The Lone Princess

Part One: Royals, Rules, and Roses

Twelve-year old Diaspro crossed her arms, biting her bottom lip unlit it turned red. "Why do I have to do it?"

Her mother, Queen Saphira, glanced down at her with disdain. The look lasted a second, but told her everything she needed to know. The young princess quickly uncrossed her arms, trying to regain the 'ladylike' posture her tutors always praised her on.

It was the king who replied. "The kingdom of Eraklyon has been close allies with us for many years. They see this as a way to bring our partnership closer without joining completely, as we expressed concerns of last year. Since you are the only princess of Isis, you are the only one eligible for what the agreement entails."

"What about Prince Simon?" she argued, dragging her older brother into the discussion.

"Your brother is to become king of Isis, not of Eraklyon. He was the first born; it is his duty."

"And what of Prince Hanson? He is quite the diplomat; you said so yourself." One brother down, one left to try

Her father looked down at her. Once again, Diaspro wished she could've been taller. Looking down upon someone implied they were beneath you, or that was what she was told. But nowadays, it seemed even the lowly servants were able to look down upon her without another thought. "A man and a man cannot marry. You know that from your lessons. And since King Erendor never conceived a daughter, only a princess is fit to marry his child."

"You will marry Prince Sky on your eighteenth birthday, and that is the final word on the matter." Her mother concluded, staring straight ahead.

"I thought you said the engagement could be broken!" Diaspro countered, demeanor slipping. "Why can't we break it right now?"

"Hold your tongue. We will do nothing of the sort."

"A bride cannot break an engagment, Princess." the royal advisor, who'd been silent for most of the meeting, chimed in. "According to Eraki customs, only the man could call off a betrothal, and even then it has to be over a year before the marriage is scheduled to take place."

The king of Isis stood from his lavish gold throne. "The consent was given years ago, and the betrothal was ratified by Eraklyon today. From this moment on, you are predestined to become Queen of Eraklyon. Tomorrow, you will be taken there to live permanently, and shall be placed under the instruction of their tutors. For as long as the betrothal lasts, and later your marriage, you may be courted by no other man, and reversely seek none other as your partner. Prince Sky is a decent young man, and Queen Samera insists he will be a faithful husband. I promised her you will be a dutiful wife and a worthwhile queen, and expect you to uphold our expectations while away."

Diaspro blinked back tears, trying not to linger on the idea that her parents were sending her away. "And what of you... and my brothers? Will they ever visit Eraklyon?" Will I ever see them again?

"It is possible, your Highness." the advisor spoke up once more. For seome reason, Diaspro wasn't able to remember his name. "The royal family of Eraklyon are common visitors of our important international councils, meetings, and celebrations, and we are regular guests to theirs."

She nodded politely. "Thank you, sir."

"Your farewell party will be tomorrow morning, you will depart tomorrow evening. Be prepared. Other than that, you are dismissed." The king fell back into his chair. From beside him, Queen Saphira watched, laid out gracefully in her throne of silver like an ornament laid out of a table. One of the many decorations in the large, cirular room.

Diaspro curtsied sharply, stumbling slightly as she rose. She walked out of the room with her head held high, even as the urge to keep it bowed came over her.

She wandered the palace halls, gazing about at the jewel statues. Queens and kings and heroes of ages long ago, all gathered in the palace for an eternal rest. She studied the portraits of founders and conquerors, lords and ladies and royals throughout the ages. From memory, Diaspro recited the name of each and every one, where they had come from, what contributions they'd made to the planet, and when and where they had died.

The farther she traveled into the older sections of the castle, the older the dates became. Soon, she was looking at people whose lives were millenia past. She has to wander through five thousand years to reach the portrait she wanted to see.

Finally, she stood before the painting of a woman. She was beautiful, with her long black tresses and jewels in the shape of flowers running through her hair. Her smile was wide and merry, but her big blue eyes were wide and haunted. Next to her sat a young girl, one who had nothing of her sister's beauty and charm. The little girl's hair was wild with dark curls, so wild nothing could be braided in without getting stuck. Her expression, unlike that of the others, was of a genuine and contagious happiness.

Queen Ariana and her sister, Princess Cristina. While the older princess had stayed within Isis her entire life, working tirelessly to keep the kingdom afloat after her husband died in the war, her little sister had traveled the world, carelessly marrying a merchant who'd stolen her heart. Cristina had been scorned by her subjects, accused of fleeing her duties in their time of need.

But in the end, that hadn't been true. Isis had been on the verge of economic collapse, and right before the kingdom was bankrupt, Princess Cristina had returned with her husband, sitting atop a carriage of solid gold. they'd had to sit on the top because the carriage was full, filled to the brim with money from their adventures. While Queen Ariana lived a life of struggle and failure, Cristina had experienced more freedom than any princess dared, saving the kingdom and living a much longer, much happier life.

Diaspro had loved the story of the two sisters, how one who followed others blindly had suffered while the one who led her own path succeeded. How dearly she wished that could be true once more.

More than once, Diaspro wished she could be a younger sister, free of the responibilities and duties that came with being the only one. She had cousins, true, but it wasn't like they could understand. They weren't the ones who had to help run the kingdom. All they had to do with their lives was smile and find a rich husband to pamper them. They got to pick their husband, too.

Why couldn't she have been a brother, and Simon been Simone? The Crown Princess could've married Prince Sky, and-

Isis would be a province of Eraklyon, when they wanted to remain their own nation. She shook her head That wouldn't work.

What about her other brother Hanson? Why could he have been Princess Hallie, or Hannah, or Helena? Everything could've worked out perfectly, and she would have to marry some bratty little boy she'd never met. He didn't have to be a boy forever, but she already knew he'd never be the man for her.

There was only one man for her. But now, he and Diaspro would be separated forever.

The young princess finally let herself cry. As the tears fell down her cheeks, she pulled out a rose from the fold of her dress. It wasn't the first time a boy had brought their princess a gift, but it was special.

It wasn't a rose made out of rubies, like she was used to receiving, but an actual rose that had once lived. A rose that grew in the ground from seed to bud to bloom, a rose that smelled divine even in death.

The one who gave it to her had been a youngest son, unable to offer any money off of his noble father's estate. But despite this, he'd come after Diaspro anyway, claiming he saw tsomething in her. That while others saw just another princess, a rose fashioned from polished rubies, he'd seen Diaspro, a true rose among all the flashy fakes.

Too bad flashy fakes were the ones that lived forever.

A/Ns: Hey everyone! Pierce is back to writing for Winx after so much Percy Jackson (I got hyped up with Blood of Olympus coming out. Too bad I thought the book was a disappointment). Sorry it's not Out of the Darkness (SME's working on that chapter right now, and said she was too busy last week to finish), or A New Reality (I haven't seen T-Duck in a while, and it feels wrong to finish Chapter Three without her input), or Pretty Little Lies (which I plan to update today), but I hope you enjoy it nonetheless.

This is for the Five Things Challenge on WCFC, and my prompt was 'five times Diaspro wished she had a sister'. I thought it was cool because learning how to write Diaspro would be interesting. Even though I wasn't as focused on the prompt, it was included, so I like it.

Uh... I don't have much else to say, other than the fact I really need to finish doing my laundry now. Thanks for reading, please review with any thoughts/comments you have, and I'll see you on the far side