~*~
Chapter 1 – Not One or the OtherPrincess Relina was different.
She knew she was different as soon as she was old enough to understand words. Nobles and servants alike look at her differently and spread rumours about her. They knew that her birth was unnatural, and her white eyelashes despite her dark hair proved that.
When she was born, people suspected she was different. When she was five, she did something that confirmed people's suspicions.
It was on her fifth birthday, Relina got a beautiful doll that she had always wanted. She was so happy that she jumped for joy like any other five-year-old. But unlike any child, she floated off into the air. At first, she, along with everyone else, was surprised. Then the little girl became scared and began to cry. Her father, the king, realized what was happening. He flew after the drifting child and brought her down to earth while soothing her. When Relina was safely on the ground and had stopped crying, the king gave a merry laugh and said, "That's my girl!"
Relina knew then that she wasn't like anyone else. Humans were not supposed to fly; yet she had. She was also surprised that her father flew as well. When she got older, she understood that her father wasn't like anyone else either.
Her father Rhys was a sorcerer.
Her mother, Queen Adelina, Addie, was human like everyone else. So Relina was half human, half sorcerer.
At first, she didn't mind being half sorcerer. It was great fun to be able to fly, and she enjoyed watching her father do magic. But as she got older and listened to the gossip, she liked her sorcerer half less and less, until she hated it. She didn't like the wary and strange glances people gave her when they thought that she wasn't looking. She didn't like the names and hurtful things that people said her behind her back that she somehow heard, nor the fact that some just ignored her. She just wanted to be accepted.
The sorcerers wouldn't accept her either. There were a couple of apprentices at court, and occasionally, other apprentices and sorcerers came to visit. Those young ones, like the people at court, would either give her strange looks, or pretended that she wasn't there. They didn't like her because she was half human.
Relina was stuck in between. Neither the sorcerers nor humans accepted her because she was neither one nor the other.
As people made fun of her, she began to hate her parents. She hated her father for being a sorcerer, and her mother for marrying him.
Of course, nobody would make fun of Relina openly, because she was the princess. The people had nothing against the king and queen, as they were merry and fair. They also found the cure for the Gray Death and helped Bamarre get rid of its monsters. They spread rumours about their child because they thought it was unnatural and out of fear. They were afraid of Relina because they didn't know what such a combination was capable of. They said that Relina was a witch in disguise.
They also despised her because of jealousy. Relina was beautiful. She had long dark hair that waved at the end and huge emerald eyes. She was tall for her age, as was the characteristic of sorcerers. But rumours say that she was naturally ugly – how could someone who was half and half be pretty – but since her father was a sorcerer, he used magic to give his daughter beauty.
She was the only child in Bamarre to have a fairy godmother. Children used to have them, but they disappeared long ago. Now, only Relina had one – her aunt Meryl.
Relina couldn't tell her parents the things that she had heard. She didn't want to burden them, and she felt she couldn't confide in them. This was all their fault to begin with.
So when she was ten years old, the princess summoned her fairy godmother.
"Yes dear?" Meryl appeared beside Relina. But her smile turned to concern when she saw the said expression on Relina's face.
"What's the matter?" she asked, putting an arm around the girl.
Relina shook her head softly, "Please, Aunt Meryl, erase the part of me that is sorcerer. I want to become human."
"Why?" Meryl asked gently.
The girl started crying. She could not tell her aunt, because surely, she will talk to her parents. But who else could help her?
Meryl knitted her eyebrows. She didn't need Relina to tell her. She knew what was going on, she was a fairy after all. She sighed and embraced the girl.
"It's all right dear. I understand – "
"Please, don't tell my parents!" Relina interrupted.
"Why not?" Meryl asked.
"I, I don't want them to worry."
Meryl sighed again. "Fine. But I cannot make you fully human."
"Why not?" Relina pulled out of Meryl's grasp and faced her. "You are a fairy, aren't you? So you can use your magical powers."
Meryl shook her head sadly. "I can't change who you are sweet." She then cupped her hands under Relina's chin and asked softly, "Are you ashamed of who you are?" Relina didn't answer, because she wasn't sure.
Meryl tried again. "Magic can be useful. Do you really hate being half sorcerer?" When Relina nodded her head, Meryl prompted, "What if people stopped talking about you, then would you still hate your sorcerer half?" Relina shook her head slowly.
"Could you make people stop talking about me then?" she asked softly.
Meryl's eyes were sad. "I'm sorry dear, I can't do that either."
"Then what are fairies good for!" the young princess ran from her room.
"Wait! Relina," Meryl went after her and grabbed her by the sleeve. "I can't make them stop talking, but you can choose not to listen. Relina!" The girl wasn't listening. She broke Meryl's hold and ran away, crying. Meryl stared after her and sighed. If only Relina could find her courage and self-confidence like her mother did…~*~
Relina's name is a combination of her parents' names. Rhys + Adelina=Relina. get it?
Please tell me what you think! I think I'm still going to focus on my other story "First Love", but I'll update this one as soon as I can.