“Congratulations Princess Adrianna.”

“Thank you very much,” Princess Adrianna says with a beaming smile.

“I loved your solo Princess Adrianna.”

“Why thank you very much,” Princess Adrianna says.

“Your performance was very exquisite Your Highness.”

“Thank you very much Princess Catherine,” Princess Adrianna says.

I watch as everyone congratulates my sister. My mother gives her a peck on both cheeks with a beautiful smile plastered on her face. Father kisses her head to show his pride. If you are wondering who I am, I am a brunette girl, with blue and green eyes and with freckles on her face sitting on the second roll in the class with the violin in her hand.

The girl everyone is congratulating is my fraternal twin sister, Adrianna. My name is Iris. Adrianna is my parent’s favorite. She plays the princess role pretty well. She courtesies better than me, dances better than me, eats better than me, walks better than me, well let’s just say she is a better princess than I am. Me, I like to describe myself as anything but a princess. I am more of a hugger. So instead of courtesy, I hug. Who says you have to use a particular cutlery for a particular food? So BORING! The worst is walking; my mother forces us to walk like statues with our noses in the air. Well me, I don’t just walk like a clown, I run like one too and that’s so fun. So instead of the old-fashioned way of dancing, I love to move my whole body to the beats of the song. Yeah, I love my little world of freedom and it never seats well with father and mother. Mother is constantly trying to change me and my father never fails to show his disappointment when I rebel.

Royal Academy is the name of my school and every midterm each class holds a music performance. It used to be a small event but now it is a show everyone looks forward to. It never fails to attract the far kingdoms beyond the sea. Because of that Royal Academy has the largest and highest entry every year. Every kingdom and each royal family as far as the ears are aware attends Royal Academy.

Father and mother are dressed in their royal attire today, which will be because they are the King and Queen of Filamonda. My Father’s name is His Royal Majesty, King Matthew the 2nd. He is the 12th King of Filamonda and was named after the 2nd King of Filamonda. My mother’s name is Her Royal Majesty, Queen Mariah of Filamonda. I look around and notice The Four Great Kings of the four kingdoms are in attendance.

“What a rare occurrence,” I say to myself.

King Archer of Divimon is here, King Donatello of Cerphila is also here, King Theodore of Octavalia is here too and of course father. Of all the four kingdoms, Filamonda is the strongest kingdom. It is known for its rich bounty and feast and of course its great army. Father told me a great kingdom is measured by its army’s strength and might.

Just then the sound of the bell breaks me from my thought. My sister runs back to her seat. We wait patiently for the signal from the instructor. The bell sounds again and the instructor signals us as we all curtsey and bow, signaling the end of our performance.

The music gets rowdy. I carefully navigate myself through the pool of people looking for father and mother. I turn in time and watch Queen Marilyn of Cerphila scope her daughter Princess Esmeralda into her arms for a hug. Her sister Princess Octavia doesn’t fail to hug her too. Her brother Prince William warmly pecks her. This right here is not my scene. I feel a gentle pull at my chest.

“I want to go back home,” I say to myself.

I love the forests and everything in it. Four nights ago I jeopardized the guard’s hunting tools. I cut the strings on their crossbows. I ordered the girls to throw the guard's swords into the sea. The thought of anyone hunting the animals never seats well with me. I don’t know why anyone sees killing innocent animals as a sport and game. I will not stand for such.

This has gotten me into a lot of trouble with father and mother. I have lost count of how many times I have been grounded over the years. But I am sure I do get into trouble at least four times a day. I always sneak out of the castle into the forest to build little shacks for the birds. They don’t seem to mind me but I don’t go close so I don’t scare them off. I see it as my duty to protect them as no one else seems to be willing. I can still remember the time I jeopardize the knight’s hunting equipment for the 100th time father grounded me for two days and my mother took away my maps.

“Iris, Iris!!”

Mother’s voice brings me back from my thoughts.

“Stop daydreaming and come over with me. Your sister played her solo so well; you should be congratulating her and not plotting your next prank.”

“I don’t get a kiss too for a well-done job?” I tell her.

She looks at me, shrugs, and goes over to meet father and Adrianna. Adrianna looks at me concerned. I smile at her telling her and mouthed ‘I am fine.’

Ri as I love calling my sister worries about me, especially when my mother and father scold me.

“Your Highness?”

“Since everyone is here, why don’t we head back to the castle,” Father says.

I take my head out of the carriage, looking up into the sky. I love the smell of the air during this time of the year. It smells so clean and musky. I call it, The smell of Nature. I close my eyes and inhale the air, I smile to myself and open my eyes. We are on our way back to the castle and my feet are itching for a good run in the forest.

“Iris, get your head back in here. You don’t want to catch a fly,” Mother says.

I frown to myself and do as she says.

“The medal is so shining father,” Ri says.

“Yes, my dear. It is deserving of a good talent such as yourself,” Father says.

This is why I rather stick my head out of the coach and catch a fly. The father-proud-aura is starting to get old. I watch the exchange for a while until father kisses the top of Ri’s head and he catches my stare.

“You did well too, Iris. You played the instrument so…”

“Violin,” I corrected.

“What?”

“It is called a violin. I played the violin Father,” I say.

“Oh, is that what that was? I would have never guessed the name if not been told. Anyways you sounded good playing it,” Father says.

“Oh Father, everyone knows what a violin is and Iris didn’t just sound good playing it, she was brilliant,” Ri says.

“Of course my dear she was,” Father says.

“It’s a good thing we invited the other princesses and princes to the after-party. You both get to play for them again,” Mother says.

“Wait, what!?” I ask.

“Didn’t I tell you yesterday, that there will be a ball after the music festival at the palace?”

“No mother, you never mentioned it to me,” I say scowling at her.

“I thought I mentioned it,” Mother says acting clueless.

“You only told me, mother. I was going to Iris's room to tell her and you said you were going to,” Ri says.

Mother waves her hand up in the air, agreeing with what Ri said.

“That must be it, after Constantine told me the royal chef was waiting, I must have forgotten.”

“It’s alright,” Father says to mother calmly.

“Now Iris it’s not too late to prepare for the ball, have your head…”

“Of course, it’s too late to prepare for the ball. It’s going to take me a whole hour to get ready. And I gave the ladies the rest of the day off.”

“Then I suggest you find a way to ready for the ball and get to it,” Father snaps.

I look at my father shocked and I scorn him, I look at my mother and she is avoiding my eyes. I feel the coach stop.

“Do I at least get to play Nana’s harp?” I ask.

Father looks at me deciding if he should let me play one of Filamonda’s most treasured assets. Nana’s harp, well it wasn’t technically Nana’s. She inherited it from her mother, who inherited it from her mother and it continues down the lane. Nana didn’t have a daughter to teach how to the harp so when Ri and I were born, Nana decided to teach one of us and she chose me. Before she died she wanted me to have it but father has it on lock and key.

“You are not responsible yet to have the harp,” Father always said.

“Fine, you can play the harp tonight. Only tonight Iris, am I understood?” Father asks.

“Yes, father.”

“Have Veronica come find me after you are dressed so I can make your hair,” Mother says to Ri as she warmly takes out the pins from her hair.

I look at Iris and she looks at me. I surrender to my anger. Turning to the door, I lean my back on the seat, raising my both feet, I hit the door with force and it opens. I jump down from the coach and make my way to the castle.

“Iris!! How many times have I told you…?”

Mother’s voice fades away as I make my way into the castle. I hear Ri’s footsteps behind me but I don’t stop or slow down. I ignore the guards and servants as they salute. I make my way up the stairs, I head to the royal quarters, and reaching my room, I open the door angrily, take off my shoes and climb my bed facing down. I scream my frustration to the bed. I hear my door close; I hear the footsteps on the ground as it reaches my bed and stops. I feel my bed deep as I continuing scream. I stop screaming after a while.

“Now, now Iris, you need to stop screaming. I don’t want you catching a headache,” Ri says.

I turn my head slowly and look at Ri who is also looking at me. She smiles at me. I raise my head to look at her dress and I look at the clock at my table stand.

“Shouldn’t you be getting ready for the ball? It’s in less than an hour,” I say.

“There is no way I will go to the ball without you. What will everyone think?” Ri replies.

“That Princess Iris is feeling so ashamed she did a bad job at the music festival, that she locks herself away in her room.”

“What! Why will you think that way?” Iris asks

I watch her pause for a second as she frowns at me

“Is that your plan? To lock yourself away in your room,” Ri gestures to my room.

“No, but now that you put it that way, it won’t be a bad…”

“Don’t you dare say it, Iris, Don’t you dare,” Ri says.

Feeling defeated I put my face back on the bed.

“I am sorry about father and mother.”

I feel myself getting angrier, I push myself off the bed and make my way to my wardrobe to get my nightwear and finally to the room divider to change.

“You have to get back to your room Ri, have your maids dress you up. Mother is not going to be happy if she sees you are still dressed like that,” I say as I change my cloth.

“But I don’t want to go to the ball without you,” Ri says.

“You have no choice Ri,” I walk out of the room divider in my nightwear “Someone has to go down there and it has to be you.”