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

<p>Michael looked at Lucia as she sat by the stone bench. A little breeze lightly ruffled her hair. Memories of the previous night disrupted his equilibrium. The taste of her lips was like a wisp of smoke on his tongue. The feel of her lips under his was a phantom playing with his senses. He could still feel the firmness of her flesh on his skin. He wanted to feel everything again. But he could not.</p>

<p>He knew her. She was his friend. She saw him as an older brother. A memory of her kissing him back, and pulling at his shirt when he'd made to pull away suddenly invaded the front of his mind. There were no sibling thoughts between them now. She would not react like that if her brother kissed her.</p>

Just As Well