AnotidaMandemwa

[WSA 2024 Entry]
Everyone is playing a regal game. Everyone except Lucia (who probably should).

After her father faced accusations of trying to seize the throne from his father and king, he was exiled along with his family. They were no longer royalty, but his wife would not have it. She was friends with the queen of Vershia and used that to her advantage. Her two older daughters were the right age to marry the two princes, and she would make that happen come what may.

That became a problem when the oldest daughter was ignored by the crown prince, who formed a friendship with the youngest of the girls. There was still hope; Lucia could become the future queen. But Lucia was not groomed for this role. She did not want to live for the type of marriage she could snag. She did not want to take the man who had been planned for her sister.

But that’s the thing with plans, isn’t it? She never planned to fall in love with the man, and there she was: an unwilling participant in the regal games. Would she capture the crown? How would everything affect her relationship with her sister? Was there ever pleasing her mother?

Regal Games

Caroline's bridesmaids sat in the living room of Princess Danielle's apartment. Lucia loved how the orange rays of the sun cast long shadows into the room. She found it made quite an image in the room. She discretely lifted her hand into the light and admired how elegant its shadow looked on the carpeted floor.

"Are you listening Lucia?" Adela asked in annoyance and Lucia snapped her head up.

"Sorry," Lucia said automatically, "I believe you were talking about how a couple of jewellery sets would be a good gift for the bachelorette."

Adela frowned and she reared back a little.

"Why yes," Adela said, "Isn't that a good idea?"

Lucia put a lot of thought into that question. She did think that the couple's jewellery was a lovely idea but they also had to consider who they were getting the gift for. Caroline had a lot of jewellery. More than practical in Lucia's opinion.

"Does Caroline need more jewellery?" she decided to ask.

Bows Are Not Bows