Running through the gardens of the palace of Kálan's kingdom was its second princess, Mai'ya—or Maya, as she was called by those closest to her. Mai'ya was seven years old and was beginning to learn how to control her magic... on her own, because she was the daughter of Lyra, the first concubine of the former king of Kálan and now a wanted criminal.
Lyra's crime was fleeing the palace after cursing her husband with madness. No one knew why she had done it. Khelios, the former king, had loved Lyra with (almost) all his heart. He had even promoted her to the position of leader of the royal harem.
But let's return to the garden...
Mai'ya glanced over her shoulder and smiled in relief—no one was chasing her anymore. She approached the garden lake and gazed at the water's surface. Her left eye bore a large purple bruise.
The second princess had black hair and emerald green eyes, inherited from her father, but the rest of her face bore the features of her mother. She had also inherited Lyra's tan skin tone.
Her older brother, Orion, loved to use her as a punching bag, and no one who still cared about her could help. After all, Orion was the queen's son and the crown prince of Kálan.
When Khelios was "retired" from the throne by Lyra, his twin brother, Anik, took the crown. Orion's mother, Valissa, entered into negotiations with her brother-in-law to ensure she could retain her position in the royal family. She had significant influence among the nobles, so through a marriage of convenience with Anik, she secured (once again) her position as queen of Kálan. However, the queen resented Mai'ya because of Lyra, so Valissa forbade anyone from teaching magic to the second princess.
Footsteps rustled through the grass behind the second princess. She turned around, bracing herself for another beating, but sighed in relief at the sight of Mherona, her cousin and the first princess of Kálan.
"So this is where you were!" Mherona smiled at her cousin. "Don't worry—Orion was summoned by the king. Apparently, he skipped his lessons, and now he's getting a scolding."
Mherona was Anik's daughter with his late wife, and like Mai'ya, she was also despised by Valissa. She was three years older than the second princess, and as the daughter of the current king, she had more credibility and power to defend her young cousin from harassment by members of the royalty, nobility, and their servants.
"I'm sure Orion will blame me for this," Mai'ya replied. "Cousin, can you help me get back to my ward? I don't want to be attacked on my way to my room," she said with genuine fear.
Mherona nodded and took her hand. They made their way out of the garden and into the palace. Along the way to Mai'ya's ward, they encountered many nobles, and when they saw Mherona, they stopped and greeted her with smiles, asking about her day. Some extended the conversation a little longer, while others simply bowed. But their attention was solely focused on the first princess, and Mai'ya was completely ignored.
As they neared the second princess's ward, they heard the voice of Madelaine, Mai'ya's servant. "My princess, where have you been?" Madelaine asked worriedly. "I've searched for you all over the palace..." She stopped speaking when she saw the second princess's face, her eyes filling with tears. "Oh, Your Highness, forgive me, forgive me," Madelaine said, hugging the little princess. When the maid's arms wrapped around her, Mai'ya finally let her tears flow.
Since Lyra's escape and disappearance four years ago, Madelaine had been the closest thing to a mother figure Mai'ya had. The second princess knew how much the maid suffered at the hands of the palace's other members for being connected to her.
"Madelaine, don't cry," Mai'ya pleaded through tears. "I'm fine; it was just a scare they gave me."
"Well, I'll leave my cousin in your care," Mherona said to the maid. "I have to attend afternoon tea with the daughters of some nobles." With that, she turned and left.
Mai'ya turned and waved to Mherona. "Thank you, cousin, for escorting me back to my ward." The first princess waved back and went to fulfill her commitment.
"Well, let's go inside, Your Highness," the maid said. "I'll prepare some medicine to put on that bruise. And then you'll need to prepare for your history class; the teacher is already on their way."