"Sunshine Sister" by A.M. Guynes

“Now where has that silly little chit hidden herself?” I mutter darkly. I close my book and rise from my seat under the flowering cherry tree. I stalk in the direction of the plaintive calling. “Is Meggan not in her room?” I demand.

“No, Your Highness,” the young servant says, bowing nervously in my direction. The silver trim on my black velvet gown sparkles in the afternoon sun. “We’ve been looking for the past half hour. Your lord father is locked in council with your brother. If we don’t find her before he returns to the throne room…”

“He’ll have your heads,” I sigh. “I’m well aware of that fact, Diana. Where is Amara? She should be helping you search.”

“She’s been having some difficulty with young Princess Kariana and Prince Bannen again,” Diana replies. “She is having a conference with their tutors. She’s thinking about letting Kariana enlist in the military as the princess desires, and Bannen is sulking because he things Kariana is his mother’s favorite.”

“Wonderful.” I toss my golden hair over my shoulder and look thoughtfully over at a small, walled off section of the garden. “Has anyone gone in there yet?” I ask.

“None of us dare enter the Rainbow Garden,” Diana protests. “Your father’s command extends to all, even members of the Royal Family.”

“Father’s commands never extend to Meggan,” I say with a sad smile. “And if she’s in there, someone will have to fetch her out.”

“Princess Alyse, don’t you dare go in,” Diana says sternly.

“I’m just going to peek through the gate, Diana,” I assure her. “If Meggan is in there, I’ll have to be the one to get her out. Father won’t kill me for doing my duty.” Secretly, though, I wasn’t too sure about that.

My father has changed so much in the four lunar cycles since my mother died. He is less forgiving, and much colder. He is also still deep in mourning for her. Nearly 50 years together will do that to a person. He’s grooming Christopher to take over. I’ll see myself removed from the palace before the coronation, though. Chris is a good enough man, and he’ll make a wonderful king, but he has a great deal of resentment towards me and Meggan.

I peek through the bars. Sure enough, dark red hair gleaming in the sun, my younger sister sits talking to the spirits that surrounded her. The glittering crystals my mother hung in the small garden send rainbows all over Meggan’s cream-colored dress. I sigh and open the gate. “Meggan, you know father doesn’t like us in here,” I begin for what seems like the hundredth time.

“Mama’s here,” Meggan says. “This is mama’s garden. Mama is in heaven with the Gods, but she comes here to see me. This is my mama’s garden. She gave it to me.”

“I know Meggan,” I say as I take her hand. “But father doesn’t see that.”

“I know,” Meggan says sadly. She pats the tree she was sitting next to before standing up. Obediently, she follows me out and into the regular garden.

“Diana, please go get me a brush so I can fix my sister’s hair,” I order. Diana nods and hurries off. I take a moment to close and lock the gate to the Rainbow Garden again. I lead Meggan over to where I had been sitting and reading my book. She sits down on a cushion and immediately begins talking to the spirits again.

At least, I consider them spirits. Most people consider her insane. But my sister isn’t insane. She’s just different. Her birth had been long and hard and something had gone terribly wrong. The healers all said that because of the difficult labor, Meggan would never be a normal person. They suggested to my parents that she be sent away to some temple where she would live in isolation for all her days.

Naturally, my parents refused. Though they were the king and queen of this fair land, they already had four older children who were perfectly normal, if gifted with slightly unusual powers. So they decided to keep my sister. Meggan’s mind is forever that of a young child. She will never grow up, though her body will continue to age. I have been her caretaker for as long as I can remember, and I look after her still.

Diana returned with the brush and I carefully unraveled what was left of Meggan’s braids. I brushed her hair and gathered the silky strands into my hands. To see us sitting there, one would automatically think of the shadow and the light.

Meggan is the light. She is always happy, smiling at everyone. Her pale face is dotted with freckles and her bright green eyes sparkle like emeralds. Her copper hair gleams whether she stands in candlelight or sunlight. She laughs and plays with the younger children. My infant daughter Katyanna adores her strange aunt and will spend hours with her when I am unable to tend to her. Our oldest sister Millicent often comes just to see her. She says that Meggan soothes her soul and makes her feel like continuing in her dreadful marriage to that horrid old King Sebastian.

I am the shadow. I dress in black, and I am rarely seen outside the palace. Some of this is due to the double grief I feel at losing my mother and my husband within two lunar cycles of each other. Most, though, is my nature. I can sense the feelings of those around me. This has caused me to withdraw from the Court and the rest of the world. The only two people I can stand being around for any length of time is my daughter and my younger sister Meggan.

Meggan smiles. I barely manage to lift the corners of my lips. “Look Alyse! Birds!” she cries, pointing up into the sky.

“Yes Meggan,” I say. “Birds.”

“Can I go see the horses?” she asks.

“Yes Meggan,” I reply, handing the brush and my book to Diana. “Let’s go look at the horses. If you’re really good, maybe father will let me take you out for a ride later.”

“Yes,” Meggan says, clapping her hands together gleefully. I actually manage a proper smile as my Sunshine Sister, for that is what I call her, jumps to her feet. I take her hand and we run down the paths towards the stables. “We’re faster than the wind!” Meggan cries.

“Yes Meggan,” I say. “We are faster than the wind.”