It felt like a dream-a long, wistful dream.
But if it truly were a dream, then it was the most beautiful one imaginable.
It was a vision of a ti when innocence, joy, and the careless indulgence of childhood seed within reach. A ti when she allowed herself the fleeting luxury of being carefree, spoiled, and unburdened by expectations.
The royal garden of Teraquin Palace was bathed in serene radiance. Birds chirped lodious tunes. The midday sun blazed high above, its rays cascading over an expanse of vibrant, colorful blooms. A blend of flowers swayed gently glimring beautifully.
Amid this picturesque sight stood a single young girl, no older than ten. Her mint-green hair, tied neatly back, shimred in the sunlight, and atop her small head sat a crown-a gleaming symbol of her royal station. This child was none other than Alvara Freydis Teraquin, the First Royal Princess of the Teraquin Kingdom.
Kneeling on the soft grass Alvara extended her slender hands toward a cluster of elegant white flowers. Lilies-pure, immaculate, and tiless in their beauty. She had already gathered four of the finest blooms, their velvety petals tucked into a neat bundle in her grasp. Yet her eyes scanned for more, seeking perfection among perfection.
Her delicate fingers closed around another blossom, plucking it with care. She brought it closer, studying it with quiet intensity. A soft smile curved her lips as she twirled the stem between her fingers, the flower's beauty mirrored in her contented expression.
"Big Sister!"
A voice shattered the tranquil mont, bright and eager, breaking through Alvara's solitude.
Her smile faltered instantly, replaced by a look of practiced indifference. Without turning, she responded with a flat tone.
"What do you want?"
A smaller girl approached, two years younger. Bryelle.
She had rushed across the garden, her excitent plain in the quickness of her steps, only to et the chilly reception she had co to expect. Her blondish-green hair frad a round, youthful face, and her wide eyes shimred with hope.
"May I help you, Elder Sister?" Bryelle asked a bit hopefully. She clasped her hands before her.
"I'm already finished," Alvara replied coolly, standing abruptly as if to close the conversation.
"Oh..." Bryelle's voice trailed off, her gaze dropping to the ground as her shoulders slumped. "I see..."
It was always the sa. No matter how hard Bryelle tried to reach out, no matter how many tis she approached her elder sister with sincerity and hope, the response was cold.
She had been in the royal household for only a year, yet she felt the weight of her outsider status every day. Born to a different mother-one who was not Queen Tanya Teraquin- Bryelle was treated as less, an unwelco presence among her half-siblings. No matter how often she extended her hand, the walls remained firmly in place, her sister's cold indifference refusing to let her in.
Alvara's resentnt toward Bryelle wasn't unfounded. It stemd from the fractures that Bryelle's arrival had caused in their already fragile family dynamics. The strained relationship between their parents, which had long simred under the surface, had worsened when her father, King Rhys, made the controversial decision to bring Bryelle into the palace and formally 'adopt' her.
But Rhys had little choice in the matter.
Bryelle's mother had died tragically young, leaving the girl orphaned and vulnerable. For all his faults, Rhys couldn't bring himself to abandon his child. He was a father before he was a king, and his conscience wouldn't allow Bryelle to be left alone in the world, especially when her maternal family, the influential Elaryon House, outright refused to take her in.
The rejection was complicated. Bryelle's mother had been the elder sister of Namys Elaryon, the woman destined to beco Queen of the rival Elaryon Kingdom. By birthright, Bryelle should have been the heir to the Elaryon House. But because she was born of an 'illicit' relationship—a union unapproved by either the Elaryon or Teraquin houses-she was deed unworthy by the elders of Elaryon. They dismissed her as a stain on their legacy, despite Namys herself expressing willingness to care for her niece.
And so, the burden fell to Rhys.
In the end, Rhys welcod his daughter into the palace. Perhaps too eagerly. His joy at having Bryelle under his roof was obvious, even excessive, and it only deepened the wounds in his marriage to Queen Tanya.
Tanya, though loyal to Rhys, had never fully forgiven him for his betrayal. Polygamy, while not uncommon in the Teraquin Kingdom, was largely frowned upon within the royal family. In their tradition, the Queen was the most powerful figure in the royal household, and a king taking another woman-especially without the Queen's consent-was considered a grave insult.
But the true insult lay in the specifics of Rhys's affair. The fact that his relationship had been with the future Queen of Elaryon, their kingdom's most bitter rival, was a betrayal Tanya found impossible to overlook. Rhys had apologized countless tis, but the wound was fresh, and Tanya couldn't simply move past the deception. Worse, she hadn't even known of Bryelle's existence until Rhys brought her to the palace, and her fury at the revelation had shaken their marriage to its core.
Although a year had passed since Bryelle's arrival, the scars remained. Outwardly, Tanya appeared calm, her fury tempered over ti, but her occasional sharp words and pointed reminders kept the tension alive. The palace might have returned to its semblance of order, but the cracks in their family were still visible.
At the heart of it all was Bryelle.
For Bryelle, her father's arrival into her life had been a beacon of hope. Losing her mother had left her hollow, bereft of the love and warmth that had once defined her world. When Rhys ca to her, speaking of a new ho and siblings who would be her family, Bryelle had felt her spirits lift for the first ti since her mother's death. She imagined herself finding joy again, laughing and playing alongside her new brothers and sisters.
Reality, however, was far harsher than she had dread.
Her half-siblings had not welcod her with open arms.
Allen Teraquin, the eldest prince, largely ignored her. Always surrounded by his friends and his duties, he treated Bryelle as though she were invisible. He was polite when necessary, but their interactions lacked any warmth or genuine care.
Alvara, on the other hand, made her feelings painfully clear. Among her siblings, she had loved their parents the most fiercely. For Alvara, Bryelle's existence symbolized the discord that had torn their family apart, and she resented her younger sister deeply for it. Her cold indifference cut deeper than outright hostility, leaving Bryelle to wonder if there was anything she could do to earn her affection.
Kendel Teraquin, the first son, was the only one who made an effort to bridge the gap. Though awkward in his attempts, he occasionally tried to include Bryelle in his activities. But as the heir to the Teraquin throne, Kendel's ti was stretched thin. His gestures of kindness were fleeting, often overshadowed by his responsibilities and the pressure to uphold the family
na.
Bryelle was left in a strange state, neither fully accepted nor outright rejected.
In the end, Bryelle would trail closely behind Alvara, her half-sister, with wide, hopeful eyes. Among all her siblings, Alvara was the one she admired most. She saw Alvara as everything she wished to be-graceful, confident, and strong. From the mont Bryelle had first seen her, Alvara had beco her role model, soone she longed to beco.
But Alvara's reactions were always the sa: cold, distant, and dismissive.
"Why do you keep following ?" Alvara muttered, barely glancing over her shoulder as
Bryelle struggled to keep up.
"I just wanted to-"
Before Bryelle could finish, Alvara interrupted her. "Go find sothing better to do."
Without sparing her a second look, Alvara strode forward.
Bryelle stopped in her tracks, her small hands clenching the hem of her dress. She bit her lip, willing herself not to cry. Even now, she clung to a faint hope that one day, Alvara might
accept her.
"Is that how you treat your younger sister, Freydis?"
A warm, and reprimanding voice suddenly called out. Alvara froze mid-step. The ice in her deanor lted in an instant as she turned to face the
source of the voice. Upon seeing the figure, her face lit up with a joy she rarely showed. Her lips curled into a smile, which only widened as she rushed forward.
"Leena!"
The beautiful teenage girl standing before her opened her arms, embracing Alvara tightly. She ran her hand through Alvara's hair in a familiar, affectionate gesture.
"How are you, little princess?" Leena asked.
"Very good, now that you're here!" Alvara giggled.
"Huh? And what about , then?"
Peeking from behind Leena, Alvara saw Kendel standing there, his brows furrowed in an
exaggerated expression of sadness.
With a small laugh, Alvara released Leena and rushed to Kendel, throwing her arms around
him. "Welco back, big brother!"
The three siblings stood close together, their reunion brimming with affection. To an
outsider, they looked almost like parents with their child-Kendel and Leena's mature presence despite being in their early teens contrasting with Alvara's youthful exuberance. From a distance, Bryelle watched the scene unfold. A small, bittersweet smile played on her lips as she hugged herself. She was happy for them, but an ache lingered in her chest. She wanted to be part of that warmth, to stand among them and feel that sense of belonging. Leena noticed the quiet figure standing apart and turned her gaze toward Bryelle. Her smile softened, and she stepped forward, crouching to et Bryelle's eye level.
"How are you, my cutest little sister?" Leena asked with a playful grin, brushing a strand of Bryelle's hair away from her face.
Bryelle's eyes widened in surprise. For a mont, she stared, unsure of how to respond. Then,
a radiant smile broke across her face.
"I'm fine!" She bead, throwing her arms around Leena in a tight hug.
Leena laughed gently, patting Bryelle's back. "That's my girl," she said warmly.
From behind her, Leena shot Kendel a sharp look. "Hey, you idiot prince! Are you going to
greet your youngest sister, or do I have to remind you of basic manners?"
"Ah, right!" Kendel chuckled awkwardly, scratching the back of his head. He approached Bryelle, pulling sothing from his pocket.
"I brought this for you," Kendel said, holding out a delicate pendant. At the end of its silver
chain hung a beautifully preserved white leaf.
Bryelle gasped, her wide eyes sparkling with awe. "Wow..." She whispered, cradling the pendant in her hands as if it were the most precious treasure she had ever seen.
"I used one of the leaves from the Holy Tree to make it," Kendel explained, smiling sheepishly. "I hope you like it."
"I love it! Thank you, Elder Brother!" Bryelle's voice trembled as tears pricked her eyes. Without hesitation, she threw her arms around him, clutching him tightly.
Kendel blinked in surprise but quickly softened, returning her hug. "I'm glad you like it,
Bryelle."
From the sidelines, Alvara watched the exchange, her lips curving downward into a faint pout.
She crossed her arms, her earlier happiness tinged with sothing unspoken.
Leena, noticing it, grinned and reached over, playfully ruffling Alvara's hair.
"Hey! Stop that!" Alvara protested, trying to bat her hand away.
"Don't be jealous of your younger sister, Freydis," Leena teased.
"I'm not jealous!" Alvara snapped, her cheeks flushing a deep red. Kendel chuckled, shaking his head. "You already got a gift last ti, Freydis. Don't act like
you're being left out."
"I said I'm not jealous, brother!" Alvara insisted, her voice rising in pitch. Bryelle, still clutching her pendant, hesitated for a mont before stepping forward. "Um... Elder Sister?" She said timidly, holding out the pendant. "If you want it, you can have it. I-I
don't mind..."
Alvara's eyes widened, and for a mont, guilt flickered across her face. She shook her head,
forcing a smile. "No... Keep it. It's yours," she said awkwardly, her voice softer than before. Bryelle nodded, clutching the pendant tightly once more, her face lighting up with happiness. "Now, now," Kendel said, breaking the mont. "Let's head inside. Father has returned."
"Father's back?!" Alvara's eyes lit up with joy. She glanced at the small bouquet of flowers in her hand before darting toward the palace doors. "I need to see him!" Leena and Kendel exchanged amused glances before following after her, Bryelle trailing behind them happier than ever she had been for a while.
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