Chapter 9 - 'sHer's orders

Celestia was catching her breath when she arrived at her room using the same hole she needed to get out. It was like playing a race with time!

She was still huffing as Anna immediately helps her change her clothing, "What happened Celestia? Where have you been this whole yesterday evening?"

Anna asks worriedly as she put on the corset in Celestia's already tiny waist just to give more emphasis, Celestia just groaned at how hard it is to put that, 'Why do we still need to put this? We are in the modern world! Our Kingdom is really weird' she can't help but rant in her current situation.

"I'm with Ted, you know him right? I helped him save someone" Celestia said.

Anna has been her shield for the past few years. She's been the one to be there to protect her against the evilness of kingdom so she's not worried to tell the truth to her friend.

"What?!" Anna's eyes opened wide, why does her master always want to get involved in unnecessary things? Really, this master is the reason for most of her headaches, she'll die young and the cause? Celestia.

"What 'what'? I did what I must Anna" Celestia argued while brushing her hair, she's wearing a green Victorian dress, accentuating her green eyes.

Anna knew that she wouldn't win this argument, she can't help but sigh, 'Having a dumb master is better than a wise one' Anna was left with no choice but to keep her mouth zipped, what can she do anyway?

As Celestia went down the double curved staircase that spirals down, loud laughter can be heard all throughout the hall, the laugh of a happy man towards his family. She can't help but smile sadly, why can't her father laugh like that when she's around?

She was greeted by silence once she stepped in the dining room, "Sorry I'm late again Father" she said, meekly.

Dissatisfaction can be seen in her father's face as if telling her that her presence wasn't even needed in the first place. She sat down as always, careful not to let any emotions out as she used to, the maids hurriedly prepared another set of kitchen utensils.

"So, Celestia, are you okay now? Your maid said you have a fever yesterday but weird enough, I did not see your shadow when I entered your room" Marie said worriedly but her contents tell otherwise, she's implying that she's not there! Her father looked at her suspiciously while Stella is busy munching her food, she is already used with her mother's antics and decided not to interfere, after all, she too, is a puppet of her mother.

Celestia stared at the food prepared on the table as she responded careful of her words, it's not like the first time her supposed to be mother brought her trouble, she faced too much actually, from verbal abuse to physical when her father's out in a business.

"I took a bath downstairs, there's a bug in my bathroom so I decided to take one down, maybe you came when I'm in there mother" Celestia whispered but enough to be heard by everyone in the table.

"Oh, really? If you say so dear" Marie smirked, 'Your father will be gone later honey, you can never lie to me, scum' an evil thought came from an innocent-looking lady.

Marie never wanted to play as the evil stepmother, but what can she do? She's only obeying 'her' orders might as well get into the role.