I woke up early as usual. 'I get up way too early. Let a girl sleep.' I tussled around in my bed bored to death. 'Should I go back to reading but that doesn't feel fun. What is there to do? Should I practice speaking or continuing my walking abilities? Ah! I need something to do!' I looked out the window to see the color of the sunrise. I got out of bed and carefully got down.

I looked around the room and found nothing interesting or good. 'Alright time for my escape plan.' I stood up and took some practice walks. 'Looks like lady luck is with me today.' I walked over to the door and knocked on it before hiding behind it. "Was it the princess?" I heard one of the guards ask.

"I don't think so? I mean how can the princess know how to knock." The other guard replied.

"Don't underestimate the princess. One time I peeked in because I heard movement and saw the princess reading a book that was so thick I thought I was seeing things." The other guard replied. 'Ok, I have got to know their names because this is not working...I'll go with this. The cool one and clumsy one.' I nodded my head.

"Anyways let's check and see just in case." The cool one said. The door opened up and I made sure to push myself against the wall. "Where's the princess?!" The cool one shouted. The two guards then burst into my room.

"Oh no, where's the princess?! Princess!" The clumsy one shouted for me but I didn't respond. I took this chance and sneaked out of my room and now running away.

"Princess!" I heard both of them shout. 'What the- Oh come on!' I ran like I never ran before.

"Princess don't run! You'll trip!" The cool one shouted while chasing after me.

"Princess please stop! Hilana will kill us if she found out!" The clumsy one shouted right after. I ignored them and kept running simultaneously tripping on my own foot. 'This happens way too often!' I fell down and scraped my knee. 'Ow! Why doesn't she have pain tolerance?!' I screamed in my head while holding my bleeding knee.

"Princess!" The guards were now shouting in distress and picked up their pace. I stopped caring for my scraped knee and got up running again. I hid behind a corner and the guards passed me by. I watched them leave and then wondered on my own. 'I should get back after a while or else the whole castle will be flipped upside down. I must be the worst kid to look after.' I walked around the Harmon palace and checked some other rooms to find nothing much of interest.

I walked and walked. I crawled and crawled all the way until I bumped into a wall. I look up to see my father. 'Why's he here or maybe I went out too far.' I thought. "Papa!" I shouted out cheerfully. 'One greeting and then bye.' I thought to myself and wait for his response.

"Weirdo." That was all he said. 'Wow, you couldn't be any nicer to your own daughter. What more did I expect from the cold-blooded King? Why was I expecting more? I must be out of it.' I quickly took my leave and hoped he didn't see my scraped knee along the way because I don't want to deal with any sort of questioning right now.

I wandered around until I found myself outside in the melted snow and bright sun. 'It's not as cold as you might think.' I wandered around the yard until I found another door where I easily pushed it open and found long grand stairs down to somewhere. The guards were still standing but asleep. 'Looks like they didn't get much of a break.' I sneaked out the door and started heading down the stairs. By the time I was down the stairs I was in need of oxygen. I had to rest at least 4 times while walking down. 'This child's body sucks!' I hate kids.

I walked to another clearing and further up there was another wall covering the other side. I kept walking towards the wall and by halfway or more I could hear noises and smell the things from outside. 'Looks like past this wall will be the outside world. This seems like such an easy escape. Where are all the guards?' I kept walking to my left and found a small area covered in trees and bushes. Out from the bushes came a person dressed in all black and looked like a kidnapper. If one wasn't enough let's add in 4 more. You get the gist of it by now.

The leader I think approached me and I looked up at him. 'Disguise is not that good.' I rather you be a soldier than this. I mean what is with kidnappers dressing in black. If you want to disguise as someone then disguise as a maid or a soldier. Seriously there are so many of them I wouldn't even know you guys were going to kidnap me. 'So you think you are worthy of kidnapping me with your beginner skills. I would like to beg and differ since I work in a similar profession.' Also definitely beginners. Kidnapping in broad daylight is a stupid move where there are palace guards everywhere, hilariously not here. 'Maybe these guys got rid of them but that still doesn't seem right.' Their weapon of choice are pretty bad too. You don't want to bring anything that is revealing and heavy. These idiots are carrying long daggers and even swords! 'Heck, they should only carry knives and escape tools! I'm dealing with a bunch of noobs!' Their formation is awful and not well coordinated. Overall I give it 2 out of 10 for the fact they are acting as a group and somehow they were able to infiltrate the palace. I mean how hard is it to sneak inside a palace. 'Apparently very easy.'

I looked at their leader and mentally sent out a message telling them to try if they can. I know they won't hear it but I'm sure they can understand it through the eyes...maybe don't quote me on that. The leader had trembling hands and I could tell he was afraid- that's an understatement he was absolutely terrified. 'I guess these eyes of mine can truly be the devil's gift.' Not sure if I should feel complimented or insulted.

The leader pulled out a knife from out of nowhere and aimed straight for my neck. 'Crap! I was wrong about it being a kidnapping session but this leader knows how to catch people off guard even if it's unintentional!' I quickly stepped back and the knife barely scraped my neck. 'That was close.' I turned around and ran but the leader grabbed me by the collar before I can run. I was being lifted off the ground and struggled against his grip, then I was dropped to the ground with a blood-curdling scream at the same time. 'I smell blood.' I turned around to see the assassin holding his hand. 'Wait-no it's not his hand that he's holding it's his wrist he's holding.' My vision got covered before I could start looking anywhere else and they turned me around. I grabbed the person's hand who was covering my eyes. I lifted a few fingers away to see my father and a not-so-happy expression. He also had his sword pulled out with blood dripping on the ends. 'I knew it. The assassin got his hand cut off.' My father squatted down and looked at me.

"You really are strange." My father stated almost as if it was a fact. He looked me up and down and then stopped at my legs. He lifted up my dress and saw my now dried-up blood and wounded knees. 'Huh, it was both. I thought it was one guess not.' My father then looked back up at me. His hand came super close to my neck and rubbed it before pulling it back out revealing blood staining his fingers. 'Ok, I take back what I said earlier! This child has too much pain tolerance!' My father got up and looked at the group of assassins.

"Princess!" I heard Hilana's panicked voice. She came running over panting and sweating. 'She must've been running around looking for me.' Now I felt bad but when you're bored to insanity your mind doesn't process things well. Hilana hugged me tightly. "You had me scared and absolutely worried!" She sounded as if she was about to cry. I hugged her back. 'Please don't cry nanny. I'm sorry I won't try a stunt like this again. Please don't cry.' "I thought I couldn't find you anymore! I thought I lost you to the demnvra(1)!" Hilana pulled me back and yelled at me. Now I feel like I'm about to cry. "You can't run off like that princess! Everyone in the palace ran around searching for you, turning the whole place into a mess! If something severe were to happen to you I would never forgive myself!" Tears dripped down my face. 'Stupid, stupid, stupid!' I cursed myself for my stupidity. "Please don't make us worry for you. I don't want to lose you, princess." 'I am the dumbest child here! I have to stop making my nanny worry for me! I cause enough trouble as it is I don't want to give her anymore.'

"Hilana take her to the Herbal Hall." My father said and Hilana nodded her head picking me up and resting me on her arm.

"Come on princess let's go." I watched as my father stared at the assassins. He gave me a quick glance and for once he looked extremely sad. There wasn't a hint of cold disdain on his face just pure sadness or maybe that is just pity. By the time I was out of view I heard screams and bodies falling to the ground. 'The deed has been done. If he hadn't been there at that time I would've been dead. I guess I owe him quite a bit.' I rested my chin on Hilana's shoulder and watched the scenery pass by us. "Princess I know you're young and may not remember this but if you do. I want you to know that your father is a caring man even though he may not show it. He may be cruel, selfish, prideful, and needs a lot of attention directed to him but he's a very caring man. You may think what I'm saying is absurd but I watched him grow up, heck I was even his caretaker. I know him well enough to figure out this much." I leaned back and looked up at Hilana. "And I truly wish you can grow up thinking that at least he was a father who was there for you. Even if he isn't a good father at least he was one that didn't abandon you, one that stayed by your side till the very end." Hilana kindly smiled at me as we entered a room filled with the scent of herbs and flowers and the whole place looked like one of those fantasy greenhouses. It's very medicinal and kinda Asian. Not gonna lie it has a really weird Asian aspect to it. 'Well, even my Nanny came up and pleaded. I can't say no to that now can I. Just for you Hilana I'll try and get along with him.'

"Hilana!" I shouted and nodded my head at her. Hilana smiled back at me sniffling and trying to hold back her tears.

"Sometimes I get jealous wondering why you couldn't have been my daughter." Hilana set me down on a table and wet a towel with some medicinal water with that green color. Hilana gently dabbed away the blood on my knees and neck. 'Oh, Hilana don't you know in my mind your already like a mother to me. I wouldn't mind being your daughter in the least bit.'

Before I can figure out what was going on, my mouth blurted out the words. "Momma." I accidentally whispered out. Hilana stopped dabbing away my dried blood and looked up at me her eyes filled with tears that made them look glossy and they held so much surprise.

"Princess those words mean so much." She caressed my cheek gently and smiled at me with tears still falling down her face but why did that face seem anything but happy. "Sadly I cannot accept. I am not fit to be your mother nor can I ever bring myself to replace her highness." Hilana said losing her smile. I felt a pain strike my heart for a split moment and that caused my breath to hitch. "The most I can do is be your nanny. To help you, teach you, and care for you but I can't be the one to give you the love you need. Not now and sadly not ever." Her words brought a tear to my heart. I wouldn't have minded if Hilana were to be my mother but it doesn't seem like that'll be a possibility. I reached out my hand and wiped away the tears. 'Hilana...nanny...even if-even if you can't be my mother you will always be the one I care about from the deepest part of my heart. That's how important you are to me and I wouldn't want that to ever change.' I smiled at Hilana showing her that I'm perfectly fine but inside a part of me died and in my mind, I was crying desperately...desperately...for help.

There was a knock on the door and my father walked in. Hilana wiped away her tears quickly with her sleeves. My father came up to me and for once didn't do anything that would send me off to a rage spat instead he gently patted my head. I looked up at him and he had such a sad face with some blood staining it. It seemed as if he was in regret or guilty of something. "Papa!" I shouted and hugged his waist. 'I'll cheer you up. Dontcha worry.' I mean it's not every day you have me being so affectionate towards you so better savor it.

"I'll go get the medicine." Hilana bowed and quickly left to go grab the medicine for my wounds. He went and grabbed the towel and started wiping away the blood on my neck. It hurts because he was being quite rough with the towel. Seeming to see my pain he continued with a slight smirk. 'I take back my affection! I take back my kindness towards you! I want a refund!'

"Serves you right. Weak and useless." He said. 'Well-I-you know...you suck.' That was the best I could come up with as of now. "How in the dymir are you still alive? Eyesore, bug, ugly, weak." Now he went to insulting me. 'I will poison you with everything and let you slowly die in a painful rot!' My father threw the towel aside and looked at me eye to eye. There wasn't a hint of joy but there wasn't any hatred. 'Again those sad eyes. It's as if something was done and can't be redone.' I brought a hand up to his cheek and wiped away the blood. 'You know you look much better with a clean face.' I smiled at him hoping it might at least bring his cheery attitude back. "You liar." He said patting my head ever so gently. The pain from before returned but worse. 'Why did you have to go and say that. Isn't it fine to stay the way we are? Isn't it fine to stay ignorant of the pain.' I clutched his shoulders and leaned my head on one of them. 'Why does everything have to hurt? Why can't the pain just disappear? Why does it hurt so much?' I cried and cried with my tears dripping down my face and onto his shoulder. 'I just wanted a family. Is that so wrong? Is it wrong to have someone love me? Is it wrong for a monster to be normal?' The pain in my chest and the pain of earlier kept me crying-kept me hurting.

I held onto his shoulder even tighter than before. "Hurts...it hurts...papa." It took so much for me to not wail out, to not bawl in front of him but holding it in made it worse. I felt a gentle patting on my head and it felt warm...so warm. I silently cried into his shoulder just letting the tears leak out and letting my emotions go with them. No words were said probably for the best. In the herbal hall, only my silent cries filled the room while my tears left a river of steps.(2)

(Song-Hollow Hearts ©, February 17, 2017, Composed by-Peter Gundry)

1.Demnvra (Dem-ver-ah)- A being that parts of the dymir (underworld) and usually is associated with the grim reaper.

2. The last sentence is meant to be a type of hyperbole. It mostly sums up the emotional state that Dia is currently in.