The Last Princess [EDITED]

Chapter 10

"DO. It. Again."

I sighed and closed my eyes. I tried to feel the Forest around, tried to heighten my senses and hear every rustle, every whisper of the grass or leaves. I pulled to make a small bit of dirt rise from the ground. Nothing. I strained my head and kept trying.

I exhaled and opened my eyes again, "This isn't working," I said, looking at the twins desperately.

Aiden's arms were tightly folded as he leaned against the tree, not bothering to hide his frustration. He pressed his lips together tightly. I could practically hear the insults he was holding back.

"It's okay, we all take time to learn. It took me a really long time," Arden said, his tone exactly opposite to his twin's.

"Not me," Aiden grumbled. I gritted my teeth. It was taking all my effort to not fling my own insults back at him. I had quite a wide vocabulary. I'd grown up with Ivy as a mother.

"Let's take a break," Arden suggested. I nodded gratefully. "Are you hungry?" He asked. I shook my head. It was funny, how I could have done anything for food down in the cells, but now that I had plenty of it, I couldn't eat, because I wasn't accustomed to having so much.

"Well, I am. I'm getting an apple - Aid, you want anything?"

"An apple, too," Aiden said. Arden nodded and walked inside the house. Aiden fixed that harsh stare on me. I glared back at him. I was done pretending to be unruffled.

I was sweaty, had a constant headache, and Aiden's taunts weren't helping. "Why do you hate me so much?" I asked.

He didn't answer, choosing to sit down, his back against the tree, and close his eyes. I let out a huff and looked in the opposite direction.

I hadn't noticed yet, but the Forest was quite beautiful. I couldn't remember the last time I'd been outside - truly outside, not in the glade where Ivy gave her announcements.

But here - the sunlight filtered through the leaves, casting dark and light spots on the grass below - and it was so green.

It was so vibrant, so bright, so happy - the sun, the birds chirping their pleasant tunes. I'd heard those birds so few times. There were flowers of so many colors, that I'd never seen before - pinks and reds and purples and oranges.

And the smell.

It smelled of leaves and dirt, but it was so fresh and so different from the stink of the dungeons. Everything - everything was so beautiful here. These rebels had no idea how fortunate they were, to live among the trees, to be able to go out and feel the sun's warmth on their skin, to feel the cool breeze.

I turned, fingering a soft, green leaf on the tree I was leaning on. Darker than my eyes, but smooth and spotted. And soft against my fingers, like the silk some of my finer dresses were made of.

"Here." I turned to see Arden, chucking an apple to Aiden before biting his own. Aiden caught it easily, turning it in his hands before eating.

I wanted to have an apple as well - or perhaps I just wanted something watery, juicy, unlike the hard bread I'd lived on. But I knew that if I took a bite of the red fruit, my stomach would rebel, and I'd be left with an unpleasant pool of vomit on the grass.

"Are you sure you don't want one? You look tired," Arden said. My eyes flew to him. He'd evidently seen me eyeing Aiden's apple.

I shook my head. "No, thank you." I turned away as Arden sat down beside his brother. They could be mistaken for identical in the tree's shadow.

I looked beyond my tree, to the rest of the Forest. It was so large - I knew each of the villages, the towns, by heart - my sisters had sneaked in maps and taught me, and I'd never forgotten how my Forest looked - but I'd never been able to comprehend quite how large it truly was. The trees seemed endless, spreading off into the distance, a mass of brown and green.

"We should get started again." I turned at Aiden's voice. The boys were done with their eating. I sighed.

"Are you sure?"

Aiden's expression told me that he was, in fact, very much not sure, but Arden gave me a sympathetic grin. "The more you work at it, the sooner it'll come."

***

My sixteenth birthday hadn't been all that productive.

The day had been eventless, and it was late afternoon when Grove had called us to eat. Instead of eating, I'd chosen to go to my room and sit on the bed, alone.

The small spark of hope Birch had ignited in me had long ago fizzled out, due to my inability to lift even a bit of soil.

I pulled my knees us to my chest, curling my arms around them. Was this going to be my life? Powerless, weak, useless. Unable to help anyone. Why would any elf want that kind of a queen?

Laurel, Sylvan - any of them would have been so much more useful. Even Juniper, who, though weak, had had power. Why me? Why hadn't they saved the others? They would have been an asset. I was a liability.

A sharp knock on the door, and I jerked my head up. I wiped a tear that had fallen - I hadn't even realized I was crying - and cleared my throat. "Come in."

The door opened, and Aiden walked in, his bare feet quiet against the wood floor. "Dad has something to tell you. Come on - were you crying?"

I blinked. Was it that obvious? I'd become quite good at hiding my tears. "No."

Aiden's eyes narrowed, running over my face. "If you say so, Princess. Let's go." He turned and walked away. I wiped my face once more, glancing in the mirror. My nose was slightly red. I sighed, walking out as well.

Birch was sitting on a chair in front of the fireplace, holding a piece of parchment in his hands, his eyes dark. Aiden and Arden were already there, standing silently beside each other. They looked up as I walked in.

"Ah, Princess," Birch said, "There's been news from the palace. I thought you'd want to know."

"What is it?" I asked, glancing at the twins. They looked just as curious as I did.

Birch cleared his throat, his eyes unsure. "It seems - the Prince is getting married. To a maid."

"What?" I asked, my eyes widening. Forreston - getting married? To whom? I'd expected he would make an advantageous match - a maid? Forreston wasn't the type to fall in love and marry on a whim.

"I pity the girl," Aiden murmured.

For once I agreed with him.

Birch cleared his throat. "Yes, it says her name is Maple - Maple Elm."

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