Shameless Self Indulgence

There is a princess, born to one of the Emperor's wives - he has three of those to date, and not the most favored one, despite the fact she birthed the first son and Heir. Black of hair and green of eye, the girl is the fourth princess of the kingdom… but she is not well treated or valued.
Even the youngest princess, born of a maid and brought in as a four year old, is more valued.
The Princess isn’t resentful of this little sister.
Everyone adores Mirabelle. Blond of hair, gentle of voice, gold of eye and sweet of nature - as far as anyone can tell.
Even so, the black-haired princess isn’t valued… and it showed.

The princess had a secret. One not revealed to anyone. Not her sweet sister, not the Heir who was her full brother, not her mother who has nothing to do with her outside of official events and she needs to give the impression of being a family woman and not even her most valued brother who went off to mage school and was the closest thing she had to a friend.

This was not her first life.

Well, it was her first in this world, true, but not her first life.
It wasn’t even her fourth life… or her fifteenth.
She is an old hand at this but being a royal will add a level of difficulty.

When she was old enough to understand her circumstances, she started making plans.
It isn’t hard to begin practicing skills learned in other life times.
Exercises, taking up the hobby of ‘embroidery’, actually sewing, stealth training, anything she could make use of.

Interestingly, being neglected is working for her.
A bit of powder in her hair to lighten the colour, a scavenged maids uniform, a request to the head of household about the maid shedules in the guise of placing some of her favourites on duty regularly, and she had the makings of a plan.

She didn’t have much that was purely hers, that she valued anyway, but she did have a small stipend that was hers alone. All royals did.
A few shopping trips where she didn’t actually buy anything but studied a good many things wanting to give her sister and favoured brother a gift made with her own hands, and the money was hidden and tucked away.
The two things she created were decently well done, but they were a means to and end.
The end was appearing to be spending a good deal of money on samples, odds and sods, when she was actually spending only a little.
It also allowed her to create her own stealth outfit. After all, they’d never allow a princess to wear pants, even when learning to ride a horse.
It was beneath her dignaty as a royal she knew they'd say... Particularly for a princess.

She was fourteen before she was ready… the odd, disquieting looks aimed in her direction were only growing.
She couldn’t help but feel it was more than marriage bait they intended for her and she wanted no part of it.

She waited until a large festival where all the royals were gathered, retiring as soon as she could without causing offense as was her want, and then donned her servant outfit.
Extra staff had been brought in for the event, and she had a nice set of sewing callouses now. That, along with ragged nails, slightly rough hands, powdered hair and some makeup to change her face contours and the slightly weary, tipsy or hungover guards paid her no mind.

With her hair cut short and a letter addressed to her mother left on the dresser, she moved confidently out into the city.
The maid's outfit was shucked once she was outside the palace to be replaced by the clothes of a minor noble lad.
The horse she bought was a rough nag but not something anyone would go after her for.

Once out of the city, she’d change outfits again.
The horse would become a pack horse and she a young entertainer. An acrobat, tumbler and juggler. They would see the outfit and not remember the face above it.
(She was just fortunate that, at fourteen, she had yet to enter puberty properly. Her chest was only starting to develop and she had yet to get her menses. Rather late, she thought, but it was working for her now.)
There were only coppers in her purse, the gold and silver sewed into the lining of her shirt and slightly ragged cloak and the cuffs of her pants

The note she left behind stated that since she was unwanted and unneeded, she would leave.
She would make her way with her own two hands.
She didn’t mind if they cast her from the family. They could even make up something she was banished for as a reason she wasn’t around anymore and think no further about her.
If she died, they would never know of it.
If she lived, it would be far from them.
To make sure they had no reason to come after her, she intended to have a priest remove her from the bloodlines, both nobel and royal.
As far as she was concerned, she was just another nameless one among many.
She wished them no ill and would share nothing about any of them… mainly as she didn’t actually know anything.
Have a nice life.

(Unknown to the runaway Reincarnate, her ‘family’ cared a lot more than she thought… though not because they cared about her. No, she was slated to be a ‘sacrifice’ to a patron god, given up to the temple to use however they wished and shut away for the rest of her life. Such was the fate of the oldest princess of that line.
Now, her mother would have to go through the trouble of risking her health by having another child, hoping it was female and hoping it would be an acceptable substitute if they couldn’t get the girl back.
She had been two short years away from being offered at the temple…
They would simply have to do their best to drag her back to do her duty.
Such a selfish child…

They conveniently forgot that she had no knowledge of said ‘duty’, or the fate that would have likely befallen her doing it.
Her mother had been looking forward to seeing the devastation on her face when she was given up and hearing her screams as the priests made use of her, ripping away her virginities as painfully as possible as an offering to their god.
They wouldn’t kill her outright, but she could ‘look forward’ to a life of extremely heavy ‘use’, pain and misery as the would do it again with every high festival. They had it down to art now.
Doing just enough to cause pain but not enough to cause permanent damage and keeping the girl from ending her own life…
Any royal could request to view or join the rites though any child would remain in the temple, dedicated to their god from birth, no matter who sired it.

That, in itself, said what her family was like.
Truly, it was a lucky escape.)

Shift.

In a distant land, at the heart of an empire created through war and conquest, a Princess is born, costing the life of her mother.
As such, her royal sire had not so much as glanced her way from the time of her birth for depriving him of his beloved wife.
The princess was a beauty with sun-gold hair and eyes of a truly vibrant blue. It was the mark of her sire’s line.

Even though the child was all of seven, she knew all to well her situation for she had a secret.
This was her second attempt at her life.

In the first, her father's complete disregard for her turned her bitter and vengeful. She became a tyrant, murdering her way to the throne and losing anything she might have ever cared for in doing so before what remained of her people turned on her and she was executed.

Waking up as a three or four-year-old had been a nasty shock and she’d had terrible nightmares for several years.

This time around, she decided to disregard her father and brother completely…

Now, if only her older brother would get the hint.
He was a CHILD and she feared for the kingdom if he came to the throne.

He was always trying to get her to come out and play rather than leaving her to study the way she wished. She was trying to be tolerant, to be a better person this time out but boy did he make it difficult.
Natter, natter. Nag, nag. Chatter, chatter.
He might be a good-natured boy… but he was too carefree and naive. He made no attempt at bettering his mind or trying to understand the importance of his rank, none at all.
His childishness grated because everything was given to him so easily and she knew, no matter what she did, she would never have any portion of her father’s regard.
(That still hurt, even now, his cold gaze and rejection right up until the end.)
Really, why couldn’t he leave her in peace?
He blathered on so easily about things she KNEW she couldn’t have or do, as if his merely asking their shared sire (the man was no father, not to her) would somehow fix it or make it possible. She knew what she would be barred from and thus, she pursued her own education.

If she could, she would leave the main palace, leaving him and the emperor who sired them behind her.

She was nine when she stumbled into the Empress garden, attempting to duck her brother and was faced with the sire she’d never met.
She held her baring and faced him down, even though his coldness still stung.
Whereas before, she’d thrown herself into doing anything she could to try and earn a scrap of the attention he so lavished on her brother, now she was apathetic.
Why push herself for a useless end?

When the Emperor attempted to goad her, she said as much.
He has no care for her or anything she does so long as it isn’t an embarrassment to their family name, so why should she put herself out?
She did not mean to come here. She was simply attempting to stay out of the prince’s way so that he could concentrate on his studies as she did on hers.
She could recite her lineage if his Majesty truly wished, but she knows nothing she does will ever impress, so she was attempting to save them both time and effort.

He insists so she recites the linage perfectly… and would have even if he hadn’t threatened her nursemaid to prompt her.
It was not like she’d asked to be born or for her mother to die doing so but she has better sense than to say as much.

She does not know what their sire said to the prince be he became more pestering than ever.
To the point, where he actually brought in another young, painfully familiar, noble boy and his female childhood friend.

She fled in tears unable to control herself.
She’d been in love with him, her, both of them and it was hopeless. They never had eyes for any but each other and, even when she became the ruler through blood and death, their eyes never strayed from the other.
The only glances cast her way were of contempt and defiance.

She couldn’t do it. She couldn’t face it. It hurt too much.
Her body was beginning its transition from girl to woman early which hadn’t happened last time and her emotions were everywhere and she just… just couldn’t.

Wherever they were, she was not.

They never even got to meet her properly outside of her brother being proclaimed the Heir.

Her male beloved rescued her from being trapped by some bore at the banquet, giving her a glass of pomegranate juice.
It almost had her tearing up again. He was SUCH a good person. She’d fallen in love with him for a reason and the other girl was his female complement and counterpart… even so, noble or not, they were ignorant children.

He spoke of seeing her at the Magical Collegium where all nobles went to train.
That she would NEVER be permitted to enter.
They didn’t know that she hadn’t a skerrick of the family magic in her body even if she might be able to use other types.
Something that had made her even more looked down upon last time and more scorned which further fueled her resentment.
She was trying to be a good person this time… but the knowledge still stabbed and tore. She SHOULD have been permitted to study there anyway as the family’s magic had dwindled down to mere sparkles of light but her sire had forbidden it.
They couldn’t have her outshining the Heir after all.

She was actually grateful when one of the guests didn’t see her and spilled their drink all over her. It gave her a good excuse to retire early with the barest of courtesies to her sire and the prince.
(She was working on not thinking of him as her brother. She wasn’t part of this family and knew it, even if she’d longed for it once.)
She might have been all of ten at the time but even SHE knew that much.

The prince MEANT well, but he still had the mentality of a child, even at twelve where he was beginning the transition from boy to man.
He, the other boy and the girl who were all trying to befriend her still, despite her coldness, would all be off to school soon and she could only look forward to the potential peace.

Her sire might have no interest in her but, as a princess, so long as she behaved herself, comported herself with dignity and caused no trouble, she could study whatever she wished from the library…
If she took up riding lessons and the basics of sword and dagger play (her nursemaid was scandalized) no one commented. She had NO intention of leaving the palace grounds but it never hurt to be careful.
She had already died once and had no wish to do so again before she became a properly good person. She knew there was a lot she could do with the wealth her rank afforded her. She just needed to learn how best to use it.
She already had a vague plan of saving twice as many in this life as died due to her actions in the other but she needed more knowledge.

A week before he was due to leave for school, the prince became especially bothersome until she finally agreed to leave the castle walls to check out the market… just NOT with him or those other two.

She woke up bound and gagged, dirty, hungry, sore, thirsty and headachy on what felt like a packed dirt floor. She lay still, kept quiet and listened.

Two male voices were discussing what to do with her.

She felt so bad because it had been nearly two days.

How was she taken? She’d been with her nursemaid and several guards!
(Even if she wanted a low key visit, she wasn’t a fool. Those who didn’t know of her Sire’s lack of regard for her might think her an easy way to get money…)

The nursemaid was dead. They’d bashed her head in.

That had her fighting tears. The woman had been so excited to take her charge out of the palace and dress her in walking clothes.
She’d been the princess attendant for as long as she could remember.

The guards, she was disheartened to know, were easily distracted away from their charge of the day and, she suspected, at least a few were either blackmailed or bribed.
The girl KNEW she couldn’t rely on her sire to pay any ransom. After all, outside of image, he didn’t care if she lived or died.
She couldn’t even be sure he’d send anyone after her.

Worse, her ‘hosts’ had realised that.
There was only the two of them luckily even if one had called in a debt for the chance to strike at them.
They were discussing whether to just kill her or not but had agreed to wait another two days at most before turning to that.

So, she had a day's grace to come up with something!

One of the men left and she ‘stirred’ so that they could hear her.
For now, she’d play the innocent and naive child angle up.

She asked for a drink since her mouth tasted bad and then asked who they were and where she was, all polite manners and wide, curious eyes.
Fortunately, they hadn’t searched her and so the belt knife tucked into her undergarments was still there.
She was very weak still though so she’d have to strike through ambush.

They spun her a cock and bull story about her father wanting her to stay here fo a bit and how they’d only tied her up so she wouldn’t run away before they could explain and they had blindfolded her as a security feature. She couldn’t give away their location if she didn’t know.
That made no sense but she let it slide.

She was a little scared when they told her to take off her dress though. They said it was too fancy and now dirty and they'd give her something to wear instead.
She asked them to turn their back or she wouldn’t. Good girls didn’t take their clothes off in front of males…

That annoyed both men but they didn’t argue.
The piece of cloth they gave her to put on was rough, dirty and holey but she didn’t argue.
It would be easier to move without the dress and it gave her a chance to reach her knife.

They gave her water and a little food and then spun exaggerated stories that she listened to in wide-eyed ‘awe’, asking flattering, childish questions.

There was a knock at the door and one of the men went to answer it, leaving only the two of them facing each other across the table.
That was lucky.

She palmed her little knife and cast, over hand. It had taken her entirely too long to get this down to muscle memory again but it used to be one of her signature moves. Her body was weak and child clumsy but she’d practiced whenever she’d a spare second.

The small blade found his eye and he crumpled across the table, dying with barely a yelp.

She got on the table, pulled it out with a bit of difficulty (falling face first onto the table had driven it deep), wiped it on his robe and tucked it away, taking instead the larger dagger from his belt.

The other man returned to find her pushing at the collapsed body’s arm as though trying to rouse it.

“Mister,” she said. “Mister, wake up! You aren’t supposed to sleep in the daytime!”

The other man hurried to his companion, pushing her out of his way… which was fine.
It gave her a chance to get a bit of distance. She wasn’t sure she had the strength to stab with this dagger. It wasn’t super sharp and people’s skin and muscles are tougher than you’d think.
She pulled her tiny belt knife/ throwing knife again. It might be better to try and go for his throat if she had a chance.

Once he discovered the fluid and blood on the table under his friend, he turned and lumbered toward her, enraged and ranting.
Her father was NOT paying the ransom. He HAD sent knights out searching though.

Yeah, she hadn’t even expected the knights. She supposed he had to be seen to be doing something even if he didn’t care for her personally. This was an insult to his family and authority after all.

She cast for his throat but missed, leaving her no choice too fall back on the bigger dagger. She did NOT want to die! Not yet. She hadn’t become a good person yet.
He grabbed her to choke her, lifting her off the ground and she stabbed for the throat, panic and desperation powering her blow.
She was rewarded with being sprayed with blood as he dropped her to clutch at his throat and stumble away.

She sat in the heap she’d fallen in, in shock and dazed, her throat aching.
She didn’t know how long she sat there but it was long enough for the blood to turn tacky.

She touched, was violently sick and then burst into tears.
She found a little water, cut a piece from her old dress and scrubbed as best she could.
She needed to get the blood OFF, NOW!

She knew she should get up and search the three-room house. Search to bodies. Get outside and find out where she was. Do SOMETHING… but she was dazed to concentrate.
She slid down the wall and just sat there.
She might have been a blood-soaked tyrant in her previous life but here she was a softly-raised princess who had yet to see even her twelfth birthday. She was a literal child and suffering again through first-kill shock and trauma.

She was weak, dirty, hungry, thirsty and shocky.

She lost track of time, but when she came back to herself, it was dark.

She dragged herself up slowly and began looking through the house.

There wasn’t much but she did take the daggers and belts from both of her former hosts, kidnappers, attackers and now, first kills. There was little else on them worth taking. They had a few coppers in their belt pouches and she took those too as spoils.

The small house had only the single entrance and the handle was just above her head.
She would need to either try and jump for it or get a chair… chair it was.

Letting herself out was hard.
The beam used to keep the door latched was almost too heavy for her to shift but it wasn't like she’d be coming back right?

She was in the desert. This lonely little shack was in the middle of nowhere and she had next to no resources. She’d taken the water bottle from inside and the last bit of hard bread but it wouldn't last long and she wasn’t dressed for the desert.

She was feeling pretty unwell too and she didn’t think it was just shock. She’d been out for nearly two days. They’d possibly rattled her skull.

She couldn’t stay here though. Those two had people who knew they were here and who’d passed the word to them. Who knew when those people would be back?!

Despite feeling worse by the second, she resolved to die trying rather than waiting for discovery and death.

The wind had blown away most of the tracks but there was enough dirt near the hut that a path had been worn into it, so she had a direction, well, two potential directions, to choose from.

Flipping a coin, she set off in one and just hoped she’d find help or shelter before she lost consciousness…

She had no way to measure time but she’d already fallen and was fading into unconsciousness when she saw riders in familiar uniforms coming and heard shouts and the babble of voices.

She woke in her own rooms again.
Apparently, she’d been sick for over a week and the prince had found something his father wouldn’t move on. His Majesty had not been to check on her or spared her more attention than usual… that is to say, none at all.
Beyond not permitting the young prince to remain until she awakened so he couldn’t even say farewell, nothing shifted in her day to day life.

Now thoroughly uncomfortable with the disregard and the stranger who had taken her nursemaid’s place, she no longer wanted to be here.

His Highness, the young prince, had left her a letter.
As had his two companions.

The young prince couldn’t understand their sire’s lack of care towards her and why he couldn’t change it.

She felt the young man had taken his first step away from being a child in that moment, on learning that some things couldn’t be changed or altered no matter how much a person might wish it otherwise.

She wrote them a joint letter in response telling him that it was not his fault, despite it being his suggestion. They would have gone after him or any other noble or royal as easily as her if they could… even so, she was leaving the main palace as sharing it with a sire who did not care if she was living or dead and had only sent out his men to maintain appearances and avenge the insult done to their family was making her uncomfortable.
She had much recovering to do and to not bother sending a letter in response as she wouldn’t be there to receive it and she didn’t yet know which of the possible recovery locations she would be going to yet.
The main palace may forward any correspondence for her but she didn’t know for sure.
Study hard and stay well...

She gave herself a week to build up her strength, removed and packed several dozen tomes from the main library to read once she was there, and rolled a pair of dice to decide where she was going.

There were three locations it would be good to recover at.

One was in the mountains by a clear lack and was more of a hunting lodge.
The second in a warm, tropical climate by the sea and the last was in an estate on the border of the desert.

She was going to the seaside!

The letter to his young Highness would be dispatched the day she left…

Shift.

Once, there was a princess born with silver white hair and sun-gold eyes.
She was the beloved second child of the emperor though the first child of his new wife.
His oldest child, his son an Heir, was thrilled to be having a little sibling and more thrilled to have a little sister.

Even before her birth, the child was adored and welcomed.

A vast change from her previous life. At least this time the packaging matched the inside.
Before she’d been male-bodied in a place where womenish men were prostitutes. Lady boy’s made their living dancing, stripping and fucking as no one could get a male bodied person pregnant.

She’d hated it but been willing to try if only so she could feel alright in her own skin.

She’d never gotten the chance.

In the nineteen forties and fifties, Korea was ravaged by war and she… she… miserable, alone, orphaned street rat she, was simply another casualty of a shell gone astray. Simply one more civilian casualty among thousands of others.
She died, in pain, untended to, alone and terrified.

Waking again was a shock.

When she came back to herself at two ish and realized her circumstances and birth gender, she cried happy, grateful tears, thoroughly overwhelmed.
She didn’t know WHY she had been given this second chance but she would NOT waste it. She’d be the best, most genuine and kind person she could ever be in repayment.

Her life was running smoothly until a little after her sixth birthday when several people in dark clothes burst into the nursery.
Neither she nor her brother were there.
She was on the way back from the garden with her nursemaid and her brother was having tea with their mother in her palace.

One of these dark clothed people lunged out of the door and towards her, throwing a dagger at her.

The nursemaid screamed but she barely had time to widn her eyes before her favorite maid, the one who had once been a circus acrobat and tumbler and could, occasionally, be coaxed into performing some tricks for them or teaching them a little bit, was suddenly right THERE in front of her, blocking the blade with a sweep of her apron before she flipped up the captured dagger into a defensive pose.

She heard her nursemaid cry out but the other maid had already stabbed the knife thrower and stolen his longer blade.
She cut him down but their were another three coming.

Old instincts she hadn’t needed since her last life kicked in and she scuttled out of the corridor, got low and hid. Screaming for help only brough unwanted attention. To survive, a smart street rat stayed out of mind, out of sight and got to cover as fast as she could if she wished to survive.

Child her didn’t move and barely breathed, not coming out until the noises of battle had been gone for a long time. That' hadn't quite been a flashback but it wasn't far off.

The daylight was fading when she crept quietly out and the body of her nursemaid was still there and so were the bodies of the dark-clothed people.

Her favourite maid was also still there… but she wasn’t sure if she was alive or not.
The little princess crept closer, holding her small hand in front of the woman’s mouth to feel for breath. It was there. Faint, but there.
There were cuts on her arms and a dagger in her shoulder.

Her face was very pale but her eyes opened a crack.
“Lil princesses,” she slurred, and sighed. “You’re ‘live. Thank any’ thing left holy. Sorry. Poisoned daggers.”

The little girl bit her lip, then took her nursemaid’s dagger from her belt, trying desperately not to cry, and cut strips from her nursemaid’s apron to use as bandages and then fell to wrapping the wounds. She wanted the person who had saved her life to LIVE and this is all she could do to help. Then would go looking for help…

Sure she was dying and wanting to comfort the little girl trying desperately to wrap her injuries, the maid whispered, “Would you like to know a se-cret lil Prin-cess?”
The girl paused to nod.

“‘S born a princ'ss too. Not ‘n impor’n’t one though. Was hated so left. Only m’ best friend knows and he don’t know where I ‘m…”

Her eyes closed, making the little girl panic and run for help.

The maid was a long time recovering. So long in fact that the little princess insisted that the person who saved her life be sent somewhere to get better... and her secret was kept as carefully as the little princess own.

Shift

One weekend day, a month and a few days after a certain sunny-haired princess arrived and settled in, she ran into a dark-haired, green-eyed woman with a freshly healed scar down her face, matching ones on her arms and a heavy limp. Her tanned skin was extremely pale and she leaned heavily on her cane.

Ran into literally.

The sunny haired princess, her guard and the maid attending her had just been barged into by a very rude someone attempting to flee pursuing guards… with a purse that did NOT look like it belonged to them in their hands.
They knocked into the other woman heavily and all of them went over.

At least her guard snagged the cut purse?

A man in mages robes and one in guards robes jogged up to the woman and assisted her to a cafe table.

The mage-robed man treated the gash on the woman’s arm and the graze on the young princess. Both females were extremely shaken as neither was well.

The scarred woman introduced the mage robed man as her brother.

He’d come to find here to pass word of what had happened to her mother, one of their father’s now four wives… and what would have happened to her if she hadn’t fled when she did.

Her mother had been a twin with no one sure who was the older. She’d set her sister up to be the one to go to the temple of passions and their priests. Knowing it would be her daughter next and that she had dodged the arrow seemed to have unhinged her a little.
It was well known that part of the reason the dark-haired woman was resented as a child was that baring her damaged her mother’s womb, the woman having caught an illness that nearly killed them both.
The mother was supposed to bare a third child, female by preference, to continue the line but after that, hadn't wanted to risk herself. That was likely the cause of her fall from favour.

The dark haired woman hadn't known that

With her new inability to bare and the dark haired girl's escape, there was only one person left to offer up as a sacrifice… and the emperor wouldn’t sacrifice his Heir… so, the mother it was.

She was carefully guarded but, on the day the priests would have come for her, she was found dead. More than dead even. She’d taken a poison that would contaminate her body making it so they couldn’t resurrect her even if they tried.

Fun how, when it was HER neck on the block it was no longer a necessary sacrifice but something to be avoided any way she could, huh?

As she refused to do her duty, her corpse was shamed by stripping it nude, shaving it bald, and casting it out into the street in one of the poorer sectors.
She wouldn’t be permitted the honour of a royal burial

The scarred and injured woman shrugged. Couldn’t happen to a more deserving creature, birth parent or no.
She could only wish that someone would curse the Heir to have only sons. It might cause trouble with the kingdom later but at least it would keep that ugly practice from continuing as, with herself out of reach and her mother gone, the female line of their family was extinct.

(She didn’t see the interested gleam in her mage brother’s eyes… she might not move to ill wish, but there was nothing stopping her brother.)

After that, the two recovering young women met often at one of the local tea shops, slowly coming to know each other as their health also began to recover.

Over the course of a year where nothing of interest happened to change their daily routines, they became friends.

The brother left occasionally to deal with either mage business or family business but he always returned within a month or two.
No news was heard from either of their birth families but then, none was expected.

The dark-haired woman healed as far as she was going to. She would always have a limp now as she’d taken a dagger to the back of her knee along with the scar that ran down her face.
Her health would always be a little frail now as the poison had had a permanent effect.

Due to the fact she’d saved the little princess' life though, the imperial couple had promised her care for as long as she lived and the little princess had asked that the woman stay as her personal attendant once she recovered as much as she could.

Our gold-haired princess, who was finally beginning to unwind and had taken up proper sword and knife fighting training, along with learning knife tricks and throwing tricks from her dark-haired friend, along with the basics of archery which they were learning together, found she could relate to the mentioned little princess.

When the dark-haired woman returned to the other other little princess in her life, she would miss the other woman a great deal.
She was the friend and older mentor figure the young girl had never had but always wanted, in both lives, and being around her eased some of the loneliness.

A little after the turn of the year, they were paid a whirlwind visit by a tiny sweetheart of a girl with spun silver hair. The little girl was utterly adorable and the younger of the two residing in this resort for their health could see why her dark-haired friend was so taken with her.
Sun Hair had never been one to coo or dote on younger children in either life, but the little girl really made her want to.

She couldn’t stay long, having come incognito to check up on the woman who saved her life, but they would miss her bright and sunny nature when she left. It was like light infused her and she spread it to all she came into contact with.

Something she said also stuck with the middle girl of the three princesses.

Kindness is a choice. Many will see it as a weakness because it can make a person vulnerable, but to CHOOSE to be kind is one of the strongest, hardest things a person can do, even when someone hurts and keeps hurting you.
Some people are truly evil or fanatical and kindness can’t reach them and there is nothing wrong with removing oneself from a harmful situation but, where a person can, it is a choice and a test of personal strength to be kind. Every day, the youngest of them had to decide whether she would lash out when she was upset or angry or if she would do something that would channel her upset instead. Would she strike back at a person who had upset or slighted her by accident or otherwise or would she do her best to be understanding…
It was human nature to want to strike back when hurt after all or to act out when overwhelmed or upset… but a person could LEARN to be better and that was what their youngest princess was working towards. Being the best herself she could be, not just for herself, but for everyone around her too. Not because she had to be or was expected to be but because she wanted to be.

This was said to Sunny Hair when she mentioned that she was trying to learn how to be a better person. A kinder person.

That… actually made sense to the other girl.

They actually had a Magical picture taken and four copies made (the Wizardly brother also wanted one) before the little girl left. Three princesses (yes, she’d let that slip) older, middle, young, with contrasting hair and eyes.

The oldest of them joked that now they just needed a brown-haired princess and a red-haired one, along with brown eyes and gray eyes to complete their set.

The youngest said the Wizarding brother could do for their brown hair and eyed person… now they just needed to find and bring in a noble redhead with gray eyes.
This caused all three of them to giggle and the brother to look bemused.

Perhaps they could find a dark-skinned royal with black eyes to join them…

They truly missed the little girl when she returned home but the letters to them both became a regular part of their lives.

Two more years slid by, nearly unnoticed along with more visits by their third member.
One time with her mother, of whom she was a near mirror image, except for her eyes and one with the older brother who doted on her and with whom she shared an eye colour and a father.

It hurt the middle princess to watch the two together.
If her father wasn’t so determined to ignore her existence and her older brother wasn’t such a child, that could have been them.
Her envy and annoyance had kept her from reaching out to him at the palace, but there was no reason she couldn’t do so now, from a distance, if she wished…
There was no rush though. She could do it when she was ready… or not at all if she never was.

The golden-haired girl found herself smiling and laughing more. Simply happier and more at ease with her life.
She was actually FINE with being forgotten out here.
Her brother would be sixteen soon and on track to graduation.
She was still envious of that and upset that he took a chance she’d never get for granted though. She wanted to learn so badly.

The Wizardly brother made mention of a school that accepted students from all over the world and was THE best wizarding school worldwide. The school the prince was attending was the best in their COUNTRY.

Then, the youngest of their trio who was back again with her definitely pregnant mother in tow had confirmed that while their middle princess didn’t have the magic of her family's line, like the youngest and even the oldest of the princesses, both of them had the potential to use other forms of magic, elemental Magic… if they wished to try.
Her family would sponsor them both with the young Wizard acting as their escort.

Then, she invited both as healed as they were going to get princess, to come home with her so they could all study together.

The older two exchanged looks… they would actually like that very much.

The mother, who had accompanied the little girl this time out as she was pregnant again and her health was a little delicate. They’d be staying for a bit longer this time around until the mother’s health was a little more stable.

The wizardly brother confirmed that she was carrying twins and it was upsetting her internal balance a little.
There were some infusions she could take to help her body level out a bit and he could make them.
Part of the reason he was sent off to Wizard school was so he could assist the royal wives during their pregnancies discreetly… or ensure no more Mirabelle’s came about no matter whom the emperor pressed his attentions on. It's not like any of the girls could say ‘no’.
He was happy to assist such a sweet and lovely lady.

Within three months, her majesty's health and the pregnancy were stable once more and the group prepared to leave with her.

However, she insisted that the sun-haired princess write to her father and inform him where she was going at the least, not accepting that the man wouldn’t CARE what she did so long as the girl didn’t bring shame on the family.

The girl did as she insisted, but set the letters up to be sent off a week after she left and the knight who had been her main guardsman here insisted on accompanying her… much as their resident wizard did for his own sister.

The siblings shared an amused glance. The dark-haired princess had done something similar to get a letter to the only family member she thought might care… only, she’d left it in the care of a small, roadside temple to the local god of light, with her face obscured and her voice muffled so she couldn’t be recognized.

It had basically explained that he was to ignore any rumors.
She was fine and she’d left voluntarily… before they either set her up to be killed or forced her out another way. She wasn’t wanted or valued, not even as marriage bait, so she wasn’t staying to be treated like trash…
Please don’t look for her as she wasn’t coming back, not for any reason. There was something very wrong with their ‘family’ and she wanted no part of it… To the point where she was going to have herself removed from her mother's bloodline, and then her sires.
She would keep the sires so he could track her through their shared blood if he wished and then removed that two after the siblins have sworn blood kinship... is he wants too.
She was letting him know as the only family member who had ever cared about her.

The priest had been suspicious but this wasn’t the first time such a missive had been given to him and nor would it be the last. Part of their oaths as priests ensure any honest, well intentions missive would be forwarded on to the mentioned recipient. Any malicious or deceitful ones would burn up on contact with his hands

With that, the disguised princess had been on her way once more.

Their sunny-haired middle’s letter to her father was more a statement of fact.

While she doubted the missive would reach him or be read if it did, she is writing at the insistence of the family who is willing to host her.
She has an opportunity for a sponsorship to XXX school and, since she knows she will never be permitted to attend the local one, she has decided to take them up on it.
For a chance to be more than marriage bait or a palace decoration, she is willing to risk this.
If she returns safely, she will bring knowledge with her.
If she disappears or dies in the pursuit of it, well, it isn’t like he valued her in any way after all, so nothing will be lost beyond the inconvenient child he blames for the death of his wife. Yes, she dares mention that because he will have no more influence on her life, either possitive or negative.
She hopes she will never stoop so low as to blame a child for the actions of a parent.
Farewell.
Princess XXX, formerly of XXX kingdom.

Her letter to her brother is a little more understanding.

To him, she repeats the offer she was given and that she is accepting it but she also apologizes for being so distant and cold to him. She thinks he’s a little more adult now. A little more understanding, so she can tell him the truth.
At the time, she roundly resented him for taking for granted the care and connection the Emperor granted on him so easily but would never bestow on her, despite also being his child She resented that her brother could mess around and play while interrupting her and that their sire would overlook his actions.
She KNEW if she had done such, she would be punished and, if she wanted anything in life, she would have to get it with her own two hands.
The prince had been given everything she’d ever wanted but could never have on a platter… and just IGNORED it most of the time.
It would have been so, SO easy for her resentment to tip into hatred so she’d kept him at a distance to protect herself.
Now, she has an opportunity to make her own way and be free of their sire’s influence so she’s taking it.
A family she has become friends with while she was away recovering has offered to sponsor her to XXX school.
The offer might be genuine or it might be false. Either way, it’s a chance so she’s taking it.
She wishes him well but hopes he will take his duties to the kingdom more seriously.
He won’t hear from her again unless or until she returns but she’s arranged to have gifts for the important occasions in his life forwarded.
Health, prosperity and long life
Princess XXX

A missive to the other two sent with her brother's letter basically apologiese for snubbing them but their childish talk of things she would never be permitted to do had hurt her and she didn't want to grow to restent them so, like her brother, she'd kept them at a distance to protect herself. If they have a chance to meet in the future, she'd like that proper introduction and to get to know them better.
Princess XXX, formerly of XXX kingdom.

She understands WHY her majesty had her do so.
A graduate of that place can choose to cut any family or national ties when they agree to attend and can write their own path completely should they graduate. They can choose to reestablish any cut tie after if they wish.
Even attempting the rigorous entrance tests are a thing to celebrate.
Due to that, before an attempt is made, parents or guardians need to be informed should they wish to protest it… there have been races between potential students and guardians unwilling to let them go before.
Even attempting to enter can get a concerned minor some protection for themselves and a chance to retest at a later date in their life.

Feeling like she is finally letting go of an enormous burden, the middle girl of the princess trio steps forward with her two friends and their families, hopefully into a new life.

Shift

The missive comes in her second year of study, when the girl is sixteen.
She and her two companions studied HARD for nearly four years before they attempted the entrance exams.

There was a slight delay to allow their youngest member and her brother to recover from a poisoning attempt, where the youngest of the trio came out to her parents as an elemental user, her sister princesses willingly loaning her their strength so she could summon a higher level elemental than her current familiar to help heal her brother since the high priest was on his annual pilgrimage.

All three princesses AND the prince were exhausted and sometimes recovering.

Meantime, the young wizard prince had been called home as things were getting tense.

He confirmed his sister’s suspicion that something was wrong with Mirabelle.
Something attempted to influence him any time his youngest sister touched him and, while he tried to be subtle about it, it was obvious he disliked being around the girl.
Being near her gave him headaches.

He didn’t like the way she was now starting to eye him and the murmurs starting either.

Next time he was ‘called home’ he might just be entering senior testing at his Wizardry school.
Normally, they liked for the junior graduates to get a bit more life experience before they returned, but exceptional or cocky students could attempt the first level of senior testing to see if they were ready for it yet early if they could prove they were ready to try.
None of them quite knew what that testing or requirement was though.
Even if he wasn’t ready yet, attempting it would give him a good excuse not to return.

So far, while back at the palace, he had NO idea why he’d been recalled and was getting annoyed just cooling his heels.

After three months of waiting, he left when one of his Wizarding teachers requested someone to retrieve something for him, willing to trade a little personal training for the student or former student who did so.

The young prince went easily and gladly and put it around he was willing to take any similar quests the masters and student masters might care to send his way.
The situation at home was tense and he could use the distraction.

This had the young man happily chasing all around the kingdoms, dropping by to visit his sister whenever he was in the area and going home for one or two days at most before he was off again.
He’d take the old student dorms to his room at the palace any time. The dorms might be basic but he’d take that over the rancid atmosphere at the place, no contest.

Despite their variety of ages, the three princesses were determined to attempt the entrance exam together, even if they were entering different potential courses. Each student’s course was tailored to them should they manage entry so no two were exactly alike, even if they had similar subjects.

All three passed, if only barely. The oldest and youngest struggled in the physical aspects required while the middle princess simply wasn’t very good at interpersonal relationships and how to manage them due to lack of practice.

As none of the trio had expected to pass on their first try, they were very surprised.

They elected to remain through, rather than attempt retesting for a higher score.
The oldest of the trio was never going to get any healthier than she was, the middle wouldn’t get the practice she needed with a place and people to practice with and the youngest didn’t want to be left behind.
There was something she was seeking that could only be found at the academy and she needed to be on location to find it, even if she wasn't sure exactly what it was.

The celebration inthe kigndom of the third princess was long, extravagant and for all three of them, the other two fo their trio having become close to their family after being sponsored by them.

(Unnoticed by all but the Empress, the youngest princess older brother was watching their once maid with interest, though he said nothing. Not yet anyway. The woman was older than him by six years and her health wasn't the best... Still, he couldn't help but be interested. He'd see how things went at that exclusive school. Being a graduate of that place would negate a lot of the censure he would have gotten for marrying someone who wasn't even of noble blood.)

It was a struggle at first but that didn’t matter. Every day was engaging, new, different and a challenge. They could feel themselves stretching, growing, and expanding to accommodate all they learned and the new ideas and shifts of worldview that came with them.
They each found other friends and associates but remained close with each other.
The older two princesses decided to cut ties with their former names and kingdoms, simply becoming Princess XXX of XXX course XXX school. They both chose to keep ties with their brothers though.

The missive coming in had the middle of their trio pensive.
Her sire, it seemed, had gotten himself poisoned.
Some Mage had told him that some blood from either a person who either loved him or had a deep, meaningful relationship with him… or even a genuinely respectful one. It would destroy their vitality, along with their ability to reproduce in order to restore his own.

In her return missive, she urged him NOT to allow his sire to do that. She didn’t know if the mentioned ritual truly would heal the man but it was also strikingly like the beginning of a bloodline curse.
One of her classmates is so afflicted and she has been studying them in an attempt to help…
If her brother could get her either a sample of his sire’s blood or the poison vial, she has an in with one of the school’s medical researchers who could possibly give them the name of the poison and if anything can be done about it.
As to his majesty, if he was truly interested in reaching out, he may do so himself.
She doesn’t care enough about the man to do anything on his behalf… but she doesn’t want her brother to suffer and he would if the man died.
She was willing to send him all the notes and research she had on it but it would be magically sealed and sent to his female friend. Only the young Prince’s blood could be used to open the package or read the pages.
The prince will have to remain with any person attempting to read it.
She wishes him well and hopes they can meet again sometime in the future.

Word comes a few months later via her brother that their sire has recovered but has anew trio of Magical Affairs advisors made up of a Mage, a Wizard and a Sorceror.
She put it out of her mind as dealt with.