The Beginning

My Last Day of Freedom

It didn't take long for King Norman to officially decide to ruin my life. He's always hated me, but I had no idea how much he hated me until now. I was running an errand for Queen Eliana when a guard stopped me and told me the King was looking for me. Confused, I found my way towards the throne room. When I reached the doors I saw Luca pacing back and forth. I hurriedly rushed over. "Luca! What's wrong?" I asked when I reached him. Luca stopped pacing and looked into my eyes. "I don't know, but I wasn't allowed in until you got here." he said. I smirked and crossed my arms meeting his eyes. "It must be really serious if he needs me. You know how much he hates me." I said. Luca smirked at me and held out his arm for me. I looped my arm through his and held up my skirt with the other. "I do. Let's find out what he needs. Don't want to keep him waiting too long." Luca said. I nodded as Luca knocked on the door. A guard poked his head out looking annoyed. Then he noticed me and he pulled open the doors. Something really weird was going on. If Luca wasn't allowed in without me, and the King hates my guts for reasons I'll never understand then I don't know what to expect. As we approached the thrones I noticed that both the King and Queen sat there with grim expressions. At the foot of the thrones, I pulled my arm from Luca's and curtsied to the King and Queen. King Norman shook his head. I straightened and looked down at the floor. No matter how I tried he just really hated me. "I suppose I must tell you the real reason I called you both here." The King said. I glanced at Luca and saw he had heard the edge in his father's voice to. Oh, yeah. Maybe I should mention, I'm Queen Eliana's Lady in Waiting, Prince Luca's best friend, and King Norman's least favorite person on the planet. "Not an hour ago I received an important message. What it contained I know neither of you will like but alas I cannot change it." King Norman took a deep breath and glanced at his wife. Eliana met my eyes and she looked sad almost. Had I done something wrong? The Queen gave me a small smile and I turned back to face the King before I made him even angrier. "As you both know, Luca has just turned eighteen, and according to our neighboring kingdoms he must marry within twenty seven days. There are no eligible maidens in any of our three kingdoms the same age except for you, Marianna." The King explained, his stone cold face so soft I almost didn't recognize him. I was so entranced by the look on his face that it took me a minute to actually realize what he had said. '..No eligible maidens in any of our three kingdoms, EXCEPT for you, Marianna.' I felt my mouth drop open in surprise. Eliana gave me a small head shake, and I covered my mouth with my hand. "What??!?!You can't be serious." I heard Luca say next to me. The King sighed and met his son's gaze.
"I wish I wasn't. I would much rather give you the option of choosing on your own but that is not the way it is going to be." Norman said. I still couldn't believe it. My hand moved from my mouth to my perfectly pinned hair messing it up a bit. This wasn't how things were supposed to go. If the King really meant for me to do this, then I would lose my job. That would also mean I would have to go into Princess training and there was no way I would be able to pass that. "Marianna, say something." Norman commanded. I shook my head and looked up at him, then to Eliana and then to Luca. The Queen looked very upset with this decision, Luca looked outraged and I just felt empty. "I don't understand. How could I be the only one? There's hundreds of girls my age!" I said after a moment. This was my one and only chance to try and talk my way out of this.
"That is true. But there is absolutely no way any of those other maidens would be able to pass Princess Training in the amount of time that has been given."
I scoffed at the thought, Queen Eliana herself had passed Princess Training faster than any other known to the Kingdom of Vercana. Even she took over two months to perfect everything. Here he was saying I would have to pass it within Twenty-seven days. That was nearly impossible.

"What makes you think I can pass it in the amount of time given?" I asked.
"You spend more time around my dear Queen than even I, if anyone would be able to do this it's you. Watching and helping her everyday has prepared you more than you would think. Just look at how much you have learned since last week! No more slouching!" Norman pointed at my shoulders and I realized he was kind of right. I wasn't slouching anymore. Last week he had yelled at me for slouching my shoulders rather than holding them stiff. Queen Eliana kindly helped me remember to hold my shoulders high. "See what I mean? No other young lady like yourself would be ready in time. But you, you have already more or less passed half of Princess Training." Norman continued. I met his gaze. His eyes shone with a hint of sparkle that said he was up for this challenge of watching me struggle. Apparently I must've had the same look in my eyes. The one that said I'm not afraid of a challenge. Normally I wasn't afraid of a little challenge, whenever we both had free time Luca and I would challenge each other to do all kinds of crazy things. But now, when it was Luca's father challenging me to dare to disobey him I was terrified. I glanced at Luca, he was looking right at me as well. His expression told me he hated this idea more than even I did. All he had ever wanted for me was for me to be free to make my own choices, which was ironic considering he was the one that couldn't make his own decisions. I looked away from him and turned to the Queen. I was probably closer to her than anyone in the whole world. Everywhere she went, I went. She looked like she wanted to cry and I knew why. If I agreed to this I would be sent away to do all kind of challenges proving I could handle the royal life. If I didn't I would be killed. In the eighteen years I had been alive I had always been by her side. If she lost me it would be like she was losing a daughter she never had. As much as I didn't want to leave her, and as much as I didn't want to marry Luca, I couldn't tell the King no. So, with my heart splitting into three parts, One for Eliana, One for Luca, and One for Me, I look back at King Norman.
"When do I begin?" I asked, holding back the tears that threatened to fall as they slipped silently down Eliana's face and Luca's silent groan of pain.