Anica's World- Chapter 1

I don't understand how it happened. I suppose it had something to do with those old stories father used to always read to us. The stories about magic, adventure, fairies and ghouls. Those were the sort of stories people never believed were real. At least... my sister didn't believe so...

She was three years older than me. She never used to leave her bedroom in the morning without making sure her hair was perfect and her face was covered with it's usual shine of pale make-up. It was a shame, in it's own way. Even now as I watched her look through her collection of belongings I thought to myself "Does she really need all that?"

When she was younger, however, I felt she was much like me. It was amazing how she seemed to change so quickly. She used to sit at the end of the satin quilted bed alongside me, and listen to father as he read us another story from his old gold coloured book. The stories he used to tell were like nothing you'd have ever heard. Tales of witches and unicorns... almost any mythical creature you could ever imagine was inside his large book.

When I was little, my sister used to discuss each of his stories before we went to bed. We used to dream that perhaps we were in the stories too, and we could ride pegasi, or cast spells... even make ourselves disappear. But, as we grew older, my sister began to see that these stories were just that. Stories. She used to try and convince me that they weren't real, that there was no mythical land which existed outside ours, and there were no such things as fairies or goblins.

Back then I used to get upset when she would tell me this. I used to run to my room and cry loudly, hoping she would come in and say that she had been lying. Of course, that never happened.

"Princess Eliza! Princess Eliza! Where are you girl!" A loud voice echoed from down the hallway. "Dear child, your mother needs to speak with you!"

"Coming Rosie!" I called back, taking my head out of my sister's room. I quickly raced down the main hall, pulling up the bottom of my dress as I made an attempt to run faster.

I finally managed to reach her after running for what seemed like ages. Rosie was standing in the middle of the hall, arms crossed, with an unpleasent look upon her usually bright, rounded face. She wore a long red dress which looked quite nice on her, especially with her long hair up in it's usual high bun.

"Finally made it," she said, giving me her usual glare. "Your mother wants a word."

"She always wants a word," I groaned back. "It better not have something to do with Tessa's wedding." Rosie let out a large sigh.

"Of course it does child! Now, I want you to hurry to the dining room. I think your mother is making some arrangements."

At the moment I couldn't be bothered with helping decorate the castle. I had a feeling that may have been the reason mother was so anxious to see me. Rosie took off down the hall as I followed swiftly. Rosie didn't usually move so fast, since this was the first time I had seen her dress bob up and down so much.

As I reached the dining room I wasn't surprised to see stunning blue decorations being put up by the castles servants. I watched quietly as Rosie wondered over to where mother was standing and greeted her with her usual bow. "Your majesty, Princess Eliza is here as you requested."

Mother peered over Rosie's shoulder to where I was standing. She gave me short glare before she walked smoothly over to me. "Don't give me that look, young lady!" she said, "I suppose I was foolish to think you'd be happy for your sister on this wonderous occasion..."

"No, I'm happy for her. It's just I'm not in the mood for all these preparations."

"Understandable," mother said with a nod, "I just wish you wouldn't look so depressed at the moment, that's all." I gave her a fake smile and she gleamed back at me. Just at that moment, Tessa burst into the room with a distressed look on her face.

"Mother!" she bellowed, "Mother,I never agreed to having such awful coulours!" I looked around the room. The pale blue didn't seem awful to me.

"Not another change," sighed Rosie under her breath, just loud enough for me to hear.

"Well then, what other colour did you have in mind then?" Mother queried, also showing the same distressed face as Rosie.

"Pink!" Tessa said with a giggle. I almost cried.

"Pink?" Mother asked. "Are you sure that's what you want?"

"Yes!" Tessa said with a smile. "Just imagine what my darling Gerald will do when he sees me walking down the aisle in stunning pink."

"He'll become sickened with fever," I said, just loud enough for Rosie to hear. Rosie replied with a small laugh. Tessa focused her sight onto me. I was waiting patiently for her to surprise me.

"You'll need to get a pink bridesmaid dress," she said with a cunning smile.

And before long I was standing with Maria, in the marketplace, looking for some pink fabric.