1. The Castle

2.18.20

James's POV

I sat staring out of the window at almost three in the morning. The moon shone down on me with her gentle rays that let me know she was watching. It felt as though she was reaching out, and I was the only one awake to hear her cries. It was the eve of my eighteenth birthday, and tomorrow thousands of females would flock in through the castle gates. We would hope and pray that one of them would be my moon pairing, but there was never a certainty.

Actually, the was never a chance anyways. Whether or not I had told my parents, I was sure that my soulmate would be a man. Honestly I don't know why I'm so scared to; it's 2220, it's not like I'd be shunned to the end of existence. It's just that there was something about venturing into the streets to find someone myself that was appealing to me. I longed for adventure, that much was true. I guess that came paired with being stuck in the same castle for 18 years with little time out.

A lot of people would pray to be me. I didn't have to work or scavenge at all in my life. However, if they realized how much these walls seemed like a desolate prison they would beg for freedom.

I looked back out of the glass at the night sky before I sighed lowly. Sometimes I swore that I would be alone forever, but they I would think about whoever he moon would pair me with. Would they be strong and brooding or small and gentle?

I placed my head into the wooden frame of the window and drifted to sleep with the breeze flowing through my hair.

***

"Prince!" the voice of my maid, Angelica, sounded from beside me.

"Hmm?" I mumbled through the haze of sleep deprivation. I swear I haven't slept properly in 5 years.

"Get dressed, the ceremony for the moon pairing is today!"

I groaned before opening my eyes. Instead of seeing the moon shining on my face, I was blinded by the sun. I jerked away from the window and landed flat onto my back on the wooded floors of my bedroom.

Angie chuckled before turning. "Breakfast is downstairs whenever you're presentable."

I sifted through my closet full of stuffy clothes with a heavy heart. I didn't like maintaining the "perfect prince" look that my parents forced me to. Eventually I picked out a navy blue suit and walked into my full sized bathroom.

I stood before the mirror and observed myself. My brown hair was long enough to hit the collar of my white shirt, and it framed my face perfectly. There were small, dark marks underneath my eyes that I had learnt to cover with concealer so that my parents wouldn't question me. Speaking of eyes, my crystal clear blue eyes tended to shimmer in the right lighting. My skin was pale from being trapped indoors most days, so if you didn't know me better, I kind of looked a little bit ill.

My parents had put a lot of work into my appearance, so I had muscle in all of the right spots. I looked like I had just wandered out of a magazine, and I hated that with a passion. I longed to walk into a room and not turn heads of gushing girls, but I guess that would be fixed today.

When I was done staring at my own reflection, I slipped out of my room. The long hallway stood before me, but it felt empty because of the lack of decoration. I forced myself to enter the dining room where my 'lovely' parents sat at a table. My father was messing around on his cell, and my mother was staring at a mirror fixing her makeup. She was the beauty, the darling of the kingdom. My father, however, was a strong voice of reason. You didn't want to be on the receiving end of his arguments.

"Good morning, James," my mother greeted first, and my father looked up at me from his phone. That's how he said good morning. I wouldn't say that he and I hate each other, but we didn't have the picture perfect relationship we broadcasted for the people. I'm sure that my parents are probably tired of my constant chase for action and were praying for me to find someone to hold me down a little bit.

"Good morning, how did you sleep?" I responded while trying to be as polite as I possibly can.

"It wasn't the best or the worst. I'm excited for later today, how about you?" she asked with a forced smile.

"It was amazing. I went to bed nice and early to make sure I had energy for today," I lied easily. When I was younger, I had mastered the act of fooling my parents. The trick was to keep it out of your face; they were trained to see any sign of discomfort because of their high ranks. However what hurt was that if they searched close enough they would find my true feelings; they just didn't try.

"That's lovely, darling," she replied before returning to her makeup. This was how breakfast went every morning; the room was silent except the occasional piece of silverware on our porcelain plates.

"Are you ready for the best day of your life?" my dad asked once everyone was finished eating.

"I guess," I murmured quietly.

I was whisked away to perfect my look just like my parents demanded. It was dull even though I was in a room full of colors and sounds- this is where I spend every morning. I closed my eyes while I was fussed over with a great deal of annoyance. When I was up to the royal standard, I was given back to my parents.

"You look dashing. Do us proud, son," my father commented before pushing me out of the door. I stood like a deer in the headlights in front of thousands of females before my princely nature kicked in. Over the years, it had become a sixth sense to put on a front no matter what I was doing. I did it around my parents; I did it around the people. It was all a part of my facade to be the perfect, happy little prince that my parents desired.

"Hello, and welcome to my moon pairing ceremony!" I greeted with a sly wink. I think half of the girls in that room almost fainted. "I look forward to meeting all of you lovely ladies to look for my match. Please, enjoy the refreshments we have around the edges of the room while I meet everyone." My smile was natural looking even though it was the most forced one I had done in a while.

I mingled around the people and watched their disappointment when they weren't the one. A lot of our subjects found me to be stunning without really knowing me. However, if they truly tried to look beneath my skin, they would see me for the bottled up adventurist that I was. I longed for that relationship with someone who actually cared more than anything, and I wouldn't stop until I found my pairing.

Hello, welcome to my newest story. I don't know if it will really end up anywhere, but it's fun to entertain ideas.