the man who had kidnapped was right behind and caught her again. She hadn't even realized he was following her so closely. The girl screamed and kicked, trying to escape from the man's clutches.

Suddenly, his arms were no longer around her and the girl fell to the ground by the weight change. When she looked up, she saw the prince next to her unconscious kidnapper. Soldiers rushed to arrest him and the prince helped Emmaline to stand up, but she couldn't look him in the eyes. She was hurt and didn't want to talk because if she did, she knew she would begin to cry. The boy looked worried and after much asking, he managed to get the truth out of her between tears.

The prince dried each one with his thumbs. Her white mask was dirty and lacked several of its feathers.

"She's your little sister. I'm not interested in her," he assured. "Maybe she is, but it's just a crush, and she would move on."

Emmaline hadn't looked at him yet, so he took her chin to meet her eyes.

"There's only one girl for me."

She was lost in the sincerity of his blue eyes and believed him immediately. She knew it wouldn't be the last time they would fight, after all, that was how they interacted when they met and what had become them closer. They returned to the palace holding hands, ready to finally start their happily ever after.

Note: I write in Spanish. I made my best to translated it but it's not going to be perfect. It's so easy to read another language, but to write... not so much. You can ask anyone lol. But if you want to read the original in Spanish, it's on my profile. Thanks for being awesome and reading my story!