A Maretonia Tyranny

"Jami! Come! Arenith is here!" Exclaims my mother, Dutchess of Maretonia, prompting me to come downstairs to the currently empty ballroom. Arenith was the phoenix that the king and queen of Saddle Arabia used to send letters to other countries. I wondered what the message was as I came down from my room on the 4th floor of our enormous palace. I found my mother and father and ran towards them, anxious to find out what it was the fiery bird was bringing.

"Come, Come! It's not every day we get mail from them, it must be important!" states my father. He's right. The rulers of Saddle Arabia didn't send mail too often, as they normally kept to themselves. We open the letter carefully, and see that it is an invitation to the royal wedding of Prince Amir, the Prince of Saddle Arabia, and Aminah, soon to be his princess. It stated that the wedding was to be on March 14.

"This is very exciting, don't you think? Let's write back that we wouldn't miss it for the world-"

"Wait! Isn't my choir performance on March 14th?" I interrupt. My mother immediately realizes that I was right, but her decision doesn't waver.

"Oh, no! Jameil, I'm so very sorry, I didn't realize! I'm very sorry, but we have to go! Missing a royal wedding is a big deal, especially for Saddle Arabia. They keep to themselves, so it is imperative that we take whatever chance we get to talk to them." I hear the words, believe them, and understand them.  But they hurt. They hurt a lot. But I should be used to it by now. This was the fourth time this has happened, and each time they would promise to make the next important event. But they never did.

As expected, they missed my next recital. Then my 10th birthday party. But I still didn't give up on them. I cherished every moment that I did get to spend time with them. Though it wasn't much, my favorite part of the day was eating dinner with them and laughing with them. Their royal business was more important than walking me to school, and dinner was all that it allowed. I still looked up to them, no matter what, and loved them with all my heart. At least until I was a teenager.

"Jami! We have a meeting with the Princesses of Equestria! Azi will take care of you while we're gone," My mother cried up the steps. At this point, Azi, my personal caretaker, was more of a mother than my real one was.

"You didn't tell me you were going anywhere. It's Mother's Day!" I told her. I couldn't have her leave for too long. I had bought an extremely extravagant and thoughtful Mother's Day gift. The price wasn't a problem. But I had thought this one out so much. I bought a reservation at a beautiful restaurant for the three of us, and the reservation was at five. If we missed this, it would be so long before I could spent quality time with them. "When are you getting back?" I asked nervously.

"9:30. Azi has got you some food in the grand hall. It can be heated up whenever you want it." My heart shattered.

"Um, a-any chance you can be back be, f-five?" I choked out, holding back my tears.

"No. The meeting might even run long. But you've been home alone plenty of times. You'll be fine. Bye!" She says, not the least bit sorry. If only she knew.

As I waited for her to come home, my sadness turned into rage. Of course they would be doing something on the one day kids are supposed to be with their mothers. Why would they spent time with me? I was probably just a liability. I probably only still existed so that the Duke and Duchess of Maretonia could be parents. To make them look good. They probably didn't even love me in the least bit! Azi came to me too tell me I should eat dinner. I wasn't hungry.

Hours pass. My parents finally come home at 10:15, and I had been waiting on the living room couch for them with the passes for the restaurant. "Jamiel! We're back!" My father yelled. I didn't answer. "Jami! Where are you?" My mother cried. "Sorry we're late, the princesses were held up, and so we had a late start."

"4 months."

"Huh?" My father asked me.

"4 months I have been planning for this day." I said coldly.

"What do you mean?" My mother inquired.

"SEE FOR YOURSELF!" I screamed, using my magic to throw the passes at them. They fell to the floor. My parents pick them up with curiosity, and as they read their ears went down. They look so sorry. But I didn't believe their faces. On the passes they saw everything. The date of the reservation, when it was made, the restaurant, everything. They try to tell me that they're sorry, but by the time they look up, I'm already gone.

I spend the night bouncing back and forth between thinking of how horrible my parents were and crying. My parents knocked on the door a couple times, but I put a magical lock on it so they couldn't get in. They eventually gave up. By morning, I decided to occupy myself by teaching myself powerful magic. They'd get a chance to talk to me eventually, and teleportation would be great for getting out of it. I was only able to find the right book before they came to tell me to come eat breakfast. I refuse. Outside my door I hear them saying that if I still hadn't come down by lunchtime, they would come in to talk to me.

Lunch passes. I'm hungry, but I didn't care as long as I didn't have to see them. It had been 24 hours since I'd last eaten. As promised, my parents knock on my door once again. After 10 minutes of pleading, bribing, and even threatening my father finally breaks down the door.

"Jameil, why didn't you open the door??" My father yelled, angrily.

"Same reason I put the locks on. Because I don't want to talk to you." I say, slowly getting angrier. I face away from them so they can't see tears starting to form in my eyes.

"Jami, I hope you know there was nothing we could do to be back. We would have gone if we could have." My mother says, sympathetically.

"How about postponing it?"

"This wasn't something we could move-"

"Oh yeah? I've read up on the princesses of Equestria. They are the most kindhearted, understanding, beautiful princesses this world has ever seen!" I interrupt, angrily.

"Jami, you don't understand-"

"OF COURSE I UNDERSTAND! I UNDERSTAND THAT ALL I AM IS AN ACCESSORY TO YOU!" I shout.  The sorry looks on their faces show that they know they won't be able to change my mind. They exit my room, my mother crying. 3 minutes later, Azi brings lunch into my room. I eat it without a word.

I spend the next few weeks learning magic, skipping school, and changing my look. I got a haircut to show my new personality, and I pick up magic rather quickly. Alicorns have high magical ability, so I can preform multiple teleportations consecutively by now. Slowly but surely, the color of my magic darkened. I wouldn't know why for quite a while. I had just started other types of spells when Azi burst into my room, with tears in her eyes.

"What is it?" I say, annoyed. At that point, I showed a total lack of compassion.

"Princess! It's just horrible, just terrible! Your parents... There's been a terrible accident!" Only then do I look up from my book. "Your mother and father.... They're... They're dead." Azi is very distressed. I show a look of not sadness, but surprise.

"They... They are... Dead?" I ask. Azi nods. "The Duke and Duchess of Maretonia. They are dead. But I... I am the heir to the throne, right?" I ask Azi, knowing full well the answer.

"Jameil! How could you say such a thing? You may be the new Queen, but that gives you no right to be disrespectful!" Azi yells, horrified.

"No, you're wrong. This gives me the right to do anything! I am the new queen!" I state. Azi looks terrified.

"I knew you disliked them after what happened, but this..." She says, barely whispering.

"They don't deserve my love."