"Amelia? Where are you my child? Come, I must speak to you of the recent rumors concerning the Prince,"
My mothers voice echoed down the hall accompanied by the distinctive noise of her heels clicking against the stone floor.
"Must I spend all of my waking hours searching for you?"
I could sense my mother's level of impatience rising the longer it took for her to find me.
"Amelia!"
She gasped as she finally became aware of my presence. I had been idly sitting on the cool stone ledge of the balcony awaiting her arrival from the market.
What seemed to be so urgent?
Curiosity got the better of me as tucked the silky material of my dress under my hands and swung my legs over the edge.
I hesitantly walked towards her, matching her pace as her shoes tapped the stone floor.
One of her black curls unravelled itself from its braid as she placed her slender hands in mine and said,
"King Tragoth is searching for someone to wed his son!"
The barely contained excitement was obvious in her tone of voice as she gripped my hands tighter.
Her blue eyes were glittering with joy, just like a child who had been presented with a new born pup.
A royal wedding it seemed was soon to come and that meant that a ball would most certainly take place at the palace.
I chuckled lightly and replied to my mother,
"Mother, you never cease to amaze me with your keen interest in the royals. Albeit, as interesting as that information was, your clear emotional attachment to this situation baffles me. In what way does such news concern us?"
Her smile faltered as she released my hands from her grip.
"Don't you see the opportunity that has been given to us?"
Her eyes knowingly searched mine as I attempted to comprehend as to what she was inferring.
I shook my head as I replied calmly,
"What opportunity could have possibly presented itself apart from seeing some woman be chosen to satisfy their- "
I paused searching for the right word to describe how power driven these men were. How little could they possibly care for a wife?
I settled on the perfect word and shriveled my nose up as I said it.
"-needs."
My mother looked dully into my eyes, not at all amused by my comment. Nevertheless she ensued with the same level of enthusiasm.
"Amelia, you could be the one chosen to wed the Prince!"
I could not help the laugh escaped that my lips,
"Mother, please do tell. Why would I be the 'chosen one'?"
"Heck, why would I want to be the 'chosen one'?"
My words were thick with sarcasm particularly on the words 'chosen one'. What tale got into my mother's head now?
The next words that left my lips were laced with venom,
"The Prince is perfectly capable of finding a wench to suit him and his 'needs'. I do believe that he already has enough streams of women at his beck and call."
"That is, if your royal informational gatherings are true.
So I believe your 'dreams' of marriage between the Prince and I are precisely that."
