Goblin Girl

November 4, 2026 ~ Brooke F. ~ Leave a comment

It’s been a minute since I’ve published Poetry on this blog so perhaps it’s time. In fact, maybe even overdue! So here’s a quick poem I wrote called Goblin Girl.

I think I have always been a goblin.

Not the sort that lives beneath bridges,
though I suppose I have collected enough strange little things
to qualify.

I mean the kind with bright eyes
and a sack over her shoulder,
always looking down the road
for the next glint.

A house, perhaps.

A good one.
With a little room for books
and a kitchen where I can make pasta
so much pasta

As a kid, I thought how nice it must be as an adult

to have as much pasta as you wanted, with noodles as LONG as you wanted

and your mother would no longer cut them up

A kitchen big enough to hold a husband in

A job where someone pays me
to put words in a particular order,
which is a thing I once wanted so badly
I thought wanting it might break me.

And look

there it is.
The house.
The husband.
The job.
The pasta.

Little treasures,
all of them.

I put them carefully into my bag
and kept walking.

Because there is always something else
Sparkling.

Another place to see.
Another book to read.
Another version of myself
I might become.
Another little life
I might be able to carry home.

I did not hear the first thing fall.

It was that friendship

That frayed as we began to no longer dance in time

Something dear enough
that I had once assumed
dear things simply stayed.

It was the sound
of my sisters laughing
in the next room.

It was the nearness
of my friends
the easy certainty
that someone could be across town
and somehow still feel close.

They’re only a phonecall away but

never a street, neighborhood, or room

Perhaps it was my mother and father,
young enough that I did not understand
I was looking at a version of them
I would never see again.

Perhaps it was the world itself.

How big it used to be.

How every road seemed to lead
somewhere I had not yet been.

I kept walking.

I kept collecting.

And then I turned around
to admire what I have gathered
and realized there is a hole in my bag.

I cannot put my hand through it
and retrieve everything.

I cannot walk backwards
and gather the pieces from the road.

And I do not want to.

That is the strangest part.

I love the house.

I love my husband.

I love my little job
and the pasta
and the books
and the coffee
and all these ridiculous, beautiful things
I propelled myself towards via wishes and work

I am happy.

But I did not know
this Goblin Girl met life with a limited inventory.

I did not know
that while I was busy asking,
what can I have next?

the world was whispering,

do you know what you will lose?

So I suppose I am still a goblin.

Still peering toward tomorrow
for the next glimmer.
Still tempted by every little treasure
the future holds out its hand to offer.

Still carrying my bag.

Only now,
sometimes,

I stop.

I turn around.

I check the bottom.

And there is the hole.

And there are the empty spaces
where things used to be.

And I stand there
with my hands full of everything
I ever asked for,

atop a pile of treasures

glinting in the morning sun

grieving
what I never knew
I would leave behind.

Creative Writing Prompts for Beginners

November 1, 2026 ~ Brooke F. ~ Leave a comment

Happy November, dear readers!

Have you ever wanted to get into creative writing but had absolutely no idea where to start? Maybe you haven’t written a story since your middle school English class. Or, I’m sure there’s plenty of people in the world who have always wanted to write but never quite knew what to put on the page. Either way, getting started can be the hardest part!

Sometimes we get so caught up in everyday life that we forget to exercise our imagination. We spend our days thinking practically, answering emails, checking off to do lists, and generally being responsible adults (how unfortunate). But creativity is something you can practice, and you don’t need to be an experienced writer to start.

So I’ve put together a collection of beginner friendly creative writing prompts designed to get you thinking, imagining, and playing around with ideas again. No experience necessary and definitely no expectations. There is absolutely no pressure to write the next great American novel here. Just pick a prompt and see where your imagination takes you! And remember to remind yourself that it’s ok if you don’t feel like you wrote something very “good”. It doesn’t have to be perfect, it should just exist. The fast pace of our modern world has made it seem that the results are all we should aim for and those results should be immaculate. But in writing, creating is the joy. The work itself is the fun. Embrace sucking and being a beginner and this can apply to more than just writing.

Alright, I’ll get off my little soap box now. Onto the prompts!

1. Everyday imagination

These are especially good for people who haven’t exercised their creative muscles in a while.

Describe your perfect day if you had absolutely no responsibilities.
Imagine you find a mysterious envelope in your mailbox. What does it say?
Write about a place you’ve never visited but have always wanted to see.
Describe your childhood bedroom as though you’re introducing it in a novel.
Invent a small shop you’d love to visit. What does it sell? Who owns it?
If your pet could talk for one day, what would they tell you?
Write about an ordinary object on your desk as though it has a fascinating history.
Imagine you wake up tomorrow with a completely different daily routine or job as a different person. What does your life look like?

2. Let your imagination run wild

What if you discovered a tiny door in the wall of your house?
Imagine that every person receives a letter on their 25th birthday predicting one event in their future.
You discover that your hometown has a secret that everyone knows about except you.
What if you could visit one fictional world for an afternoon?
Imagine a world where people can bottle and sell their dreams.
You find a map tucked inside an old library book. Where does it lead?
What if the moon disappeared for one night?
Imagine that mythical creatures are real but have learned to live among humans.

3. Create a character

Invent a person who has a very unusual hobby. What is it, and how did they get started?
Describe someone who always carries a mysterious object in their pocket.
Create a character who is terrible at keeping secrets.
Imagine someone who has lived in the same little town their entire life but has never left their house.
Invent a character who receives an unexpected inheritance. What did they inherit?
Describe a person based entirely on the contents of their bedroom.
Create two characters who are complete opposites but become unlikely friends.

4. Practice storytelling

These give beginners a little more direction without requiring a complicated plot.

Write a story that begins with: “I knew something was wrong when the birds stopped singing.”
Someone accidentally sends a very personal letter to the wrong address. What happens next?
Two strangers are stuck waiting together somewhere. What brings them there?
A character returns to a place they haven’t visited in ten years. What has changed?
Write about a person who makes a seemingly insignificant decision that changes their entire day.
Someone knocks on your character’s door at midnight. They weren’t expecting company.
Write a story in which the main character gets exactly what they wished for, but not in the way they expected.

5. Little creative writing exercises

These are less about writing a complete story and more about getting comfortable putting imaginative thoughts on paper.

Describe a rainy afternoon without using the words rain, wet, or clouds.
Write a conversation between two objects sitting on your kitchen counter.
Describe a fictional place using all five senses.
Write a short story in exactly 100 words.
Invent a holiday that doesn’t exist. What do people celebrate?
Describe a memory. Any memory. Now alter it ever so slightly.
Write a paragraph about a color as though it were a person.
Make up the first and last sentence of a story. You can figure out what happens in between later!

I’m sure you’ve done wonderful work! And wonderful doesn’t mean perfect and that’s alright, friends! Keep writing and see where it takes you! Take comfort in knowing you’ve made yourself just a little more imaginative today. 🙂

See ya in the next post!

The Creative Magic Theory: What Kind of Creative Are You? ✨

October 20, 2026October 18, 2026 ~ Brooke F. ~ Leave a comment

You know it’s serious when I have a sparkle in the title… 😛

I have a little theory about creativity, because I think the way we create is just as interesting as what we create. Some people are inspired by other artists, some get random bursts of inspiration at two in the morning, and others slowly nurture an idea for months until it becomes something wonderful.

So what if creativity worked a little like magic? What if we all had different creative powers that influenced how we approach our ideas, find inspiration, and bring things into the world?

Welcome to the Creative Magic Theory!

Here’s the line of logic and reasoning…each creative type represents a different approach to creating. These types aren’t tied to a specific medium by the way. So you can be a writer, painter, musician, crafter, or content creator and still identify with any of them. You can also have a primary type, a secondary type, and even a third type that influences your creative process because, as always, people aren’t static.

So, there’s the intro. Now let’s meet our eleven creative types! Let’s go! No more dilly dallying in this introduction…

The Eleven Creative Magics

💡 The Lightbringer

Lightbringers create by revealing, explaining, and illuminating. They enjoy making complicated things understandable, highlighting overlooked details, or putting difficult feelings into words. Their creativity helps others see something they might have missed. If you lean toward writing self-help or write to explain, you may find yourself identifying with this creative type. Or maybe you paint to convey a complicated and highly specific feeling. Both of these are examples of lightbringers.

🔥 The Firestarter

Firestarters create in bursts of passion and inspiration. When an idea catches fire, they can pour enormous amounts of energy into it. They might go from barely creating anything to producing an entire collection in a weekend. Their challenge is learning how to keep going when the initial spark fades. This is a very common type of creative (I fall into this category!). It is both a blessing and a curse.

🌊 The Riverborn

Riverborns create by following the flow. They often prefer to explore an idea intuitively rather than plan every detail in advance (no outlines for these guys). They might begin a story without knowing how it ends or start a painting and discover what it wants to become along the way. Their challenge is learning when to follow the current and when to swim against it. Structure is important sometimes. Riverborns can struggle with writing themselves into a corner or getting halfway through a project and realizing that they wished they had done things just a bit differently.

🌬️ The Windrider

Windriders create through curiosity and exploration. They love trying new things, experimenting with different mediums, and following interesting ideas wherever they lead. They might have a dozen hobbies and a notebook full of possibilities. Their challenge is giving some of those ideas enough time to develop before chasing the next exciting thing. Windriders tend to collect hobbies and feel more creative when they are doing lots of things! Their mind is always racing.

🌱 The Earthkeeper

Earthkeepers create by cultivating. They enjoy nurturing ideas, developing skills, and patiently building something meaningful over time. They might spend years perfecting a craft or months developing a single project. Their challenge is knowing when to let something change, when to stop refining it, and when to move on. These are the “Tolkiens” of the creative world. They are persistant.

⚡ The Stormsmith

Stormsmiths create through sudden insights and unexpected connections. They are the people who think, “Wait, what if these two completely unrelated things actually belong together?” They enjoy brainstorming, inventing concepts, developing theories, and turning flashes of inspiration into something new. Their challenge is sorting through all those sparks and deciding which ones are worth pursuing. They can sometimes get lost in their own sauce or “system”.

🌌 The Stargazer

Stargazers find inspiration in other creatives and the world around them. Other people’s art, conversations, books, music, and creative communities can fuel their own imagination. They often thrive when surrounded by people who encourage them to create. Their challenge is learning to keep their own creative light shining even when they’re temporarily disconnected from their community. This is something that becomes especially difficult as creatives mature into adulthood and friendships are harder to maintain.

🌙 The Nightweaver

Nightweavers are drawn to the hidden, strange, mysterious, emotional, and unconventional. They enjoy exploring ideas that might be overlooked or difficult to explain. Their work might involve eerie stories, complicated emotions, surreal art, or unusual perspectives. Their challenge is making their ideas accessible and not overly vague without losing the mystery that makes them interesting.

🌈 The Prismsmith

Prismsmiths turn internal feelings and ideas into expressive experiences. They might communicate through color, imagery, music, aesthetics, symbolism, or atmosphere. They’re often interested in how something feels just as much as what it means. Their challenge is making sure the expression serves the idea rather than getting lost in the pursuit of the perfect mood or aesthetic. These are the emotional creatives.

❄️ The Iceweaver

Iceweavers create through refinement, precision, and careful arrangement. They enjoy editing, polishing, simplifying, and finding the exact right way to express an idea. They might revise a poem until every word matters or perfect a design by removing everything unnecessary. Their challenge is knowing when to stop refining and allow something to be finished.

🌀 The Illusionist

Illusionists change how people perceive things. They take the ordinary and make it feel magical, strange, funny, beautiful, or unexpected. They might turn a coffee shop into a fantasy tavern, transform a mundane experience into a whimsical story, or use humor to make people see something differently.

Combining Your Creative Magics

Your primary magic represents your most natural creative instinct, while your secondary magic adds another layer to your process. A third magic can influence you too, even if it isn’t as prominent.

For example:

🌌 Stargazer + 🔥 Firestarter: You’re inspired by other creatives, then suddenly produce a ton of work when something sparks your imagination.

🌬️ Windrider + 🌊 Riverborn: You love exploring new possibilities and following ideas wherever they take you. You thrive on freedom and experimentation.

💡 Lightbringer + ❄️ Iceweaver: You love understanding things and then refining that understanding into something clear, precise, and elegant.

⚡ Stormsmith + 🌈 Prismsmith: You make unexpected connections between ideas and find expressive, imaginative ways to bring those concepts to life.

🌙 Nightweaver + 🌀 Illusionist: You explore strange or hidden subjects and transform them into something that challenges how people see the world.

There are so many possible combinations, and none of them are inherently better than the others!

Working With Your Creative Magic

One of the most important things about this theory is that every creative strength has a potential weakness.

For example, Firestarters might need to learn how to sustain their energy. Windriders might need to practice finishing projects. Stargazers might need to find ways to create independently. Iceweavers might need to learn when something is good enough.

The goal isn’t to change your natural creative instincts or force yourself to work like someone else. It’s to understand what helps you create and what tends to get in your way. Which, more often then not, is ourselves.

If you’re a Firestarter, perhaps you can use your bursts of inspiration while keeping a list of projects to revisit when the fire quiets down. If you’re an Earthkeeper, perhaps you can give yourself permission to experiment without needing every project to become something substantial. If you’re a Stargazer, perhaps you can build an inspiration library to return to when your creative community isn’t readily available.

Your magic is something to understand and develop, not a box to trap yourself in.

So, What’s Your Creative Magic?

I love the idea that creativity can look so different from one person to another. We don’t all need the same routines, inspirations, or approaches to make something wonderful and it’s definitely not a one-size fits all type of scenario.

So, which creative magic feels most like yours? ✨

365 Days of Being a Writer: Month 5

October 4, 2026October 4, 2026 ~ Brooke F. ~ Leave a comment

This month is going to have two halves- one half is “Story Sparks”. These are things or items that you can take and run with to build your own story around. The second half is focused on Settings.

In summary, the first half of the month you’re writing about the “what”. What object or event kicked off this story? Second half of the month is going to focus on the “where” and you can go from there! Best of luck, dear readers!

Month 5 pt. 1– Story Sparks

Write about a mysterious key.
Write about a letter arriving late.
Write about a lost pet.
Write about a strange visitor.
Write about an unexpected storm.
Write about a rumor spreading through town.
Write about someone returning home.
Write about a hidden room.
Write about a missing person.
Write about a midnight phone call.

Break:
105. Make a Pinterest board or moodboard for a story.

Month 5 pt.2 – Setting

Describe a cottage.
Describe an abandoned house.
Describe a castle.
Describe a farm.
Describe a library.
Describe a train station.
Describe a market.
Describe a forest path.
Describe a snowy street.
Describe a summer evening.

Break:
116. Look at a photo online and write 5 sentences about it.

365 Days of being a Writer: Month 4

May 16, 2026May 16, 2026 ~ Brooke F. ~ Leave a comment

To recap, the last month was on observation! Hopefully, you found a variety of different inspirations from the day-to-day simple sitting and listening. Perhaps, in this month, you can put those observations to even more use as we shift the focus to dialogue. Observation month focused heavily on images and listening. This month, you can take what you heard and translate them into actual conversations between characters. Welcome to Dialogue Month!!

Also, a little sidenote- this month has less prompts to give you a bit of a break as we hit observation and character month pretty hard. The following months will have fewer and fewer prompts as we get into actual creative writing less creative journaling, and writing exercises. Let’s stay away from that ever-prevalent writer’s burnout!

Month 4 – Dialogue

Write a conversation where someone hides the truth.
Write a conversation with no dialogue tags.
Write a conversation between siblings.
Write a conversation between enemies.
Write a conversation that happens over text messages.
Write a phone call scene.
Write a conversation interrupted by something unexpected.
Write two characters arguing about something trivial.
Write two characters apologizing.
Write two characters flirting awkwardly.

Break:
94. Listen to people talking in public and jot down interesting phrases.

365 Days of being a Writer: Month 3

April 16, 2026April 16, 2026 ~ Brooke F. ~ Leave a comment

This month is going to be focused on observing! Writers are at their best when they are paying close attention to their surroundings. Writers can be inspired by anything but it really helps if you can pull inspiration from your own life (“writing what you know”). In order to do this, one must be observant. So! The prompts for month 3 are designed to help you step out of your own head and take a look at your surroundings! What do you see?

Month 3 – Observation

Sit somewhere public and write what you see.
Describe three strangers.
Write about overheard conversation.
Describe a shop window.
Write about the weather like a character.
Describe a tree in detail.
Write about someone walking a dog.
Describe the smell of a bakery.
Write about the sound of traffic.
Write about a quiet afternoon.
Describe a cloudy sky.
Write about a bird.
Write about a river or creek.
Describe the inside of a coffee shop.
Write about someone reading a book.
Write about someone on their phone.
Write about a couple arguing quietly.
Describe a cluttered desk.
Write about something abandoned.
Describe a bench in a park.

Creative break:
83. Take a walk and write down five things you noticed.

365 Days of being a Writer: Month 2

March 29, 2026March 29, 2026 ~ Brooke F. ~ Leave a comment

This month is character month! Last month was about getting started and building momentum, while this month will focus on building a character or characters plural and developing them one step at a time. Create one from scratch or work on a pre-existing one. These prompts are for you to do what you will.

Month 2 – Character

Invent a character and write their daily routine.
Write your character’s worst habit.
Write your character’s biggest fear.
Write about something your character regrets.
Write a scene where your character lies to someone they love.
Write about your character’s childhood home.
Write about something your character collects.
Write about a childhood memory your character can’t forget.
Write about your character’s favorite meal.
Write a scene where your character gets unexpected news.
Describe your character’s best friend.
Write about a scar your character has.
Write about your character losing something important.
Write about a small victory.
Write a scene where your character feels embarrassed.
Write about something your character envies.
Write your character’s inner monologue.
Write a scene where your character forgives someone.
Write a scene where your character refuses to forgive someone.
Write your character’s morning thoughts.
Write a dream your character had.
Write about your character’s favorite place.
Write your character’s greatest hope.
Write your character’s greatest mistake.
Write a scene where someone misunderstands your character.
Write your character’s personal motto.
Write a moment of jealousy.
Write a quiet moment alone.
Write a confession scene.

Creative break:
61. Make a playlist for your character.
62. Describe the playlist in writing.

365 Days of being a Writer: Month 1

March 15, 2026 ~ Brooke F. ~ Leave a comment

If you’ve ever wanted to write more but felt overwhelmed by huge projects, this challenge is for you.

The goal: 365 small creative actions over one year.

Some days you’ll write and some days you’ll observe. A mixing and matching of all sorts of creative outlets and exercises! So, without further ado, here is month 1.

Month 1 – Start Small

Write about the room you’re currently in.
Describe your morning routine as if it were a sacred ritual.
Write 100 words about a character who is running late.
Write about the smell of rain.
Write a paragraph using only short sentences.
Write a paragraph using one long flowing sentence.
Describe a place from childhood.
Write a conversation between two strangers.
Write about a broken object.
Write from the perspective of your coffee mug.
Describe the sky today.
Write a short scene set at a bus stop.
Write a letter that will never be sent.
Write about a secret.
Describe someone entering a room.
Write about the quietest place you know.
Write a scene where someone lies.
Write about a forgotten object.
Write a 50-word story.
Write a character description in five sentences.
Describe a street at night.
Write about someone waiting for news.
Write about a sound that annoys you.
Write about a smell that comforts you.
Write about the weather changing suddenly.
Write a short argument scene.
Write about a locked door.
Write about a memory that feels dreamlike.
Write about someone finding something unexpected.
Write a story in exactly 200 words.
Take a break: read a poem and write one sentence about how it made you feel.

When Did Everything Become a Photoshoot?

March 1, 2026April 19, 2026 ~ Brooke F. ~ Leave a comment

Pre-warning: I am griping again

Everything now has this pressure to be aesthetically pleasing all the time thanks to the internet.

And listen, I get it. Trust me, ya’ll, I grew up during the golden age of Instagram. Pinterest is probably one of my MOST used apps, and yes, it is a problem sometimes.

Romanticizing your life and making things “pretty” can be fun. It can even be motivating. Lighting a candle before you write. Making your desk space whimsical. Using the good pen. Brewing coffee in your favorite mug. I’ve even written blog posts about fun ways to romanticize your writing process, so, in a way you could say maybe I’m guilty as well.

There is something lovely about being happy with your appearance and space.

But, recently, I’ve come to a weird sort of realization…

It feels like we’ve crossed from intentional beauty into constant performance.

There’s an overemphasis on aesthetics in general. Not just in writing alone, but in life in general. (I know, I know, I sound like a harpy old lady but hear me out).

Girls are expected to be pretty all the time. Self-growth is framed as “hot girl advice.” “Hot girls wake up at 5 a.m.” “Hot girls drink green juice.” “Hot girls don’t text first.” “Hot girls have spotless kitchens and perfect side profiles and somehow glowing skin while journaling about their boundaries.”

Since when did personal growth become a rebranding campaign? And what is this weird obessesion with being a “hot girl who x”?

It’s like the ultimate goal in life is to look amazing at ALL times. To have your life be this curated, aesthetically pleasing collage of neutral-toned items and sunlit corners. Your coffee has to look right. Your Bible has to be color-coded. Your gym outfit has to match. Even your healing has to be photogenic.

It’s ridiculous.

The internet is a highlight reel and we all know that. It captures moments in time. A split second. A perfectly framed sliver of someone’s day. We are not designed to line up and look exactly like these captured moments in time at all times. We are not still images.

We are messy, moving, complicated beings.

Now we are ebbing into looks over substance in every area of our lives. We spend way too long taking an aesthetically pleasing desk picture or finding the perfect angle to show off our cup of coffee beside our journal. And somewhere in that process, the coffee gets cold and the journaling becomes secondary.

The writing — the actual writing — becomes less important than how it looks to be writing.

And that’s where the fun starts to drain out.

Because the substance is the point. Not the proof of it.

There’s nothing wrong with beauty. There’s nothing wrong with liking nice things. There’s nothing wrong with enjoying an aesthetic. I am not anti-whimsy. But when aesthetics become the main goal instead of the byproduct, it begins to feel like everyone is now encapsulating the brand of being a writer. I feel like we’re losing a lot of authenticity in general. Again, I don’t want to sound like I’m grouching about everyone else, this is something I’m guilty of as well. My whole instagram page is color coordinated.

Really, I’m just sort of ranting to the void and maybe myself. Maybe it’s time we get back to the basics.

And if it happens to look pretty? That’s a bonus.

Maybe it’s time to become a writing minimalist. No routine, no coffee, no pretty desk space. Just writing.

If I were to write a romantasy novel…

February 2, 2026 ~ Brooke F. ~ Leave a comment

This is my way of announcing that I’ve begun writing on a new project. Will I finish it? Who knows? Is it fun though? Absolutely. So I’m going to share it with you guys against your will! The door is locked and the powerpoint-er, I mean the synposis is prepared! Read along, and you may just get a sneak peak of what I’ve written so far…

The Synopsis:

To end a generations-long war, a marriage is arranged between a charmingly naive prince and a dreamy but equally oblivious princess. Neither is thrilled, both long for true love, but duty comes first. Behind the scenes, however, the true powers are at play: the prince’s brilliant and calculating gentleman-in-waiting, and the princess’s cunning and fiercely loyal lady-in-waiting. Each is the secret strategist behind their monarch’s success, and each is deeply committed to their own kingdom. When tradition demands that they too be wed, to symbolize the uniting of the households, they are less than thrilled. But strategy has a funny way of turning into something else when hearts get involved.

Meanwhile, in the shadows of court, two rival assassins, one from each kingdom, are given a single directive: kill the monarch of the enemy side. As their deadly missions cross again and again, a reluctant chemistry sparks between them, even as they try to finish the job and stay alive. The lady and gentleman-in-waiting, ever alert, play a high-stakes game of wits to keep their monarchs alive, all while navigating their own slow-burning, inconvenient romance.

As alliances shift and true affections deepen, three love stories unfold: between the idealistic prince and princess who unexpectedly fall for each other, the wary advisors who find love in the midst of rivalry, and the assassin enemies whose mutual respect may just turn to something more.

As this all unfolds, will the true enemy come to light?

The Preview:

Chapter 1: The Lady-in-Waiting

The throne room was suffocating. Courtiers pressed close in their jeweled silks, whispering beneath the vaulted ceiling as the King rose from his throne. Sage held her breath, watching every movement. A hush finally fell over the crowd. His voice carried like a trumpet blast, proud and commanding:

“Today, I announce a union that will bind two kingdoms. My daughter, Princess Lotus, shall be wed to His Grace, the Scarlet Prince.”

A ripple spread throughout the court. Some gasped, others exchanged quick, calculating glances. Sage, standing a respectful pace behind her mistress, felt her stomach twist and drop. She wanted to look at Lotus with the unspoken question, Did you know?

She dared not. She was the Lady-in-waiting. She was to be still, respectful, and quiet. So she stared ahead, focusing instead on the fountains lining the throne room perimeter, willing herself to focus on the way the light shimmered through the spray of water and the refractions that danced along the wall.

Still, from the corner of her eyes, she could see the princess keeping her chin lifted, her face calm as carved marble. Sage’s heart ached.

The King sat again, dismissing the assembly with a wave of his hand. This evening, his glittering silver crown set with sapphires seemed uncomfortably heavy upon his head. Sage noted the red around his eyes. He had spoken with such regality, and yet, up close, Sage could see him clearly: a tired, older man, with silver beginning to show. A weary man who had seen years of war and felt his only ploy for peace was to marry his own daughter off to a monster.

Courtiers bowed low, murmuring congratulations as they filed out. Sage remained rigid until the chamber emptied, then hurried to Lotus’s side. From there, Lotus and Sage bowed low to the King and Queen before they were dismissed as well.

As they did so, Sage tried to sneak a peak at the Queen. What were her thoughts on all this? Had she also known? Did she even support this mad decree?

But Lotus had learned her steely face from the best, and the Queen’s expression revealed nothing. She only inclined her head ever so slightly before turning with to take her husband’s arm, silks rippling around her like an ocean.

~*~

“You knew?” Sage whispered, unable to keep the edge from her voice.

Lotus finally exhaled, the careful mask slipping. Her eyes were watery but no tears fell. “Only last night. When we were having tea after dinner. My father told me as though he were announcing the weather.”

Lotus moved to sit on her bed, head shaking. Beads braided into her raven hair clicked and clacked as she did so, but she said nothing more, shoulders sagging in resigned defeat.

Sage’s throat tightened with shame, cheeks hot. I should have seen this coming. I should have anticipated.

“It isn’t your fault,” Lotus said gently, as if reading her mind. She motioned her friend closer to lay a comforting hand on Sage’s arm. “None of us could have predicted it. Father has been playing his cards close to his chest lately. He is a King at the end of it all.”

But he is also a father, Sage thought but refrained. Guilt did not rest solely on his shoulders.

Sage could not forgive herself. It was her duty to see every threat before it arrived, every storm on the horizon. And for the first time in her many years at the Azure Palace, she had failed.

Her mind spiraled backward, to the day she had been bound to this role. The day she made an oath. A promise never to be broken.

~*~

Sage was fourteen when the Queen summoned her. She recalled it all as if it were yesterday. She remembered the long path through the garden to reach the pavilion where the Queen sat, enjoying the golden summer sun. And though it was a beautiful afternoon, Sage remembered that the guards’ silence brought a chill upon her, faces gray in the midday.

The Queen sat on a blue velvet chair, appearing to be deep in thought. Her crown rested on a small side table beside her, though her gaze was sharp as a blade.

“My daughter,” the Queen began without preamble, “is good of heart. She loves our people, and she is beloved in turn. But she is…not made for the rigors of politics. She has little taste for diplomacy, little head for stratagems.”

Sage, young as she was, lowered her eyes. She had known this truth too, though she never dared voice it. She could see it every day during the Princess’s tutoring sessions. The girl could never quite recall the sequence of battles, or who had signed which treaty, or why it mattered in the first place. She would wrinkle her nose in confusion, or laugh lightly at her own mistakes, as if history were nothing more than a jumble of names tumbled together in her head. Dates slipped away like water through her fingers, and more often than not she confused one monarch with another, sometimes even her own ancestors. The tutors would grow red with frustration, but the Princess only smiled, unbothered, certain that someone else would always be there to remember what she could not.

Mathematics fared no better. Columns of numbers left her wide-eyed and blinking, as if they were written in some foreign tongue. She counted on her fingers long past the age when most had stopped, and when asked to recite her tables, she would hum under her breath to buy time, cheeks pink with embarrassment.

It was at the age of nine when Sage began to do Lotus’s homework for her. At first, she attempted to teach the Princess herself, certain that, someday, it would all come together and click into place. It never did. So, Sage kept up with her Lady’s work while she tended to less “boring” matters.

The Queen rose and crossed the room. Her hand came to rest firmly on Sage’s shoulder.

“You, however,” the Queen said, “have always been clever. I have seen how you watch. How you notice. I’ve seen you poring over her books and lessons far more than she ever has.” The Queen began to smile, but it quickly faded as she continued. “The world will try to outwit her, to corner her. I will not let that happen.”

Her voice softened. “So I charge you, Sage of Rosehall, to be her mind when her own fails her. To stand beside her when I no longer can. She will be the heart of this kingdom, and you must be her reason.”

Sage’s knees nearly buckled under the enormity of it. But she bowed her head and whispered the vow that had bound her ever since:

“I swear it, Your Majesty. My loyalty is hers. My life is hers. I will not fail her.”

~*~

The echo of that oath still rang in Sage’s mind as she looked at Lotus now, her eyes burning.

She was sleeping now. She always did so easily. She had lain down on her bed only for a moment before she was snoring quietly. Even in the face of such an announcement that sealed her fate, she slept.

Sage beheld her with pale skin and blushed cheeks. Her sleek dark hair was half done now, the style not arranged for rest. Her sky-colored gown was rumpled and wrinkled. She was small, and gentle, and perfect. A lamb of the Azure court.

Sage’s fingers curled into fists. The King might throw his daughter to the wolves of politics. The Scarlet Prince might come to devour her. To devour her future kingdom, but Sage would not accept her friend’s fate. She would sharpen her mind as to a blade. She had sworn once that she would not fail Lotus, and she meant to keep it. By her life, she would keep it.