Shine

The hut was a lot bigger on the inside than it looked on the outside. A hallway led to a kitchen, with chairs and a stove. Then in three separate areas were beds. Well, they looked more like cots, but they were suitable to sleep on. A fire place sat in the corner. I laid down on a bed and sighed.

I wondered what my mother was doing. Not the Queen, my mother from the human world. Was she looking for me? Had she called the police? I rolled to my side and a tear slipped down my cheek. All my life, I had been raised thinking that my parents were my real parents, and now I’m stuck here, with warlocks after me, and a King and Queen waiting for my return.

Aiden slipped into the hut and sat in a chair. He began to sharpen a dagger in his hands. “Aiden?”

“Yes?” He looked up at me for a brief moment and then back to his dagger.

“How long have I been missing?” I asked.

He rubbed his jaw for a minute and then took off his boots. “I’d say about 12 years.” He sighed. I did too. “I was only little when the Princess-you- were reported kidnapped.”

“I was kidnapped?” I gasped. How could I not remember any of this? “Please tell me more.”

Aiden got up and opened the front door of the hut. He looked around and then shut it again. “Gossip was that the Princess had been outdoors playing with a common fae. No one knew where she had gone, because she escaped the palace walls to. It was said that the little boy fae ran back to the palace hours later to explain the princess had been kidnapped.”

I nodded. It seemed logical, but why couldn’t I remember? I was five at the time, you would think I would have remembered being kidnapped! I leaned forward, my heart was pounding in my chest. “Who was the boy? Did anyone ask who he was?” I hurriedly spit out.

“I brought firewood.” Zane grumbled kicking open the door with his foot. He stalked past us and set the firewood near the fireplace. Aiden looked from me to Zane, and then back to me.

My mouth hung open, Zane was the little boy? He started the fire quickly and the light made me feel suddenly rejuvenated.

“What’s everyone gawking at?” Zane asked sitting on his cot and shrugging off his shoes. His wings shrunk and slowly disappeared. He must have been flying to search for wood. I promptly shut my mouth and starred at my feet. Zane flopped back into his cot and kicked up his feet. He sniffed, “Sorry if my feet smell, Princess.” He grinned mischieviously.

“My name is Elora! And you’re a disgusting pig.” I rolled my eyes.

“Not the first time I’ve heard it.” He replied and rolled over to face the wall. I had the strangest reason he was referring to me when he made the last comment. Nevertheless, I shrugged it off, rolled over and drifted off myself.

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“I’m the boy! I want to be the knight, Elowa!” He grumbled, crossing his hands over his little chest.

“No!” I shook my head, my blonde hair whipped in the wind. “It’s my turn.” I stretched out my fake sword from its case. “You can be my pet dragon.” I said, and pointed to the ground next to me, where I wanted him to stand.

“Zane! Princess!” His mother called from the palace doors. “It’s time for tea!” She said, wiping her hands on her apron.

“One second!” I hollered back and jumped on a tree stump. Zane burped loudly. “Ew!” I squealed. “You pig!” I laughed, and he laughed too. My dress caught on a tree snag and ripped.

Zane gasped, “Your Mummy is going to kill you!” He laughed, and fell on the ground clutching his stomach.

“Shut up!” I hissed, and stuck my tongue out at him.

“Princess,” I spun around, looking for the voice that had just whispered my name to me.

“Did you hear that?” I asked Zane, who was still laughing. “ZANE!” I yelled, and my crown rolled to the side of my head. I huffed, it was too big still.

“What?” He frowned, and sat up.

“Did you hear that noise?” I asked, and hopped off the tree stump. I began to cross the garden to the brick wall.

“No, but I think we should go inside now, Elowa.” He shivered. My skin began glowing again, I was excited, this could be a new adventure.

“Princess, come and help your Uncle.” The voice said again. I began pushing a few bricks out of the wall. I knew they were loose because Zane and I had thrown rocks at them during our game of battle.

“Stop it!” Zane squealed. “We have to go inside now!” He tugged on my arm. I glared at him, and he threw off his arm. “YOU BURNED ME!” He cried, angrily.

“Sorry.” I chuckled, and attempted to calm my glowing skin. I moved the bricks out of the way and began to crawl through the hole.

“Elowa! Stop it right now!” He tugged on my foot as I climbed through. “Elowa!” He yelled, but I ignored him.

“We’ve missed you Princes!” My uncle grasped my waist and pulled me up against him. He didn’t look happy though. I looked back at the palace.

“Can I go tell my Daddy-“ He cut me off by shoving a potion to my mouth. My eyesight became blurred, and all I could hear was the sound of Zane’s voice yelling at me to get back inside. That, and the sound of my crown being ripped off my head, and crushed against the ground.
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I woke up shaking, and sat up quickly trying to breathe.

“Hey?” Zane rose from his lying position, and scratched his bed head. I looked over at him startled. His face looked surprisingly worried, and confused. “Are you-“ He rubbed his eyes.

“I’m fine.” I breathed out, before he could finish. I ran a hand over my face and cooled it down. “It was just a nightmare.”

“Are you sure?” He asked, his eyebrow raised.

“Why do you care anyways?” I huffed and plopped back into the bed and turned away from him. How dare he be so cold to me earlier and then suddenly act like he cared about me. I heard him shuffle back into his bed and then he sighed. I rolled my eyes and attempted to slip back into sleep.