No pictures with my updates i'll fix it soon.

Artemis' POV

     Briana sits on my bed behind me as I sit in a small chair in front of my vanity as Anna works on me, brushing my long dark hair until it's smooth and silky before she take the curling iron and begins to work her magic.

    I watch myself in mild disgust as I begin to get prepared for myself to get gawked at and touched on by any male with enough money and power that my Mother and Aunt will allow me to be with them.

    My back is achingly straight and I try not to gaze to myself too long, only staring off into space or behind me at my Knot.

    "Why are you here?" I ask her, and not for the first time and she doesn't take offense to the question.

     "To protect you. To support you. We will figure this out together. It sucks when the people that you need the most are no where to be found. You don't have anyone here besides Chelsea and some times she doesn't get it. The abandonment. It hurts. I know. But here I am." She says looking at me with a heart broken half smile and I close my eyes to stop the tears from coming.

     One of them escapes though and I sigh in defeat as many other follow.

    "I'm sorry, Anna. I know you're working hard." I apologize to her but she doesn't seem upset like she usually does. Typically she would hit my shoulder with one of the make up brushes and scold me for not being careful with her masterpiece.

    This time, she pulls one of my strands of heart behind me eat and look at me with sad eyes that make me tear up again. "It's okay to cry. Living is hard. People tell us that life is short, but in reality, it's the longest thing we'll ever experience." She tells me and I stare at myself in the mirror then, letting my core tighten as I remove the water form my face.

     "They always make living sound so easy and simple." Briana says from behind me and I nod in agreement.

     "It never is." I say and she smiles.

     "You're all done." Anna tells me softly, stepping back to put her tools away and I look at myself, not liking what I see. Anna did amazing, but I know that the girl in the mirror isn't who I am or who I want to be.

     I'm doing this so that I can finally be who I want without restrictions and so that other can feel that freedom too.

    I have to remind myself of that goal three times a day to stop myself from screaming at the top of my lungs in a break down. I clear my throat and advert my eyes before I turn around, only in a tank top and shorts for now. "How do I look?" I ask Bri with a wobbly smile.

   She walks over to me and places a soft touch on my cheek, enough for me to feel but not enough for my make up to get messed up.

    "Beautiful. But I prefer the real you over this any day." She tells me and I breathe a slight sigh of relief before Anna walks over to me with a soft yellow dress, the one that hugs my curves just so and I stand up and help her put it on me before she carried to me hide heels that I slip on.

    Once I'm all dolled up, I turn towards Bri.

    "Yellow is definitely your color." She tells me with a sad smile and I laugh, posing for her for a bit before I walk over towards her and grab she hand.

     "I know you don't like this. And I'm sorry you have to go through it. But I learned a spell from a Cassie. Since Faeries and Warlocks are so closely related, and I'm a Royal I hope this works." I mouth the words I've been practicing for the past few days and trace a symbol of Bri's hand while making my finger burn with a soft fire.

    When I let go, there's a small glowing mark on her palm making me smile and I do the same to a brooch on my dress.

    "It will allow you to hear whatever conversation I'm having. You should be apart of the process, yeah? Especially if he has to be on our lives for the next two years." I tell her and she frowns at me.

      "Two years?" She asks and I grin.

      "I have a plan." I shrug and she smiles before nodding at me. "I'll see you later, if you want... you're free to stay in my room." I tell her, wanting her to be here when I come back from pretending to be anyone but my real self. 

      "I'll be here." She tells me and I nod, not reaching out to touch her, not when I'm like this. I turn away and lead Anna out of my room to where my brother and Percy are sitting on my couch, waiting for me, the twins standing by the door. They look up when we enter and Percy immediately stands up.

       "You look great, Princess. Are you ready?" He asks me and I give him my best fake smile, the one I've had for over six years.

       "Of course." I tell him but before we move, Jasper gets up and walks over to me, his position lazy as he stuffs his hands into his pockets.

        "You're going to be a great Crown Princess one day. This sucks, I know, but it will be worth it." He says, in his own way of encouragement.

       "You would have been a better Prince." I tell him, trying not to let the little piece of resentment stop itself from clouding my face, knowing that it's my brother that starved me from my happiness, to service his own. And I know it's not his fault, but I wish I had someone else to blame. He gives me a sad look and a crooked smile in answer.

        "They don't need someone like me in charge. They need you." He tells me quietly, his hand coming up to straighten my dress but he doesn't elaborate when he steps back.

     I go to open my mouth and ask a question but before I can, Percy grabs my attention. "Princess, we have to go or we'll be late." He tells me and I turn towards him and take a few hesitant steps, looking behind me at my brother for. a few second before I pass through the door that's held open for me.

      To my surprise, when the twins follow me out of the door, I don't like Carl and Levi outside goofing around, but only Levi, the older guard no where to be found and in his place, one of the new ones.

       "Levi, where's Carl?" I ask him and he gives me a strange look that has fear in his eyes.

       "He wasn't feeling well this morning, Your Highness. I was told to get Gorge as his replacement." He tells me and I frown at his choice of words but before I can ask I'm ushered away towards the meeting place where I will meet my mom and whatever potentials she was able to find in three days time.

     As we walk, I frown to myself at all that's going on. "Marcus, I'm going to ask you a question. I don't need details, just an answer." I tell him and while he doesn't answer, I know he hears me. "Should I be worried?"

      "We should all be terrified." He answers softly, and I take a breath of fear, knowing that it's time to stop being selfish now. I need to figure out what the hell is going on in my castle before more people end up sick.

       The walk to my mother is quick and right to the chase and we arrive, the four of us just in time as we're lead into the throne room, my mother and Aunt Lucile sitting on the two most important spots while I'm left to stand on the steps before them as if some science exhibit.

      As soon as I walk in, it's all business.

     "For once you appear to be on time. Excellent. When the man comes in, you're going to introduce yourself and talk to him for a few moments before the two of you go on a walk, accompanied but guards to get to know each other better. We have twenty candidates and four days to see them all. After the four days either you will make a decision or we will hit either way we will have a say in this." Princess Lucile tells me and I focus on her eyes, frowning when they don't appear to be as blue as they usually do.

     The first time I saw her eyes so dark, I thought it was the lighting, but now I'm not so sure. And when she sees me watching her she gives me a stern look and turns towards my Mother for confirmation only for her eyes to return to their blue color.

     I've seen this before, but I don't know where, and I need to find out.

    There's a knock on the door and a head that polls through. "Your Graces, the first guest has arrived."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~
What do you think about the return of the listening spell? I didn't get as much as I could done, but I still have a lot and the rest of it will be written and posted over the course of the next few days.

Thoughts?

Comments?

QOTD: What is your favorite boy band?