The enthronement, p.11
The Enthronement, page 11
“It’s quite alright. You have a fair point, Miss...” The king’s eyes float down until they find my name tag. “K-Kascia?” He tries. I nod. “Good. You have a point, Miss Kascia. We are just trying to make sure we are finding girls honest of heart for our son, and not just after the crown.”
I smile a bit. “I would surely hope it would be more than that. If not, then I’m alright losing.” Why do I keep saying these things? True or not — and they mostly are — it’s dangerous. My heart slams into my ribcage with each beat, begging me to stop before they stop it beating.
Even the queen manages a smile at that. Had I done a good job? Had I left a good impression? I have to stand out against four hundred other girls. But to do what? To then turn on these people and let my friends murder them and their son? Could I do that now I’d met them? I had to.
I need to remember why I hated them only moments ago. I need to remember why I am doing this. I lost Jake; I never really had him, though I’m bound to him still. I have to recall why I hate them, why I need to hate them, why that has to come back this instant, or I’ll be in far worse danger.
“A powerful sentiment,” the king says.
“I agree.” The queen looks like the words are bitter on her tongue. “Thank you for your very thoughtful answers. I’m afraid that’s all the time we have. We’ll contact you soon if you’re to come to the palace on the big day and given directions if you pass.”
I bow my head in thanks and stand up. The king stands at the same time. The queen takes her husband’s offered hand as she stands.
“Thank you, Miss Kascia.” The king smiles that warm smile. His eyes sparkle with mischief. “I believe I’ll see you soon.” The queen glares at him, but he just smiles and kisses her hand as the guard sees me out.
I watch them until the door closes. My heart aches for what I see. I miss Jake being that tender. I rub the back of my own hand as I allow the guards to see me out. One asks for my name tag, and I offer it to him. He takes it back into the room with the king and queen. I keep my eyes down.
All I can think about is how I’ll never have that again. I’m stuck with Jake, but the truth is Jake didn’t look at me like that. He didn’t have that warmth. I thought he did, but I just... wanted it to be. I long for the relationship I just saw. The warmth, the love, even the teasing and arguments appeal to me. I want it so badly. My whole body aches. I squeeze my hand shut, letting the fingers of my other hand keep teasing the skin on the back of my fingers.
Chapter 9
The next three weeks drag by. I’m sure it takes a long time to get from four hundred girls down to forty-four, but it’s nerve-wracking, nonetheless. I do my shows, and Dad gives reports on what the newspapers are saying. He calls the papers a “collection of lying trash”, but he still carefully monitors what they say. Most of all, he pays attention when it reports on the war, like progress on rebels taking northern cities or even flooding that happens. The papers also confirmed I was right. Six born-princesses were included in the Enthronement’s Chosen ladies.
We had set the final performance for our current show for the end of the new month as the numbers weren’t showing any reason to carry it on any longer than that. Plus, knowing if any of the girls who’d applied for the Enthronement in the theater could get in, and therefore, couldn’t do any more shows. Mom is struggling to figure out what show to work on after the short break for the same reason. Should she keep the old plan or change it? It only added an extra layer of tension those three weeks.
My sleep is starting to be affected. Even with all the sleep tea I take, it’s hard to fall asleep or stay asleep. Even though the first workday is my day off, I find myself waking up at an earlier hour many mornings. I decide I need to get some fresh air and get ready for the day.
I’m dressed and just tying off my hair when there is a knock at the door. I’m the only one up as we typically sleep in because our jobs have us up late at night. The person is lucky I’m awake.
I open the door as I finish tying off my hair. A lady stands there. She beams up at me and gives me a bob of a curtsy. “Miss Kascia?” she asks.
I nod, shaking out my hair and fussing with it a bit to ensure it’s not too tight.
“Perfect!” the lady beams then offers me an official-looking letter, just like the ones that announced the next test. “This is for you. Congratulations!”
I frown as I take the letter. What is this? I’m too sleepy to take in what’s happening.
The lady doesn’t leave, waiting patiently with a smile, hands behind her back in a proper pose, swinging a little from side to side.
I figure she wants me to open it, and I give her a sleepy smile. I use a finger to push open the Purerahian blue seal. It snaps perfectly with a graceful pop, and the letter unfolds on its own elegantly, showing it was just folded into the envelope rather than being stuffed into one, just like the others.
I almost drop the letter as numbness fills my body. I gape at the paper. A mix of emotions stirs inside me like watching different colored powders being slowly stirred into clear water. Excitement. I made it! Fear. Can I do this? Anxiety. Can I go through with it? Hope. What if Mom is right? And a strange one. Peace. I feel this is meant to be. It’s like getting this letter calmed all the insanity of the last few days.
I jump as I hear a snap. I look up to see the girl had taken my impression.
“You all like surprise impressions, don’t you?” I say.
“Yes, well, the first was the king and queen’s idea, but this was an order from Sir Sage,” the messenger says. “He said he wanted to see the faces of the girls.”
I frown, “Sir Sage?”
“You’ll find out,” the messenger beams. “Expect the first round of your transition team to arrive this afternoon.”
This afternoon! So soon?! My eyes fly wide, but I nod numbly. How soon would we be expected to move in? They don’t have a solid understudy for me. Not to mention, I’m not ready to just take off at the drop of a hat. I may have known this was coming, but numb shock is making an odd tingling sensation through my body.
My heart beats in panic. The orange-red anxiety starts to take over the colors mix inside me. I am not sure I am ready to do it all in one day. But there’s no way Dad is going to help me delay it.
“Read the rest of the instructions then you should be ready for them,” the girl says. “I’ll see you around the palace.” She bows to me then leaves, skipping in her excitement. Off to report to this Sage, whoever he is.
It’s real. I made it. It’s official and inescapable now. I didn’t let anyone down. Not yet, but I greatly fear I’m going to. I’m going to live in the palace. I’m going to have to pretend to be the prince’s girl. I was chosen for the sacrifice.
I finally manage to close the front door and collapse into my seat at the table, just staring at the invitation and reading it over and over and over.
After at least an hour, likely more, I recall she said further instructions were enclosed. I unfold the last section that didn’t pop open on its own, revealing another folded bit of parchment.
The instructions don’t give a lot of detail, saying today the security team will go over my protection before I enter the palace. The date I will be taken to the palace is first August. I have just about a month before the world changes. At least our final show was the day before. According to the instructions, over the next few weeks, different teams and officials would be coming from the palace to give me instructions and explain the rules and plans for when I move into the palace.
For likely another hour, I numbly read over the formal invitation and the instructions. Everything was about to change for good. I don’t know if I’m excited or devastated. But deep down, from the moment I realized Jake’s love wasn’t true, the world had crumbled. The fear was what would I be forced to become?
“Kascia?” Mom’s voice cuts into my musing. “What are you doing? Normally you’re on your walk by now. Is something wr—” She stops abruptly when she sees the papers in front of me. A tiny gasp escapes her, tensely waiting for what I’m about to say. When I don’t speak, she carefully goes on, “What test is next?”
I swallow hard. “I... I-I’m moving.”
Mom’s gasp of excitement is stronger, and she comes over to see the formal announcement I’m holding up.
Dad enters the room behind her. “Where did you get that?” he asks me, watching Mom nervously. He must not have heard our conversation.
“I went to go for a walk this morning and a messenger was waiting.”
Mom hands the announcement to Dad, hardly holding in her smile. I can hardly look at them.
Dad reads it, and a smile slowly climbs his lips. “She did it! I knew you would.” He beams and hugs me. Mom, still beaming, hugs me too.
When they let go, I immediately blurt out, “Papa, we need to talk.” I have to tell him about how I felt in the interview. Not wanting to disappoint my parents and ashamed of how they’d tricked me, I hadn’t admitted the royals charmed me, but now, I have to get it off my chest. I need help if I’m going to survive their charms for three months.
“Oh, alright.” Mom frowns, a hint of disappointment in her eyes. “But please be quick.” I feel guilty for making her feel left out, but she never was much for our duty as Custods. It’s Dad’s solid faith I need right now.
“Let’s go outside.” Dad puts an arm around me and leads me to the training arena. I sit on the fence. Dad paces in front of me.
My hands clench the wood on either side of me, head bowed as I fight for the words. Dad lets me sit quietly before speaking. “You know you can tell me anything.”
I take a deep breath, “I’m scared. I’m scared I can’t go through with it.”
Dad’s face falls. “Why?” His voice is full of compassion though.
“They... I’ve met them,” I look up at my father, “and they weren’t evil, Papa.” I tell him about how they held hands, how they teased me and one another, how their questions were good questions looking for a true princess, not what I thought they’d want. A girl who would help their son and their people.
“How could someone like that be evil? I know they must be good to trick so many, but I just... I couldn’t see it. I found myself wanting a relationship like theirs, Papa. It made me miss Jake so bad it hurt. I know they likely were putting on a show, but... but Papa. How can they be evil? What if I can change their minds? What if there is someone else tricking them? What if...” What if I’m just a horrible Custod and I can’t do the job?
“Kassie.” Dad puts his hands on my shoulders, so I can meet his eyes. “I know it’s hard,” he says slowly and carefully, “but don’t worry. You’ll see the truth as you’re there. Just hold to the truth you know. Remember that burned district? Remember the flooded town in last week’s paper? He did those. The king ordered those, Kassie. Just remember those moments. I can promise the king did them. I saw it and know others who saw even more atrocities.” Dad’s eyes light up. “Hold on.”
He goes back to the house, leaving me anxiously swinging my legs against the fence. When he returns, he offers me an envelope. “I keep them to help me, but I think for this mission you’ll need them.”
I grab my second envelope of the day today and open it. I gasp in horror and look away. Inside were impressions: horrible impressions, images of burned homes, bodies, and blood-soaked battlefields. All things I’d never seen and never wanted to see.
“No, I know it’s hard, Kascia, but you have to look.” Dad takes my hands, so I meet his eyes. His eyes then guide me back to the impressions that he starts flipping through. I tense with each horrible one and want to throw up and send these horrible images into the sea where no one would have to see them again. Why would he make me see this?
“This is what they did. Remember that,” Dad says, his eyes shining with pain and compassion. “I know it’s hard, but it’s the truth, and we have to stop it.”
But I can’t help but question if it’s true. Did that sweet couple I’d met really call for this? The king would just laugh, and the queen would smack him for treating it like a joke. I feel sick and put a hand to my mouth. How can this be true? It conflicts in my mind and leaves me more confused than ever.
I wish I had something to say, but I don’t want to see more, so I have to pretend it’s what I needed. I force a smile, the way I do on stage even when I have had a bad day. “Thanks, Papa; this does help.” It helps remind me I’m terrible at this and need to work harder to understand. I have to do this, even if I hate it.
“Good, I’m sorry it has to be like this.” Dad kisses my head and hugs me tight. “I wish I didn’t have to ask it of you, Kassie. I love you very much, my cygnet.”
“I-I love you too, Papa.” I know how it is. Duty comes first. I don’t even come first to my father, no matter how much he wants to put me first. I fight tears as Dad pulls back and brushes my hair from my face.
“Well, let’s get you breakfast. Then you’ll be ready for your first round of orientations.” Dad smiles. I laugh a watery laugh.
We go inside and have breakfast. Mom can tell I’m a bit down, so she tones down her excitement. I can tell she’s holding it in. I can also tell she’s worried about what Dad and I spoke about.
Dad is worried the guards may recognize him from a raid. Though he and his people always wear masks, he thinks it’s safer if he’s out of the house when they arrive.
I meet my first aid from the palace, my head guard, Lila. First, she covers the security details between now and when I’ll move into the palace. They won’t formally announce the list of Chosen girls until the end of this week, but as they don’t forbid us from telling friends or family, they’re sure word will spread fast on its own before it’s confirmed. They fear as soon as our names are known rebels will try to launch protests or attacks on us.
To protect us, they will have two palace guards stationed outside our home. They also will have one or both of those guards escort me anywhere I need to go outside of the main city and one city guard will keep an eye on me in town. Their main worry is the theater, so, until the end of my show, one of the guards will escort me from the theater to home each night.
Once inside the palace, there are strict rules to keep us safe as rebels tried to get into the palace “often”. I know they never get into the palace as Jake’s friends always complained about it, and I knew Dad’s men never did. And heaven knows the protestors that make up the Potentate rebellion is too disorganized to have a hope of breaking the well-guarded palace walls.
But even with that in mind, I am not allowed outside without permission and a guard with me. I am not permitted to invite anyone into the palace, and I am not allowed to leave the palace unless dismissed by the royal family for failing to pass a test. That one scares me a little. If I changed my mind, I couldn’t just leave? Mom’s nervous eyes reflect the same feeling.
Once Lila covered all those details, she introduces me to the two guards who’ll be on my watch during the day. My night watch will switch off regularly to ensure no one is overtired from too many night shifts. The eight of them are also introduced to me so I’ll know them when they come, so I’m less likely to fall for a rebel trap. Not that I wouldn’t likely know a rebel on sight.
The guards officially start the next day, and Lila will come and run security on the day they pick me up to take me to the palace, but she tells me to reach out to her if I have any questions or need any changes.
Lila is warm and friendly and makes me feel a little better. Mom keeps looking at her as if wondering if she know her. She looks familiar to me as well, but I can’t place it and am too nervous to ask.
The next day, the chief of staff, Lady Hydie, comes in the morning to go over the main rules of the Enthronement. She’s a happy blonde woman with her hair in a sweet little ponytail. When she arrives, she’s twittering in excitement like a little blue bird matching the uniform she wears a blue blazer, skirt, and pumps, all with yellow trimming, and a yellow blouse under her jacket.
She tells me the basic rules: the king and queen can only dismiss me if they can prove I failed a test: the prince can dismiss me at will. She also reviews the titles I could be awarded if I make it into the top twenty-five or top ten.
Then she covers the newer rules. If I’m caught fighting or sabotaging the other girls intentionally, I will be dismissed.
I am not to seek out one on one time with the prince or request time with him. The prince will seek out time with me when it’s time to do so.
As part of the security protocol, I am only to wear the uniform which is to be a black skirt and white button-up shirt with black flats or clothing made for me by the palace. I am also not to eat anything not made by the palace staff. I am not allowed to bring any weapons or possibly dangerous possessions with me. All I may need will be provided.
I dare ask about my dance gear. Hydie asks me to give her a list and she’ll check with the advance staff to see if the palace could provide it all, and if not they’d give me a list of the things I am allowed to bring from home. My pointe shoes are at the top of my list. I’d rather not have to break in several new sets.
For security reasons, I also am required to follow the guards’ orders to the letter. Failure to do so may result in my being eliminated, but I do notice it is not an immediate disqualifier. As a part of that, I also will only be allowed in certain areas of the palace. As the number of girls decrease, other rooms will open up to us. When we arrive we’ll be given a tour of the palace and shown those areas.
“Then of course, if you win, you will then marry Prince Gavril and become crown Princess of Purerah and take on all the duties associated therewith. And you cannot leave the palace unless dismissed for failing a test or being one of the prince’s eliminations.” Hydie wraps it up in a neat little bow with the happiness of a bird singing over its freshly finished nest. “All that’s left to do is sign this final agreement which shows you agreed to adhere to all the rules and accept the consequences thereof, and if you win, to marry our prince and become our princess.”
