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>Lucia had spent the whole day in her apartment alone. She had been looking at résumés and wondering what was the golden nugget in these files that was going to tell her who to hire. Most of the applicants were overqualified. Working closely with the crown princess meant you had a lot of power, and Lucia felt this was the reason these people were applying. She marked them, remembering to ask these people why exactly they were here. She did not feel like being used. She wanted someone who would be genuine with her, and people in it for the connection had the ability to betray her trust in the future.</p>

Behind The Palace Walls