Kingdom of Winter

I cringed as Miss Larme tightened my corset even tighter. Yanked my hair back with a brush. stuffed my feet into tiny flats.

"Stay still" she said as I shifted my weight on to each foot gingerly. "And stop making that face, it's disgusting."

God, I hated Miss Larme, my lady in waiting since age 5. Grumpy, impatient, and just plain mean, she came to us after my nanny had been fired. My mother hired her to teach me to be a proper lady. She still has the hope that I'll be a perfect princess and then queen of the Kingdom of Marquit, where my family rules.

I hated being a princess though. I mean sure, the food's good and all but people expect so much from me. To be perfect and to be married by eighteen. I mean, I have places to be, people to meet before I get married, for God's sake.

As Miss Larme powdered my face, I coughed. Today was the one day I actually wanted to stay in my room with Miss Larme. Today was the day I would meet the man my parents felt worthy. The man who I would be courted with. His kingdom the one my parents wanted as an ally.

"Darling," I heard the call of my mother from down the hall. Soon, she opened the door.

"Oh, she looks stunning. Thank you, Miss Larme, you are excused."
My mom said as Miss Larme bowed out.

Her delicate hands enclosed over mine.

"Dear, today is a big day. Are you excited?" I shrugged.

"What if I don't want to get married to Joffrey?" I asked.

"His name is George, Honey, and he's sweet, handsome, you'll love him." she gushed.

"I guess I'll give him a chance" I consent gloomily.

"That's my girl. Now be down for breakfast in 20 minutes. We have a long way to travel today"

As she left, my cat, Moon, pranced in. He was a black persian who was mean to everyone but me. He was actually like Miss Larme, the only exception being that he liked me. I took one of my quill pens that I used for my lessons and shook it near him. Moon immediately went after it until he finally grabbed it with his teeth and went under the bed. I ducked my head to look for him, reaching my hand under, but instead of grabbing a furry beast, I grabbed an old photo album. It was dusty and white with a single gold crown embossing it. I cracked the spine open to the first page to find the words 'first generation' on it. The next page was filled with black and white photos of my great-grandparents on the throne, at parties and looking like they generally enjoyed ruling very much. Then 'second generation' until the last page with one picture. Me smiling in my first little tiara. I was missing my front teeth and there was chocolate everywhere. The banner behind me read 'Happy Seventh Birthday, Emma.' This had hapened ten years ago.

I sighed and stuck the album back under my bed. There was a pattern between all these pictures. Everyone looked so happy. I loved my family but I was clumsy, not traditionally pretty, or even remotely polite, I just wasn't cut out for being princess.

"Come on, Moon, time for breakfast." I stay as I stand up.

Walking down the stairs, I could hear the usual commotion of the morning.

As I walked in to the dining hall, my dad looked up from the paper.

"Good morning, Sweetie" he said.

During breakfast, it's just me, my mom, and my dad, but at dinner , my parents put on a real show. All the nobles come on Saturdays and all the antique crystal finery is out. Shining gold candelabra and a seven course meal, it impresses all. Of course, this is only my second year of attending. Those under 15 may not attend. I spent many a horrid Saturday, staring at Miss Larme as she lectured me.

"Come sit, Dear, your eggs are getting cold" my mother said.

My breakfast was delicious, as usual, but the whole meal was spent discussing the details of how the whole day would go down.

Soon, though, I was being carefully escorted up the narrow stairs of a carriage by a guard. As the carriage rumbled down the dirt road, my parents discussed the new security measures they were building on the castle. I pulled out my book, though I soon fell asleep.

I was jolted awake to the door being cracked open and my parents ushering me into the fresh air.

As I looked around, my breath caught in my throat. In front of rolling hills stood a castle much grander than ours. It was made of a shiny white stones and had many turrets and towers. It looked like a stereotype palace straight from a fairytale. I was led into a huge entrance hall, the ceiling extremely high, painted with portraits of rosy faced angels that looked like clones of cupid. As I was led up the marble steps, I marveled at the wooden pedastels lining the wall with artifacts enclased in glass on top. There were ancient looking books, golden goblets, suits of armor, and much to my horror, what I hoped wasn't a real human skull.

The room I was led to looked like a large guest room. Huge, but very bland, with no personality, no signs of anyone living there. The servant led me to a bathroom on my right. She made me undress out of my traveling clothes and guided me into a bath filled with rose petals. After much painful scrubbing, we walked back to the guest room, but the king-sized bed (no pun intended) now had a ball gown layed on the bed. It was beautiful. Green and silky, it did not look like something meant to be put on me. Dirty and bold Princess Emma of Marquit.

"That's not mine" I told the servant.

"It is a gift from the prince for the dinner tonight that you may keep" replied the servant as she picked up the dress. It made a swishing sound like the wind. I was scared to touch it, let alone put it on, but she unzipped the zipper and I stepped into nevertheless.

1 Hour Later

A brisk knock on the door shook me out of my sleep.

"Come in" I said.

A men dressed in a sharp suit said "the dinner awaits you" and walks back out.

When I finally find my way back to the dining hall my head spins once again. If I once thought my dining hall was grand, it was nothing compared to this. Everything was gold, and quite big, including the goblets and cups on the table. The feasts were meant to be huge here.

The courses were served one after the other but still no Joffrey, George, whatever! Finally, after the main course was served, also the second to last before dessert, a sharp and serious man in a navy blue suit covered in badges walked in. He had slicked back, blond hair and a lot of freckles.

He scraped the chair out from under the table that was next to mine, and I realized that this must be him. Well, maybe he's less uptight when he talks, I reassured myself.

2 Hours Later

Let's just say it was wishful thinking, to hope he was less uptight. The whole time he discussed politics with my parents and his plus a scattering of nobles. He occasionally said pass the peas, or something like that, but that was it. What a twat. God, I can't believe I have to marry him.