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

Lucia was in the ballroom again. She had a glow on her face. Adela instantly knew when there was a shift. The triumphant look on the Queen and the way Prince Michael stood by Lucia. They were not hiding. She knew they would not be able to do that. She was not the only one looking at them. Prince Michael was keeping a hand on Lucia's waist and the two kept exchanging glances like they were sharing a secret from the rest of the world.

It's happening, she thought to herself, they are getting married.

She saw a group of ladies walk past her, and the looks they gave her told her that her fears were warranted. Those who knew that she had wanted to be Prince Michael's wife would be making fun of her. Years of making a fool of herself were about to catch up with her. She felt a headache begin to pound between her brows.

Better Than Ridicule