Clare Of Utopia

CHAPTER 2: The dress fitting

The castle was busy with the preparations for the coronation. Invitations were flying far and wide. The ball room was filled with decorations. The royal kitchens were filled with the sounds of clattering utensils as the best of the best delicacies were prepared. Nooks and corners of the place they called home were made squeaky clean. The streets of the city were decorated with beautiful lanterns. Everyone in the kingdom was so happy by the news of the coronation.

"Princess, you are being requested for the gown fitting," one of the helpers said.

"Gown fitting?!" Clare questioned a little too bitter than intended.

"Yes princess. Request from the prince," she answered with her head bowed down.

"Tell him and whoever else is requesting that I'm not interested. I already have plenty of dresses," she scoffed.

"As you wish princess," she bowed again and ran out of the presumably arrogant princess' room.

Time passed by. The work continued. Clare decided to spend her time in the training grounds, the only place in the palace where she felt free.

Helpers stood around the archery field as bullseyes kept raining. They were there to help the princess in any way necessary, though they never got to help her. Clare never asks them for help. She prefers to do everything on her own, yet she couldn't dismiss them due to the orders from the queen. Clare was furious with this order at first but eventually got used to it since they never bothered her. Something about a girl with a weapon in hand and a perfect aim speaks a lot.

"You turned down my request since you 'already have too many dresses'! Seriously?!" Alex marched in screaming.

Clare aimed at the target. "Let's be honest. The request wasn't from you," she said and left the arrow loose. Bullseye.

"It was from me," he said reluctantly.

Clare glared at him, lowering her bow.

"Mother?!" She raised an eyebrow when he didn't seem to answer honestly.

"Well yes. Mom asked you to attend the dress fitting. But that doesn't mean I don't want the same thing," he defended.

Clare remained quiet and instead started focusing on archery. She was right though. She already had a lot of dresses. Not much that her mother would approve for the coronation, yes, but the thought of wearing a dress always feels foreign to Clare. The feelings that get stirred whenever she looks at one, speechless.

"Clare, please. I would really like for you to wear a dress for my coronation. I would be the happiest person in the world if you wore a dress I picked. Consider it as a thank you from me for all the support you've given me," he said with kind eyes.

Clare looked at her brother once from top to bottom then top again, and without a reply she went back to her archery.

"You know what? I'm not going to move away from the target as long as you don't come with me," he said and stood directly in front of the target.

Princess Classandra groaned in frustration and dropped her bow into its stand and went to the sword arena. She took out her trusty sword that was strapped to her side and started hitting the dummy.

"Classandra!" Alex yelled with extended arms. He walked towards the dummy and stood right in front of it without warning. The sword almost hit his neck. Clare dropped her sword in reflex. Everyone gasped because of the quick happenings.

"ARE YOU OUT OF YOUR MIND?! I WOULD'VE CUT YOUR HEAD OFF YOU IDIOT!" She screamed at her brother. Everyone looked in awe at the words that were coming out of the princess' mouths directed towards the soon to be king.