A young girl ran frantically, trying to keep up with her big sister. Her foot caught on nothing at all, and she went sprawling. Her big sister turned back and looked down at her where she lay.
"My goodness," she said. "You're such a klutz."
Karolina Sanchez woke gasping.
The Sanchez family was the only ducal house in the kingdom of Celestia, and their house name had decorated the kingdom's history — at one point producing the strongest knight in the realm, at another the prime minister who upheld the nation. No matter the era, the Duke of House Sanchez had been the beacon of hope of the country. And to this glorious house, two girls were born.
Unlike her brilliant sister, Flora, Karolina was ordinary and possessed no special talents, and so she was considered a disgrace to the Sanchez name. No matter how many nights she sacrificed, Karolina could never reach Flora's abilities. As the Duke's second daughter, she had long wished for one single thing: a talent she could be proud of.
The ballroom was lively and full of guests. The people could not help but comment on Flora, who looked as beautiful as ever today. Karolina stood alone at the edge of it with a somber look, feeling inadequate, as always.
Then she noticed a blonde young woman who had been injured. Her partner said she seemed to have tripped while dancing. Her mother was fretting over her bruised face, and another man was already calling for a doctor.
"That won't be necessary," Flora said. "I'll heal the bruise. Please, don't fret."
A single prayer, and light emanated from her, soft and warm, and the wound simply vanished. The mother and daughter wept with joy and relief. With everyone in the ballroom witnessing Flora's holy magic, all bets were on her winning the next saintly trials with ease.
Saint was a title specific to the kingdom of Celestia, bestowed upon she who possessed exceptional holy magic. As everyone said, Karolina also felt the next saint would surely be Flora.
A girl came over to compliment Flora, and in the same breath found a way to downplay Karolina — how strange it was that two sisters of the same house could be so different.
But Flora politely asked them to refrain from teasing her little sister so much. "Karolina is very sensitive," she said.
The girls began to feel bad, but it was all right. Flora told them they would all apologize to her together. The two of them bowed.
"We're sorry for our rudeness."
Flora bowed as well. She only wanted Karolina to forgive them.
With a saddened face, Karolina did just that. And Flora was pleased that everyone had made up.
Then Flora leaned in close, and whispered right into Karolina's ear.
"It must hurt to hear the truth, doesn't it?"
She went on, her voice low and pleasant, about how Karolina was House Sanchez's only disgrace. Then she laughed in front of everyone while thanking Karolina for taking on the supporting role. Once again, Flora's popularity had increased because of it.
On the carriage ride out, Flora scolded her.
"What is that look on your face?"
"Nothing in particular," Karolina replied meekly.
Flora nagged on. If their father did not have important business, she would not even be sharing a carriage with her. But since this was the only one at their disposal, she had no choice but to let Karolina ride along. A disgrace like her, Flora said, should be grateful to even be allowed to share the same space as the saint to be.
The silence stretched, and Flora complained about that, too.
"Say something. Do disgraces know nothing of manners around their betters?"
She went on to say that Karolina was not like the rest of them. Her hair was not like Flora's, nor their father's. Not even like their mother's proud raven locks. It was gray, as if covered in dust. Flora blew on it to emphasize the effect.
Then Flora pointed out Karolina's blood-red eyes, saying they were nothing like their mother's pale pink, nor did they bear any resemblance to their father's green. She almost wondered whether Karolina was really her little sister at all.
Some said Karolina was the spitting image of the late Duchess. But Flora was sure they were just being sarcastic. There was no way a disgrace like her could be anything like their beautiful mother.
Everything Flora said was like a knife to Karolina's chest. In her heart she pleaded for her sister to stop, to not say another word. She told Flora that if she had done her wrong in any way, she would apologize.
But Flora just snapped her fan shut and began to speak the words Karolina could not bear to hear.
Karolina had never gotten to meet their late mother, Duchess Karen Sanchez, because she had passed away from illness shortly after giving birth to her. The childbirth was undoubtedly the cause of her decline. If Karolina had never been born, their mother might still be alive.
Their mother was a wonderful person, Flora continued. Kind and compassionate, as if she were the holy mother herself. That was why Flora would never forgive Karolina for killing her, and why she refused to accept her as any kind of spitting image.
She rejected Karolina with every fiber of her being.