Present Day
The sound of feet slapping gravel and quickly lifting off the ground echoed around the courtyard. Kazimiera pumped her arms and reached her legs farther, in hope to make it in time. Her sword thumped against her left thigh, but she ignored it. She hastily darted left through an opening in the maze, after all the years spent in this stuffy place, she had it all completely memorized. She dashed left again, feeling an individual coming up behind her. One more right, and Kamila arrived at the center of the maze.
Kazimiera spun around, meeting the gaze of just the person she was expecting. It was hard to see her face through her white fencing mask but she could make out that smirk through the material.
"What are you waiting for?" Kazimiera teased. And the dance began.
The other individual did the first blow, they heaved the sword above their head and brought it flying down, but Kazimiera blocked it easily. Stopping the blade with her own sword with it horizontal against the other. But it didn't stop there, they both blocked each others blows easily, all while moving very quickly. Their feet scampered across the dirt, dragging dust into the air. Simultaneously their bodies maneuvered around the other blade before it could touch them.
As they moved Kazimiera directed them toward a bench that was near the wall of the giant bush maze, the other individual knew what she was going to do but let her have a try at it. Kazimiera stepped onto the bench and in one quick movement jumped into the air, twirling upside down and reached the tip of her sword toward her rival. The other person didn't even flinch until they quickly jabbed Kazimiera in the chest which threw her off balance so she stumbled and plopped right on her bottom. "Bah!" Kazimiera yelped.
"You never learn." the other one giggled, taking off the mask and revealing her golden hair flowing down her back and stuck to her sweaty forehead. She sucked in the fresh air through her bright pink lips and closed her eyes, relief washed over her freckle covered face.
She reached a hand to help Kazimiera but she slapped it away. She slowly got up groaning in pain from her hurt buttock. She kept her hand held firmly against her lower hip and hobbled around to face her friend.
"Why can't I ever get that right?" Kazimiera huffed. She lifted off her mask which revealed her pent up black curly hair, which laid awkwardly down her back. Kazimiera's tan skin met the sun again and her freckled nose scrunched, something she does when she's thinking.
"I don't know why you need to learn it, I can't even do it." Elvira breathed the words out so effortlessly. "We need to go back anyway, it's lunchtime and King Cassian and Queen Bozena are going to get mad if you're not there on time, Kazzie."
"Ugh, I hate eating with them, they always get mad at me for no reason. I wish they'd yell at my brother for a change." Kazimiera wined, slumping her shoulders and dragging her feet through the gravel. Lexi meanwhile walked tall with her head high.
She wasn't trying to be rude, she was basically trained since birth to walk like that. She was orphaned when she was a baby, so she was sent to a very prestigious boarding school that was very cruel to her. They did teach her a lot though. Everything she learned she taught to Kazimiera, but she didn't whip her whenever she got an answer wrong.
"I really don't want to talk to them today." Kazimiera decided. Elvira's brows furrowed when hearing this.
"But don't worry. You can go somewhere else where my parents see you so you don't get in trouble." Kazimiera quipped when seeing Elvira's stressed appearance.
"Thank you," Elvira breathed. She was a little scared of King Cassian.
Kazimiera and Elvira finally exited the maze and made it to the front steps of the golden and ivory castle, they went their separate ways. Kazimiera jogged up the enormous golden stairs where her footsteps echoed around the castle walls. She walked down long hallways with paintings of all of the kings that ruled her country of Shovonya before her father. All of them bearing monotone faces with ugly moustaches. At the end of the hallway was a tall wooden door with gold embellishments. That was Kazimiera's room. She pressed open the door and let out loud squeaks that sounded like children screaming out their final breaths. King Cassian had refused to get a new one because he wanted to catch the young princess if she ever tried to escape in the night. Of course, Kazimiera was smarter than to use her door, she did have her tricks.
She strided past her beige four poster bed and glided over her thick grey carpet toward the bathroom in the corner. She kicked off her shoes and peeled off her sweaty clothes, and plummeted into the huge tub. She splashed to the surface and gasped from the cold. It must have been ready for a long time. She didn't like having people help her bathe. Frankly it was weird, and she was perfectly capable of doing it herself. She hated how being a princess came with so many unnecessary things. She knows she is privileged and is grateful for all the things she gets, but this isn't the life she wants to live. Kazimiera quickly scrubbed herself clean from all the dirt and sweat and washed her hair with a plethora of delicious smelling products. She dried herself off and changed into a flowy lunchtime dress.
Kazimiera skipped down the ostentatious gold hallways of the palace, her eyeful dress and clean hair swirling behind her. She craned her neck to get a good look at the ceiling, the abnormally large hallways never failed to amaze her with its beauty. She took note of the amount of people cleaning today, there were more than usual. She was curious but brushed it off.
She slowed when she turned the corner nearing the eating hall. She's learned that the conversation changes when she enters the room, so she tiptoes closer to the entryway like a panther ready to strike listening to her parents' hushed voices for interesting news that she would have otherwise been left out of.
"It's the best thing for the country. She doesn't know-" Kazimiera recognised her father's voice but right as she was getting to the good stuff, she stepped on a creak in the floorboard. Kazimiera winced at her own stupidity.
"Come in." He declared, with his back turned to Kazimiera.
Kazimiera's parents look like they took their genetics and stirred them in a mixing pot and painted her and her younger brother with the perfect blend of their DNA. They have their mother's nose, but their father's eyes, while they both have very dark brown hair, Kazimiera's is curly while her brother's is stick straight. Their skin was darker than their mother's, but lighter than their father's. Sadly, no one took on Queen Bozena's blonde hair and blue eyes.
Her father is the king of Shovonya, and her mother is the queen, although it's just a name. She can't do anything since she's not the king. Which is a polite way of saying she can't do anything because she's a woman. She was the daughter of a very important noble in her home country of Begona, but she was in an arranged marriage to her father. If she had tried to get out of it, she would've been killed. She had no choice, she was trapped forever, everyday would be an act. She pitied her. Kamila vowed she would leave, and go far away if this fate were to ever happen to her.
She sighed and dragged her feet to her seat, two chairs away from where her father sat, his nose buried in important papers. She pulled out the chair, causing the wooden legs to scratch the floor, earning a dissatisfied glance from her mother who sat diagonally from her, and plopped down causing the chair to skit a little bit more.
Kazimiera hated eating with her family. She tries to avoid it as much as possible. Getting up early and eating breakfast without them is something she does daily, and so often they have balls and meetings that she gets left out of, so Elvira sneaks her something they can munch on together and talk about all the things Lexi overheard during work, and all the annoying things Kazimiera's brother, Florian, did to her that day.
But lunch she could hardly get out of, like right now.
Kazimiera studied the paintings on the ceiling above where she sat, and the gold trim around the enormous floor to ceiling windows that viewed the village on the bottom of the hill the castle sat. Ugh there's too much gold. Kazimiera thought. And it's too big, why do we need all of this?
"Kazimiera, were you dancing again today?" Her mother questioned.
"Yes." Kazimiera answered simply. Of course not. While her parents think she's learning how to ballroom dance, she's actually learning something useful.
Her mother eyed her strangely, Kazimiera already knew where this was going.
"You shouldn't be working out this much, none of the princes are going to want to marry you.'' She spoke with artificial sweetness and a coy smile, which Kazimiera took as passive aggression.
The young princess sat up straight giving her mother her full attention. "Oh, what a shame it would be to not get married! All these handsome princes rejecting me, all because they're jealous of my big strong muscles." She sighed and looked down at her hands on her lap, pretend pouting.
Queen Bozena caught on and was immediately repulsed by her daughter speaking to her in such a rude tone.
"How dare you speak to me like that! I am your mother and your Queen, I deserve to be treated with respect!" She snapped, her face twisting in anger.
Kazimiera was outraged."Respect?" She screeched. "You talk about how I should respect you, but never do the same for me! You put no pressure on Florian to get married or attend balls or sit up straight or wear ridiculously uncomfortable clothes, you always tell him what a great King he'll be, I can't even hear about what's happening in my own country!"
Right when Kazimiera expected her mother to erupt like a volcano the large double doors leading to the kitchen open to see around 10 maids and butlers enter the room carrying porcelain plates and bowels varying in size and what they contained. They set down each person's plate in front of them, Kazimiera flashing a smile and thanking the maid that set down her plate.
Her mother always does this. She yells at Kazimiera from behind doors, but as soon as anyone walks in she acts like everything is okay. It doesn't even matter because they can hear everything.
Florian dove into his food, not caring about what their father would say or what kind of look their mother would toss their way. Kazimiera watched her brother as he picked apart his food, if she hadn't trained this morning she would've lost her appetite, but she was starving and the food smelled so mouth-watering.
Her mother glared at her as she passive-aggressively chewed on their food.
She was only three bites in when she heard her father clear his throat.
Everyone stopped what they were doing and looked his way immediately. He had a serious look on his face, King Cassian always did, but it was different this time, Kazimiera noticed. She was able to pick up on the smallest details thanks to her parents being extra strict. Another instinct that kicked in was that if her father cleared his throat, something serious would happen. Her heart dropped to her stomach, anxiety washed over her like a wave.
"I would just like everyone to know that tonight we will be inviting King Adrien of Kellick and his royal court over for a gala, which I should remind you all that you are all expected to be there." He stated sternly, eyeing Kazimiera.
Kazimiera's mouth dropped opened in surprise. A gala? With dancing and people looking at you? She's never been to a gala before, her parents were too embarrassed of her. And she's never taken a dance class a day in her life, and worst of all, King Adrien!
He is the king of their neighboring country, Kellick. He was incredibly handsome with beautiful blonde hair, bright green eyes and a beautiful smile. He became King two years ago When his father, King Gabriel of Kellick died. King Adrien was her age when he was forced to be King, since he is an only child and his mother died years ago. He is very kind and handsome and Kamila does admit to having a crush on him. Which is why she was panicking.
Everyone's eyes will be on her. No one outside of the workers in the castle have ever seen Kazimiera in person. She knew she was about to make a big fool of herself. When large political figures, like King Adrien, would visit the castle Kazimiera would hide in her room and then sneak down stairs and spy through the keyhole to hear what was happening and swoon over King Adrien's voice.
Something bad must have happened, because why in all of Shovonya would her parents rush her into having her first Gala tonight with King Adrien of all people? She had a bad feeling about this.
Author's Note:
Okay so this is the first chapter i wrote when i first came up with this story way back in like july but since im a dumbass i didnt realise it was finished and i could post it. also i have no motivation to write at all but im trying so yea.