The first thing that runs through my mind, is the fact that I have to walk up stage. This is stupid because I've been walking all my life, it's just that in the last five minutes my walking has been failing me. Devin helps me stand up and I never take my eyes off of him. I don't dare turn around and I don't dare begin my journey of Royalty.
The council must have been searching for youth in the next session, and when they saw me on their list, they must have hoped for a young, smart, and graceful queen, but little did they know they chose the screwup.
"Lee, you need to go up there now. It's time to go." I violently shake my head as Devin's calm whisper and soft hands brush me. I quickly mouth the words "NO NO NEVER."
"Leina Rosalind, please step up to the stage." The council awaits me. Without turning around or leaving Devin's view, I give my answer.
"NO THANKS. I DON'T REALLY WANT TO BE THE QUEEN. THANKS ANYWAY." Hoping I may pass by with this, I smile graciously and slightly turn to the stage where everyone stares me down.
"I apologize Leina Rosalind but by all rules and means you must be crowned the queen as chosen by the council. Please step up to the stage." The announcer was not very kind.
My quick eyes give away my hopeful escape of running past Mother's chair, and Devin grabs me and picks me up.
"Go up there. Now." I shake my head, practically begging with my only available muscles, but Devin brings me up to the front of the crowd, and sets me down to walk up the stairs.
I turn finding hundreds of beady eyes examining the new queen. The surroundings are as quiet as a mouse in the night, and grape juice still drenches me. One of my bows falls from my bird's nest hair and I don't dare to bend over and pick it up. Devin urges me to go as he casually walks back to his seat.
I begin the walk of shame, up the large gold steps. While there are only four, they are the four most important I will ever take. Fortunately, I enter beside the announcer with out a single trip. I hadn't yet seen him from our back seats. His fuzzy brown hair kind of loops off to the side, and his mint green tie is also crooked. He smiles at me and shakes my hand. I don't smile back. I turn to the crowd, astonished at the quietness and the patience. They look like little puppies sitting and awaiting their treat. I try to smile, but it's more of an awkward crick to the sides of my cheeks. Suddenly, I become afraid they are red, or that I have dirt or grape juice stained on my face. I should have checked in the bathroom. Bringing my hand to my cheeks, I casually wipe them, but not as casually as I'd thought.
"Let's hear it for our new Royal Family for session 136!" The crowd only cheers a bit, due to the awkwardness of my presence.
I'm not so sure what happened but it went by so quickly. First we are ushered into the council's main dressing rooms to change into our dining wear. The tailor hands me a pale pink and white rose patterned gown that drapes past my ankles. Then I am given a small, frail, white basket of dark red roses, and am instructed to hand them out to fellow citizens during the tea party. We are set into a blank white carriage with two cloud looking horses and a driver wearing pink. I look down at my new dress, which matches his suit. The sleeves are a bit large, but other than that I have no complaints. The pink is outlined with a white rose pattern, and a large white bow is wrapped around my waist. Logan's suit consists of white and pink patterns as well, and to break the awkwardness I try to start a conversation.
"Well I sure didn't expect this." Great. Now we can talk about nothing because I seem to blurt out every obvious thing in the world.
"Yeah. I sure didn't think they'd pick a pair as young as us." He smiles and brushes his curls out of his face again. I can now recognize him from school but he is two years older than me. I'm glad he's at least kind enough to make chit-chat.
"So, Logan right? What do we do at the tea party?" How is he supposed to know? I'm so stupid.
"You can call me Leo, everyone calls me that, and I think they'll probably let us know before we enter." Leo? Logan to Leo? Oh well.
Suddenly the carriage halts to a stop. In front of us lies the enormous white circus tent placed over neatly trimmed, spring grass. Behind us is the large crowd, whom which most walk their way to the tea ceremony. Nobody is permitted inside, except for council workers, until the Royal Family enters.
"Welcome! You two will enter on the white carpet, and follow it to your thrones, where you will each give a short speech. Don't worry it's nothing too special. Then after the first half hour, you are permitted to leave the throne and walk around, and Leina you may deliver your roses. Try to hand them to the younger children, they love it." A large grinning woman head appears in the carriage. She must be our assistant or something.
"Oh! My name's Tiffany! I'll be by your side whenever you need me!" With her thumbs up, I suddenly recognize her. She delivered my beautiful dress and helped the tailor fix it up.
We both head out on my side of the carriage, the left, and the crowd goes wild like hungry dogs. We wave and smile, and I kind of have fun, however I'm nearly tripping over my long, poofy dress.
Being rushed by Tiffany, we quickly enter the large tent. My first view is of all the glittered up tables. They have luxurious white table cloths and glitter flower pieces in the center. We follow the carpet to our even larger thrones. Red velvet draped, they are at least seven feet tall, and I receive assistance from large council workers onto mine.
Tiffany instructs us to begin waving, and the crowd barges in. The mothers rush to the tables, saving as many seats as possible, while the children dart toward our thrones. All the little girls touch and feel the edge of my dress and wave and giggle. I smile as Tiffany explains the "no-touchy" rule.
"Ladies and gentlemen, please settle for the Royalty Speeches." The announcer beams out the speakers, and families quickly rush to a quiet hush in their seats.
Suddenly it hits me that I must give a speech, and I begin a panic for words. At least the king goes first, this way I can bounce off the same idea as his. He is first introduced by the council members, and stands in front of the microphone.
"Thank you, fellow citizens. It brings me great honor to be your new king, and I hope to work with you to improve the future of our kingdom with new technology, skills, and boosts in our economy. With many duties, I understand this may be a difficult position, but I will work with my absolute best to create a better life for each and every citizen. I appreciate your patience and any advice you may lend as we weave through these next two years. Thank you." I wasn't even listening through half of it. Instead, I flustered through hundreds of words and topics, not finding a single thing to discuss other than my old, grape juice-stained dress.
Before I knew it I was instructed to stand up as I was introduced by the council. The mic stands in front of me, awaiting my voice, yet it did not yet receive it. Staring at the hundreds of children, teens, and adults eating and glaring at my presence, I hold a loss for words. I stand blank for at least a whole minute, and in the corner of my eye I observe gestures being given by Tiffany.
"Ummm. Uh." Nothing. Nothing reaches my mind except for the...
"Let's talk about my dress! I mean, uh, the juice stained one! I mean, uh, OK listen up everyone. When I crashed into that stand, I was completely humiliated, and brought shame to my family, but maybe that's why I was chosen. No, not because it was a coincidence, but maybe because the universe was giving me another chance to prove my worth. I know what you were all thinking when they read my name, 'Oh great they chose the screw up!' But maybe I'm not the screw up! Maybe I'm here to make a difference! I'll work day and night to better this place, because I'll tell you what! This kingdom isn't even close to its best potential! So, don't underestimate me! You may just find a piece of gold under this rock. Thank you." I smirk back to my seat, and it doesn't leave my face until I notice that the entire citizen population consists of shocked facial expressions.
I had just ruined my only chance of being "liked" as a queen. Watching the hundreds of children play and drink their tea, I sulk for the first ten minutes of my seated half hour. However then I notice the gifts being placed.
Every Crowning, the citizen families are required to bring a gift, if they don't they are not permitted into the tent. I spy lots of wrapping, and pick the best one I can see, and begin guessing what is inside. It is a small, cardboard box wrapped in a layer of red wrapping paper and topped with a large, blue bow. I suppose it could very much be a book as it could be a pound of my most favorite pudding cake in the world. Hey! A queen can dream!
After another twenty painful minutes, Leo and I hop off of our monstrous thrones and head over to the cake table. I eye lots of flavors, but sadly receive a false answer when I ask the waiter if any of them are pudding cake. Settling for a chocolate cheesecake, I nearly bump into Devin, with a firm smirk placed upon his lips.
"Now you're even girlier than before! This is seriously the best day of my life!" I kick him in the shin, and hug him as tight as a rubber band and a sandwich. We head over to a private table in the back corner of the tent, but with my current fame, I doubt it will be private for much longer.
"Dev, I... I'm not so sure I'm fit for this. I want to go home with you and Mother. I'm only fourteen, don't you think this is a bit uncalled for?" I dig into the chocolate deliciousness, awaiting an answer.
"Listen, Lee, you can't live your life being afraid of the future. If you begin to miss us, have a carriage ride over to home! I mean, come on! You ARE the queen now!" He smiles and takes a bite of the cherry garnish atop my dessert.
"Where's Mother? I thought she..." I am suddenly interrupted by Tiffany, who explains to me that it is time to deliver my roses. Generously handing me the basket, she outlines where most of the children are and makes sure I understand how much they just "adore" my roses.
I decide to head over towards the open garden area since the food tables are crowded with people of all sizes. I quickly spot a small little brunette wearing a plastic tiara, sniffing at the sunflowers. Bending over into a squat, I hand her a rose and her eyes light up like Christmas lights.
"Here! It matches your tiara." Winking, I point at my glass tiara which had been given to me in the dressing room. Tiffany had explained how it was only temporary, and how the real crowns, for this session, would be delivered this weekend sometime.
After another hour of delivering roses to crying babies, big-eyed children, and impatient adults waiting in line for the cupcake table, the tea party ends, and the crowd exits back to their homes. Leo and I say our final goodbyes to our families, and reenter the carriage.
Smiling back at our old lives, we obtain no knowledge of what the kingdom has in store for us.