The Girl with the Violet Eyes Page 8

  Chapter 8

 

  “Now for you Marylyn. I can't believe you would leave me alone in this giant palace with your son for 20 years. He has driven me insane asking me every question known to man. Grandma when will they come home, why haven't they returned? Are they alive? You have no idea; the same questions daily and since the king hasn't returned in days he thinks he's in charge. I've missed you.” She says finally looking down. My mother rushes towards her and picks her up off the ground hugging and shaking her fiercely. “I missed you to mom. It was horrible. I'll tell you all about it over tea. I didn't want to leave but we had to because the kingdom was in danger.” She says sobbing hysterically.

  “I have a brother?” I ask. They both look at me stunned, but not responding and the next second a loud booming voice echoes through the hall.

  “Granny. What's all this racket about? You're never this noisy so what has you so excit...” He trails off, and stares at us from the hallway. A tall boy around my age with the same color hair as mine, and he looks like a younger replica of our father. He has his straight black hair and his broad shoulders. His hands go limp at his sides and his foot begins to tap nervously.

  “Mom?” He asks.

  He bursts into a sprint skidding across the marble floor and pummeling into her with force that looks like it should knock her down but she easily grabs him in her arms and holds him. He sobs into her gown and she rubs his back.

  “Mom. I thought you were dead.” The boy with raven black hair sobs into her shoulder. I stand there awkwardly wondering if he knows who I am because I sure the hell did not know he existed until now.

  “Is this her?” He questions looking at me carefully.

  “Yes this is your twin sister, Alison.” She says grabbing me and we all embrace. All I can think is that I'm not an orphan. I have a family; my parents aren't crazy or dead and I have a grandmother and a brother. I grin and let them hold me tightly as we all cry rejoicing each other’s long lost company. I have never been so happy in my life... well I take that back except for when I'm with him. What was it about Theo that had me on the edge of my seat? I just met him but there was something very intriguing and different about him, my heart was pounding and I wanted to dance with joy. I had a family, and I was surrounded by love. I was an important person who was going have to learn how to be a princess. I would get to be a ruler one day and I needed to learn how to be a good person. Today was a day I would never forget because I was finally filled with the happiness and joy that I had searched so long for.

  “Victor, please show your sister to her quarters. Your grandmother and I will be in the garden; you two are welcome to join us later.” She says breathlessly letting us go and we watch as they walk down the big white marble corridor and out the French doors.

  We stand awkwardly staring at each other. I have no idea what to say, and by the look on his face neither does he. He breaks the silence with a long sigh.

  “What?” I say looking skeptically at him.

  “Nothing, I just didn't think I would have any competition for the kingdom.” He says, startling me.

  “What? Competition but we're siblings and I'm sure you have had a lot more training than I have.” I say.

  I know I should be mad at him for saying something so mean and childish. I can't help feeling sorry for him. I mean I guess if I never had parents and had to live in this big empty place by myself I would be pretty suspicious of everyone to.

  “I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said that. We never got a proper greeting. My name is Victor and I am Prince of Newhollow.” He says looking down shamefully. I look at him seeing our striking resemblance to each other and I smile. The only difference between us is that he holds himself confidently and I stand and act awkwardly, but we have the same dark hair and strong facial features, our violet eyes matching with long black eyelashes.

  “Please do not apologize, Victor. You are my brother you don't have to speak to me so formally.” I say grinning at him.

  “You don't hold grudges? Good.” He says laughing heartily.

  “No. I like to forgive and forget. People say things they don't mean all the time. We are supposed to love each other because we're family.” I say.

  “I'm glad you're not like dad. If you make him mad, then he will stay mad at you for awhile. I've learned that from experience.” He says looking glumly ahead. We pass smiling and frowning pictures of royal ancestors. I have never seen so much white in my life. The floors, the walls, the rugs, and the doors, everywhere I look I see white unless we pass a window and see the greenery outside. The place has countless doors and hallways we turn three times and he opens up a pair of double doors. The room we enter is beautiful. I stand gaping at the sight before me. It is definitely a room fit for a princess. The ceilings are high and endless; there are gold embellishments and dark wooden beams that reach the center. In the middle is a large sparkly chandelier with thousands of lights. There are two huge windows with violet draping curtains that reach the floor, and they are tied back with gold ribbon. In between the windows is a pair of French doors that opens up to a large balcony covered in flowers with a small cafe table in the middle. The bed is in the center of the room, it looks like two king sized beds put together. The bed is a four poster bed with a see-through violet canopy. I can see the golden thick bedspread and the white down comforter underneath it. There's a stack of violet pillows at the head of the bed, and a little brown teddy bear. There's a wall covered in mirrors that opens up to a closet full of gowns, clothes, and shoes. A vanity sits on the other wall along with a little changing area and a fireplace with a golden Victorian style chaise that sits across from it. The vanity is a shiny white that gleams in the sunlight and it has a large mirror, and a golden chair. There are already endless supplies of hair and beauty products place neatly on it. Victor leads me to a door near the changing area which is my bathroom. It is an extravagant white marble room, with a large violet claw foot tub in the middle, there's a violet toilet, a matching sink and two windows that open outwards.

  “So what do you think? I helped grandma and dad decorate it so in case you ever came home it would be finished.” Victor says proudly.

  “It's amazing.” I say getting teary-eyed and trying to look away.

  “Don't cry please. I hate when girls cry.” Victor says looking at me, his eyes growing wide.

  “I can't help it. This is all to much. It's so beautiful and you called this home, and I took away mom and dad. I didn't even know you existed, and you had to live in this big place alone. I feel like a terrible person.” I say through sobs, my shoulders shrug in defeat. He comes over quickly and grabs me in a hug. I try to hold back the tears so I don't ruin his white button up shirt, but they come quickly and uncontrollably.

  “You're not a terrible person, Alison. It's not like you did it on purpose. Mother had a vision and you had to leave for the good of the kingdom. I had father here all the time with me. I had it better because at least dad wasn't insane like mom was because of that bastard. He took away everything good that she stood for. She could have killed you if you didn't have royal blood in your veins you might not be alive.” He says soothingly. He brushes the tears out of my eyes. “I'm really glad we got to meet, Ali. I've been waiting a long time for this and I'm so happy that our family is together again. I have something for you if you wouldn't mind following me to my room.”

  I take a towel from under the sink and wipe my eyes dry. The mascara I was wearing earlier covers my face in black blotches and I have to use soap to scrub it all off. I throw the towel in the hamper and follow Victor through the maze of dizzying white hallways until we reach another set of double doors. He opens up his doors to an exact replica of my room except his is full of paintings and instead of violet and gold, his colors are red and gold. The place where my vanity is sits a 42 inch flat screen TV and all the latest gaming systems and games are lying all over the floor. Two red bean bags sit across from the t
elevision and a bag of popcorn is on one of them.

  “I like your bedroom. It's very manly.” I say with a smirk.

  “Very funny.” He says looking back at me with a grin.

  “I wasn't joking. I didn't get a television in my room and I love video games.” I say.

  “Well, we'll just have to fix that now won't we? For now though you can come here if you ever feel like losing.” He says giving me a wink. He goes over to his bedside table and opens one of the drawers pulling out something. He comes back with a little pink and white polka-dot package, a neatly placed pink bow in the middle. He hands it to me with shaky hands and I take it from him.

  “It's nothing really big. It's just a welcome home gift from me.”, He says.

  “I'm sure it's great. I didn't even get you anything; at least you knew I existed.” I say, tearing open the package. There's a white picture frame and in it sits a black and white photo of two smiling kids of about age 3. They are in a garden holding hands and laughing happily. “That was us. It was taken by grandmother the day before you, mom, and dad had to leave the city. It's been sitting on my bedside table for years but I thought you might like it.” Victor replies.

  “We were so cute. Thanks. I love it.”, I say smiling up at him.

  “That's not all look at the back of it. There should be something else. I picked this out all by myself.” He says grinning.

  I turn over the picture frame and find a tiny velvet blue envelope. It's stuck on the back with the tape so I take the tape off and open up the envelope to find a small dainty silver bracelet with white gems in between the chains and purple charms in the shape of lilies.

  “Dad said you loved lilies, and that you always planted them with him in your garden at home. He also said your favorite color was purple so I had a jeweler in the city make this for you. I even drew up the design.” He says proudly looking at his creation.

  “Oh wow! This is the best gift I've ever gotten. You are the best brother ever!” I say hugging him happily, and enthusiastically twirling my gift. I put on the bracelet and watch as the little white gems shimmer in the sunlight.

  “I'm glad you like it. Yeah, I pretty much am the best, but thanks for acknowledging that.” He says sarcastically. “Anyways, we should go meet mom and grandma before they start to think we got lost in this place.”

  I follow him, completely unaware of the difference between any of the hallways. Every hallway we go through has the same design and layout as the one before it. I could see how someone could easily become lost in this place. We finally get to the lobby area where we first met with the large staircase in the middle that swirls outwards and the huge crystal chandelier that dangles overhead extravagantly. There are a few Victorian style red chairs and a dozen windows. We walk through one more white hallway with family portraits and end up at the end with the French doors that lead to the garden. Victor holds the doors open and we walk down a stone pathway to where mother and grandmother sit on a metal deck overlooking a pond with a waterfall. We take our seats and two servants bring us out iced tea and lemon tarts.

  “So how was it my darlings. You didn't get lost.” Mother asks us.

  “No. Alison had the best palace tour guide around Newhollow.” He responds.

  “How did you like your room, Ali?”, Grandmother asks gently.

  “Oh I loved it, and look what Victor gave me as a gift.” I say gushing holding up the picture frame and showing off my shimmering flower charm bracelet.

  “Oh it's beautiful! You are such a sweet boy, Victor. Can I see the picture?” Mother questions me. I hand the picture over, and watch as her eyes begin to well up. She dabs them quickly with a napkin and shudders. She hands the picture back to me with a frown.

  “Why are you sad mother?” Victor asks from across the table.

  “I was just thinking about how this was the night Mathew stole my memories and ordered me to burn the city. He wanted me to kill everyone including you and Ali so to keep us safe your father left you here to rule the kingdom in case something should happen and took me and Ali to the human world. Even though I was under Mathew's control I still felt sad and angry because I knew something wasn't right deep inside.” She says looking longingly into the pond.

  “I wish I could give you those memories back. Even before you were controlled you knew you would have to leave because of Ali and her powers. You foresaw what was going to happen if you didn't.”, Grandmother answers.

  “Wait, what?” I say angrily. “What do you mean we would have to leave because of me, but you just said she was supposed to destroy the kingdom and that's why we had to leave?”

 

  True Intentions