New Selection

Chapter One

I wake at the exact same time, to the exact same sound, in the exact same bed, expecting the exact same thing almost every morning. Seven o’clock on the dot, a knock and a “Good morning Princess Samantha,” a bed made from the finest cotton set upon the most expensive wood in all of Illea, expecting to be questioned, tested, criticized, and prompted…all while wearing heels.

            Today wasn’t all the different from any other day. It was still seven, and there was still a knock, and the first voice I heard was still the high and sophisticated. But I wasn’t expecting the same thing. In fact, I have absolutely no idea what was coming.

            It scares me.

            “Good morning Princess Samantha!” The voice was meant to wake me, but I was already up and had been for hours.

            I get out of the cotton bed quickly, despite my shaking hands. “Good morning Tashna. Would you please tell the maids I don’t need them to assist me this morning? I’d rather do it alone.”

            A pause. I wonder, for a moment, if she will agree. Tashna isn’t the type to appreciate independence from me. She thinks it is best if I am taken care of and treated like diamonds-priceless. There is only one princess, one child, after all. However, Tashna also isn’t the type to disobey orders, or even a request.

            “Of course, Your Majesty. I shall see you in the dining room soon.”                       

            “Thank you,” I reply quietly to my own reflection. I have made my way to the only mirror in my room, a floor length placed next to my bed.

            Am I pretty?

            It’s a question I’ve been asking myself a lot over the past few days. I suppose I’m not ugly, at least.  My body is curvy and I am average height. My hair is a dark shade of brown, and long. It nearly falls to my waist. Just having woken, it is in messy ringlets that the public never see. Side bangs cover a small portion of my right almond shaped grey eye. My skin is pale and smooth, with a very small cluster or freckles around my nose and cheeks. Red lips, full eyebrows, and short eyelashes. Not ugly. But not beautiful.

            I walk to where Tashna or one of my maids has laid out todays dress. It’s long, like all dresses I wear, and a light shade of blue. I slip it on and then get to work on my hair. Mother doesn’t approve of the natural ringlets. She calls them “frizzy” and “unprofessional.” So I quickly straighten the locks before pulling it into a tight bun, allowing a few strands to be free and fall on either side of my face. I apply a small amount of make-up: Just powder, blush, and a bit of mascara to make the short lashes look at least a bit longer. I put my feet in heels, and open the door to the rest of the palace.

            The dining room is just down the hall from my bedroom. When I arrive, there are already three people seated at the long brown table. My mother, my father, and Tashna.

            “Good morning darling,” father greets as I walk into the room.