𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐎𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐒𝐢𝐝𝐞

𝘰𝘯𝘦

AGE OF SEVEN - PRESENT DAY

Raven Cavendish was a princess, but the moment her father decided it would be a good idea to make her hold an emergency court meeting, she was reduced to feeling like a small child.

Of course, growing up under the watchful eye of the people meant that she'd learned to hide her panic, but that didn't loosen the tight feeling in her chest or slow the fast beating of her heart.

She muttered the words best friend, Saige, had assured her of under her breath as the double doors to the discussion room swung open.

You are Raven Andromeda Cavendish, future Queen of Callea. Nobody is more graceful than you, and nobody is more well suited for this job than you.

A heated debate was going on inside, but the room fell silent as Raven walked in. She concentrated on her feet, placing one in front of the other and holding her head high as chairs scraped along the floor when the members of the royal court stood up to greet her. Once she had taken her place at the head of the table, she waved her hand to signal that they could continue, and noise fell over the table again.

"The people are one step away from trying to overthrow the monarchy!" Allyn Cartier, an adviser to the throne, banged their fist on the long table filled with members of the royal court.

"The people do not know what they are asking of us! They expect us to give and give until we have nothing left for ourselves!" A second adviser, Darian Adlington, shouted, leaning across the table towards Allyn, who had become a sort-of friend to Raven since she entered the court scene. 

"They are starving and cannot afford what people like you and I call basic needs!" Cartier insisted, a fire blazing in their eyes.

"Oh, because you know all about being poor! You've never had to face hardships." Adlington sneered.

"This is not about me. This is about the people. Everything we do is for the people, and still they are not happy." Cartier sighed, falling back in their chair. Raven knew this was her cue to speak up, so she repeated Saige's words once again in her head before cutting Adlington off mid-sentence.

"Allyn is right. We've not been treating the people as they deserve." This, she was sure of; Saige always made sure she understood the suffering her family and their morals had caused other people, since her own family had fallen ill with Raven's grandfather in the 6th age.

"We must take action." She announced. "Allyn, what were your thoughts?"

Cartier brightened up and explained new plans to improve the people's living state while Raven listened intently. Only when the meeting was over and everyone had left did she allow herself to collapse into a completely ungracious heap, grinning with relief as she stared up at the grand ceiling. It was over, and she hadn't made a complete fool of herself. Maybe being Queen wouldn't be so hard, after all. As much as she adored her parents, their ruling methods weren't exactly all that inclusive and did nothing for the poor. Maybe her kingdom needed her.