It's been said that gold is the most precious element in the world. Gold represents hope and royalty. Gold's perfect in every way. What if I told you that in some distant kingdom far far away, it was the complete opposite?

As we grow up, we learn who we are. We learn our strengths, our weakness, and everything in between. In the world, there are three main types of people. First, the intellectuals or the black eyes. The people who depend on their minds to live. Using their intelligent minds, their goal is to fulfill a prophecy. Black eyes have what most people consider "normal" eyes. Second, the creatives or the white eyes. The people who depend on a place beyond their minds to live, their imagination. Magic and their innovative minds helps them to thrive. These people have a vibrant ring of white around their black pupils. Third, the people who combine reality with their imaginations to face the real harsh world and help to make a better one. These people face the most difficult challenges; the hardest one being themselves.

Ever since anyone could remember, The Cara Empire's people were split. The white eyes and the black eyes. No one speaks of the third group. They are dangerous. Why? They are dangerous because they present change which was something The Cara Empire is scared of. Like the white eyes, a ring of white is around their pupils. However, whenever these people use their magic or are full of emotion, their white rings turn a golden color.

Sometimes the people mustered the name, "golden eyes". Banished from all villages, the golden eyes seemed to be extinct somehow. It was almost as if fifty years ago they all slowly started to disappear.

About a year ago, I felt like I disappeared. I had everything. I lived at a wonderful place, called Gwenie's Angels, where they raised me like I was one of them. All my life people treated me like I was a white eye- including me. Now I know that I'm not a white eye and I never was. I am and always will be a golden eye.

The orphanage paid for my tution for this fancy magic school that I flunked out of called Wisehall. Wisehall was beautiful. Bookshelves  lined the walls, people were always happy there, and that place always smelled like fresh lemons. Unfortunately, they let me go because I couldn't do as much as lift a feather with magic.

I can't tell anyone that I am who I am. All golden eyes get sent to this prison island for life. Or at least that's what legend says. And I may not believe in legends, but the tiniest chance they are true sends me a life in prison. So, I stay hidden. I sleep during the day and scavenger at night searching for food in the abandoned fruit stands.

I don't talk to many people. The more people I talk to, the more likely my secret could be revealed. I can only trust one person; Lucas.

Lucas is the youngest prince of Cara. Some people call him the runt of the royal family and others call him the most incredible mind in the kingdom.

Every black eye has a word written on the inside of their index finger. It's "their word" for life. Lucas's word is "unexpected" and I think it suits him.

I remember the first day I had ever met him. It was a couple of hours until sunlight and he was lying awake in his bed like he couldn't sleep. I peered through the tower's window to see what he was doing. I don't normally spy on people like that, I swear. 

Once his eyes met mine, I quickly jumped out of view. "Who's there?" he asked. I remained quiet and still. He stayed by the window waiting for someone to come out. I didn't. I stayed buried in the darkness. "I see you. Come out." he finally said after an hour of patiently waiting. I wiped some dirt off of my face and dusted my dress off.

"I'm so sorry! I just got lost and I ended up here! Please don't tell anyone!" I quickly pleaded kneeling down at his presence. The young prince pulled me into his room.

"I won't hurt you and I won't tell. I promise." the prince smiled tidying up his room as if he had company over. "What's your name?" he asked.

"Vera," I whispered. He kneeled to the ground and grabbed my hand and kissed it.

"It's nice to meet you, Vera!" he grinned. Unexpected. We talked for an hour or two. By we I mean him. He talked and talked telling me about his siblings and his parents and his life. It was more interesting than any storybook I've ever read.

He asked me to come back the next night. I was unsure of his intentions, but I decided to go anyway. That night he asked me questions. I told him everything yet nothing. I told him about how I never knew my parents and that I've lived at an orphanage all my life. He told me that his mother, Gwenie, started Gwenie's Angels. Huh. Small kingdom. Then, I explained school and how I had nowhere to go. Lucas listened like I was really interesting. I'm not. And that second night, he did the weirdest thing. He offered me a job... and I took it.

I became a young maid sweeping the palace floors and picking the garden's weeds. Every day right before lunch, Lucas would walk by the garden and wave to me. I waved back. And I waited for his wave every single day.

It was something to look forward to. And as sad as it was, it inspired me in the smallest way.

Sometimes we talked late at night in his room the nights he couldn't sleep. He tells me stories about riding the royal horses to Troybridge and back and I'd tell him about things that are never close to that interesting.

It's been like this for about a year now. Last night, Lucas told me all about his girlfriend Heather. Heather is the heir to the throne in Hallingdale. He told me about how they will need to get married someday. Both Heather and Lucas did not want to get married and would do anything in their power to stop it. He told me about how a few days ago she went missing and hasn't been found. I imagined a perfect princess like her running through the woods at night. Not a pretty sight if you ask me.

The sun shines on my face as I awake for a brand-new day. I wait patiently until lunchtime for Lucas's daily wave and hello. I waited. It's now almost dinner time. On my break, I peer through his bedroom searching for him. And I found him.

"Have you ever seen this before?" one of his guards asked. The guard held up a tiny golden necklace. I touched my neck and my necklace was missing. I must have dropped it. I've had that necklace forever. The people at the orphanage said that I arrived wearing it. My golden necklace is the only thing that my parents ever gave me. Well, beside life. But, what good is that?

It took all of my strength to stop myself from jumping to grab it from the guard's hands. "I don't even know what that is!" Lucas promised. The guards' grip on him tightened and Lucas yelped. Something was horribly wrong. The guard opened my locket to reveal an engravement of a sun. The sun glowed so brightly that I had to blink to regain my eyesight.

"Why do you have a necklace with the golden eye seal in your room?" the guard questioned.

"I don't! I don't know what you are talking about!" Lucas cried.

"Take him away!" the guard yelled and the others pulled the young prince out of his own bedroom. I sprinted out of the bushes following the sound of footsteps to the royal courtroom.

"What have you done with my son?" King Benjamin yelled at his own guards when hearing about the situation. The king and queen of Hallingdale sat around the table as well as Prince's Lucas's mother and siblings.

"Your son is a golden eye!" The King of Hallingdale accused.

"What are you talking about? My son is a black eye!" King Benjamin yelled. The two families have always been great allies, but ever since Princess Heather has gone missing, The King of Hallingdale cannot trust anyone. I heard the jingles of the necklace as it landed into King Benjamin's hands. I pressed my ear against the stone trying to hear what was happening. The king was in shock; silent.

Lucas's older sister, Princess Abigail fled the room and ran down to the stairs looking for her brother. I heard her heels click as she ran faster and faster. "Abby!" Lucas exclaimed with a new glimmer of hope in his eyes. "You need to help me! What they are saying isn't true! I'm not a golden eye and I would never do anything to Heather!" Lucas cried. Princess Abigail looked into her little brother's eyes.

She has been saving him for years. Every single time Lucas messed up, she fixed it. Prince Lucas was a troublemaker, yet she saw something in him that no one else has ever seen. I think that's pretty amazing. Lucas would tell me that Princess Abigail would do anything to protect him. He was right. You wouldn't believe the things she's done for him.

"Abby, please! I need you to help me!" Lucas cried once more. The princess looked down at her feet.

"Lucas, I'm sorry. I can't save you this time." the princess said with a tear flowing down her face. "I love you," she mustered while trying to fight back tears. She couldn't stand to see her baby brother in the jail cell.

Two days later Lucas was banished from Cara. I had no idea what to do. So, I packed up everything I owned (which is only a backpack) and I followed him. "Lucas!" I screamed looking for him in the forest. I was just outside the village right where I expected Lucas to be. An arm pulled me and yanked me over to a tree.

"Shhhh!" Lucas's voice shushed. He pulled the hood of my cloak off to reveal my face. "Vera! You scared me!" Lucas laughed awkwardly. The midnight stars sparkled in the sky seeming the warn us of the dangers of the forest at night. "You shouldn't be here!" Lucas told me.

"Yeah, but somebody's gotta protect you!" I laughed. "And that somebody is me!" I told him.

We slept on the forest floor that night. We were so tired that the footsteps that passed us didn't wake us at all. The footsteps were rapid; running away. Running away from a place that is far from anything one could ever imagine... far from heaven... They carried a person of innocence and hope. A person who I came to know as the most courageous soul of all time.

Hope you enjoyed! If you did, vote and comment! Have a great day :) Follow me for updates! I post a new chapter every single Friday!