Princess From The Shadows
Stranger
Violet glanced around once more at the familiar faces rushing around her, jumping into cars, walking, riding bikes, or pooling into buses. She knew so many of the faces, yet none of them knew her. She sighed, jamming her headphones back into her iPod and nudging the volume up to drown out the voices as she climbed onto her own bus and slid into the nearest open seat, sinking down until her knees were pressed up against the back of the seat in front of her. She closed her eyes, willing the bus to go faster so she could go home and take a nap.
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As she opened the door, Violet already sensed something wasn't quite right at home, and she groaned inwardly. She just wanted a nap, but if her mom had someone over, she obviously had to act social for them. Dropping her bag on the table in the dining room, she proceeded into the den where her mother paced angrily in front of a strange-looking man. Violet stopped at the entrance, waiting to hear what her mother would say.
"She is not going, James."
"She is eighteen, Jessica, she can make her own decisions." The man replied.
"She is my daughter!"
"Violet Cross Reynolds is my daughter as well, I gave her that name, Jessica, I helped make her, I have just as much say in her life as you."
Violet finally stepped fully into the den, where both people could see her.
"As of today, neither of you has any say in my life unless I allow it." She snapped, glaring at both of her parents. "Nice to know you're alive, dad." She turned on her heel and exited the den, heading up the stairs and into her room, closing the door behind her and pulling out her laptop.
She didn't look up when she heard her door open and someone step inside.
"An explanation would be nice." She tapped the enter key loud for emphasis, logging into her Tumblr account.
"Do you really want one?" It was a male voice, and it surprised her. Violet had been expecting her mother to come after her. She looked up to study the face of the man who supposedly was her father. His eyes were green, just like hers, and his hair was the same shade as hers too. She nodded and scooted back as he sat down on the edge of her bed.
"I met Jessica, your mother, nineteen years ago. I was attending a class at the University nearby, and she was my partner. We fell in love, as such stories go, as the weeks went on, and eventually, you came into our lives. Honestly, I planned on being around when you grew up, but there were a few problems..."
"Problems?"
"Jess didn't want the life that I had to go back to, she wanted me to stay here, with you and her, but I couldn't. You don't deny orders from a King."
"A King?"
"I suppose she never told you that part, did she? I am James Isaac David Reynolds, soon to be King of Alerixica. You are Violet Cross Evelyn Reynolds, Princess of Alerixica."
Violet froze. She wasn't a princess. It was impossible. She was a shadow, shadows aren't princesses.
"No. That's... not right." She whispered, hope raging against disbelief.
"That is...if you want to be, Violet. You're eighteen, you can choose for yourself now, whether to stay here, in London, or come with me to Alerixica. You can come back here any time you want, but I'd like you to at least try it, there."
Violet paused for a moment, not thinking, but processing it. Anything was better than staying in London the rest of her life.
"Yes."
"You'll do it?"
"Yes!" She threw her arms around him, almost knocking him off the bed. He laughed as he hugged her back, a relieved laugh, the kind of laugh you'd hear from a father, and for some reason, she loved it.
"Graduation is in a few weeks, correct?"
"Right."
"How does the day after that sound?"
"Amazing."
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As she opened the door, Violet already sensed something wasn't quite right at home, and she groaned inwardly. She just wanted a nap, but if her mom had someone over, she obviously had to act social for them. Dropping her bag on the table in the dining room, she proceeded into the den where her mother paced angrily in front of a strange-looking man. Violet stopped at the entrance, waiting to hear what her mother would say.
"She is not going, James."
"She is eighteen, Jessica, she can make her own decisions." The man replied.
"She is my daughter!"
"Violet Cross Reynolds is my daughter as well, I gave her that name, Jessica, I helped make her, I have just as much say in her life as you."
Violet finally stepped fully into the den, where both people could see her.
"As of today, neither of you has any say in my life unless I allow it." She snapped, glaring at both of her parents. "Nice to know you're alive, dad." She turned on her heel and exited the den, heading up the stairs and into her room, closing the door behind her and pulling out her laptop.
She didn't look up when she heard her door open and someone step inside.
"An explanation would be nice." She tapped the enter key loud for emphasis, logging into her Tumblr account.
"Do you really want one?" It was a male voice, and it surprised her. Violet had been expecting her mother to come after her. She looked up to study the face of the man who supposedly was her father. His eyes were green, just like hers, and his hair was the same shade as hers too. She nodded and scooted back as he sat down on the edge of her bed.
"I met Jessica, your mother, nineteen years ago. I was attending a class at the University nearby, and she was my partner. We fell in love, as such stories go, as the weeks went on, and eventually, you came into our lives. Honestly, I planned on being around when you grew up, but there were a few problems..."
"Problems?"
"Jess didn't want the life that I had to go back to, she wanted me to stay here, with you and her, but I couldn't. You don't deny orders from a King."
"A King?"
"I suppose she never told you that part, did she? I am James Isaac David Reynolds, soon to be King of Alerixica. You are Violet Cross Evelyn Reynolds, Princess of Alerixica."
Violet froze. She wasn't a princess. It was impossible. She was a shadow, shadows aren't princesses.
"No. That's... not right." She whispered, hope raging against disbelief.
"That is...if you want to be, Violet. You're eighteen, you can choose for yourself now, whether to stay here, in London, or come with me to Alerixica. You can come back here any time you want, but I'd like you to at least try it, there."
Violet paused for a moment, not thinking, but processing it. Anything was better than staying in London the rest of her life.
"Yes."
"You'll do it?"
"Yes!" She threw her arms around him, almost knocking him off the bed. He laughed as he hugged her back, a relieved laugh, the kind of laugh you'd hear from a father, and for some reason, she loved it.
"Graduation is in a few weeks, correct?"
"Right."
"How does the day after that sound?"
"Amazing."