"Panda Bear?" I hear my mom call from my closed door.
"Yes?" I answer back, walking towards my door to open it. When I open the door she stares at me confused .
"Why are you in your school uniform? I thought I told you. You aren't going to school today? What happened to the dress that I put on your desk last night?" She starts firing questions rapidly before I can answer them.
"Is it not Monday?" I try to answer all of her questions with another. She shakes her head yes. Then I don't see I shouldn't be dressed for school then.
"It is but we are doing something else today. Remember?" I had forgotten that she had made an enormous deal about today. "Get the dress on, then meet me downstairs, we'll be leaving shortly. Keep your make up the way it is, you look beautiful. And about breakfast, we'll eat when we get there." She walks out of my room smiling. She knew my question before I even asked it. I looked at the dress that was laid on top of my chair, it was light brown in color, with white butterflies scattered throughout the dress. When I put it on it was tighter around the bodice and it flared out around my waist. I paired it with my gold sandals. I looked in the mirror and smiled. I looked pretty, my shoulder-length hair framed my face, making it look smaller. I retouch my mascara accentuating my dark brown eyes. I smiled and thought I looked pretty.
I walked out of my room to find my mom. I don't know where she's taking me, but at least it isn't Rykers'. There is only so much fakeness I can handle. We slowly make our way to the car. It's not the newest model, but it also isn't the oldest, it serves its purpose. Back, when I first started at Ryker's Academy for Royalty and Wealth, it used to bother me that it wasn't up to date with all of the rich students there. Slowly, I learned not to care, because I realized how superficial it was, and I didn't want to turn into them. Them being the rich kids, whose biggest issue was if they got the newest clothes or technology. I learned not to mind when they talked about how much they spent on something. That money could have been spent better elsewhere.
Before long, the car came to a complete stop in front of the palace gates. I scrunch my eyebrows in confusion and turned to my mom. She shook her head, almost as if she was saying not to ask. I don't understand what we are doing here. My family has nothing to do with the royal family.
She seemed so happy yesterday and this morning. Excited to come here, to the palace. I don't know why, but I'm getting uneasy, looking at the palace.
"Pandora, come on." My mom says to me. I get out of the car and follow behind her. A woman comes and greets us and request that we follow behind her. She said it as if it were an honor for her to lead us to where we were going.
It made no sense, we are just commoners, while she works in the palace. She has a higher social standing then we do. As we walk through the palace any workers we see bow their heads towards us. Why? We soon arrive in front of a set of doors. They're a dark brown in color, with golden decorations throughout. The women who led us to the door, whispers words into the guard's ear. He nods at what she is saying and heads inside the room.
"Mom, what are we doing here?" I ask. I just want some form of an explanation. She doesn't respond for a while.
"Pandora, when we go in there, don't speak unless you are spoken too. Keep your head down, remember where we are. This is the palace, there are rules of extreme etiquette, that we can't even begin to comprehend." She says instead of answering my question. I want to ask more, but the guard comes back outside.
"You may enter." Is all he says before, opening the door completely. My mother steps in with me right behind her.
"Lady Amanda Langs," a male voice says. It is one I've only heard on television, it belongs to king Malcolm Castell. My mom curtsies and I follow her lead. As we rise I remember to keep my head down. "I presume you are Pandora Langs," he adds.
The king just acknowledged me. He probably wants me to answer. I lower my head even more, if that's even possible, before speaking. "Yes, your royal highness" is the only thing that can come out of my mouth. Why are we in the same room as the king? Why does he know who I am? What is going on?
I want to look at him, maybe I can get an idea of what's going on by looking at him. A knock on the door brings me out of my thoughts. The same guard as before says " Her royal highness queen Emeline, has arrived". First the king now the queen. What is going on? As the queen enters the room, my mom and I curtsy again, this time we wait until the queen acknowledges us. This is one of those weird etiquette things, that says we must curtsy to the king as soon as we see him and rise as soon as possible so he can acknowledge
us properly. In the presence of a queen we curtsy until she decides it is enough.
"You may rise," Her soft voice says. "Excuse my tardiness." She says but not to us but to the king. I don't see what his response is if there even is any. "Please be seated," She says acknowledging us once again. We sit at the chairs next to us, in front of the king and queen. The only one of us that seems clueless as to what's going on is me.
"Lady Amanda, your daughter Pandora, has reached the age of seventeen. Correct?" The king asks my mom. Why does my age matter? I know for a fact that you have to be at least 25 to enter the palace as a servant. So why does he care if I'm seventeen? Seventeen isn't even an important age.
"Yes, your highness" My mom responds.
"As stated by the contract between the previous king, Sean Castell, and your father-in-law. Your daughter, Pandora Alma Langs, is to marry my son, Crown Prince Nicholas Xavier Castell, by the end of the year when she turns seventeen." His words repeat in my head a few times.
I have to marry the Crown Prince Of Luna. It was decided by my grandfather, the one who died a year after I was born. I have to marry. I don't want to marry. I have no say in this. I can't go against the wishes of the royal family. I feel my heart rate pick up. I don't want this. I have no control.
The only clear thought that comes to mind is 'I'd rather be at Ryker's right now.'
