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

With the weekend over, Lucia, Caroline, Adela, and Leroy were in Rhodes. They were sharing three vehicles, with Leroy and Adela riding alone and Lucia sharing with Caroline.

Caroline was making it her business to look at the pictures of Michael and Lucia that the paparazzi had somehow taken. It was a creepy concept to Lucia that even Michael's private estate had zero privacy.

"The two of you are truly adorable!" Caroline cooed, "I mean, look at this one where you're kissing in the snow. It would make a good holiday poster."

Lucia did not respond. She was mighty embarrassed. Someone had seen her wiggle her butt at the Crown Prince of Rhodes. It was good that there was no picture of that, but there was a picture of Michael laughing hysterically afterwards. She would be better off digging a hole and burying herself in it.

"You know," Caroline said after a thought, "I do not think there are happier pictures of Michael before you two got together."

Trees