Finally Free!

A Break

Duke Loyd comes forward and welcomes everyone, especially the ones being introduced to society. Then he starts to say, "Now, what we do here is very different from other areas of the country. When you come to visit you will be giving of yourself and your time by visting the poor communities, feeding them and making clothes for them as the poor community needs to support to get out of where they are now." Everyone claps so we copy and then everyone dances about for some time.

I sit on the sidelines after having one dances. I watch as Tobin, Lantana and Aster dance with Clover. Even some of the boys dance with Magnolia like almost all of them. Radley dances with random lonely women and they have a good time. I smile as I watch them all.

Soon, dinner is served so everyone makes their way to sit on these pillow-like items placed on the floor. We eat with our hands and with cutlery. No one seems to judge anyone even if they choose to sit on a chair at a nearby table, but I enjoy the culture of this area of my country as do members of my family.

As soon as everyone is finished, some get up and move about while others sit to chat with each other or go somewhere else.

I watch everyone just to observe my people and then I notice Clover leaving everyone as she runs to the gardens in tears it seems. I slowly get up and make my way over to the gardens along with my guards just to find her crying silently as she sits by a beautiful fountain.

I walk over without trying to be quiet and I see her hurriedly wipe her tears away as she notices me. She gets up and curtsies, "Your Highness."

I sit where she was once sitting and she sits down beside me.

"Are you going to tell me what is bothering you?" I ask her kindly. She sighs after some time and says, "You know that we have to get married at the very least by the time we reach eighteen?" I shake my head, "No, but I had a feeling that was the case." "Do you know that if you don't then your parents will just choose someone for you?" she asks me and I sigh. "To be honest, I had a feeling," I say with a smile, "I feel like it is a given when the whole country depends on whether there are heirs for a certain role or not." She nods, "There is just a lot of pressure to choose and it gets overwhelming."

"Well," I say curiously, "what is your concern?" "Well....we have all been trained to be nobles, but the score we are given really determines whether we are considered smart and I am quite low on the bar. The lowest score you can get is 5 and 10, which is a total of 15. I am a 16. That is a level 2. That sucks," she says with sadness in her eyes.

I sigh, "Maybe you can view it that way, but I think people have it all wrong. Honestly, people don't only look at the level or the number, but they look at the quality of who you are, your personality and what you have taken as your specifics." She laughs as I say the last one, "So it is important." I nod, "That is what they looked at to question my qualifications. My score is 22, but I don't have much to show for it according to them." "But I look at both," she says with a sigh, "and I am just average."

"Well let's look at the guys you have as options," I say enthusiastically, but after some time I start to realise that she cares too much about the score, "look, you have a lot in common with Tobin. Yes, you may have the same score as Lantana and he is a Duke but personality matters too. Have you learnt anything about them?" "Tobin is nice and carefree like a child really," she says thoughtfully, "but Lantana is more mature then him. He does have a rough personality but he is kind just misunderstood I believe. He is not as bad you think. I know you have a biased view but you should keep in mind that Tobin has a few options because of his score while Lantana doesn't." I furrow my brows as I think about that, "What do you mean?" "No one in society will marry anyone who is smarter then them if they are to be the leader," she says honestly, "you cannot be thought to be undeserving and have your spouse take over operations." I sigh, "Oh that. I have heard of that. Well, it is your choice in the end, but who else are options for Tobin?"

"He has Allegra, Ivory, Autumn and Spirit," she says honestly. "And why do you know all this?" I ask with a chuckle. "Cause, like you said, heirs are important and it is a part of our life so it is important to know who you can choose and who you are competing with," she says kindly, "and I will tell you honestly, there are a lot of people who have me on their list because of my level. Sadly, a lot are left without a wife or husband so they turn to those in the community, but sometimes people make a selfish choice. For example, I know Princess Magnolia likes Duke Gael, but they both will get ranks so they should choose people who will be left without. Will that really happen?"

She just gives me a look and I laugh. "I mean," I say honestly, "rules are meant to be broken, but would that really mess things up." "Yes," she says honestly, "because it means that their is no order to choosing and it's not like she won't find someone else to be happy with, Your Highness. Look at you, you chose someone you barely knew. Was it really for your benefit?" I smile at her and nod, "You are smarter than you think. You would make an amazing adviser."

She laughs as she thinks about it, "Maybe." "We will have to see," I say suggestively as we get up to start walking back to the ball.

When we walk in, Queen Hesperia comes up to us and we both curtsy.

She smiles at us, "You guys sneaking away from the party?" We shake our head and then laugh.

"Your Majesty," Clover says kindly, "how did you find a guy you love so much?" She laughs but her eyes darken, "It was arranged, but it was the best decision my father ever made." Clover sighs, "Maybe an arranged marriage would be best for me." My eyes widen, "Just because it worked for us doesn't mean it will work for you. Also, your mother will choose someone she likes and the qualities she prefers which may not be the things you like."

Clover sighs and excuses herself so she can talk to her mother.

Queen Hesperia looks at me and sighs, "She has no idea." I groan silently, "We have been through a lot haven't we?" She nods, "I haven't talked to anyone about it and you?" I shake my head, "No, I haven't told anyone the full story. No one knows." "Maybe one day we can at least tell each other," she says with a hopeful look, "maybe when my father has disappeared off the face of this earth." The hate in her eyes is fierce and I want to hug her, but I know how it feels to be touched when so many have abused it so I let her be.

"Yeah, one day," I say with a smile and she nods strongly.