Chapter 3

I had always imagined myself as a lady, dressed in fine dresses and wearing jewels as precious as diamonds that sparkled and shimmered in the sunlight, as glittering as pearls when I wore them. Perhaps I was mistaken. I don't know what I was imagining, or what I hoped would become of me, but for some reason my childhood dream was shattered, torn apart, and tossed into the ocean. What does a girl do when everything she ever dreamed about comes crashing down around her? How does a child survive when all their dreams are gone? When every beautiful day you'd ever spent dreaming fades away? What happens when your childhood dreams are replaced by the bleak reality that is everyday life? And what can you do when the people around you are cruel and cold? What are you supposed to do when your world falls apart? And why did it fall apart so fast?  Why didn't anyone help me? But maybe my dreams didn't really matter.  It all began three weeks after my fifteen birthday. My father had asked me if we could go for a walk within of our castle.  So I agreed. The sun shone brightly and bright blue skies hung overhead. We strolled through the castle grounds, pausing from time to time to admire some of the exotic plants or animals that my father kept hidden within the castle walls.   He took me everywhere, showing me everything in the castle. He showed me the secret passageway that lead straight to the dungeons and  then the secret chamber that held the secret treasures of the kingdom. My father showed me the library filled with ancient books and scrolls that seemed impossible for anyone to read. He showed me the training hall where the knights trained. I was impressed with the skill of the fighters that were trained there. Finally we reached an open clearing and sat down in a small bench. The air was clear, the breeze blew softly, and the sun warmed our bodies. We were alone in this beautiful moment. My father bent down to look at the ground below us. In between a rock and a patch of dirt lay a tiny flower.  The stem looked almost like a tiny leafy sprout. It's leaves were green with yellow streaks across the back, like a snake curled around its tail. Its center bloomed with red petals, just like a rose, and the edges of its stem were white with small pinkish veins running throughout.  "My dearest, what flower is that?" asked my father as he pointed to the tiny flower that was nestled in the dirt beside him. “It is a daisy, father.” “Do you know what daisies symbolize?" he asked, gazing intently at the flower. "No," I said, shaking my head  in puzzlement.  "What do they symbolize?” I asked. “Hope," he replied. "Hope and courage."  With that he placed the delicate blooms carefully in my lap and kissed my forehead.  I turned away from him quickly, hoping that he wouldn't notice how my cheeks burned. I stared down at the daisy as the sun made it glow with its light. After a brief moment of silence, he spoke.  “The Kingdom of Alara has survived these years through alliance   and friendship with the other kingdoms. We were able to achieve this through marriage alliances." I listened closely to what he was saying.   I loved listening to the way that he said things. Each word was a gift from him, and I treasured each one.  He continued. "There have been many such alliances which have allowed the Kingdom of Alara to continue to prosper. You  shall be wed to Prince Elam. Your marriage will be a union of strength and love." At this point he turned to me. His expression was serious, serious as it had ever been. He reached over and cupped my chin lightly in his hand, turning my face to face his.  Tears ran down my cheeks as he wiped away my tears. “This must be the most difficult thing I have ever had to do. Yet, you have always had my unconditional support through it all.  I am proud to call you my daughter and promise to give you all of that love and guidance that you deserve." A smile crept onto my lips as I tried hard to contain the emotions swelling within me. As I gazed into his eyes  I knew that  nothing would change my feelings for my father. He was still the man who taught me how to ride horses and how to dance properly.  He was still the father that gave me all of those wonderful books when I was a little girl; the man who had promised  himself to me. Everything else changed, but I knew that it would never change my father.  Even though I was going to marry someone else, I would always be his beloved princess. Nothing could change that fact, not even death would change it! I bowed my head and remained silent as the tears streamed down my face. My heart throbbed heavily, pulsating with pain that I wished could relieve itself. In the meantime, as the summer days passed in bliss, I grew strong. My skin became tanned and rosy and I soon gained the weight I needed to keep pace with everyone's expectations.  The day of the wedding came  and my mother helped dress me in a simple white dress. She had given me a bouquet of flowers that matched the color of my hair perfectly. With my hair down, the outfit was stunning. It was something I had always dreamed of, something that I've never gotten to wear since coming to live here in this world.   My mother smiled as she admired my appearance. “You look beautiful, my dear," she said. “Thank you, Mother," I replied. She then handed me a small box. Inside was a beautiful golden ring. It was a simple gold band with a single diamond embedded in the middle. It was beautiful and elegant.  Just like myself. “This is for you," she said. “It represents a pledge that your husband shall always care for you." My eyes began to water with tears as I stared at my mother's face. Her smile was radiant as she embraced me  . There was no need for me to say anything. Her gesture conveyed enough of her thoughts,  and more importantly her words that I had known all along. As we walked towards the chapel, we noticed the people walking together. They were celebrating the wedding, their joyful voices echoing around us and mingling with the gentle melodies of violins. Some of the guests were waving flags that were adorned with the royal insignia, others danced while singing songs.  Most importantly, however, was the sight of Prince Elam standing next to my father, a smile on his face. In my opinion, the ceremony was more beautiful than anything that I had ever seen before. There were beautiful golden flowers strewn along the path leading to the altar, and I heard singing coming from deep within the mountains while a magnificent wedding band played a beautiful piece of music. All that was left to do was to stand side by side with my future husband and exchange vows.  I took one last glimpse of my mother as she walked ahead of us, her face glowing with a radiant smile. Then I too stepped forward, taking Elam's outstretched hand.  Our fingers intertwined. I felt his touch on mine and smiled warmly at him.  But then, in spite of his touch, a strange feeling washed over me. It was the strangest sensation, the kind of feeling that I had never experienced in my entire life. I felt as if there was something inside of me that  wanted desperately to escape. Something deep inside of me that wanted desperately to run. To escape from the castle. To escape from this strange new life.   “You ready?" whispered Elam.  I nodded and he squeezed my hand gently. I watched as my father stood tall, his hands clasped behind his back. My gaze traveled to meet my mother's. She gave me a reassuring wink. Elam turned towards me and whispered in my ear: “Are you sure you want to do this?" I smiled at him. I nodded firmly once again and squeezed his hand tighter. I looked up at the prince as he offered me a sweet, reassuring smile. Then we walked off to the altar, my head held high  as though I was prepared to be married.  A few members of the congregation looked at us curiously as we walked up onto the alter and we both stood facing our parents. The priest smiled at us and began speaking. “Ladies and gentlemen, it is my honor to officiate the wedding of Princess Jaina and Prince Elam.”  Then we both closed our eyes as the priest started reciting the traditional oath that every couple takes when pledging their eternal bond.