Another world

                      Chapter 1                                                                                                                        As I sat down to listen to my tutor, Madam Veronique, read, there was a knock at the door. “Come in,” I said as Lord Aldrich came into the room. “Lord Aldrich,” I said, surprised as my mother's head advisor walked into the room “Princess Anastasia,” he said with a bow.“Your mother requests your presence in the throne room at once your majesty,” “Of course,” I replied as I stood.  Lord Aldrich was a tall graceful old elf with a kind soft face and a calm air about him. As we walked down the hall I wondered why my mother would want me, she was usually much too busy to see me. Agnia, my lady in waiting and my best friend walked out into the hallway at that moment and said “Princess do you need me for the rest of the day? My mother has fallen ill.” “No, I will be fine, give your mother my condolences.” she curtsied and hurried down the hall. As we walked down the hall maids and my brother’s steward all bowed until I had passed, I sighed, I just wished I could be a normal person for once. I never asked to be a royal child. I had two brothers who were both older than me, Ivan was 25 and Dominick was 23, I was barely 15 and the baby of the family. They both were married and lived at the castle. Someday Ivan would take the throne and Dominick would remain the prince unless something else happened. I would probably be married off without second thought so I was taught to rule a kingdom, and I had to learn to be quiet and obedient. As I entered the throne room I saw that my mother’s whole council had gathered and was seated around a long rectangular table with my mother seated regally at the head of the table. I sat down four seats down on her right-hand side next to my brothers and their wives who were always at councils. On the other side of my mother, Lord Aldrich sat down. Then the council started. 

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My mother was a very beautiful woman and a gracious queen. She had long, thick, midnight hair and hazel eyes with normal colored skin. I had her hair but I had sky blue eyes instead of hazel eyes which stood out the most with pale skin and full red lips.  I had a small, light build that was similar to my mothers. So as I sat in the meeting and caught Lord Aldrich’s son, Rafique, staring at me with that look like he might just melt, I was not at all surprised. Then I turned to my mother who was talking about alliances that needed to be made. Alerisien, our kingdom, was on the brink of war with Kaovia, which sat on our borders. “They’ve been having cattle go missing right on the border and are blaming us for it,” she said in her “let’s get down to the point” tone.   The grown-ups talked about it for a while and then decided to repay the cattle. I started to wonder when my mother said “That brings us to the matter that we brought Anastasia here for, her birthday just passed and she is old enough to be of marrying age. We must find a good husband for her that will treat her well and will also be of use to us.” “might I suggest your majesty that you consider our situation with Tremeth?” said one of the council members, lord Jasper. I didn’t know anything about the Tremeth situation but at that everyone fell silent.  “What is the Tremeth situation?” Dominick asked “I will tell you and Ivan later dear, but not now,” my mother said, Lord Alergone stood up and said, “your majesty, are you sure it is safe to tell them?” “I’m quite sure Lord Alergone” she replied. All I could do was sit there stunned that the time to line up suitors had come so quickly, while the whole council got into an argument about what kingdoms we should aline with. I heard my mothers voice overall saying “lords and ladies let us discuss this matter without arguing among ourselves” Instantly the room fell silent and all eyes were on me or my mother. I blushed under all the attention as the surprise wore off, then to my relief, all the eyes shifted to my mother. She stood and then said “I think we should invite all the possible suitors here to the castle for a week and then decide which one we think would be best. All the lords and ladies murmured among themselves and then they all agreed that this was a good idea.  How I was going to survive a week, I had no idea, but I knew I had to try. For my mother and the people around me, for Alerisien and it’s people, I would try.

Chapter 2

 I returned down the hallway to my room after the council talked about a few other things and then they remembered I was still there and I was dismissed. I was still mulling over the thought that they were looking for suitors for me when I walked into a fretting cook.  She started to yell at me then everything got blurry and I suddenly realized I was back in class. I wasn’t a princess anymore, I was normal 15-year-old Hally Coleman. And the yelling was my teacher, Ms. Hansen, saying I was going to have one hour of detention for the rest of the week. And I thought to myself  “I really wouldn’t mind that, I could just disappear into my imagination” then my teacher said “you will be writing an essay about paying attention in class.” and I grumbled “this will be a long week”                  

The End