Royale (Book #1 Royale Series) {Under Revision}

Chapter Thirteen {Revised}

         

Juliana

I jerk awake from my slumber and survey the vast chamber. It has been almost a week since I was forced to move in here, and I still am not used to the space. The room is so big that the darkness seems to stretch for miles. It is only the moon that cascades through the glass doors on the other side of the room that gives the chamber a dull illumination. But it is not enough to quell the loneliness. I look over at the clock.

     2:30 A.M. it reads. I toss in the sheets, an ill-fated attempt to fall back asleep, but it does not come.

I crawl out of the bed and peek into the next room. I can hear Aspen's steady breaths as he sleeps silently. His feet are stretched out beyond the couch and his big arms are propped behind his neck. The plush couch is no match for Aspen's body. It does not look like a comfortable sleep. And yet, there has been no complaint from Aspen. Never once has he asked to sleep in the bed. He has not even offered to alternate rooms, even though we both know I'd be far more comfortable on the couch than he is. For my small form, the couch would suffice just fine. And even still, I have not offered. In fact, until now the thought has not even crossed my mind.

     Because you are selfish, my subconscious scolds me. And even at the same time that I curse the voice of shame in my head, I know that it is right. Seldom do I ever consider others. I am reminded once again that maybe my ruthless cousin has me pegged exactly right.

I softly step away from the entrance to the sitting room where Aspen sleeps peacefully and tiptoe to the balcony, careful so that my footsteps do not wake Aspen. He has proven himself to be a light sleeper over the course of the nights we've spent together.

The moon is beautiful tonight. A silent guardian of the earth. Shining and beaming and bright. And on this night, all the stars have awakened to join the moon, helping in their effort to light the earth on such a dark night. Down below, beyond the palace and the trees and greenery that guard it, I can faintly see the street lights from the city shining. I sigh, a strange peace entering my heart. But it is fleeting.

As soon as the peace finds me, it is replaced by...something else. Worry, fear, perhaps even shame. Is it really my place to stand in a palace filled with jewels and shining stars of its own, when I was born to be down there, in the city? I was meant to be a commoner. I was meant to dream up this life, not live it. And why me? Why could it not have been some other girl, who right now, stands at her own window with mussed hair and a cotton nightgown, waiting for her father to return home from his second job?

I push the thoughts away. I did not ask to be a princess. I did not ask to be heir to a throne.

     The stars create your path, Julie, my father once told me. They led you to us, to the throne. And they do not make mistakes.

I glance down at my engagement ring. The light from the moon cascades on the stone, and its beauty at this moment holds no comparison. But it still feels strange on my finger. Heavy. Though it has only been a day, I'm not sure that I will ever get used to it. My breath will always hitch in my throat upon seeing it. And perhaps it's because it isn't really meant for me. It's meant for an image of me that I haven't quite come to terms with yet. The image of a queen. The image of being someone's wife. Aspen's wife.

If I were any other seventeen-year-old girl, I would now be in my twelfth level of studies. Soon after, I would take the Test, an exam that measures personality and academic skill to determine the correct career path. And from there, I would go on to Greater Studies, following the path the Test paved out for me.