Catwalk
New Member
My Character:
Name: Cecilia Alora of the Pregaven Dynasty
Age: 20
Cecilia was born in the midst of winter. For days before the queen’s due, the people had suffered under covers of snow, destroying their crops and their homes and freezing them to the bone. That was, until the princess was born. From the very moment the eldest and only daughter of King Maxim came into the world, she brought light with her. It was the moment she was born that the sun came out again, and the snow started to melt. The people saw it as a sign of some sort of, that the birth of the princess had ended the barren winter, and the little girl was adored from the very first breath she took.
Raised in the palace, Cecilia always had everything she wished for. The winters were not as harsh inside the palace walls, and there was never one moment that she had to wish about anything. Cecilia was a happy girl, and it showed. Her dainty face was always covered in at least the hints of a smile, and when something fascinated or excited her her dark brown eyes would begin to sparkle ferociously. She was a beam of sunshine to everyone around her, the perfect princess. Much like her mother her heart was filled with kindness, but there was also an innocence about her. Too innocent, perhaps, too naive, too blind to reality. Living in the world her parents had created for her, locked safely inside the palace walls.
This was partially due to the King’s fear. He had two sons, yes, one of them his very own heir, but though he had never publicly admitted it it was no secret he cared more for his daughter than for them. It was something about Cecilia that demanded affection. Perhaps it was her innocence, her naivety, that made him treasure the little girl so much. The King was scared that exposing his daughter to the outside world might ruin her, and so he kept her sheltered.
For the most part, that was, because the Queen was a bit milder regarding the “sheltering” of their daughter, and because she thought it was important the young girl learned to love her people like she did. The Queen went to visit her people once every week, and it was on these visits that Cecilia was allowed to leave the palace and accompany her mother. They were the highlights of her life which, despite its riches, was quite boring.
One day, she was on her way with her mother to visit the village like they always did. They had stopped at a farm on the outskirts of it after a farmer had offered them to have a taste of his fruit, and when the royals were about to leave, the grey-haired man had gently pushed a basket of the sweetest peaches Cecilia had ever seen into her hand. Her mother had insisted on paying him, to which in his turn the farmer responded by insisting they take it for free. And so they continued, a basket of peaches now in the lap of the young princess as they made their way into the village. Cecilia was too busy smiling and waving at the people to notice one of the peaches had rolled out of the basket until she looked down again. She thought it was sad because the peach had been a gift and she’d lost it just like that, but her mother told Cecilia that they wouldn’t stop just for a piece of fruit.
And just like that, the princess’s day was ruined. She felt really guilty for not watching her basket more carefully, and was trying not to cry about it when, seemingly out of nowhere, a boy had jumped onto the carriage, her missing peach in his hand. She’d given it to back to him, “As a reward for your heroic deeds,” and from that moment on the visits to the village became even more exciting for Cecilia.
What at first was just a friendship, soon blossomed into something more as both of them grew older. Cecilia fell madly in love with the blacksmith’s son, and though she was aware of her responsibilities she dreamed often of running away with him. She knew that her mother would be upset if she found out (though unknown to Cecilia, the queen had been suspecting for some time), and that her father would rage and most likely force them apart, but Cecilia was naive and too deeply in love.
The night of Cecilia’s 17th birthday was no different than any other. There had been celebrations in her honor, and Cecilia nearly hadn’t been able to make it but she managed to excuse herself with fatigue, and faithfully returned to the willow tree at the edge of the palace gardens to find him already waiting. He held her and she told him how she wished he could have been there, and when they said goodbye tonight Cecilia did so with the knowledge that tomorrow he would be back.
It was that night that Cecilia was thrown into a horrible dream, a dream so excruciatingly frightening that the princess woke up covered in sweat and with tears staining her face. She did not tell anyone about it, sure that tonight she could confide it to her love, and he would comfort her and everything would be alright…
---
Weston hadn’t returned. Cecilia remembered now how she had been so sick with worry, how that night when she finally fell asleep the same nightmare was there to tear her awake again. For three days she had no idea of his whereabouts and though she returned to the willow tree every night, he never came. She was heartbroken, wondering why he had left her. Feeling betrayed, and hurt, until she found out what had truly happened.
A guard had seen the two young lovers meet up one night, and had dutifully told it to the King. This sent him into rage. He smashed a vase against the floor, and though the Queen tried to stop him, the King had soon dispatched the order to find and kill the boy. And so it was done, but not without damage. It broke Cecilia. For months all she could do was hopelessly cry, stubbornly returning to the willow tree every night, begging whatever ruled their universe to please, bring him him back. And above that, Cecilia hated her father. Hated him for what he’d done.
It took the princess a year to return to the person she was before, before she could truly move on. Cecilia knew it had been stupid, that it never could have ended well, and thus she eventually forgave her father. To the people the princess was herself again, smiling and eyes sparkling, but within the safety of the castle the princess’s brightness was somewhat dimmed. At night, she was plagued by nightmares, first short and sporadically, but as she grew up they started to come every night, became more intense. They were so bad that, every night, the princess would scream in her sleep, but no matter how many times they tried to wake her it was as if the dream would not release her.
Her parents were desperate for their daughter to be cured of these nightmares, but when they asked a healer to help her, all he did was tell them that their daughter had been cursed. Her dreams would only get longer and longer each night, until one day they would consume her entirely. But who had cursed their daughter? Why had they done it and most importantly how could they reverse it? They couldn’t find the answers.
Now, on her 20th birthday, Cecilia is to marry the crown prince of the neighboring kingdom, prince August. Her former lover not forgotten, but buried deep into her mind, the princess is intent on doing this for her kingdom. And, perhaps, for herself.
Name: Cecilia Alora of the Pregaven Dynasty
Age: 20
Cecilia was born in the midst of winter. For days before the queen’s due, the people had suffered under covers of snow, destroying their crops and their homes and freezing them to the bone. That was, until the princess was born. From the very moment the eldest and only daughter of King Maxim came into the world, she brought light with her. It was the moment she was born that the sun came out again, and the snow started to melt. The people saw it as a sign of some sort of, that the birth of the princess had ended the barren winter, and the little girl was adored from the very first breath she took.
Raised in the palace, Cecilia always had everything she wished for. The winters were not as harsh inside the palace walls, and there was never one moment that she had to wish about anything. Cecilia was a happy girl, and it showed. Her dainty face was always covered in at least the hints of a smile, and when something fascinated or excited her her dark brown eyes would begin to sparkle ferociously. She was a beam of sunshine to everyone around her, the perfect princess. Much like her mother her heart was filled with kindness, but there was also an innocence about her. Too innocent, perhaps, too naive, too blind to reality. Living in the world her parents had created for her, locked safely inside the palace walls.
This was partially due to the King’s fear. He had two sons, yes, one of them his very own heir, but though he had never publicly admitted it it was no secret he cared more for his daughter than for them. It was something about Cecilia that demanded affection. Perhaps it was her innocence, her naivety, that made him treasure the little girl so much. The King was scared that exposing his daughter to the outside world might ruin her, and so he kept her sheltered.
For the most part, that was, because the Queen was a bit milder regarding the “sheltering” of their daughter, and because she thought it was important the young girl learned to love her people like she did. The Queen went to visit her people once every week, and it was on these visits that Cecilia was allowed to leave the palace and accompany her mother. They were the highlights of her life which, despite its riches, was quite boring.
One day, she was on her way with her mother to visit the village like they always did. They had stopped at a farm on the outskirts of it after a farmer had offered them to have a taste of his fruit, and when the royals were about to leave, the grey-haired man had gently pushed a basket of the sweetest peaches Cecilia had ever seen into her hand. Her mother had insisted on paying him, to which in his turn the farmer responded by insisting they take it for free. And so they continued, a basket of peaches now in the lap of the young princess as they made their way into the village. Cecilia was too busy smiling and waving at the people to notice one of the peaches had rolled out of the basket until she looked down again. She thought it was sad because the peach had been a gift and she’d lost it just like that, but her mother told Cecilia that they wouldn’t stop just for a piece of fruit.
And just like that, the princess’s day was ruined. She felt really guilty for not watching her basket more carefully, and was trying not to cry about it when, seemingly out of nowhere, a boy had jumped onto the carriage, her missing peach in his hand. She’d given it to back to him, “As a reward for your heroic deeds,” and from that moment on the visits to the village became even more exciting for Cecilia.
What at first was just a friendship, soon blossomed into something more as both of them grew older. Cecilia fell madly in love with the blacksmith’s son, and though she was aware of her responsibilities she dreamed often of running away with him. She knew that her mother would be upset if she found out (though unknown to Cecilia, the queen had been suspecting for some time), and that her father would rage and most likely force them apart, but Cecilia was naive and too deeply in love.
The night of Cecilia’s 17th birthday was no different than any other. There had been celebrations in her honor, and Cecilia nearly hadn’t been able to make it but she managed to excuse herself with fatigue, and faithfully returned to the willow tree at the edge of the palace gardens to find him already waiting. He held her and she told him how she wished he could have been there, and when they said goodbye tonight Cecilia did so with the knowledge that tomorrow he would be back.
It was that night that Cecilia was thrown into a horrible dream, a dream so excruciatingly frightening that the princess woke up covered in sweat and with tears staining her face. She did not tell anyone about it, sure that tonight she could confide it to her love, and he would comfort her and everything would be alright…
---
Weston hadn’t returned. Cecilia remembered now how she had been so sick with worry, how that night when she finally fell asleep the same nightmare was there to tear her awake again. For three days she had no idea of his whereabouts and though she returned to the willow tree every night, he never came. She was heartbroken, wondering why he had left her. Feeling betrayed, and hurt, until she found out what had truly happened.
A guard had seen the two young lovers meet up one night, and had dutifully told it to the King. This sent him into rage. He smashed a vase against the floor, and though the Queen tried to stop him, the King had soon dispatched the order to find and kill the boy. And so it was done, but not without damage. It broke Cecilia. For months all she could do was hopelessly cry, stubbornly returning to the willow tree every night, begging whatever ruled their universe to please, bring him him back. And above that, Cecilia hated her father. Hated him for what he’d done.
It took the princess a year to return to the person she was before, before she could truly move on. Cecilia knew it had been stupid, that it never could have ended well, and thus she eventually forgave her father. To the people the princess was herself again, smiling and eyes sparkling, but within the safety of the castle the princess’s brightness was somewhat dimmed. At night, she was plagued by nightmares, first short and sporadically, but as she grew up they started to come every night, became more intense. They were so bad that, every night, the princess would scream in her sleep, but no matter how many times they tried to wake her it was as if the dream would not release her.
Her parents were desperate for their daughter to be cured of these nightmares, but when they asked a healer to help her, all he did was tell them that their daughter had been cursed. Her dreams would only get longer and longer each night, until one day they would consume her entirely. But who had cursed their daughter? Why had they done it and most importantly how could they reverse it? They couldn’t find the answers.
Now, on her 20th birthday, Cecilia is to marry the crown prince of the neighboring kingdom, prince August. Her former lover not forgotten, but buried deep into her mind, the princess is intent on doing this for her kingdom. And, perhaps, for herself.
