Chapter Fourteen.

As Valentines Day fades away, my main girl Verona is very unhappy to stay.

(;'༎ຶٹ༎ຶ') {see what I did there? I rhymed.}

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Everyone's life has hurdles. Some are more tumultuous, while others get dealt a prettier hand of cards. Unfortunately this story follows a character that has had a misfortunate upbringing and will also suffer through more. As your narrator, let me give you some more insight.

Verona Adria Celeste wasn't even able to walk before her parents died. So when Verona's Aunt took over the throne she felt was rightfully hers, Verona was not aware of the new management. (The Ecrean language can be all time consuming for an toddler.) This means growing up Verona believed her aunt to be her mother. And for a very long time that piece of information, that was known by the people, was kept secret to Verona.

At first this wasn't on purpose. Verona did not live a public life. She mostly stayed indoors or in the garden at the palace. As she got older however Verona grew more restless, and decided she wanted to a role in changing Ecrea for the better.

This was where her Aunt disagreed with her. And because her Aunt was threatened by the very existence of her niece she locked her away. A ghost in a castle with mirrors.

There was no end to her Aunt's cruelty. No family, no friends, and of course, no escape.

She had become nonexistent, a lone prisoner in a beautiful castle.

Of course, Verona wasn't entirely alone, but that story is for another chapter.

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Soft.

There was something extremely silky beneath me. The familiar scent of the room mixed with the texture of my bed woke me up immediately.

The first thing I saw was the chandelier that was bolted into the ceiling. I shivered feeling a sense of deja vu from a bad dream.

The memories of the previous night flooded my head as I swayed in the room.

To hell with Jasper. Just when you think you can trust somebody they betray you. Especially the ones you think you're starting to like.

It's been two years since I escaped from here, and swore to never come back. All it took was some decent flirting, and piercing green eyes to bring me back.

My hand starts to tremble, as my mind starts to imagine what will happen. I can already hear her say it. "You weak, useless girl. Nobody wants you."

Standing in the middle of the room I realize that besides the bed it's completely empty. Which means she must have thrown all my stuff out after I left.

Then again she wouldn't have had that on public display for her precious nobles to see. My stuff is probably stored somewhere here. If I can just find it then maybe...

A squeak underneath my foot made me pause. One of the tiles feel off.

I bend down to take a closer look at the cold marble tile, and see the tile isn't sealed into the floor like the rest of them.

I move the loose tile, revealing a small box. Smiling to myself I open it, getting a feeling I know exactly what's inside.

Inside the small box, a pair of long socks, and a familiar obsidian necklace. The necklace glints as I pull it out, and the glint of lamplight in my room bounces off it.

I can't believe this is still here.

I swore to never come back, and it was all because of this beautiful nightmare. The obsidian, amplifies my abilities, which made me have a vision of far into the future and the world was horrible.

So I ran.

I ran on the day of my arranged wedding, from all my responsibilities. And I swore that if I ever found myself back here I would do everything I could to change the future I had saw.

Now I'm back here again. Against my will, trapped in this goddess forsaken prison. It was one thing to escape on my own one time, but there was no way I'm getting out of here for the second time.

I clasp the necklace on my own neck and rush to check the windows. As I pull away the curtains the milky shadow of moonlight shines onto me. The familiar landscape of the garden below bathing in its light.

I groan when the windows don't budge. They must be spelled shut with an incantation from a spell caster. As panic begins to bubble in my chest, I run towards the double door entrance of my room. The doors, stuck together spelled along with the windows.

There isn't a way out.

The room seems to get smaller and smaller as my breath quickens. My mind freezing on the repeating thought.

There isn't a way out.

Before I go full panic attack, I pick myself up to try one last thing.

There may not be a way out, but there has to be a way in.