The Abandoned Princess

5: Heart of Glass

U n t o l d  T a l e s

The child of two years was full of high spirit and cheeriness, moreover he was blessed with love and a great future that any child could ask for. Aiden's waves of laughter brought smiles to both of his parents from the exhaustion they get at end of the day. The child was their motivation as the couple rebuild the Luville Kingdom after they took the throne from Edmund's tyrant father.

Aiden was just like any other child, eyes sparkling in glee and curiosity, a wide smile that people adore to see, and a very energetic personality. Most likely, everyone around would fall for his adorable charm.

But after that tragic event, that child was never the same. His heart was filled with loneliness and loathing towards a specific person.

The first time that Aiden felt hatred was towards his sister, who happened to be still unborn inside the queen's womb. It was when his aunt visited the palace and saw him playing alone out in the garden for his mother is too sick to take a light stroll with him.

She approached the child with masked pity on her face.

"Oh dear, you poor child!" She hugged the prince who was in a state of confusion. "I don't know what's my sister's thinking, leaving you like you don't matter!"

"Leaving? Where, mama going?" He tried to pull away from the embrace so he could go to see the bedridden queen, but the aunt held him firmly. "Let go! Aiden want to come!"

"The truth is my prince, your mother is going far far away. Perhaps she will take the baby with her."

Aiden's eyes started to moisten and his voice cracked asking, "Why? Why not Aiden also?"

The aunt looked down at him, pink-colored eyes boring at Edmund's son. The very man who she's obse—infatuated with. She then shrugged and nonchalantly said, "I guess Selene loves your sibling more than you."

"Not true! Liar! Aiden will tell father!"

She scoffed. "And what? Punished me? He's not even here. He's too busy with the rebelling aristocrats." She took Aiden's arm so he wouldn't escape. "Your mother will always love and choose her new baby over you, little prince. That's why she's dying right now and it's all because of your sibling."

The aunt released her grip leaving red mark on the boy's skin and fear on his heart.

"Go on now. Ask the queen before she dies."

⋅•⋅⊰∙∘☽༓☾∘∙⊱⋅•⋅•⋅⊰∙∘☽༓☾∘∙⊱⋅•⋅

A I D E N

Aiden Nile Arias, the heir to the throne and the only son of King Edmund and Queen Selene. I was a spitting image of the king, with eyes of gold and blonde hair. Because of this many people look up to me expecting that I will be as successful as the king currently sitting on the throne.

At the age of seven, they say that I was somehow much more mature than the children of my age. The persona I had created was a bright, kind, and obedient prince. That's how it's always been and how it will always be, while the real me was far from that: a broken child who is lost. 

I have a secret that I kept from everyone, not even my father knows of this.

I was really curious about this person. My sister to be exact. All my life I have never seen her. I never asked my father about the princess because I knew that the king didn't want her. So I asked one of my maids.

She spoke ill toward the princess. "The princess is the one who killed the queen that's why his highness doesn't have a mother like the other children."

"The prince is working hard and yet the princess doesn't do anything and just plays around."

"I saw the princess a while ago, your highness. She's an ill-mannered child as if a barbarian raised her. Not even an ounce of gracefulness can be seen, unlike the previous queen."

I was a child of ignorance that's why I easily believed her, that another hatred towards my sister was placed inside my heart as the maid spoke spiteful words.

One day I went to look for my sister. I didn't plan on engaging in a talk with her but just to observe her. 

My sister has the same color of eyes as the queen.

When those beautiful blueish-green eyes stared directly at me something stirred inside, something awful, a wretched feeling of hurt and anger. A part of my memory from the past resurfaced, and although it wasn't vivid from what I remember I know those same eyes weren't full of life but in dull color. Eyes of someone who's dying.

"She killed the queen."

"Your mother loves your sibling more than you."

"I won't leave, I promise...Aiden, my little sun, mother needs to rest."

Shouting hurtful words towards my said sister, projected the anger and pain of losing the mother I loved, I blamed the princess.

It's her fault. It's her fault. It's her—

"I'm sorry. You know, she's also my mother." With those simple words from my sister, I realized I wasn't the only one who was hurting and longing for our mother's presence.

And after I went back the maid continued to speak maliciously toward the person who just wiped my tears.

I decided to observe the maid on why she was so spiteful to my sister, before making my move.