I kept myself far away from my mother as I was told by father. If I could, I would like to be close to her, but father told me that it wouldn't be possible. Mother had suffered from something that made her reject me with all her might. I longed to see my mother, but every time I went to see her, she would abuse me.

"I'll love you twice as much in place of your mother, so please don't hate her," father told me while crying.

There were two servants that waited on me and it was irritating to no end. I feel suffocated. There's no freedom for me anywhere. Everywhere I turned, father and mother weren't there. I was being waited on by my servants, taught by the best scholars and trained in combat with several of the oldest soldiers to maintain the face of my parents.

"My princess," one of the servants whispered in her ear, "we are approaching your mother."

I didn't want to leave, "Is she having tea?"

"Yes, princess." The servant kept her head down, "She is having tea with your father."

My heart hurt, but I wanted to stay. "May I stay here? I will do my best not to be seen by mother."

The other servant left to continue her duties while the one standing next to me hid along side me. She couldn't keep her eyes off me, a forgotten child of the kingdom. We listened to the King and Queen of Roses speak intently. Mother was pregnant and her belly was sticking out. The tea she drank must have been good for her health and the health of her child, my sibling...

"I'm due soon," I heard my mother say.

Father must have been excited because I heard the chair clatter. He must have fallen, "When?! Do we know of its gender?"

"Yes, my baby girl...I'm so glad she will come to this world," my mother sounded happy as she lovingly stroked her stomach.

It's as if she wants to erase my existence and forget that she gave birth to me. I felt a pang in my chest and it hurt to breathe for a second or two. The servant waiting on me must have noticed because I squeezed my dress shirt. She kneeled and raised her arms out. I jumped into her arms and tried not to make a sound in fear that my mother would come over and continue to abuse me.

"Thank you, Mary-Ann."

Mary-Ann, the servant who acted as my mother, was tasked to watch over me since my parents were almost never around to see me. Unfortunately, her duties always came first so I tried my best not to interfere with her work. Mary-Ann sensed this and noticed how mature the princess of the Rose Kingdom had taken everything.

"There is no need for you to thank me," she responded.

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Several years later, my younger sister had turned 5-years old and I recently turned 9-years old. I was strictly not allowed to visit my mother nor younger my sister. My father did his best to try and bring out my younger sister to allow me to see her when she was a baby, but my mother seemed to go hysterical if my sister ever left her side. The only change that had occurred was that my father visited me often after he went to see mother and my younger sister. He would tell me stories of how adorable she was and boast about her beauty.

"Shiro is so beautiful," he smiled, "her white hair and silvery-blue eyes entrance me. I wish you could see her..."

The guilt I felt for not seeing my younger sister made me want to see her, yet I never got the chance. Sometimes I couldn't stand being near my father whenever he spoke about Shiro. His love for her rubbed me off in the wrong way and often times, I would see Mary-Ann use her broom to sweep up dust, grass or whatever was around to make him stop talking and making me feel even more guilty.

"Your majesty," Mary-Ann spoke, "if you have time to play with Princess Shiro, you have time to play with Princess Hong."

Father apologized and decided to duel with me. It was one of few ways for us to get along. My father was a strong fighter and personally trained with our own soldiers. Though my stamina was better than my father's, I made sure not to think it was to my advantage because of my young age. I knew my father had some tricks up his sleeves that I was not aware of and, though large in size, he was fast and strong despite his age. I maneuvered around him, dodged his sword attacks and parried some of his kicks.

"Hong, you're like a little monkey," He laughed.

Unamused, I managed to disorient him and kick him from behind, but it obviously wasn't strong enough because my father was still standing. Mary-Ann watched our duel before stopping us when she heard rustling noises behind her.

"Your majesty!" She whispered as she pulled his arm.

Father and I stopped yanking at each other's hairs before he lifted me to his shoulder. It was the first time he had ever put me on his shoulder and it was quite high. So this is what my father sees...I wish I were taller. I turned to see where Mary-Ann was looking and saw a beautiful, young girl standing behind the bushes with a rose in her hand.

"Daddy," she whimpered.

My father put me down and ran towards her. Daddy? I heard that correctly, right? I was at a loss for words. It was the first time I had ever met Shiro. Countless times when I attempted to see my younger sister, my mother would always find me and launch herself at me. Mary-Ann would always worry, though she tried not to show it, when I came back with bruises and blood.

"Shiro, my darling," father looked around for his wife.

I turned to leave in case mother would chase after Shiro and Mary-Ann also scanned the area for the queen. Father had ordered her to take on the injuries if mother attempted to harm me, but there were times when she would receive double the injuries and scare the other servants. Mother didn't seem to be around and I kept behind the pillar. My little sister was indeed beautiful. And cute...like a doll. I thought to myself.

"Who is she?" Shiro pointed at me.

Father hesitated to tell her in case Shiro would mention me to mother, but Mary-Ann intervened.

"She is your majesty's sister," she said smiling.

"Sister?" Shiro smiled and ran her two little feet towards me.

I flinched and looked around me. Is mother here? I feared my mother more than I ever learned to love her. After all, my looks were nothing like my father and mother's. My red hair and eyes made servants curious as to whether or not my father had a second wife. Mother had silver-white hair and father had dark black hair. Shiro looked more like my mother, but she had father's silvery-blue eyes.

Shiro stood in front of me, "Here sister!"

She handed me the rose in her hand. The thorns were already cut to ensure my sister's hands would not be hurt. I hesitated to take it, but took it in the end. Mary-Ann signaled father and me with a sharp glance that mother was coming and turned to look at me.

"Listen Shiro," I patted her head, "pretend you didn't see me, okay?"

Shiro tilted her head, "A game?"

I nodded, "We'll play a game! Make sure mom doesn't know about me, okay? I'll tell you the rules when we meet again."

Shiro smiled and seemed to acknowledge what I had said. Father ushered me to leave as we heard mother cry out for my younger sister. I ran as fast as I could in the direction where Mary-Ann was pointing and found an open double-doors that was ajar. I jumped in quickly and almost closed the door, leaving just a bit of space so I can hear what was going on.

"Shiro!" I heard mother cry, "I thought I had lost you! Where did you go?"

My heart thumped. Please don't reveal me, Shiro...Mary-Ann was standing by, making sure the queen would not overstep her boundaries and find me.

"I found daddy!" She exclaimed as father scooped her up and placed her on his shoulders. She laughed and smiled. Father, mother and Shiro turned away to leave, but I noticed that mother stopped after taking a few steps with father, turned and glared at Mary-Ann. Mary-Ann curtsied and kept her head low. She was careful not to keep eye contact with my mother. She seemed satisfied that Mary-Ann kept her head low and caught up with father and Shiro.

I came out as soon as Mary-Ann stood upright, "Why was mother glaring at you?"

Mary-Ann said nothing at first, "I believe she thinks the rumors are true."

Rumors? What rumors?

"Ducere," Mary-Ann called out.

A young man, who was probably around his early 20's, appeared out of nowhere, but made his presence known when Mary-Ann called.

"Yes, Mary-Ann?" He smiled.

"Find the source of the rumors," she petted him under the chin and he purred.

Ducere seem very multi-colored with his odd sense of fashion. His clothes were simple, striped purple and pink, which didn't seem to fit the young man. What didn't make sense to me was his purring.

"Are you..." I heard myself say, "a cat?"

Ducere turned to look at me and opened his eyes. A straight slit in both his irises returned my gaze. He smiled at me, closed his eyes and patted me on the head.

"You have a long, sad life waiting for you my princess," he whispered into my ear before disappearing. Almost as if he vaporized...

End of Chapter 3..........................................................................................................................