Clementine

Wood

Clementine Dubois

I wake up abruptly in the cold. According to my grandfather clock, it's 5 to 6. "Arrrrrrrgh!" I scream into my pillow. I'm meant to wake up at 7, why's it so early?

My room is in the turret of the palace. The palace belonging to the royal family of Rodovia. I am the Crown Princess Clementine Alexandria Ottoline Dubois of Rodivia. I look around my dark room.

Father despises my room. Instead of decorating it in the traditional Rodovia colours- green and yellow- it is instead covered in red and gold. My chairs are upholstered with blood red material, very cozy. My room is in the old wing of the palace, I chose this room instead one of the newer rooms to be different.

My sisters- Alika, Jasmine and Ophelia sleep in the glass wing. Their rooms are modern and glass filled. I hate them, I actively try to avoid that wing.

Groaning, I stumble into my bathroom and turn on the light. I look blurry in the mirror because I don't have my glasses on. I grab them off the counter and inspect my appearance.

My long dark hair falls down my back, and my pale skin is slightly glowy. I turn on the shower as hot as it'll go. Living in a palace has its drawbacks. Number one being the lack of central heating.

Well, in the glass wing there's heating. I hate that stupid wing.

The water cascades over my skin and my muscles relax. I don't know how long I'm in the shower. My fingers start pruning and I step out. I wrap a plush towel around my body and make my way to my dressing room.

Today's the first day back at Hazelwood Academy. The most elite private school in Europe, which happens to be located on the top of a cliff in Rodovia. 

Hazelwood's uniform consists of a white shirt, an emerald green v-neck jumper and a grey pleated skirt. The dress code is highly enforced and un-bendable. The grey skirts fall just above my knees. I hate the uniform.

It's a boarding school, so I pile all my other clothes into my suitcase. It's 7:30 am now, my car arrives at 8:30 and I need to eat breakfast before I go- prepare for the 3 hour journey.

"Hey, Clem." Alika calls as I walk into the banquet hall. She's sitting on her awful boyfriend Julian's lap. I flip them off. "Bye, Al." 

The food table is lined with all the food you could imagine. I grab a pain au chocolat and a bottle of some green smoothie. I sit at the opposite end of the table from my sister.

She whispers something to Julian, or Li as he insists upon being called, and saunters towards me. "So, back to the Wood today." She says sliding into the chair behind me. 

I roll my eyes and glance at her, "Yep." Alika's patience is wearing thin I can see it on her face. her pretty features contorted with annoyance. "Well, we have something to tell you!" She said trying to be upbeat.

This catches my attention. Alika is not an upbeat person. She's the oldest she always gets a pass on these things, she says it's not fair. In any other country she'd be the crown princess. Not this one though, as my father likes to point out.

I'm the youngest of all the sisters, but in our countries law- it says that the youngest child will be the heir. And I am the youngest, so I'm next in line. For Alika to be queen, my father, Jasmine, Ophelia and I would have to die.

"So what's the big news?" I ask plastering a fake smile on my face. Alika clasps her hands together, her eyes bright. She actually looks happy- how unusual.  

Julian comes to stand besides her now. "We're engaged!" They shout. "Wow! Amazing, good luck Julian. Al's going to divorce you in no time." I say.

I drop my uneaten pain au chocolat on my plate and strut out. Alika's crying behind me. Oh well, I don't mind leaving destruction in my wake.