Flight

Chapter One

          "Not so tight, please, Jeanine," I manage to squeeze out. One of my maids is crouched behind me, tying up my corset until I find myself gasping for each breath. Today is the day; the day I will finally meet my suitor, Prince Shane. I need to look absolutely perfect. Mother always tells me that appearance is everything, and that I must use my beauty to woo the prince. She says he is not much of a talker, but I'm not sure how to interpret that. All I can think about right now is what I have learned in my lessons. Since I was seven, I've been taught to be a "proper lady," as father likes to call it. Until my schooling began, I didn't know that a lady could be proper or improper. But I have learned in the time since then. I know now what it means to be a lady and where their responsibilities lie. Although I find most to be rather trivial and un-challenging for a woman, it's my duty to follow the rules. I know them by heart after so much time. I list them in my mind as I sit in front of my large mirror and smooth down my chocolate brown hair so that Jeanine can properly sculpt it into my favorite braided bun. I have pale olive skin, and I frown at its unusual pallor in the mirror, fear setting in. Maybe Prince Shane will dislike me, or even call off the marriage. I am already nineteen, and the kingdom is relying on my courtship. Mother and Father are struggling to support the commoners at the moment, and my marriage with the prince will bond our poverty-stricken kingdom with a much wealthier one. The fate of our people rests on my shoulders, and it suddenly feels heavier than ever.

          I allow myself to rest while Jeanine ties up my hair. The first lesson I learned in my royalty classes was to always maintain a calm and orderly composure. Focusing on this, I breathe quietly and gradually gain control over my tumultuous emotions, closing my eyes. When I reopen them, Jeanine is gone and I sit alone, my eyes staring back at me and seeming like a bottomless pool.

          Mother enters the room and rests her hand on my elbow, gently pulling me up from my seat. "Hello, darling."

          This is how I know today is important. I love my parents, but they don't show me much affection. An endearing term is rare, and Mother only uses it when she wants something. In this case, a very particular something.

          Pushing back my thoughts, I smile in response. "Hi. How did you sleep?" My nerves are too riled to say more than that.

          "Oh, me? I slept fine. But what about you? It's your big day, after all."

          I bite my lip for a moment. Mull over the question. "I slept alright," I lie.

          "Remember your duty to your kingdom and to your people," she nods with a small smile. "I have full faith that you know the meaning of today's proceedings." She pauses, staring at me closely, but all I can do is nod. What am I supposed to say to that? I can tell that she is afraid as well. "Prince Shane is waiting outside," she declares calmly and guides me towards the crimson double doors that lead away from my bedroom.

          "Just a moment. Please." My words come out in a quick breath, and Mother jumps the slightest bit. I calm myself. "I'll be outside in a moment, I mean...if you could wait for me, please."

          She backs away reluctantly, shutting the door behind her, and I collapse onto my bed. Is this really the course of my life? I always knew I would be given away one day for the benefit of my kingdom. But now that the time is here, it feels so much more violating...so much more real. Approaching the doors, I feel a piece of me shut down; the piece that never wanted me to sell myself for money. But that is in the past now, and I greet Mother outside.

          We descend down a long flight of marble staircases, and my heart skips a beat when I see the prince standing with his mother and father, hands crossed behind his back. He wears a dashing blue and white suit, and his blonde hair is perfectly groomed. He is beautiful. Hesitant to seem overly excited, I keep my slow pace and finally reach the bottom of the stairs, gliding over to him and delivering a perfectly practiced curtsy. He bows in response and flashes a gentlemanly grin. So far, the encounter seems right out of a book. We are two dolls being pushed together by our parents, like the dolls I used to play with.