Catia: My Story
There are stories out there that are meant to be read.
There are stories out there that are meant to be heard.
And then there are those few, like mine, that are meant to be felt.
My name is Catia Loela and I am the Princess of Milaena on the planet Astarvia. This is my story.
I grew up a lonely child. Although I was born into royalty and never had a shortage of people doting on me constantly, I felt as though there was no one who related to me. I felt alone. My father and I never had a real connection. We have always been pretty distant, and I think it may have been because he abandoned me when I was a baby after my mother died; even though I don’t remember him being gone, I feel like I missed out on something all the other girls have with their fathers. But then again, I have never been like other girls.
My mothers death is not something I pity myself over, because I never knew her. But I know that she was the most “beautiful woman in all the galaxies”, and that she would’ve done anything for me. My nanny since my mother’s death, Iliana, told me she has never in her long old life seen anyone look at anyone else with so much love as my mother looked at me. I carry that with me in my heart everywhere I go, and I never take off the pendant my mother gave to me when I was born. It is one of my greatest treasures. Funny how something that belonged to a complete stranger could hold such meaning to someone.
Being a princess meant that I was rarely alone, but when I did graciously get a few moments to myself, I never failed to put my imagination to work. Being with just myself was the only place I could be me. I was a dreamer from a young age. When I was alone, I would write in my little notebook and create stories only I would see, stories of far off lands and princes and all the typical stuff. We’re not so different from you humans as you think. But there was one thing that I made sure of in all my creations. All the little girls had a friend, and no one ever ever lost their mothers. Ever. Also, every person in the galaxy owned a pet unicorn, but we can look past that.
Then, when I was age sixteen, everything changed.
When I was sixteen, I learned a lot of things. Around the time my country went to war with Fantenaia, a girl showed up on my doorstep.
A girl around my age.
A girl who had my hazel eyes.
A girl named Celestia.
The shock took a while to wear off, but I was informed that this girl was my half sister and that during the time my father abandoned Astarvia all those years ago, he had traveled to Earth and fallen in love with a shadowhunter. Celestia’s mother.
Surprisingly, I was overjoyed at this new sister, though I failed to show it. I felt like finally I had met someone who also didn’t fit the mold, who also felt like an outcast among her fellow kind. As the long night talks turned into mornings, I made a best friend for the first time in my life. A sister by blood, and a best friend by love.
We’re inseperable. Everything I do, Celestia does. It’s wonderful to have someone look up to you, while also looking up to them. We admire each other in so many ways. Whenever I get nervous about the war with Fantenaia that seems to get more heated every day, C is right there. Right there with me, ready to hear my worries. I haven’t asked yet, because I’m too afraid, but I’m wondering if she’s planning on leaving to go back to her mother at some point. I know it must be so hard. I have already decided that if she does, I am going with her. No matter how much Daddy denies it, I will be on that rocket with her back to Earth. And I cannot wait for the adventures that lie for us there.
Love you all to the moons and back,
~Catia xx
Celestia: My Story.
This is gonna be long, so grab a snack and get comfortable.
My name is Celestia Xana Lumina-Starkweather (a compromise between a shadowhunter name, and some Astarvian name), and this is how I happened. My father was native to the planet Astarvia. Ruled a small country called Milaena, happily married to Queen Faye. They even had a beautiful baby girl named Catia Loela. Born a princess, lived in a palace, wouldn’t that be the life? Well, not exactly. You see, her mother died when she was only four months old. But I’ll let her tell you the story. Grief stricken, the great Felix Lumina, the king of Milaena, left. Not just the country. The planet. How noble. He took the three week trip to planet Earth (now would be a good time to mention only a few elite people high up in the government know about Astarvia).
There, he met my mother, Julia, in America. Fair skin, hair as black as night, as were her eyes. I look exactly like her, except I have hazel eyes. My mother is no human, though. She’s a Shadowhunter. The blood of the angel runs through her veins and mine, we’re here to rid the earth of demons, blah blah. So yeah, as much as I want to be half alien, Shadowhunter blood is dominant. When the Clave found out my mother married a non-shadowhunter they were furious. They sent him back to Astarvia. He left before I was even born. I guess you could say I had daddy issues.
Growing up, I was protected. And by ‘protected,’ I mean lied to. About everything. My father, Astarvia, my sister. The only thing that made me Astarvian was this little tattoo of the majestic Emerald Thespiafly that all Astarvians are born with. Native to the ever shrinking forests of Astarvia, these dragonfly-like things are a dying race. So When I realized no one else had the strange marking, you can bet I started asking my mother questions. She told me it was a “piece of my heritage.” Like, what?! Did I come from a long line of winged insects brought to earth by the dragonfly gods? I was a little confused. So finally mother told me what I was, at the awkward age of thirteen. Yeah I didn’t believe her when she told me I was a princess, let alone an alien princess. But the more I thought about it, the more I understood. Why she had a painting of a solar system that was clearly not ours hanging in her room, why she had a wedding necklace and not a wedding ring (that’s how they do things there apparently). And, oh yeah, the insect tattoo in between my shoulder blades (it’s in a different place for everyone). So, I became at peace with the idea (slowly). Even started to like it a little. Don’t tell me you never wanted to be royalty!
Naturally, I wanted to visit this mysterious Astarvia. After two years of begging my mother to do so (it took more than a puppy face, I wasn’t just begging for a second helping of ice cream), she said yes! My mother had to stay behind because she didn’t know if she could “take seeing him again after what happened.” Plus the Clave wont let her out of their sight after what happened (she practically had to sneak me off the planet but that’s a whole other story).
So here I am, on Astarvia, living in a palace with my half sister Catia Loela, and my father, Felix Lumina. I guess he’s pretty alright. He’s making an effort to get to know me, and always tells me I look so much like my mother (like I don’t already know that). And Catia, we’re so different, but we’re inseparable now! She’s kind of quiet and… proper, but she loosens up around me. I love having a sister. It’s so strange after being an only child all these years. But it’s not like we share a room or anything, the palace is huge. And with my navigation skills, I don’t know if I’ll ever find the dining room without ending up in the drawing room (yes, there is seriously a drawing room). I’m not sure how long I’ll be staying, but I hope for a while longer. It’s so beautiful here, though I came at a bad time. Our country (it’s so weird to say ‘our country’) is at war with some other country across the planet called Fantenaia (I’m not completely familiar with Astarvia’s geography yet), and Felix is seriously stressed. Sorry if that was kind of rambley. There was a lot to tell.
try not to die while I’m gone
until next time ❤
~Celestia Xana
Enchanted Forest 