the binding deal

I've always been afraid my best years have passed, it's true; or what would you expect of a princess used to bind down a demon, a fallen princess?

Tomorrow is the annual festive where the people of euphoria celebrate the capture of a demon that once terrorized their lives, now my life...

It appears in my head at any given chance, I could have spoken out, or perhaps looked for a cure against all the series of nightmares and strange voices in my head that I have no control over but...

"Katherine," I heard my mom's excited voice through my brown wooden door as the sound of her footsteps grew closer.

We used to be so close at least not until I was 10, when I had to be used as an amulet to tie down a godforsaken demon...

The door opened wide revealing the queen with a big smile on her face, golden hair gleaming through the help of the ray of the seeping sunlight in my room.

Even though she hurried here, it doesn't show on her face, I'm more convinced that my mom was born to be a queen.

"Come," she said dropping into a chair near my bed with a box I didn't know she had with her...

I dropped the book I'd had with me since I woke up that morning as I gently hopped down my bed - all these things were the servant's work, helping my mom with the big box she had with her, whatever was inside. Helping me get off my bed; that was how it used to be not until that day.

Maids aren't allowed in my room, they either see what they shouldn't or get injured by me - I was told. When my mom found out about this just two weeks after the ritual they decided to hide me; a disgrace to the crown.

I wouldn't blame my mom, she was as helpless as I was - being queen doesn't automatically give you the power to go against the king.

After the ritual, I became something else, a former shadow of the person I used to be...

Bowing respectfully to my mother, I took my seat across from her not a bit curious about what she had in the box with her.

She opened the box as soon as l took my seat and placed it on my thigh- revealing a pink dress, glittering from all the precious stones used in designing the garment.

I placed my hand and felt the material of the dress, it was soft and it looked fluffy.

I faced my mom so she could explain why she got me a dress and she took that as her cue to explain to me.

"you know tomorrow is the festive right", she paused; her eye searched mine for understanding. "you'll join the after party, the king approved it."

A small smile crept onto my face as I drew up a picture of my older brother, could I finally see him after all this time?

"Did he really approve it?" I ask, my heart racing.

She nodded frantically with a grin, her rosy cheek a faint blush - she stood up ready to leave...

"I'll see you tomorrow," she said before she made her way to the door, halfway through she turned like she remembered something urgent and walked gently towards me and engulfed me in a tight hug, kissing my cheek lastly before finally making her way out of my room.

I looked at the dress again, and memories of me in princess dresses folded my brain, as my brother's face appeared in each memory.

The King has forbidden my brother never to come anywhere near me or Mom will suffer the consequences; he does not want me to harm his heir, so I have seen less and less of my brother over the last seven years until I no longer see him at all.

Dad had it well planned out that even though we all have to see the demon as the royal family, he would not have me near his son so we did it differently preventing me from seeing my brother before my maids were laid off, I heard from them that my brother is the host of the after part. There's no way a party will take place without the host...

I giggled to myself as I hummed and danced to a tune in my head.

The next day came very slowly as I couldn't sleep the night before, the excitement could not allow me....

At dawn the next day, my mother came for me as usual and we made our way to the underground palace, the place the demon was bonded to, when we got there we met only my father staring at the demon from outside, I bowed to him as a form of greeting which he answers with a wave of the hand before proceeding in opening the door and getting in and my mom and l follow suit, my brother must have come and probably in his room now.

On getting in, I made our way to the demon's cell and there he was, in all his glory looking dirty yet glorious, his face too handsome for any human to behold yet scary, I try not to recall any of the nightmares I have had and how this same beautiful face has haunted me for a long time, dwelling on those memories will only make lose it and I may lose my chance at seeing my brother so instead of praying, I concentrated more on keeping my wit together until we were done and made our way back to our tooms.

Getting to my room I know sleeping back right now is another way of saying I don't want to see my brother today so I just lay on my bed, covering myself whole with my duvet and keeping my eye wide open until the morning sun came out.

I was starting to doze off when I heard the cracking noise of my door which told me someone was at the door, I lifted my duvet and peeked my head up a little trying to see the intruder only to see three girls who looked my age, head bowed, one had an ebony black hair with fair skin and the two other girls seems to have the same skin tone, they look like twins but one was with a red peppered hair and the other a blonde.

The one with the ebony hair must have noticed me staring at them as she raised her head and moved back, fear written all over her facial while pushing the others behind her as she struggled not to fall...

I smiled, they must have come to help me get dressed, on a normal day I would have gotten angry for their little display of stupidity but I won't allow anything to ruin today for me.

"Your Highness, we are here to help you get ready," the girl with the ebony black hair said

I smiled and hopped off my bed and after a series of touching and washing, I was finally ready to wear my dress.

They helped me with my hair and the ebony hair girl, who I later know to be Sarah helped with my shoes and one of the twin girls helped braid my hair.

By the time I saw myself in the mirror, my joy knew no bounds - my golden hair, like my mom's neatly braided and my plum lips the same shade as my dress, I swirled around unable to contain my happiness as I laughed, which made my dimple show, and for the first time - the very first time in a long time I felt this happy.... unaware of the awaiting doom.