#8E1717
Reese stood back from the tears and confusion, cutting a path right through it to Lilith with her glare. Her parents' whispers tickled her ears like a breeze, carrying commands and warnings. Each of these girls cherubic faces she recalled from her past, her parents had taught her three ways to perceive: useful, adversary, or a useful adversary. She knew for certain none of those in front of her knew that their playdates were being hammered into Princess Euphemia as "just politics". Ah, then there were those swamp dwellers.
"You will not look at them. You will not consume anything they offer you. You will not speak to them until we are satisfied with how well you hide yourself, Euph..."
"... phemia!"
"Don't call me that, Fred. It's weird." Reese reflexively snapped, not taking her eyes off Lilith. Seemed the whispers couldn't do much against the thirteen years of Reese she'd spent living. It sounded like this sorceress was expecting them to go to war. Talk of powers and evil witches bouncing around the circle. She wanted to tell Lilith to go to hell with whatever battle plan she'd concocted, Reese had rent and homework due by the end of the week. Reese's problems didn't just get magicked away by Euphemia's intrusion! Thinking about the goddamn gall of it was going to pop a blood vessel -
"Hello, hello, make way."
Reese lifted her head. The memory jabbed her right between the eyes like a really unwelcome labotomy. No. No, no, no. Not HER. She could feel her presence strong enough without even looking. Don't let HER be one of us. No, no, no! Don't let HER be-!
"'Tis a shame the Serein family sired no male heirs. It seems the gods have yet again conspired to keep our kingdoms from uniting. Perhaps it will come in our next generation, if Serein tolerates our consort with those beasts."
Euphemia looked up at the castle in the sky. Feathers spiraled towards her from the pegasi that soared above. She swore they had come from the Angelite statues that kept the palace safe within its cradle of clouds. A glint of light came from the castle's gates as the royal family sent their princess forth to greet her, her silver head illuminated like a halo.
Months later, the shoddy remains of Euphemia's 'art project' were blasted into pale blue dust by her disgusted mother.
"By ALL means, stay behind and be a peasant. You certainly think like one."
Reese's fists shook. Going around and crushing those who didn't meet her standards again, she hadn't changed, she didn't even change one bit! The only way to not be looked down on by her was to stare her right back in the eye as her reflection! This had to be THE greatest betrayal her awakened memories had slapped her with, she couldn't believe that she had ever wanted this brat's attention! When Justice's last words left her mouth, Reese's anger had nowhere else to go. She'd already been verbally assaulted by the diva once today. It didn't take Reese much to snap on a regular day either.
Reese yanked Justice by the shoulder, threw her around to face her, grabbed her by the front of her fancy new dress and SLAMMED her forehead into her face.
"IS THIS ALL YOU EVER YAMMER ON ABOUT?!" Reese snarled, shoving her away. Blood marked her forehead, either Justice's or hers. "Lucie, Justice, whatever, your stupid size zero dress means nothing when your ego is too fat to try on some fucking human decency! Maybe Lilith sending them here to live like 'peasants' was the best thing that could've happened to them! At least they got the chance to grow into damn decent people! You never stopped being a spoiled fucking PRINCESS!"
And with that, Reese threw herself at her. If they didn't act quick the princesses were about to bear witness to the first fight that would surely become many between these two kingdoms. First fought by tooth and nail, and then, by the natural escalation: army and trebuchet.