Cursed Under the Red Moon

Laying across my bed, I could hear the wind whistling through my window panes. Peeking through my half closed eyelids, I saw the red moon glaring down at me, almost as if it was mocking me. I roll over with a heavy sigh, shutting my eyes forcing myself to go back to sleep. 

After what seems to be an eternity of tossing and turning in bed, I glance at the horizon and see dawn creeping through.

‘What a great way to start my morning’.

With a dramatic sigh, more like a groan really, I yank the covers off to start my day. 

While taking a shower, I could see mountain terrains blanketed in snow which hasn’t melted in eons all while seeing the morning sky take over the night. 

Getting out of the shower, I glance at myself in the mirror. Sometimes I forget how strange my face looks. One eye is a light purple, almost like the amethyst stone. And the other eye, a light colored green that resembles the underside of a bare leaf. My pale skin brings the color of my eyes out even more. My purple black hair may be the only success I have created for myself, since I inherited it from my father. 

My mother has always stated that I'm the cursed princess Being born under the red moon didn’t help either, which happens to be today. Turning 300 years old today is supposed to be a triumph, a success story waiting to be told. I thought it to be more a dread that would be seeping into my bones. My father though, always the optimistic one, thought it would be blessing to have me around him, for he thought I brought good fortune to the kingdom. In reality, I’m just another spoiled princess that the kingdom would like to forget.

Grabbing the towel from the hook, I dried myself and readied myself for the day ahead. 

I decided to go simple today and wear my favorite dress. A long black dress, with a lace corset with bell sleeves that reach my forearms. I adorned my hair with little green flowers to match my eye and an amethyst stone necklace to match my other eye. When I open the door, I almost walked straight into my sister not expecting anyone to be at my door.

My younger sister is the cherished child of the Chantra family, the pride of the Night kingdom and possibly the whole dimension. She has a bright auburn hair with green eyes. She may look like our mother but her personality is much more gentle. Today she’s wearing a pink ruffled dress which seems to be her favorite dress for the past 100 years and a small crown with pink flowers adorning it. It takes me a moment to realize that she has a box in her hand  with a blue bow on it. I was mesmerized by her giant smile to not notice the box. 

“Happy birthday Lilith” she exclaimed when I failed to say anything. She embraced me with a box as she shoved me inside my room. She closed my door as I sat down on the floor. 

“Open the box, open the box, open the box Lily” 

I couldn’t help but laugh as she looks at me all happily. I look down at the box and playfully said, “but you did such a honorable job with the bow and everything. It would be a tragedy to destroy this masterpiece.” 

She glared at me and I held my hands up defensively. Grabbing the box carefully, I undid the bow and placed it on the ground next to me. When opening the box, a blue violet hue glowed which surprised me. Inside the box was a delicate looking flower that seemed to be made of glass. The tip of the petals were a deep blue then it turned into a violet towards the middle. It stood facing up with the stem curled underneath it.

I looked at my sister with tears in my eyes and think I questioned “Scar, you made this?”

She nodded her head which meant that I did ask that question out loud. I hugged her and thanked her through laughter and tears. We pulled back and look looked at each other for what seemed like longest staring contest ever. 

She sighed and said, “Mother isn’t happy at the moment. Father is making a big fuss that today is your birthday but she wants to hold a banquet for her extinguished guest and exclaimed", Scarlet sits upright as tries to mimic our mother, "Lilith will have more birthdays to celebrate. Today I want to celebrate our kingdom greatest triumph; forming allies with our greatest enemy, the Zaryth Kingdom.”

To say I wasn’t surprised that my mom rather celebrate something other than her owns daughter birthday, but forming allies with the Zaryth Kingdom was a completely different thought that I couldn’t begin to comprehend. In all my 300 years of living, I’ve heard of the legend, his majesty, King Lethro. How he majestically fought and defeated the three last dragons in this realm. King Luthor has two heirs, Prince Levan and young Prince Theodore. Though there is a mention of another heir, but never seen or heard of. 

“All I can say is that this present you made for me is the best gift I received today”. 

My sister laughed and said, “You do realize it’s still early in the morning. There’s still more to the day and then the banquet. Maybe father outwitted mother and did something for you.” 

I scrunched my nose at the mere thought of father ruining mother last minute banquet but there was hope for me yet.