Diana has never been the one to stand up for herself or anyone else for that matter. Bravery isn't her middle her name but cowardice might just be. She is neither a proper princess nor a tomboy, she is just a girl hidden in the sidelines. The one who always gets looked over. But when a prophecy as old as time is spoken, she finds herself to be faced in a situation where she can either save her kingdom from a force unknown or destroy it. Instead of meeting the challenges head-on, she does what she is good at. She runs away but the world isn't a quadrilateral and the more you run the nearer you come to the place you escaped from. Will she face her destiny this time?
Chapter 1 Part 1: Prologue
Zhaia was closing the windows when the Queen, Genevie Cameria, entered the room draped in silks as if just coming back from a magnificent ball. There had been no balls in the kingdom that Zhaia was aware of.
"Blow out the candles." The Queen called out without even glancing at her as she went behind the screen to take off her heavy silks.
Zhaia felt the aroma of freshly picked lavenders curl around her as the Queen passed by. She curtsied but the Queen barely noticed.
Zhaia didn't care anymore. The initial wonderment of coming and working in the palace had worn off; she only cared about food and her bed. The fairy tale of the poor maid turning to be a beautiful princess had vanished and all that was left was a broken dream and a harsh reality.
After shaking her head to clear off her thoughts, the chambermaid quickly began to extinguish the candles that illuminated the Queen's chamber in a warm glow.
"Leave that one." The Queen commanded as she went to lay between her soft satin blankets.
Zhaia nodded her head and left the flame near the Queen's bed flicker on, hesitating.
"Are you sure your highness?" She began in a timid voice "It is possible that the candle may fall and-"
"Daemons forbid!" The Queen cut her off with her shocked voice "Do not say things like that Daisy! And move that candlestand away from me!"
The chambermaid tried to hide the scowl forming on her face. She had been working for a year now yet the Queen insisted on messing up her name. How could anyone get confused between Zhaia and Daisy? It did not even sound similar!
She bit her lip making sure that she would not say anything that would get her into trouble and began to push the candlestand back until she was sure that it won't cause any trouble.
She turned to look at the Queen for acknowledgment but found her asleep. Was that drool on the corner of her mouth?
Zhaia sighed, grabbed a small lamp, and lit the candlewick arising from the small stump of wax. The wick burned to cause an orange light that bounced off the glass that surrounded the candle.
For a second she watched the dancing flames. They flickered, sometimes reaching out for her and sometimes shrinking back as if scared then with a sigh, she opened the doors to go back to her servant's corner, Artia had promised her gossip about the young and adorable Prince Zeid and his first love.
As she began to close the doors, Zhaia noticed a slight glow beneath the Queen's bedsheet just where her abdomen should be. She blinked and the light was gone, the wind rushed from the open windows making her shiver. Hadn't she closed them?
Too tired to think or care Zhaia went back to the servant's corner, not noticing that the candle's flame had been extinguished.