The Nerd

Chapter 4

The math problems were infuriating, I knew that I knew how to solve them but my ability to solve them were becoming slightly more dim. I had fifteen problems out of the one hundred I needed to get done when I heard the knock on the door. "You haven't been out of your room since the first day we got here." Aunt Camille.

"I know." I said, the door still shut. "Okay, one more minute." I grabbed my pullover and put over my shoulders frantically.

"I remember this room when you were younger." She looked around and teared up. "You had these books for learning how to become a princess. It was so cute." I gave her a tight smile. "Do you remember the dolls you had?" I had about two hundred baby dolls when I was younger. Some of them were in my room, some in Dad's, some in Mom's. I loved baby dolls.

"I do, but remember the one that was made to look like Lia?" Aunt Camille beamed, remembering the doll that I loved like my own sister.

"You were so cute." I smiled, adjusting my tiara. "Now look at you, all grown up." She walked me over to my mirror. Pointing at my reflection. "You are beautiful. Just like your mother and grandmother."

"No, I mind as well be my grandmother's daughter, that's how much I look like her." I took a deep breath. "My hair, exactly like Grandma's. My personality, just like Grandma's. Everything about me is Grandma."

"But every inch of you is your mother. You were born to reign, just like she was. You have the looks of America but you are Eadlyn, your mom rejoiced when she had you, because she knew once America died you will still be around so she could see a piece of her mother." I saw what she meant, I was Mom's daughter, I had every piece of her hidden within me.

Mom came into my room shortly after dinner, probably looking for small talk. "I haven't had one on one time with you in awhile." I set my papers down, giving her my full attention. "I wanted to speak to you as a mother, not as your leader." I reached for Mom's hand.

"But, Mom, that's impossible because you are both. Every time you speak to me." She put her hand on my cheek.

"Very true, princess. Very true." I gave her a grin and situated myself into my chair more comfortably. I looked at Mom's dress, it was a deep red, her favorite color. "Let's talk outfit choices, shall we?" I glared at her. "Your nightgowns are not to be worn to breakfast." I rolled my eyes.

"But the other kids get to wear casual clothes, why can't I wear a nightgown?" She rolled her eyes.

"Your father and I don't wear our pajamas to breakfast, neither does your sister." She gave me a glare and I could sense that she was annoyed. "What if cameras are there one day? Do you really want to let people see us as badly dressed people?" I rolled my eyes at that, she was right but I wasn't going down without a fight.

"Mom, I understand that, but our pajamas are made out of the finest material you can find. You know that." She stood up. "I'm right, you know I am."

"Why did you have to be blessed with such a need to be correct all the time?" She kissed my forehead and left the room quickly. I giggled and pulled out my book, I didn't want to read but if anyone came in to talk to me they had to leave. I got up and walked to my mirror instead.

"Kerttu Helena Koskinen, you are beautiful, strong, and courageous. No one can cheer someone up better than you." I pulled off my dress that I wore for dinner and set it in the hamper a maid came to retrieve every hour if something was in it. I pulled out my books and started working on the math problems that would determine what quadrant I would be in for the competition.

"Knock, knock." I heard a female voice say. I knew who it was within seconds.

"Come in, Lia." She opened the door hesitantly and I shoved the books under my desk.

"You know, I've never met someone as unorganized as you. It's actually kind of irritating." I looked at my room, it was messy but it always was like this at the end of the day. I did everything in my room so it should be but I cleaned it, I knew where everything had to be and no one understood that. "Mom said that you have had some sass lately." I rolled my eyes. She collapsed on my bed. "I see what she means. I can see through it but she can't, evidently."

"Oh, like how I can see how you are in love with Officer Jake Underwood?" She reached over and smacked my arm. "I'm kidding but you are in love with him, it's time you start admitting to it." I collapsed onto my bed with her, looking at my ceiling.

"Everyday you're one step closer to becoming queen, is that what you want? To become queen?" She rested her chin in the palm of her hand.

"Yes, Hilja, I do. If you haven't realized, I have been trained to do so since the day I was born." I said seriously. "Why do you care anyway, you have been wanting to be an artist since I can remember." I inched closer to her as she snuggled up next to me.

"You just seemed more stressed." I looked at her bright eyes, one of Dad's and one of Mom's.

"Well of course I'm stressed, I am learning how to become queen, trying to win the competition, and trying to help Mom figure out a way to make the country an absolute monarchy again. Nothing fell into place and she has been getting complaints that people hate having a say, they rather just have her talk to people when she must." That was the whole truth.

"I see through it." I laid next to her as she breathed heavily and while our cousins came in, begging us to go downstairs for game night, everything wasn't falling into place, just as I worried. My uncles barely understood what one another was going through. They didn't like that Uncle Osten had a Selection, they didn't like that Uncle Kaden fell in love with Grandma's best friend's daughter, they didn't like that Uncle Ahren moved to France to be with the love of his life. It was frustrating. My parents tried to keep the country running but failed to have a reason to switch back to an absolute monarchy like the country wanted. She finally got up and gave in to playing with our cousins while I laid on my bed thinking about the role I would hold in this country. "I see right through it, Kerttu. I always will, I'm your sister and best friend."