Adelyn

*1*

"Princess!" I hear a faint knock on my door and wait. "Princess Adelyn?" I touch the soft ringlet of black hair hanging against my temple and then take in a very deep breath.

"I am ready, just a moment!" I slip into my black heels and listen as my dress makes a soft shhhhh across the floor. I pull open the door to see my step-father's advisor, Stephen, waiting for me.

"Ah, you look lovely, Adelyn. But I don't believe that is the dress your Father sent you." He looks me up and down, from the tight bodice to the ball gown skirt with dazzling diamonds sewn into it.

"Yes, I thought this one suited me better." I smile sweetly, then scowl at the wall. My "Father" always wanted to dress me up in tight showy dresses to try to get me a husband, if I couldn't be sweet and gentile, he wanted me to be sexy. I was neither of those things, my mother always calls me a spit fire. Theo just calls me annoying.

"Are you looking forward to the Moon Ball? And it is also your eighteenth birthday today? That's rather special, not many are born on the Day of the Moon." The man grins beneath his graying mustache.

"Yes, very fortunate..." Just as fortunate as I am to have you for an escort... I take a deep breath and try to be gracious, for Mother.

"Addie! There you are," Theo rushes up to rescue me from Father's advisor. "Thank you, Sir Rushmore, but I will take my sister, I must show her something." His eyes glimmer green and I smile curtly at Sir Rushmore. Thank you. I mouth to Theo and grasp his arm.

"You should have seen the dress he wanted me to wear." I grunt in dismay. Theo raises an eyebrow.

"Let me guess; tight, red, v-cut." He smirks.

"Indeed." I roll my eyes and follow him into the ballroom.

"The nerve of that man... Trying to dress up my baby sister like a prostitute." I swat his arm and giggle.

"I'm eighteen, Theo! You can't still call me little!"

"You will always be two years younger than me, so you will always be my little sister." He grins cheekily and slides his hand into mine then spins me onto the dance floor, starting the first dance of the Moon Ball.

"You know, you're supposed to pick a lady to dance with to start the Ball. Not your sister," I raise my eyebrow at him and look around at all of the angry young ladies who hoped Theo would pick them.

"Well, I guess I will just have to disappoint them. I'd much rather dance with my, sister." He twirls me against and then we do the next steps of the dance. As the last note sounds across the violins, he dips me so low I fear my hair will touch the floor, then he pulls me back up to my feet. I catch my breath and Theo steadies me so I don't fall over. "I give all the girls a head rush." Theo winks.

"Gross." I step away from him and look at my mom and step-father, who are now standing. My mother's forehead is creased with worry, which tells me I should worry.

"People of Acraluna, as your King I would like to be the first to wish you a joyful day of the Moon!" He raises his arms up and all eyes go to the see through the glass above our heads where the moon floats in all its radiance. Not far behind the moon, I can see the green and blue of Earth.

"I would also like to wish my daughter, Princess Adelyn, a very happy Birthday! And a very happy Birthday indeed, my friends, I would like to announce the first ever tournament for my daughter's hand in marriage!" Applause erupts around the room, mothers hoping their sons would one day be princes. I stood silent, shocked and appalled by his words. I feel Theo's hand close around my arm, trying to reassure me. "The Tournament shall begin one months from now, rules and other regulations will be released to you tomorrow. For now, let's enjoy this wonderful party!"

I scowl and stomp out of the ballroom, knowing that no matter how far I go there is no where he can't find me. Our ship is only ten miles in radius.

"Ad," Theo catches up to me and takes my arm. "I'll think of something, okay? This is crazy. This ship has 50,000 people. He can't call a tournament that big. There's gotta be like 4,000 guys around your age! If not more! And he might let old men enter too!" I cringe at the thought of some old smelly man winning me.

"I'm not someone's prize. I am a human being!" I shout at the top of my lungs over the city.

"Come on, let's go talk to, Mom." Theo tugs me back into our castle. "I hope she will help."

33T [9!