The Fair-Caste debutant

Part One

The chirping birds I always loved listening to were the first thing I heard when I opened my eyes. It took a few moments for me to blink the blurriness of sleep away.
It was earlier than I usually woke up but the excitement and nerves that went to a
bed with me wouldn't allow me to stay asleep for long.
I climbed out of bed jumping as my feet touched the cold floor at the foot of my bed. I admired the dress Anne had draped over my vanity chair, even in the faint morning light, the silver assents on the dress glittered.
It was the dress I was to wear to the palace today for my debut.
When my mother told me the family had selected me as our debutant candidate for this season's, I was speechless with joy. I had waited for many seasons as five of my six cousins had their turn. This season was supposed to be my cousin Brenda's debut even though she is much younger than me.
I glanced at myself in the mirror my blonde hair straight as a pin, without even a whisper of curls. No matter how much Anne set it for events, it was still flat, lifeless like my uncle often described it.
In my dark brown eyes, where I saw depth, my uncle claimed were dull, at least those are the excuses the 'family ' made when they skipped over me numerous times when picking debutantes.
The one thing about my face they never could fault is my skin; pale as a ghost and smooth as authentic mulberry silk. It was funny how my complexion was my least favorite thing about my face
My favorite feature were my lips and my eyes; partly because they are the features my uncle detested the most.
The numerous times the 'family' which is a code word for my uncle, had skipped my turn, it was always blamed on lack of beauty which was a massive lie. I didn't have the conventionally beautiful features when they were analyzed individually but as a unit, their synergy alone could be considered beautiful.
The real reason for his refusal to present me at the family's candidate was because there were rumors that the Princes will participate in the previous season and my uncle being the man I knew he was, hoped for an advantageous match between one of his daughters and one of the Princes
The heir to the throne being a twin, the two were rumored to be notoriously indistinguishable. Only their parents, siblings and close friends could tell the difference. They were also glaringly not ready for marriage as they were expected to begin their search three seasons ago.
My uncle only named me debutante when he had received information from a credible source that the Princes wouldn't be participating in this season as well. He planned to keep his last daughter for when he was certain they would be available.
I caressed the ceramic bowl on my dresser, it was the last item of pottery my father and I made together before the accident, before the title was passed to my uncle because I was born a female child. Many times, I had wished otherwise. It would not have removed the pain of the loss but it would have eased the life after.
It had numerous carefully crafted butterflies which signified his name for me. I inherited the straightness of my hair for him as well as the color of my eyes.
I picked up the book on my dresser beside the bowl lighting the two of candles on the candelabra. It provided just enough illumination for me to make out the words on the page.
I read till day break.