Royal

CHAPTER I

Reyna stared out her window at the approaching vehicle. She couldn't make out the details, but it glittered bronze in the setting sun. She briefly wondered who it could be, but then the weight of it came crashing down onto her shoulders.

"Graecus," she muttered, drawing away from the window.

She walked over to her bedroom door and headed down the circular stairwell that had always made her dizzy when she was younger. Reyna's bedroom was in the highest tower of the castle, where she lived with her father and older sister, Hylla. Her father had fallen in love with Bellona, the Roman goddess of war, and Hylla and Reyna had been the result. It had been Reyna's father's idea to marry off his daughters to neighboring kingdoms, in order to expand his. Even though Hylla was older, she had adamantly refused to meet with suitors. Hylla and her father had had many fights about this.

Their father thought that Hylla was just being stubborn, but Reyna knew better. She knew her sister much better than her father did, and she knew that Hylla was extremely tough and stubborn, but had a soft spot for kind, smart, and handsome men. Hylla knew that most princes were kind, smart, and handsome, and so if she met one, she wouldn't be able to help falling in love. Most of the time, their father drank too much wine and barely noticed anything, but when he was sober, he was uncannily perceptive of his daughters' emotions. He would be able to tell immediately if Hylla was in love, and would probably force her to marry the suitor that she loved, even if she didn't want to marry.

Reyna admired her sister's stubbornness, especially against their father. He could be very persuasive, and threatening, when he wanted to. Reyna doubted she could stand up to her father for as long as Hylla had.

"Reyna!"

Reyna flinched. She hadn't realized that she had been standing in place on the stairwell, and now her father was mad at her.

She hurried down the stairs in a most unladylike action, hiking her skirt up in order to run faster. Hylla would be proud.

Reyna rushed into the main entrance hall, running over to where her father and Hylla were standing. She skidded over to Hylla, knocking into her and almost knocking her over. Hylla grabbed Reyna's shoulders to steady her, wiping some of the sweat off her face.

"Stand up straight," Hylla whispered. Reyna straightened her back. Her father was a stickler for posture.

Reyna knew that her face was flushed and her hair tangled, but she hadn't had time to get ready. She stood as straight as she could and tried to keep from panting.

The doors opened and two teenagers walked in. Reyna assumed that the boy was the prince she was supposed to marry, but she didn't know who the girl was. A servant, possibly, or a mistress.

Reyna studied the boy. He had short-cropped blonde hair and sky-blue eyes, and a small scar on his lip. He was all right, she guessed, handsome but not too handsome.

The boy bowed. "Greetings, King Julian. I am Jason Grace, prince of Greece, and this is my sister, Thalia."

The girl curtsied. Reyna studied her. She was pretty in a rebellious way, with short-cropped black hair that seemed deliberately messy, like she hadn't combed it. She had a spray of freckles across her nose, and her eyes were stormy blue, like her brother's, but other than that they looked nothing alike.

Thalia met Reyna's eyes. Reyna felt her face getting hot, so she looked away.

Several times during that evening, Reyna looked over and saw Thalia staring at her. Hylla seemed to notice it too. After dinner, Hylla took Reyna aside.

"Reyna, that girl seems to be interested in you."

Reyna scoffed. "She is not. Everyone knows that I'm in an arranged marriage with Jason. She wouldn't. No one's that stupid."

"All right." Hylla seemed reluctant to let Reyna go.

She went back out into the dining room and walked over to Jason. He smiled at her and started up a conversation.

She tried to pay attention to him, joking and laughing. He seemed nice, but try as she might to feel something for Jason, Reyna couldn't shake the thought that she would never have feelings for him.