Dearest Lana

Chapter Four- Lana

Through the window, she watched the dark grey clouds that had been decorating the sky for the majority of the day.
She found it absurd to even refer to the weather outside as a storm. Is a storm really a storm when there was no rain present?
She pondered upon this. It couldn't be a lightening storm as the lightening was slightly lacking, and the thunder was too far off to be heard.
One advantage she did find was that she was able to, due to the flashes of lightening, observe the stars that were usually hidden by the tall buildings that emitted fumes and smoke.
Astronomy was something of a wonder to her. When she was a little girl, staring at the stars wasn't something she ever thought she could find comfort in. But now, as she saw her reflection in the glass, she wondered how she was ever bored by the night sky.
The diverse bits of light blue in her eyes looked like cracks, broken constellations, in the darker blue.
Her eyes were reflected back at her and she sighed. They were sad, shattered window to her broken soul. Her own piece of celestial space.
"Miss Black?" The timid voice almost wasn't heard, or at least not registered, but Lana nodded in greeting anyway.
"Your Uncle send for you, he says he wants to see you in the parlour." The family maid gave her a sympathetic smile. Lana narrowed her eyes at the older woman. "Any particular reason? Is dear Uncle selling me to pirates? Or, as society's princess, am I being forced to endure harsh training to fight the government?"
The maid's mouth fell open. "Miss, you can't say things like that. That's fiction, from those awful books you've been reading."
Lana scoffed and fought against the idea of arguing. "Tell Uncle I'll be with him shortly." She instructed the maid before shutting the white laced curtains, hiding the night sky. Her only source of beautiful reality, since her 'private princess' world was far from real life.
The long dress that draped around her slim frame floated around behind her as she made her way down the spiralling staircases.
Her house was large to say the least, yet the only sounds were the faint piano from her cousin's room.
Three knocks at the door of the private parlour and one gruff greeting. She walked through the huge doorway into the unlit room.
"Lana. I'll be frank, I don't have much time, so I'll be blunt with you. You'll be of age soon to compete in the test. You've been training for that all your life, that's not what I'm worried about. But, what troubles me is you have to be married soon. We need to expand or we'll never succeed." Her Uncle spat words at her, not even looking up.
Lana swallowed a threatening lump rising in her tight throat.
"I appreciate that Uncle, but I have no interest in the people you want me to marry." She scoffed. This got his attention.
"I have two daughters, both as smart and beautiful as you. I have orders from your father to put you in the highest power position, but if you cross me that can change." He laughed bitterly.
"So, pray tell, why won't you marry them?" He continued.
"Because Uncle..because they're all boys, men! You know I want to marry a girl." She shouted.
Lana flinched when the rows of pencils and pens shot off his desk as he swept his hand over it angrily.
"No! It's not happening! You want to be respected? Marry a rich man! No arguing. Now, get out of my sight and pick out a dress for the Gathering tomorrow. You've got to make a speech remember."
With that, Lana was dismissed back to her room, where her and she and her maids were to pick out a perfect dress.
One produced a long red gown but she shook her head. "It drains me." She grumbled. Going through a few piles, she picked out a short cream dress with a golden hem.
"That's a little bit short for a Gathering miss..." She recognised the maid as the one from earlier. "I don't care." She smiled sweetly.
If Lana was being forced into a society where she was going to have to marry at 18, to a boy, then there was no way she was going down without a fight.
Tomorrow. She was dreading the Gathering. She'd have to introduce the test to the citizens, whom most won't be able to take part anyway, and answer questions. Then her Uncle would do the hard stuff. He'd tell which town was now Arian-only, and he'd share plans that would probably only benefit those with power or money.
She rested the dress over her desk and went to sit and watch the stars again. But she found without the hope and faith she had earlier, the stars didn't shine as bright. They were just balls of fire a long way away from where she was. That was all.