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 Michael's arms, and it felt surreal. She inhaled, taking in the faint scent of soap and musk. She liked it here. She liked the warmth, weight, and security of being there. She wanted to stay there forever, just in his arms, breathing in his scent. If only her stomach would let her. It let out an embarrassingly loud drawn-out sound. She wanted to hide. Why couldn't her stomach find quieter ways to tell her it was empty? She looked up at him sheepishly, and there was an amused smile on his face.

"I need to feed you," he said through a grin. "It's a good thing I was here to wake you up for dinner."

He took her hand and led her out of her room. Lucia recognised these corridors. She became more certain of that as he led her to the living room, where dinner was laid out on the oak table.

"White Rock Island?" she asked as he pulled out a chair for her.

"Yes, it is," Michael told her as she took her seat, and he pushed her in.

Not A Selfless Man