"-or I could use a red satin; it would make it easier for you to stand out in the crowd," said the seamstress. "This is your party, after all." She's still talking, Ro thought, horrified. Dear god, my mind is melting.
"What about a pale yellow?" chimed Myrtle, seeing her lady's obvious discomfort. "The color compliments her eyes, and her hair is dark enough for it to work." The seamstress nodded, writing it down in a small notebook. After a few minutes, she had a sketch of the design.
The first thing that caught Ro's eye was the train. "Uh, how long were you gonna make that...?"
"Yes, it'll be royal length."
"Which is?"
"Ten feet long," the woman said nonchalantly. Rosalie's eyes went wide.
"Do you expect me to walk with that?" Ro said incredulously. The seamstress nodded. "No. I'm not really particular on the style and color or anything, but this is where I step in," she said. "I'm letting you do your job of making me look royal, but it's a ball. Everyone is going to be stepping on your hard work, or worse, I'll mess it up. A train is okay, but please be reasonable."
"That was just an idea, but you are right," the woman agreed. "My apologies, your highness. Now, back to the design..." And here's my que to zone out. She continued to look at the sketch, thinking it would be a beautiful gown. It was off the shoulder with a small dip in the middle of the neckline. The skirt would be full and flowing. If the seamstress made it yellow, she'd look something like Belle. Then it really would be a disney movie, Ro thought idly. Corvin could be the beast, but he's too handsome. Hold on, Ro. Don't go there. That's a dangerous line of-
"Please stand, your highness, so I can get your measurements," she said. Five minutes later, Rosalie was alone. The seamstress had finished, and Myrtle left since Ro didn't need anything.
Sighing, Ro sat in one of the chairs in her study. Wow, she thought. I could probably fall asleep like this. Before she could act on that, a knock came from her door. Ro groaned and pulled herself up.
"Yes? Lady Haley!" Ro smiled. Her kidnapper, as Ro so fondly called the twins, stood in training clothes.
"Since young Corvin went back to the school, Gaius has asked me to help you train for the coming weeks," Fausta explained. "And please, call me Fausta."
"Only if you call me Rosalie."
"Deal," Fausta smiled. "Now get ready. I've heard you're quite a beast with twin swords, and I'm ready to test it."
ε
Training with Fausta was simple, but effective. They stretched and did warm ups for twenty minutes, did ten laps around the training yard, then sparred with fists or weapons. Despite her oddly natural talent, she still had room for improvement. "Everyone does," Fausta reasoned. Sometimes she fought against the other soldiers in the yard; she won nearly every time through her quick wit.
Her week went by surprisingly fast. Every day, she woke up, had breakfast with her uncle, trained with Fausta, then retired to her room to freshen up and do whatever she felt like. Most of her free time was spent learning more about her kingdom and practicing control of power.
By the end of the week, she could effectively levitate medium sized objects, like books, for nearly half an hour. If she put effort into it, she could lift her vanity for two minutes. Healing came easily to her as well. Myrtle had dropped a glass, cutting her hand. Ro was able to heal it with hardly any trace of a cut left over. She wanted to practice further, but purposefully slicing open her maid's hand wasn't something Ro would do.
The ball was planned for saturday evening, with the final fitting for her dress on friday. She kept being poked with pins when she moved; she couldn't help being excited, since Corvin said he would be there Friday. As the thought crossed her mind, there was a knock at the door. "Myrtle, could you get that?" Ro asked, her heart beating faster.
She could hear Myrtle talking to someone at the door. It was muffled since the fitting was in her bedroom. A moment later, King Gaius poked his head through the door. Ro's face fell. "What, thought I was someone else?" he teased.
"Maybe," she grumbled. She looked at herself in the mirror. The seamstress was still adjusting the hem.
"Ro, you shouldn't be like that," said Corvin, sauntering through the door. Ro stuck her tongue out and folded her arms, not-so-secretly happy he was there. Corvin laughed.
"Well, what else am I supposed to do?" she said. "I'd punch your shoulder, but I get stuck with a needle every time I move more than an inch.
"The dress looks lovely," Gaius complimented the seamstress.
"Thank you, your majesty; it was an honor to make another gown for royalty," she thanked.
"I'm sorry for not making things easier," Ro apologized. "I'll admit I had completely forgotten what you had designed once you left, but this is truly a beautiful gown."
The woman laughed and shook her head. "A gown is only as beautiful as the woman wearing it." That made Rosalie blush, muttering a small 'thank you'. "I'm finished. You can get down now." Ro stepped off the small stool she had been standing on and looked in the mirror.
"Woah," was all she could say. The pale yellow fabric shimmered slightly and draped elegantly. Ro slowly spun, trying to take it all in. "This is...stunning." The seamstress smiled as Ro gave her a hug. "You did an amazing job. Thanks for not making me look like a canary," Ro joked. The woman patted the girl's back and left, taking her supplies with her. "Now's the real challenge: dancing in it without killing myself."
Gaius, who until then had been leaning against the wall, slipped away unnoticed at some point. "Coward," Ro muttered.
"Do you know how to dance?" Corvin asked. Ro shook her head, making him laugh. "Come here, and I'll show you enough to keep you from killing yourself." He held out his hands to her.
She gave a dramatic sigh. "Oh, alright. I know I'm not going to escape this, so I might as well," she conceded. "One hand on your shoulder, and the other in your hand, right?" He nodded. "I've seen enough teeny-bopper movies to know how to do this..." she said quietly.
"I'm not quite sure what you said, but I'm going to assume it wasn't important," Corvin smiled, placing a hand on her waist.
"Ohhhhhh boy. That feels weird," Ro squirmed at his touch.
"Stop being silly," he chided. "If you just let your partner lead, you'll be fine." He stepped back, counting in time. "Most men just go in a simple square."
"So I'm just gonna be doing this all night?" she asked. Corvin smirked and swung her around, taking on a faster pace, spinning her around and making her dress flow. Her face soured, making him laugh. He led them in a wide circle around her room and stopped in the middle.
"That wasn't so hard, was it?" he finally said.
"If you spin me like that tonight, I'm going to kick you in the shin."
"All you need to do is follow my lead, and you'll survive," he repeated. They stood there for another moment, her glaring and him smirking back. She broke away first, taking her hand off his shoulder and slipping away.
"Fine. You win this round," Ro grumbled. "Now get out. I'll get on training clothes and meet you in the yard in twenty minutes."
"Are you sure you won't get lost?" he teased.
She rolled her eyes. "Yes, I'm sure." He turned and left.
ε
A few minutes later, she was ready. Stepping out of her room, she walked to her uncle's chambers to tell him she'd be training. The guards at the door stopped her.
"I'm sorry, your highness, but he is currently in a meeting with Sir Haley and asked not to be disturbed," said one.
"He's given me permission to come in at anytime," Ro said, turning the knob and entering. She stepped into his main sitting room; it was much larger and grander than hers, but she didn't mind. The only person who visited her room was Corvin. Oh, that sounded bad, she cringed. Ro walked past into his study, still no sign. Laughter came from her uncle's bedroom. His bedroom...?
Walking in, she immediately regretted not listening to the guard. Sir Haley was laid out on the bed, his shirt off. Gaius was in the process of lifting his own, throwing it to the side and leaning over to kiss the knight. Ro gaped at the sight, stammering apologies. The two men noticed her and froze like deer in headlights. "I was gonna tell you that I'm going down to train with Corvin and if you'd like to join us but you seem kinda busy so I'm just gonna go and pretend I didn't see anything," she gushed.
Ro turned and walked briskly out into the hallway, pausing to glare at the guard. "You could've told me it was that kind of meeting," she muttered, speed walking away to the training yard.
ε
A few minutes later, Ro was in the yard. Corvin was standing by the entrance, waiting for her. She was still feeling awkward over the position her uncle was in. Corvin noticed. "Are you alright, Ro?"
"No, not really, but I'm alright enough to kick your butt," she retorted. She was trying to rush to the weapon rack, but was stopped by a hand on her shoulder. "Corvin, really I'm fine." Turning, she saw Fausta instead.
"I'm assuming you stopped by the king's rooms?" the older woman teased.
"The guards said he was in a meeting, but they didn't tell me what kind..." Ro grumbled.
"No matter; it's been like that since we were in school," Fausta replied. "They've always been close friends." A wink was thrown at the end, making Ro roll her eyes.
"Yea, whatever, can I start swinging this at Corvin's head now?" Ro asked, waving around the long sword she picked up at random.
"Hey!" Corvin said mockingly. "You wound me!"
"I'll actually wound you once you pick up a sword," Ro snarked back. They circled each other, neither being serious.
"What normally happens at these balls?" she asked, landing a small nick on his thigh right off the bat. He blocked a blow to his arm.
"It's boring most of the time; talking to people you don't want to talk to, dancing with people you don't want to dance with," he answered. The flat of his sword smacked against her side, making her hiss with pain. That's gonna bruise.
"So it's a few hours of being bored?"
"Not if you have good company," he winked and aimed for her head, which she easily blocked. "And once you have the first dance, I doubt anyone will force you to dance."
Ro dropped her stance. "Wait a minute," she said. "First dance? As in, me opening the ball by dancing with some random noble?" He nodded. "You're going to dance with me first."
"Why not someone else?"
"Because I actually like you," she joked, and looked up to the sky. The sun had nearly set. "We didn't get to do much, but we should probably call it quits." With a nod from Corvin, they put away their weapons and set off for her room, stopping by the kitchens to grab some food first.
Once they got back to the royal suites, they found Sir Haley waiting outside her door. "Uh, Sir Haley, I'm sorry about interrupting your, uh, meeting with my uncle earlier," she said.
He chuckled awkwardly. "Well, we didn't count on you being stubborn enough to come in." They stood for another cringe-filled moment as Corvin looked on with confusion. "Well, I need to go for now, but I hope you understand our situation," Sir Haley said.
"Yea, I understand," Ro replied. "I assume I'll see you at the ball tomorrow night?"
"Without a doubt. Farewell, your highness." And with that, he strode away from them and out of sight.
"What was that about?" Corvin asked.
"I'll tell you later," Ro groaned and opened the door. "Lemme get into better clothes. I'll be back out in a minute." She came out of her bedroom in her ever faithful sweater-leggings duo. "It's later," she said, taking a seat by the fireplace and biting into one of the sandwiches they were given. "My uncle and Sir Haley are sleeping together."
Corvin nearly dropped the sandwich he had been holding. "What?" he said, his eyes wide. "As in sleeping sleeping together?"
"Yea," she said, nodding.
"Wow," he whispered. "So what he said out there-"
"Yea," Ro cringed.
"Oh."
"I've been working on my magic," Ro said, breaking a small silence. Her hand glowing, she opened and closed her bedroom doors, picked up a few books, and floated around a vase of flowers without spilling the water.
"You've done quite a bit in just a week," Corvin stated. "I'm impressed." His eyes took on a mischievous glint. "But can you do this?" His hand was covered in a soft white glow as he picked her up and lifted her up three feet off the ground.
"Woah, woah, woah," Ro said. "Corvin, put me down." He complied. "No, I can't do that."
"But I can do this." She leaned over and placed two fingers over the cut she inflicted on him earlier. In a few seconds, only a red line remained. "Pretty neat, huh?"
Corvin yawned. "I think I'm going to go home," he said. "My parents were expecting me an hour ago."
"Then why'd you stay with me?" Ro asked. "You didn't have to go to the training yard with me."
He shrugged. "It sounded fun. I'd say you should get some beauty sleep, but you don't need it." He winked and laughed at her flustered look "Goodnight, Rosalie. I'll see you tomorrow."
"Goodnight, Corvin."
ε
The following day was a flurry of motion. Most of the halls were crowded with staff running to and from the ballroom. Ro spent most of the day being unnecessarily being pampered by Myrtle and three other maids. When she saw them in her room after breakfast, she was bewildered. "Uh, guys? You do realize the ball isn't for another five hours, right?" They wouldn't take no for an answer.
A bath was drawn, where they scrubbed every inch of her with sweet smelling soap. Who knew a bath would take an hour? Ro thought at one point. They sat her down at her vanity and argued over how to best style her hair to fit the tiara she would be wearing; they settled on twisting and pinning the hair in a ring around her head, and her bangs would be rolled back to make a seat for the crown. Two hours for her hair, most of it being the maids arguing, and another hour for what little makeup they put on. Finally, she was allowed to put on the carefully constructed dress and a silver tiara.
"Am I ready now?" asked a less than enthused Rosalie. One of the maids teared up at the sight. "Uh, is she alright?"
Myrtle stepped forward to hug Ro. "You're beautiful, Miss Rosalie," the woman said. "And yes, you are."
ε
Ro stood at the top of the stairs where she would enter, trying her best not to fidget. I am beautiful. I am graceful. I am going to throw up. Ro turned around to try and run, but was stopped by one of the guards assigned to wait with her.
"You'll be fine, your highness," he said. Trumpets started blaring, and they could hear Gaius talking once it stopped. Ro stood straight and glanced at her reflection in the guard's armor to make sure her crown was sitting correctly.
"Here goes nothing," she muttered. The curtains separating her from the ball were pulled aside to show the brightly lit ballroom. Before she could back out, Rosalie smiled benevolently and stepped into the light.
When they saw her, whispers went through the crowd. Ro ignored them and started down the stairs, desperately searching for Corvin. He was dashing in a blue suit jacket and white pants. Hoping her relief wasn't visible, she walked over to him as regally as she could muster. He winked at her once she offered her hand, making her smile genuine.
They walked to the center of the room and took position. Just like sparring, Ro. The music started slowly, as did they. All eyes were on them. Ro could feel the jealous stares of other noblemen trained on Corvin's back. She didn't care.
Corvin started them off slowly like they had in her room. The music reached a faster tempo. He spun her around and grabbed her expertly. Following the circle of people, they made their way around the room. Without warning, Corvin picked her up by her waist and spun again to let her skirt billow. She squeaked softly. Once she was back on the ground, she managed to discreetly kick him. They both laughed, not caring about the crowd watching their every move.
As it had began, so it ended: too soon. They stood for a moment while the music died out and parted. He bowed deeply, to which she gave a small curtsy in return. The crowd clapped politely before couples paired off and entered the floor, the music starting again.
"May I have one more dance?" Corvin asked, holding his hand. "Then I promise I'll let you find other partners."
"I'd say yes, even if you didn't let me go," Ro replied. They didn't dance as freely as before out of consideration for the other dancers. Once the music ended, Rosalie didn't want to let go. Corvin's mother tapped his shoulder.
"Mind if I steal him for dance, deary?"
"He isn't mine for you to steal," she laughed.
"Of course, dear, of course," Lady Duarte said patronizingly. Ro turned and bumped into Lord Avila.
"Oh," Ro's face fell. "Hello, Lord Avila."
"Your highness, may I have this dance?" he asked politely.
"Yes, of course," she answered, not at all happy about it. Don't show it, Ro, she thought. "How are you, Lord Avila?"
"I'm doing well, thank you," he said, taking her hand, "but I'd do better if you would call me Orville instead."
Ro fought the urge to roll her eyes, but complied. "Orville, then," she said, flashing a prize winning smile. She was an actor, after all. "I've been so busy studying, that I haven't familiarized myself enough with the lords and ladies of the world. Where does your family live?"
"We preside over the city of Terra and the surrounding area," Orville said, seeming bored at the topic. "My parents are grooming me to be the next leader, but between you and I, I wanted to train to be a knight." He sighed. "Alas, my younger sister got lucky."
"I didn't know you had a sister," Ro replied, trying to keep the conversation off of herself. "She goes to Equites Fortes, then?"
He nodded, spinning her in time to the music. "Little Vida is ranked number four," he said, "although little doesn't quite apply anymore. She can flip me on my back in three seconds." Ro laughed.
"I could do that, too," she said, smirking. "Fausta has practically been a slave driver, but it pays off." The music ended, and they parted ways politely. Ro turned to leave the floor and bumped into Gaius. "Uncle G!" she exclaimed.
"Rosalie, my dear, it would be an honor to dance with you," he answered, taking her hand. "I've been meaning to talk to you before anyone else had a chance to snatch you away."
"Before you start, there's something I've been wondering..." she started. "What's my real name? The one my parents gave me?"
"Rosalie Aelia Celesté," Gaius answered without hesitation. "Why do you ask?"
"It just seemed like everyone already knew my name without me telling them," Ro replied. "I wonder how they knew my name when I was on earth..."
Gaius laughed. "It's because it was one of three things you could say," he explained. "Yes, no, and Rosalie you could say perfectly. The maids and your mother used to chase you around the nursery calling your name, so every time something you didn't like happened, you'd say your own name." He seemed cheerful at the memory. "You probably said it so much that they rightly guessed it was your name."
Rosalie chuckled at the thought. "Yea, that makes sense. What did you want to talk to me about?"
His face fell. "Our cousins are waiting to meet you," he said, clearly unhappy about it. "They're...unusual, to say the least. Still sore that they didn't get a chance at the crown, since they're next in line after you."
"Can we go towards the edge, please? I'd like to stop dancing for now."
"Yes, of course," Gaius complied. They stepped up to the two thrones moved into the ballroom for them. "They're dangerous, Rosalie," he whispered urgently. "I've always been suspicious that they planned out you and your parents deaths. And with how I am, they knew I wouldn't bring myself to produce an heir. I couldn't do that to Raoul, no matter how I tried."
"You think that they'll try something?" she asked, incredulous. "But why would they-"
"Power is an addicting thing, Rosalie," he explained. "I just wanted to warn you. There's no avoiding them; trust me, I've tried. Be careful, my dear. I've just gotten you back, and I couldn't bear to lose you again."
At that moment, a young man around Rosalie's age stepped up the dais. "Your highness, may I have this dance?" Ro gave one last glance to her uncle before stepping down.
"Yes, of course." After that dance, Ro was passed around from person to person. They were all the same, trying to impress her with their titles, land or riches. She hardly remembered their names, not that she cared. Every conversation went the same. "How was earth? Weren't you unhappy there? I have so much money. Did you hear that so-and-so was wearing..." and on it went.
For hours, she had to practically run away from people trying to dance with her. Three men got into a fist fight over her, which she quickly shut down by breaking their wrists and leaving them to mope. Vultures, all of them, she thought with disdain. She managed to get to the refreshment table a few times to recover from the most recent onslaught of stupid questions, only to be flooded with ladies complimenting everything, from her dress and hair to her fingernails. Who compliments fingernails? Seriously?
By the time the ball had only half an hour left, Ro was ready for it to be over. This wouldn't be so bad if Corvin was here, she thought more than once. Drinking her latest glass of water, she turned and accidentally spilled some on a man. He was tall with dark hair and blue eyes with flecks of violet. "Oh, I am so sorry!" Ro cried. She had spilled water across his red jacket.
"No, your highness, it's perfectly alright," he said. "It's my fault, really. I shouldn't have spooked you like that. Besides, I can do this." his hand glowed a pale purple and lifted the water away from his jacket in a floating orb. It rose away from him and landed back in Ro's glass.
"That...is really cool," she said in awe. "I gotta learn how to do that." The man laughed at her declaration.
"My name is Dorian Celesté, and I am your cousin," he introduced. "My parents have been trying to push me over to you all night, and they finally succeeded."
"Nice to finally meet you, Dorian," Ro said politely, remembering her uncle's warning. Don't show it was quickly becoming her motto. Who am I? Elsa? "I'm Rosalie, but I assume you already know that."
"Of course," he said. "Would you dance with me?" Nodding, he led them to the floor. "Just to warn you, my parents are glaring at us from over there." He cut his eyes to his left, where Ro could see an aging couple who shared the same features as Dorian. "Probably still angry you were found."
"Angry?" Ro was shaken at the blatant confession.
"Yes, angry. They were counting on me taking the throne upon Gaius's death, far in the future as that might be," Dorian shrugged. "I'm happy you came back; they've been breathing down my neck since I was six and you disappeared. Gaius didn't want the throne either, and losing his family took a toll on him, as well."
"Oh," she replied dumbly. All the information he was giving her was throwing her off. Why is he being so honest? "And why are you telling me this? I doubt it's smart to sell out your parents," she said once recovered.
Dorian sighed and shook his head gently. "They're a little radical. I'm afraid they'll try something to get rid of you just so I can be king, and it isn't right at all." That set off alarms in Ro's head. She couldn't tell if the bad feelings were from her uncle's warning or her gut instinct. "You seem like a good person, and a much better fit for the throne than I."
"Thank you?"
The dance ended with Dorian bowing. "It was lovely meeting you, Rosalie, but now I must take my leave," he spoke. "May you fare well."
"Yes, thank you," Ro replied, distracted by her thoughts. She gave a small screech when someone tapped her shoulder. Corvin was smiling impishly behind her. "Don't scare me like that, nerd," she scolded.
"I'll pay you back with a dance," he said, taking her hand. "And I haven't seen you since the start of the ball. My mother was trying to throw me at you at one point, but I couldn't just leave the other women who called for my attention."
"A gentleman as always, Corvin," she said sarcastically. "But not enough of gentleman to know not to sneak up on your monarch-to-be." He shrugged. "I've been bored out of my mind for most of this."
"The riveting conversational skills of the world's nobles," he mocked. "At least you share my sentiments."
"'Wasn't earth boring? Did you see that atrocious dress that woman was wearing? Have I mentioned I'm an arrogant arse with too much money?'" Ro sneered. "I know it's rude for me to make fun of them, but, really, they set themselves up for it."
Corvin nodded and opened his mouth to reply, but didn't get a word out before Lord Avila bumped into them. "I'm very sorry, Lord Corvin, but I need to borrow her highness for a moment," he slurred, obviously drunk. Ro stopped Corvin from hitting the man with a look.
"I don't mind," she said. Orville took her hand and led her away from the dance floor, rudely pushing into couples. They went over to one of the columns. "What did you need that was so important, Orville?"
He frowned and looked over to an older couple standing by the refreshments. "Those," he slurred and pointed, "are my parents."
"And...?"
"And they want me to try and seduce you," he said, leaning an arm against the wall. "They...they want me to use you...so I can be king or prince consort or whatever and bring my family more power, like we don't have enough."
Ro cringed away from his breath; it reeked of alcohol. "Orville, you're obviously drunk, but thank you for telling me," she said, trying her best to put on her benevolent ruler aires.
He grabbed her arm to keep her from leaving. "The thing is...Idonevenlikeyou. I mean, I like you, you're really smart and could probably kill me with your bare hands, but you're not my type," he said exasperated. "You're Corvin's type though. He's always been one for the smart girls. And you're, like," he held up his fingers and counted, "seven years younger than me. That's too much."
Rolling her eyes, she felt she had enough of this. "Orville, really," she said. "You need to go drink some water and go to bed. You're sloppy drunk and embarrassing yourself. You don't have to seduce me anymore, and you're not my type either." Orville laughed boisterously at that and walked away, bumping into people, many nearly as drunk as him.
She sighed and rubbed her eyes, steeling herself for what she was about to do. Straightening up, she walked over to Orville's parents with a smile on her face.
"Your highness!" crowed Lady Avila. "What an honor to finally meet you!" Lord Avila nodded along. "We saw you dancing with our son at the beginning of the ball, and might I say you look absolutely lovely tonight."
"Yes, thank you so much for weaponizing your son," Ro said, the smile still placed gracefully on her face.
Lady Avila looked bewildered. "Whatever do you mean, your highness?"
"Orville just told me that you ordered him to try and seduce me," she answered, hiding the seething rage under her smile. "And that disgusts me."
"I beg your pardon, but I have no ide-"
"Yes you do. I'm not stupid," she said. "Far from it, actually. As conceited as it sounds, it's true. I've spent my first week here reading and training myself to be a good ruler for the kingdom and its people, you included, and to think you all have the gall to try and manipulate me," she said, waving her hands like she was talking about something as mundane as the weather, "and it honestly disgusts me. It's not only you, no," she gestured around the room. "Most everyone in here has some intention to use me for their own personal gain."
Lord Avila finally stepped in. "Now, your highness, I believe there's been some sort of mistake," he said in a gruff voice.
"There's no mistake, sir."
"Your highness, I'm terribly sorry if our son has-"
"You aren't sorry," Ro said, momentarily letting slip her anger. "You're sorry you got caught." Her peaceful facade returned. "If you'll excuse me, I have to speak to my uncle." She turned towards the dais where her uncle sat, leaving behind the shocked couple.
Gaius noticed something was wrong immediately. "Rosalie, dear, are you alright." Ro shook her head, not trusting herself to speak. "Do you need to leave for a moment?"
"No, uncle G, I need these frivolous peacocks to understand," she muttered, knowing her rage was about to spill over. Breath. Breath. It's alright, you can do this, she thought. She turned and faced the crowd, waiting for them to notice her. Her smile was gone, as she could no longer hold it up.
People starting hushing each other and looked up at the princess. Couples stopped dancing. The musicians in the corner held their instruments still. Ro took a deep breath and started.
"I have seen women and children shot at without mercy. I have seen people murdered for speaking up. I have seen children kicked out of their homes and disowned for loving the someone of the same gender." She spoke with a steadfast conviction, silencing the noble's idle chatter just by speaking. "I have been subject to oppression; every time I walked down a dimly lit street, there was a chance someone would kill me just for being at the wrong place at the wrong time. I have seen people murdered for what they believe. I have seen people murder for what they believe.
"Earth isn't a swell place. It's dangerous, especially for those who speak out against the everyday injustice all but the the rich faced," she said, the hint of emotion slipping into her voice warning of a geyser threatening to blow. A few rogue tears had already fell down her face. "You're standing here, acting like your life is perfect, and it might be. But I have spent a week here trying not to mess up one of the best things that has happened to me. Trying not to mess up this world and the post I've been given." Whispers ricocheted around the room. "For the rest of my life, I am going to fight for this position. I will study and train and learn about anything I can to make sure your lives stay perfect."
She tore the tiara out of her hair, not caring about messing up her curls. She held it in front of her, offering it to the nobles it front of her, her arm shaking with barely concealed rage.
"If you think you are better fit to rule, take this crown." Gasps and hushed words spread throughout the room. "If you think you can lead my father's people justly and fairly, then take this crown." Corvin, standing by the doors, let slip a proud smile. "If you think I will waste one second sitting on that throne," she all but shouted, pointing behind her at the gilded chair, "then take. This. Crown."
No one dared step up. She stood for another moment, then sighed. The tiara was placed on her head once more, and she stepped off the dais. The noble's parted like the red sea. All the better; it showed that they finally respected her, something she had been fighting for all night.
Rosalie stopped a few steps away from the main door and turned her face, addressing the sea of faces. "And if anyone tries to tamper with my life outside of the law and court, I fear for their personal safety." She narrowed her eyes and gave the room a last warning glance.
Two guards stood at attention and knocked on the door to signal that it be opened. Rosalie nodded her thanks and left. Corvin slipped out behind her.
ε
They walked back to her room in silence, something Ro was thankful for. She didn't trust her voice not to crack. Opening the door, they stepped in and walked to her bedroom. The second she was safely in, she threw off her shoes and fell to her knees crying.
Corvin's eyes widened in shock, not knowing what to do. Ro yelled out in anger and ripped the tiara from her hair. Her arm was raised to throw it against the wall, but she stopped herself. She didn't sob, just sat there as tears streamed down her face. "Why is this so hard, Corvin?" she whispered. He sat next to her and took her hand. Ro leaned on his shoulder and took off her glasses. "I always felt like I didn't belong on earth," she said. "Now that I know why, everything clicked into place. I felt whole." She sighed. "For so long, I wanted to change the world. There was always so much bad, and if I could do something, I would in a heartbeat, even if it meant hurting myself. And now I have an opportunity to help people; I'll do anything to help keep the world balanced," she said.
"You're amazing," Corvin said. When she gave him skeptical look he threw up a hand in defense. "It's true! Any other person would hear the title and think of dresses and parties, a perfect life like you described," he continued. "But you. You jumped right in, focusing yourself on being the best ruler you could be. You didn't think of the privileges, you thought of the people your choices would affect. And that's amazing, Ro."
Ro sniffed and laughed. "You're gonna make me cry again," she joked, shoving his shoulder playfully. "As beautiful as this dress is, I need to get out of it. So shoo, and I'll let you comfort me some more in a minute."
He laughed and left after helping her up and handing her glasses back. "You can count on it."
A/N: whew. 6040 words and six hours of writing/editing. You're lucky I love you.