AnotidaMandemwa

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?

[WSA 2024 Entry]

Regal Games

Michael surprised Lucia by knocking on her door that night. She was so happy to see him that she wrapped her arms around him and buried her face in his shirt. He wrapped his arms around her and looked down at her in concern. Michael realised that they were in the doorway with the apartment door open. With his arms still around her, he walked her backwards into her apartment and pushed the door closed with his leg.

"I missed you," she mumbled into his shirt.

A smile worked itself onto his lips, and he ran his fingers into her hair.

"I missed you too," he said softly.

She felt his warmth and let herself be reassured by his fingers brushing lines in her scalp. She tightened her grip around him, and he rocked her from side to side. A bit of mischief suddenly hit Lucia, and she gripped her forearms with the opposite hands and pulled, effectively putting Michael in a vice-like hug.

Too Late For Coyness