The Queen in the South

The Attendants

The best part was seeing Flint's face in my dreams. Seeing his smile, the shape and colour of his eyes that I one day hoped and prayed our children would Inherit.

The worst part was waking up in a strange room and realising Flint was miles away.

It was funny. Although Flint had never been unsure of his love for me and would proclaim it over the moutain tops if he could, I hadn't always felt the same way.

The truth was, Flint's extroverted tendencies did nothing but cause anxiety to my introverted self.

I don't know when I became used to his outrageous gestures or his loudness... I don't even know when I fell in love with it all.

All I know is that he once asked if I wanted him to stop bothering me and... I realised that I never wanted a day to go by without seeing or hearing from him.

Mama explained it in the simplest way she could; she said, 'Girl's do not fall in love. Boys fall in love. Girls grow in love."

It was one of the truths that you would want to deny immediately but sit back and observe real life and it will appear plainly and simply.

I grew to love Flint. Like climbers, getting intertwined on the same rail.

How was I supposed to bare with not seeing him. With knowing we were miles apart?

I remembered Trina's words from the night before.

I needed to grow up? To stop thinking about Flint?

In short, to accept my fate.

Maybe she had never been in love. Maybe she had never known or had someone she was willing to go above and beyond for.

I clutched my left hand,wanting to feel the coolness of the gold band around my finger.

"I will ever stop fighting for you either, Flint Park." I whispered to myself.

I sat up in the admittedly comfortable bed I had spent the night in.

I looked out the large windows right opposite me. It was still pretty dim out and I concluded that the sun had not fully risen.

The fabric of my dress felt scratchy on my skin after spending a night in it.

I had wanted to find something else to sleep in but I was too nervous to go into the closet and touch anything.

I still felt like none of it was mine.

I didn't know what time I would be meeting King Joash and Queen Sheila or how it would go.

But I hoped I could make a good first impression.

Trina was right about one thing. I knew nothing about running a kingdom. The Rowlans were my best bet at allies. Maybe if I could impress them and please them enough, they would let me marry whom I wanted.

That was the plan. Learn all I needed to know about this role, this title and try to incorporate some of my self in it all. By that, I meant Flint, my parents, even Stella and her family if they so wished.

I needed to learn all I could about this castle and this land.

I threw the covers off my body and got off my bed. My feet landed on a soft red carpet.

Not bothering to put on shoes, I moved on to the shiny cold wooden floor.

My feet led me to the glass balcony door right opposite my bed.

There was a little latch on the door. I twisted it and twisted the handles on the double doors.

I stepped out onto the balcony which was larger than I thought.