Orillia has always wanted to rule on her own but her parents always wanted her to marry. When she meets Owen, a boy who's in the same situation as her, they work together to make sure that they both get what they want. To rule their kingdoms on thei...
My brother, Alexander, is still rambling on and on about what he did today at the dinner table. I sit there in silence waiting to be called upon with the same generic question. All I did was do paperwork and go to a meeting. In the movies, they make it seem like becoming a Queen is light work and that you just need to sit still and look pretty. I can testify that that is not the case. My father, the current King of Phaeacia, asks me about my day even though he was the one giving me the workload, once Alex was done.
"Just got some work done," I said, with a smile. "I finished the budgeting that you asked me to get done and there is still some extra money left."
"A lot of work, right?" I nodded my head and pushed the piece of broccoli on my plate aside. "Don't you think it would be easier if you had someone to help you out?"
"Nope. They'll just slow me down." My parents have been pushing for me to marry and have someone to rule with for years now, bringing around every prince they find just for me to turn them all down. I want to rule alone. I don't need a man to help me do anything.
"Orillia, I really think that it would make things easier with another person," my mother pressed.
"Father? Did mother ever help you do the kingdom work? Or do you do it all by yourself?"
"Honey, you know the answer to that question yourself. And, I know that you are capable of doing all the work on your own, but sometimes a bit of support is nice to have. Your mother is always there and has helped me through it all."
"Well, I guess I'll just have to be the first person to do it all on my own." Never had I needed help to do anything in my life, let alone become Queen of Phaeacia? This, I would do alone, just like every other thing in my life.
"Honestly, Orillia, there are other benefits to having someone rule with you," my brother steps in. I roll my eyes and push the food around on my plate. The last thing I needed was his opinion in this conversation. I really do love Alex, but sometimes he needs to mind his own business. "Mom and Dad have already brought up the moral support thing, which really couldn't hurt you. Plus, if you marry off somewhere else, we could have more alliances with other kingdoms."
"If I leave, who's going to rule Phaeacia?"
"Me, of course," my brother says, straightening up in his seat. "I could get the chance to rule here."
"I agree with the whole moral support thing and alliances and everything," my sister, Aveline, says. "But Alexander on the throne? That has to be a joke!"
Another fight was about to erupt at the table and I didn't want to be here for that. I quickly excused myself and left the dining room and headed up to my bedroom.
I just wish my parents would accept that I wanted to do this alone. I know that Mom has been a huge help to him, support-wise, but I had Madeline and Luke for that. I didn't need anyone for moral support.
As I sit down in my bed, I hear my phone ringing on my desk. It's Madeline. Madeline and I have been best friends for as long as I can remember. She's been in my life since I was 4, and this is going to be our 15th year of friendship.
"Hey, babe!" Madeline shrieks, through the phone. I giggle at her enthusiasm, she always seems to be happy and full of energy. That is what made me become friends with her in the first place. "What royal shit did you do today? You take over the world yet?"
"You wish. That way you could have all the ice cream possible. I see you using me here!"
"Ah! You caught me!" Madeline laughs. "Parents still giving you shit for wanting to become Queen alone?" I hum in response. Madeline already knows the whole story, I don't need to tell her a thousand times again.
"Ugh. And Alex decided to bring up the "pros" today too. They all ganged up on me at the table."
"Of course he did. What about Aveline? Is she still neutral or is she finally jumping onto your side of things?" Aveline barely enters the conversation when talking about who's going to rule Phaeacia. My little sister is only sixteen, the youngest of us all. No matter what happens, she won't be ruling here, so she just stays out of it all... most of the time.
"I think she's starting to think that I need some moral support too. Although, she doesn't think Alex could possibly rule Phaeacia." Madeline changes the topic because from here, the conversation wouldn't be anything we haven't discussed already. Madeline and I talk for a while. I'm so happy to have this girl in my life. I don't know what I would do without Madeline.
Our conversation is interrupted by Alexander walking into my room. I hang up the phone and tell Madeline that I'll talk to her later. Alex begins talking, bringing up the same points that he had brought up earlier. I pretend to listen, humming every once in a while, as I scroll through my phone, waiting for him to stop talking to tell him I don't care.
Alex keeps rambling about the pros of me getting married off and the cons of me staying. I don't think he realizes how painfully obvious he is making it that he just wants to be King of Phaeacia. I start to laugh as he concludes on the fact that he would make a better King than me a Queen.
"What's so funny, Orillia?" I continue to laugh as I push him out the door. I close the door on his face, but not before telling him that I am a better fit as a ruler than he would ever be.
I've been preparing to become Queen of Phaeacia since the day I found out I was in line for the throne. Alex doesn't even do anything. He's never done any paperwork, he's never been to a meeting either. I wonder what makes him think that he could become King anytime soon. Alex only figured out that he could have a chance for the throne about two years ago when my parents started pressing marriage on me.
My entire family knows that I am fit to become the next Queen of Phaeacia, I just don't understand why they've become so adamant about me marrying off somewhere else. Why not just bring that up when I was young and when I wasn't completely obsessed with becoming Queen? I wish they would give up and just let me do this on my own. I'm nineteen. I think I'm old enough to decide if I can do this alone or not.
The only person who truly understands me and is actually on my side is Madeline. Luke doesn't always agree, but he doesn't tell me to my face that he thinks otherwise. Luke and I met later in the day after I had met Madeline on that first day of kindergarten. He's also my best friend, and just like Madeline, I love him very much. We three have been inseparable since that day. We tried to come up with a cute name for our trio, but "M.O.K." doesn't exactly have a good ring to it. So we just call ourselves the Royal Trio.
Madeline is the princess of Camaria and is to be married in a year to the prince of Baebia. She seems to be okay with the idea of marriage, but I think it's mainly because her older brother certainly won't be giving her the throne.
Luke is the prince of Luilia, he's first in line for the throne. He's never had a moment in his life where he wouldn't get to be King. Maybe that's why he doesn't understand my dilemma.
I open up another folder of papers on my desk and start tomorrow's work. I like to get things done early, that way my father can't tell me that I seem overwhelmed with work. I cannot give my parents another reason to marry me off. This is my kingdom. I am Orillia. And I will become the next Queen of Phaeacia.
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My first chapter done!!! I know it's a little short, but there will be longer ones to come...
Let me know what you think so far! I hope you enjoyed it!
