LOST

Chapter 1- Ceremony

 Celestine

"I, Crown Princ-," I began as the door slammed open.

"Mother!" I exclaimed when I noticed who it was.

My mother scowled at me expectantly.

"Is it time already?" I almost whined.

"Yes. Are you ready?" she asked.

I nodded silently. My mother must've noticed that I was lying because her features softened slightly. She walked toward me and pulled me in a hug. The rough surface of her satin dress scratched my face but I enjoyed the moment nonetheless. It wasn't every day that my mother hugged me.

When she pulled back, she had a confident spark in her eyes. I could see that she believed in me more than she believed that the stars existed. I sighed.

"I'm ready, mother," I said. She squeezed my arms one last time before she left the room.

"Oh, and Celestine- bring cousin Karthur," she said as she left. I groaned. The last person I wanted to see right now was my cousin. My insufferable cousin.

I made my way to his chambers grumbling to myself. The guards at the entrance looked uncomfortable as they bowed to greet me. I motioned for them to rise, not understanding the reason for their discomfort at first. That was when I heard a seductive moan from the chamber. I had my Anilikas ceremony in a short while and my cousin was busy pursuing another one of his conquests. 

How pathetic!

My anger got the best of me and I thrust the door open with my foot. I sauntered inside. Karthur jumped in shock and proceeded to hide a young girl's body behind his own. He swooped for a sheet near his feet and quickly wrapped it around his lower body. I swallowed back the bile that was rising in my throat. As soon as Karthur noticed me at his doorstep, he frowned.

"Really, Celestine?" he snapped.

"You are late for my Anilikas," I replied, looking pointedly at the ceiling now. I heard the shuffling of feet and I turned around so that my back was facing the couple. The least I could do is give them some privacy to put their clothes on.

"So?" Karthur asked shamelessly. I snapped.

"You are late for your future queen's first public ceremony you spineless reptile. Show some shame!" I growled.

"You're just becoming an adult. Why should it matter to me?" he asked. I could sense the broken humour in his voice but I couldn't handle it. At least not now.

"Because the minute I'm crowned, I'm going to order the medicals for a castration," I said as I turned around.

 The girl was fully clothed. She bowed at me, embarrassment smearing her cheeks as she scurried out the door after my dismissal. I proceeded to scowl at my cousin. He'd worn his trousers but his vest and shirt still lay on the floor. I sighed.

"Just get ready, Karthur. Mother is expecting us in an hour," I said and walked away. 

Karthur may be older than me but that didn't mean he was mature. He was fun at times but his values could easily be questioned. I shivered as I walked, trying to erase the image of the tangle of nude bodies away from my head. I focused on my ceremony instead.

The Anilikas ceremony was the single most important ceremony of my life. It was my emergence into adulthood and subsequently, maturity. It was the ceremony through which I proved to my people that I was worthy of ruling over them, guiding them to the right path. This ceremony was more important than even my crowning ceremony because it proved whether I deserved to wear the crown or not. The crown that currently rested upon my father's head.