Subdued Intrinsic

On the very same day--the same hour, the very same moment, the elder princess of the kingdom of Estellei ceased to exist, the life of the a princess began. While one began her journey blinking ever more slowly into sleep, the other ended hers with her left fist dug into her abdomen and the right crammed into her small mouth lest she be unable to stifle her screams of pain.

From then on, all the people of Estellei, from the most humble peasant, to the king and queen, mourned their most beloved of the royal family, the elder princess.

For the next twelve years, the child grew, all but forgotten . . . except on the rare occasion someone would catch a glimpse of her, sparking some memory that slipped away almost immediately, to be replaced with the remembrance of some chore or errand needing immediate attention, That small notice, though, left in the passerby an inexplicable wave of revulsion, a metallic, coppery taste in their mouths.

This phenomenon held true for everyone; all but tiny Kiwi frog named Frute, who quite liked to the princess's cheek before it nestled down in the slight hollow of her neck, just before the start of her shoulder . . .