Third Person POV:

After months and months had passed, Kazia stayed in her room without ever stepping out.

Her room, located on the second floor of the castle, had a big canopy bed with an intricate rug underneath it. The tall white pillars of the canopy bed had light pink curtains. To the sides of the bed, a nightstand held a crystal looking lamp on top. At the center of the room, a large white chandelier that held pastel pink crystals hung from the ceiling and tall arch windows that allowed the moon's glow to light the room as they faced the front entrance of the castle. A fireplace helped keep her warm. Attached to her room was a big bathroom with the same color scheme and marble floors.

Through these months Grace carefully looked after her, bringing her food and even conversing with her. Kazia felt some comfort talking with Grace as she reminded her of her grandmother, home.

She spent most of her time silently sitting next to the window in her room, looking outside. As the months passed, she noticed the ones that frequently visited the castle. Esla would visit at least twice a month but never dared to visit Kazia, she knew her cousin needed time and space.

At night, Kazia found herself lying awake at night questioning everything, even herself, until sleep would eventually take over.

The small amount of emotion she could feel during this time was due to something very simple. Whenever it snowed, she would quietly admire the village near the castle. It looked like the Christmas villages she loved making as a child. Perhaps that was the soothing part about the scene, it reminded her of home, normality, comfort, and warmth.

Conflicting emotions tormented her. Deep within her heart, she had formed some appreciation for her surroundings. It also made her happy to know that Esla is her cousin, but that happiness was not enough to overpower the storm in her mind. She felt empty as she wondered if she would ever be able to return to her normal self?

After the first two months had passed, her parents decided that it would be a good idea for Kazia to familiarize myself by reading some books that Grace would provide.

Whenever she was not looking outside the window  she would spend her time desperately reading books, trying to satiate the questions in her mind.

She thought about her grandma, if she were to see her right now, she would be devastated. Kazia's brown eyes had become dull and her skin paler.

A soft knock on the door grabbed her attention.

Grace walked in with her dinner, "How are you feeling?" She placed the food on a table close to the chair Kazia had placed by the window.

Kazia conquered a small weak smile, "Fine."

Whenever Kazia ate, Grace would tell her stories about her life here, things that happened years ago or things that happened a few minutes ago. Sometimes they would just sit in silence reading before it was time to sleep.

Kazia rested her head on her hand as she looked out. She noticed the same man that had helped her when she fell down the stairs, he would also visit a lot.

Her mind spun, trying to remember his name until she asked Grace, "Who is he?"

Grace's eyebrows furrowed in question as she got up to see who the princess referred to. "Oh, that is Prince Ehryan of Sapphinetia". She answered as before sitting back down.

She continued to observe the prince until she saw him turn around, his eyes carefully observing the castle until he saw her.

Her eyes slightly widened once their eyes locked before he turned to face the gates of the castle as a carriage arrived for him.

A deep sigh escaped her as she saw the carriage leave. She also wished to leave. A sudden urge to leave the castle suddenly surged through her.

If she wanted to at least have a chance to go back home, she needed to start by leaving the room she had locked herself in. She wanted to breathe fresh air and feel the cool summer breeze around her, and the comforting smell of nature.

That's when it hit her. She felt like she had woken up. This was real. She really was here. These past months, she had felt lifeless. Ever since she arrived, everything had felt like a long dream, until now. This was her wake-up call. She yearned to laugh until her cheeks hurt again. But she could not do that if she stayed in that room. If she wanted to take control of her life again, she needed to do something now.

She turned towards Grace and carefully spoke, her voice weak, "I want to eat breakfast with my parents tomorrow."

Grace cheered, "You do?! They will be so happy!"

~ Next day ~

As time went on, it became a bit 'easier' to sleep. The books Kazia read helped make this whole nonsense feel less nonsensical, just a bit.

It was the moment to step out after all this time and as she did, she felt that her life had been unpaused.

With Grace's help, she made it to the dining room. Her parents greeted Kazia as she sat down by the long table.

"I am glad that you decided to join us today." Her mother was very excited to finally see her child outside and slightly more lively. She had been slowly but surely improving.

Her father smiled, "I gather the books have been helping you."

Kazia lightly nodded while staring at her food. It felt awkward.

He spoke again, "I know this is a lot. But this is your fate, you will understand one day, I hope."

Fate. It was a very common topic in the books that were provided for Kazia. They spoke of the history, tales, and traditions. Something that caught her attention was how, at the birth of a royal, their fate is revealed to the parents, always something positive, though. But she did not once consider herself someone from here, much less a 'royal'.

Her mother chimed in, "Don't feel pressured. This will take time, of course."

Her father sighed , "We did not want to leave you there. We had our reasons, and looking back, it does not seem like we chose the right option..."

Kazia felt tears building up.

A small cry was heard from her mother, "We are so sorry. Please know that you're not alone here. You have us and Esla. You will do so great here. This is your rightful place."

What if they were protecting her from something? What if her fate was something not so good?

She didn't know what to think anymore. It's not like she could go back now. The books stated that those whose fates intertwine with the energy source of this place would always end up there one way or another. You couldn't change that. So what exactly was her fate?

~ Later on in the day ~

Kazia spent a large amount of the day catching up with my parents, feeling slightly more comfortable with them. Perhaps being stuck in a room for almost a year and the small talks they shared helped.

They explained how her grandmother knew about everything. Deciding to be more transparent with their daughter, her parents continued telling her about everything. But even as they spoke, Kazia could feel they were still holding something back.

~ Next day ~
Upon hearing the news of Kazia leaving her room, Esla quickly visited.

They sat in the living room drinking some tea.

It was very quiet, something unusual for Esla. She looked like she was thinking about what to say.

"Well," Esla finally spoke. "How have you been?"

"Not good."

"Right, it's a lot." She trailed off, looking defeated.

Silence, again.

"I'm sorry," Esla cried. "I know I am also to blame. I kept this from you for years. But I couldn't just tell you. Everyone told me not to meddle. Plus, even if I had said something, you would of thought that I was joking."

Kazia kept quiet for a bit, "I understand the position you were in, but my mind is still all over the place. I'm constantly feeling a bunch of emotions at once."

Esla hugged her, "I'm so sorry." Guilt covered her face.

Why did everyone go to such lengths to keep her from all this? Kazia worried.

They both hugged and spent the rest of the day talking until the night rolled in, and Esla left to go home.

Kazia went to sleep, letting her new life sink in.