The High Princess

The wind was blowing; the trees swished peacefully in it. The birds chirped; it really was a lovely day. It certainly was not wasted on the fourteen-year-old Virginia. She stood, looking out of the window of a huge tower, which was of course the tallest tower in Circe's Castle.

She was very beautiful, with rich, thick, reddish-orange brown hair that looked almost a dark ginger, and she had eyes as golden-brown as her hair. Her smile was whimsical; she had small ears with the hair tucked behind them, for ears were considered the most beautiful part of you in these lands; a narrow nose, and a pointed face. She had a fringe that was going almost to her ears; she was growing it out.

Not that she knew she was a princess, of course. Circe Foller had, of course, kept that from her. As far as she knew, she was just a normal girl with a lovely mama to take care of her.

For that was how the evil Circe had deceived Virginia- making it seem like the evil Circe herself was Virginia's mama. Her father, according to the witch, had died of pneumonia when she was but a little slip of a girl. Circe had caused spells to remove all memory of before that fateful day. Circe also knew that the mama was the nearest relationship that she could deceive her with to get the young girl's love. And she had succeeded in it. Whole-heartedly.

Circe Foller had known better than to take the name she had been given at birth, however. All the rites of magic could not break the bond between the name and the person. She would be foolish to try, even though it would be dangerous to herself to let Virginia keep her name. So, Circe Foller kept Virginia up in the tallest tower of Circe's Castle, keeping her out of sight to every passerby. She kept Virginia steamed on tales of how everybody was evil and bad and wanted to kill Circe, because Circe knew about the ancient rites of magic and they wanted it. Consequentially, of course, Virginia started wanting to learn magic from a young age. And Circe Foller pounced on the want, making her the heir of magic. By now, the High Princess knew quite a bit, and, though she was beautiful on the outside, she was as hard as stone and as evil as Circe Foller on the inside.