My seventeenth birthday is today. I know it's going to be a huge affair, being the only daughter of the queen, and becoming an adult is a big deal. I step out of my bed, stretching while looking at the view. I loved that view so much, it was of the teal ocean, the palm trees, and the sand.

"Happy birthday Augustina!!"

My ladies in waiting all ran into my room, each hugging me.

"Thank you all so much!!"

We sat and talked about the coming plans for the day, and I was informed that my mother was throwing a party, I had a dress being tailored, and she wanted to meet me for breakfast in 30 minutes.

I went into the bathroom, and decided I would take a bath after I swam and ate. Looking into the mirror, I started brushing out my long, caramel hair. My skin was tan and clear, and I thanked the stars that I had no acne on my birthday. I went into my room, and pulled a pink tied top out from my dresser. I called Elenor in to help me tie the knot in the back and paired it with a long pink skirt with a slit.

Going down into the dining hall, I saw my mother sitting regally in the head chair. She looked almost as young as I am, with her dark skin glowing, and her hair pulled up into a regal bun, highlighting her crown.

"Happy birthday dear."

"Thank you!" I sat down in the chair next to her, excited for the day ahead.

"I see you haven't bathed yet." I rolled my eyes. She always brought this up.

"No, not yet. I'm planning on going swimming first. I know I have the tutoring lesson, but can I skip it because it's my birthday?" She sighed.

"Oh, Augustina, you only ever want to do the fun things. But life is not always fun, you have to work and do things you don't want to do." I rolled my eyes again, bored with the lecture.

"Fine, I'll have my lesson. But I'm still swimming, what's the point of living on a secret island if I can't go in the water?" She smiled.

"Fine."

She handed me a small box, inside was a pair of pearl earrings, harvested from the oysters in the ocean.

"Oh, thank you so much mother! These are beautiful!"

"I knew you would like them; they will go with your dress for tonight."

We talked for a bit, until I was done with breakfast, and she had a meeting to go to. I took off my skirt, wearing my swim shorts, and went into the water with Elenor. We swam and splashed, until she pointed out my tutor standing on the beach. Sadly, I realized it was time for my lessons. I crawled out of the teal waters dramatically, and sighing, said,

"Hello Ms. Caol." She stood on the beach, looking as out of place as possible. Her tiny glasses glinted in the sun, and despite the island heat, she was wearing a cardigan over her flowy dress. Her tight gray bun looked painful, and contrasted my free, voluminous hair in a slightly ridiculous way.

"Hello Princess. I see you have forgotten about our lesson."

"Just lost track of time is all." She checked her watch.

"Let's not waste any more of my time."

We walked into the castle in silence, me still wearing the tied top and swim shorts, dripping all over the pavement, and her giving me disapproving glances.

Studying went the way it always did, her correcting everything I did, me getting frustrated, and it ending with me running out the second the clock struck four. My party began in two hours, and I had not showered, dressed, or done anything to get ready.

I ran up into my room, went into my bathroom, bathed at an incredibly speed, and went back into my room wearing a towel to find Elenor and Lyn holding up my dress for the night.

It was beautiful, a shade between lavender and purple, with gold filigree chains that would drape around my torso, given that the dress was in two pieces, a top and a skirt, connected by the chains. The sleeves fell off my shoulders and were longer than my arms, with slits for my hands. I loved it on sight.

They helped me into the dress, and I adored it. It was by far my favorite clothing item. I wore the pearls my mother had gotten me, and decided to leave my hair down, with little pearls strewn in it. After doing a light makeup look on me, it was time for me to go to the party, which was being held in the courtyard.

I walked in, smiling as people turned to look at me. The courtyard had been transformed, little pink lights seemed to float in the air, a quartet played softly, and there were tables with beautiful bouquets set out.

I greeted my mother, thanking her for the lavish party, and went to say hello to the guests. The majority of them were relatives from my mother's side, and a few family friends. Only people from the island, only my mother knew anyone from anywhere else. I was eating when my mother sat down next to me, looking nervous.

"Augustina, I have some news for you. You have received a.... gift."

I didn't understand why she was acting so strangely.

"Well, it's my birthday, why wouldn't I receive gifts?"

She sighed. "It's from your father." I sat up, shocked.

"My father?!" She looked pained.

"Yes."

I had never even met the man. My father was as distant to me as a character in a book. All I knew was that when my mother was my age, she went off of the island to study. She came back pregnant with me. My father did not know she was royalty, and when finding out he disappeared. I didn't know how to feel about him. I knew nothing, except that he had left me before even meeting me. He was the reason I was not allowed off of the island, the reason that my mother never let me interact with any boys my age. I knew only three men, my favorite tutor, my bodyguard for when I went out of castle bounds, and my mother's advisor. All of which were at least 15 years older than me, and all played a father role in my life.

I took the small box from my father, intrigued. There was a note.

"Dear Augustina,

As you are now an adult, I thought you should have this. Happy birthday.

-Love, Dad."

I opened the box, almost in a trance. I had dreamed about the day my father acknowledged my existence for years, but it actually happening was shocking. There was a necklace inside of the box. It was pretty, with a periwinkle pendant and a gold chain. My mother looked at it, and a strange expression came over her face.

"It's beautiful."

We looked at each other, no words needed to express the question we both wanted to ask.

Why was he doing this?