Princess Iris

"Wake up Iris and get off that bed. Our birthday is in four days, we need to go check the presents father and mother got for us". Ri yells waking me up.

I slowly open my eyes

"Did you hear me? I said get up," Ri ordered.

I sigh and slowly seat up and turn to the door.

"I need to put a lock on that door," I say.

"Like you could ever. Hurry we have to go; mother and father are inspecting the new throne furniture that came in," Ri says.

"Ri, I have told you many times, I am not leaving this room and neither am I standing up from this bed."

"This is the last time I will take no for an answer Iris. The physician said a walk every day will help you heal better but you have refused to let yourself heal. You won't leave this room," Ri says.

I try to sit up when I felt a mild pain in my left ribs. I pause for a moment and finally push myself up to rest on the pillow. Ri sits on the bed.

"It's been three weeks Iris; you can't stay in here forever. I know you are mad at them, I am too. Mother and father won't come no matter how many times I tried to get them to come to see you but they won't," Ri says.

I frown thinking about mother and father. Mother stopped visiting after the day I woke up. She didn't even come back after the Kings and Queens of Divimon and Cerphila left. I thought she just got busy preparing for the ball but after a while

of making excuses for her, I stopped. Mother is not the type to ever forget small details and she never forgets big details. She just won't come to see me. Father on the other hand has never set foot in my room for a long time and my injury does not change the fact that he will never step his leg in my room.

I didn't know I was crying until Ri used her handkerchief to clean the tears on my chick.

"I hate to see you like this Iris especially when I don't know how to help you," Ri says.

I look at Ri.

"You are always here," I say.

"Of course, I am always here Iris and I will always be there when you need me. You are my sister and my best friend."

"Best friend? Esmeral..."

"Yes Esmeralda is my best friend but after you not before you. I love you Iris and I love you for you, that's what mother and father don't see, the real you. But I see it and I appreciate you for it," Ri says.

I grab Ri's hand and pull her in for a hug. I let the tears all out.

Ri releases me and cleans the tears on her way.

We stare at each other and immediately start laughing.

"Alright, alright that's enough emotions for one day. Now, will you please get off this bed, and let's go check the gifts mother and father got for us?"

I smile at her.

"Fine, let's go," I say.

Ri jumps and starts clapping.

Just then Bridgette and the girls enter the room and they curtsey at us.

"Your Highness, it's time for your bath," Bridgette says.

"Well, Bridgette there is going to be a change today. Iris will be leaving the room today," Ri says.

The ladies don't fail to show their happiness. They start conversing among themselves. I can't help but smile.

"Alright get to it, ladies. I need her ready in an hour. I will be back," Ri says making her way to the door.

"Your Highness," Bridgette says.

I nod at her, she takes her arms around me, and I look at Juliette's outstretched arm ready to support me as I stand from the bed. I close my eyes and they help me to my feet. I feel the pain as it intensifies. I squeeze Juliette's arm tight. When the pain calms down I open my eyes and the girls wear worried faces.

"We can tell Princess Adrianna you need more time," Bridgette says.

"No, I have hidden enough in this room, it's time I leave this room. Besides the physician said all I need is a walk to help me heal properly. It's time I do that," I say.

Elizabeth walks forward to undress me. I look out the window and I look at the forest in the far distance.

"Caroline."

"Yes, Your Highness."

"Will the castle will be expecting any visitors today?"

"No Your Highness," Caroline replies.

"Very well then, I will be wearing my hair down," I say.

"Yes, Your Highness," Caroline says.

"Bridgette, see that my green flower gown is ready for me, and please no gloves," I say.

"Yes, Your Highness," Bridgette says.

Elizabeth guides me to the bathtub.

AN HOUR LATER

My room door bursts open

"Iris, are you ready?" Ri says entering the room and leaving the door open.

I sigh turning from the mirror to look at the door.

"I seriously need to put a lock on that door," I say.

"Hush now." Ri eyes me "You letting your hair down?"

"Yes, didn't want to dress all serious. Besides, we are not expecting any visitors today," I say

"No gloves?" Ri asks

"Not now Ri."

"Ok, ok I just had to ask."

"So where to first?" I ask.

"The ballroom," Ri says as she seats on my bed.

"The ballroom?" I ask.

"That's where the presents are."

"Ri..."

"We have to check what they got us, Iris. We always check what mother and father got for us before our birthdays. It's tradition and you know it," Ri says.

"I thought you were just going to help me with my walk and not use me for your selfish reasons," I say

"This is not selfish as a matter of fact it is for the greater good," Ri says.

"Don't try to stop to be smart with me. Just to clarify, when you say check do you mean sneak into the ballroom and peck at the presents"? I ask.

"That's another way to put it", Ri says.

Ri does this every year. She always makes me sneak into the ballroom with her to check what mother and father got us for our birthday and somehow I always get caught and that gets me in trouble.

"No way Ri, each time we do this, I am always the one who gets caught and grounded for a week. Besides, this is our inheritance year. There is no way I am getting into trouble this year," I say. She rolls her eyes at me.

"You can't get into trouble with your injury and please I do not need you to remind me. Mother can't stop talking about it," Ri says.

I frown at her.

"What do you mean mother can't stop talking about it?"

"You know mother and her usual rants and something about our inheritance year being different this year," Ri says.

"Different? How different? The last time Filamonda Heritance Ceremony was held was six decades ago and that was Nana's birthday," I say.

"I don't know, I tried to ask mother but she always gets anxious and changes the subject almost immediately."

"That's odd," I say.

"I know right."

"Father?" I ask.

"I haven't been seeing much of father lately since King Archer started visiting frequently. He doesn't make it to breakfast. He's been acting different too especially when I ask him about King Archer's visits. Father had Constantine change..." I tune Ri out as I try to make out why King Archer has been visiting Filamonda lately. Bridgette always informs me when he arrives, I had her give the letters I wrote to Prince Jeffery to King Archer but no reply ever came back. I kept writing more letters and having Bridgette give them to King Archer and when no reply came I stopped writing to Prince Jeffery. I have never felt so alone and my heart couldn't take the silence anymore.

"I wonder why he never replied to any of my letters," I say to myself.

Desperate for attention, I was left with no choice, I decided to write a letter to Prince Leonard. I was surprised when I got a reply from him. For the past three weeks, we wrote letters to each other, and surprisingly, it was fun. Of course, I didn't tell Ri. The last thing I need is for my sister to give me a hard time.

"...hate it when they leave us in the dark. The last time mother and father were like this was when Nana died. Remember, they sealed up the whole East wind and didn't tell us," Ri says.

"I hate that kind of different Ri," I say.

"Me too," Ri says.

The silence stretches as I conclude.

"Alright, we will go check out the ballroom."

"Really? Oh, Iris thank you so..."

"I am not done," I say.

Iris frowns at me.

"You will be doing the pecking alone," I say.

"You know I can't do this without you. We need to go in together and check the presents as fast as we can. If only I go in I will be slow and I could get caught," I say.

"That is why you will only be checking only your present. That way you will fast before anyone sees us," I say.

"But..."

"No, but Ri. Besides I am not entirely fit to bend down," I say.

I look at her as she makes that pity face that makes me do anything for her. I can't fall for that face this year. So I mask up my face.

"Ri this is the year I inherit Nana's crystal harp. She played that harp every night. Apart from getting into trouble and obsessing about Prince Jeffery, that's the only thing I am good at. So I need to stay away from trouble this one time," I say. "Stay away from trouble? Iris I just said you cannot get into trouble with your injury," Ri says.

"You know what I mean," I say.

"Fine Iris it's not every day we turn sixteen and I know how this is important to you so we will break tradition for just this year."

"How wonderful to hear Ri," I say turning to Bridgette. "Come on Bridgette let's go."