THE LOST SECRET CLAUDINE SEIN, 11
WHAT happened to me was... meant to happen. At least that’s what I tell myself. I have
always felt as if a cloud of darkness followed me in every step, that I was cursed even before I was born. Whenever I gave my best effort, evil consequences would quickly rush through, stealing good opportunities and replacing them with nightmares. Not only did I live in a state of depression, but everyone I surrounded myself with perceived a wave of darkness that people started to quickly drift away- until I was left only with the solemn remembrance of my parents. Because I was an only child and the heir to the throne, the expectations increased immensely when my parents suddenly passed away. I was merely sixteen years old when I started learning about the responsibilities and demands of being a part of the royal family. It was the summer of 1968, and I was getting ready for my training. “Keep your head up princess, or your crown will fall,” said Toto, my trainer. “I don’t think I’m strong enough for this Toto, every time you think we are making progress I mess it up and trip over my heels. Why do I need to learn how to walk appropriately and memorize the rules of etiquette? I want to play in the garden not do princess stuff,” I complained. Afraid of saying too much to the little princess, Toto demanded with a tone of seriousness, “Korra, one day you will be the best Queen Emerald City has had, and all evil will perish.” Toto was my best friend, my tutor, and more of a father than mine ever was. His dark and curly hair highlighted his honey-brown eyes, and his strong heroic fi gure made me feel as if nothing in the world could ever hurt me. My parents hired him to “protect me at all costs.” Although I felt safe with him, I knew there was more to the outside world than what Toto imparted in his lessons, and I was eager to explore the outdoors. I had been trapped behind doors my whole life as if I were a prisoner in my own house. Well, not a house. A castle. It was a beautiful one, that I can’t deny. With a shimmering river surrounding it, the big, red castle stood out among the trees, alongside a thatched barn fi lled with royal horses and gurgling hens. Mornings were serenely quiet, but when the soldiers started their training at noon, the chanting of birds were quickly ruptured by the banging of swords and yelling of commanders. After failing yet another etiquette lesson, I slowly walked to the royal garden with Naga, my pet wolf that never left my side. She had beautiful grey fur, and her sharp pearled teeth could destroy the densest rock. Naga was the only thing I had left from my parents, granted to me on my thirteenth birthday. Walking through the gardens, my mind started whirling thinking about all the things that felt wrong in my life. My parents’ death was announced yesterday after they left for a week voyaging through the raging seas to fi nd a lost treasure, but they never came back. There were rumors that fi shermen on the shores saw my parents’ bodies slowly creeping into the scattered rocks, but I didn’t believe that for a second. Part of me thought they were still alive. No, I knew it. Something wasn’t right, and I was going to fi nd out the truth about all
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