Annika the Fifth

Chapter One

Up, pull...down, pull.

Don't pull so much so the fabric won't scrunch up. But pull enough when you get yourself the perfect straight stitch. Annika was using the practice fabric not because she was learning but because she was very bored. She was supposed to be watching the younger children at the orphanage they stayed in. She only looked up occasionally, otherwise, she was trained on thoughts. They seemed to flow frequently when she was bored. Some thoughts interfere with others and so on. Annika has been stuck in the orphanage since she was twelve, now she was fourteen and it was the start of summer. Summer always seemed like the happiest three months. She enjoyed the summer because her older brother Tomas would take her to the pond during the hottest days. They'd spend hours there and it was always the best time for Annika. She hasn't been at the pond since the day before Tomas went missing. She always says he's missing even though everyone around her thinks he's dead. That's only because crime has increased in the village since the five princesses of their kingdom Destina died in a carriage accident a year prior to Tomas's disappearance. Without the princesses, there has been hardly any order in the kingdom. Annika has heard people saying they would select new princesses this year out of different daughters of noblemen. Annika thought it was pointless since she believed the princesses hardly did anything and they were just figureheads. That didn't mean everyone else was upset about their deaths even years later.

Annika was more focused on her brother who could still be out there. She just had to look hard enough. She knew she couldn't find Tomas by staying at the orphanage. She had a plan, ever since her brother was claimed dead. That by the time she was about fourteen, she'd look all over the kingdom for him. And if not Destina, another kingdom. Annika glanced up again. The kids were still chasing each other, laughing loudly. She furrowed her eyebrows in thought. She researched enough about survival skills and learned a lot of techniques on her own. She also made a list of places she'd go. She knew she was ready, so why was she still here? She knew she couldn't wait forever. She held the needle tightly in between her fingers. Annika would leave tonight, there was no time for hesitations.

Annika didn't have many things. She had a few clothes and she packed her survival book. She had also saved up from food to take with her. If she rationed it correctly, it could last her up to about three weeks. Hopefully, by then, she could find some other things to eat. She didn't have to sneak out, the people running the orphanage could care less about someone leaving. They don't care enough already. She walked out of the room she shared with several other girls. She didn't walk entirely fast and her heart was beating. She didn't like to admit the fact that she was scared. But she also felt determined, and maybe even excited. As soon as she stepped foot outside and stopped walking but then carried on not long after. Annika had barely made it far past the orphanage when a carriage was slowing down near her. It wasn't one of the old and run-down wagons they had in the village. It was a fancy carriage, a royal one. She stopped walking and stared at it as it stopped right next to her. A man got out and she stepped back. He took a good look at Annika before speaking. "Are you Miss Annika?" he asked.

She took a minute to answer. What did he want? All she was trying to do was leave to find her brother and now a distraction comes up. She was very willing to get this man out of her way so then she could go about her night. She nodded. "Yes," she replied, "I am,"

"I was right," he said proudly, "My eyes never lie,"

Annika raised her eyebrow, already feeling more annoyed than she was before. "Pardon?" she asked.

He then pulled out a long piece of paper. He cleared his throat. "On behalf of Lady Mary and the royal council," he said, "You are hereby chosen, by the source of the Fortune Relic, the fifth princess of Destina,"

Annika blinked and stared. She took another step back. She wondered who this man thought she was. Was this some sort of joke? "I'm a villager," she said stiffly, "No noblewoman,"

The man nodded. "Oh, I know. But the Fortune Relic--"

"What 'Fortune Relic'?" Annika said, unable to maintain her patience, "Please, I must be on my way,"

She turned around to leave when the man called her name. "Miss Annika," he said, following her, "You have to understand. The Fortune Relic knows all about the future. From the next second to a million years from now. It knows you're supposed to be the fifth princess,"

Annika eyed him. She never heard of a Fortune Relic before. Then again, she doesn't know what goes on in the Princess Palace. She gripped her bag tightly.

"If you are telling the truth, sir," she said slowly, "Then what do you want me to do?"

"Well, do you have any family?" he asked.

Annika hesitated. She couldn't just leave for some castle and forget about her brother. She took a step back. "I'm sorry," she said, "You'll have to find another princess,"

She began to turn around again when the man grabbed her shoulder which made her tense up and turn around. "I said I apologize but you will have to find another girl to take my place," she said, removing the man's hand from her shoulder, "Now good night,"

Annika marched off but the man persistently followed her. She didn't care, he could follow her, as long as he wasn't going to stop her from finding Tomas. "I can tell something is stopping you from fulfilling your fortune," the man said as he followed her.

Annika rolled her eyes. "Did the relic tell you that too?"

"No, but if you tell me what it is..." he said slowly.

Annika turned around swiftly which made the man flinch. "It's my brother," she snapped, "He's missing and I want to find him. You're stopping me from doing just that,"

The man blinked profusely, still staring at her. Once he managed to process what she said, he smiled at her. This made Annika severely annoyed. "Oh in that case why didn't you say so?" the man asked, "We will send our finest knights just to look for him,"

Annika didn't realize how tense her shoulders were until she let them drop. She didn't want to be so quick to trust him. Annika furrowed her brows and this time she looked him in the eyes. He didn't break contact.

"Fine," she huffed, walking towards the carriage, "Take me to the palace,"

He scratched the back of his head and quickly followed her. "Really? I mean, don't you have to pack your things?" he asked

"No," Annika said, "Now let's go before I change my mind,"

***

Okay so...I decided that I want to make the rest of the book in first person and in Annika's point of view (of course). I hope you all will still read it and sorry for the indecisiveness. :)