AnotidaMandemwa

[This book is complete]
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

Time really did creep up on you when you were busy. Lucia was beginning to realise that when she was in Rhodes, getting fitted for her wedding gown by the royal tailor. She looked at herself in the mirror and realised that she really loved the design they had agreed on.

It had taken a whole month to agree on the design, and then the woman had worked quickly to get the dress done. Lucia could not believe that it had taken only two weeks to come to the first fitting. There were some touch-ups that needed to be done, but the dress was perfect.

She looked over at her mother, who was looking at her with glassy eyes. There was pride etched onto her face. Lucia did not know why it did, but it made her all gooey inside.

Maybe people who said children are preprogrammed to seek validation from their parents were correct.

"You look beautiful," Josephine told her daughter before looking at the designer and saying, "You really did a wonderful job with this one."

Every Crime in the Book