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>Prince Michael hated that he could not extricate himself from the ball quickly enough. He made it to his mother's office in long, quick strides. He wanted to burst inside, but the rules were too ingrained in him, so he raised his hand and rapped his knuckles on the door.</p>

<p>Prince Michael turned the knob and pushed the door open. When he walked into the room, his mother and Lucia were standing there. They both looked at him. His mother's face was blank, showing nothing but a familiar glint in her eyes. What had she done? He had thought that telling her he was courting Lucia would satisfy her. Apparently, he was wrong.</p>

Wrench In Gears