Summoned

Chapter 3

We were all sitting in the family room, and Franny was sitting on my lap when the Report's theme music trumpeted through the speakers. The Royal family sat in their usual seats, and King Maxon and Queen America began talking about the news. I was distracted my Franny's blonde curls in front of me to pay much attention to the news, or anything on the Report really. However, I did glance up from time to time to have a few snippets of conversation make their way into my mind.

"Prince Aaron, what do you think of the selection?" interviewed Gavril Fadaye, the aging host from the Report. His blue suit was tailored to fit him well, and the only sign of aging he had were the grey strands of hair on his head, which were probably left there for style. If he takes the time out of his week to whiten his teeth and get a spray tan, I'm sure he can spare some time for a hair coloring as well. 

"Well, I think it's going to be a great experience," started Prince Aaron."I'm definitely nervous that by the end of this week there's going to be 35 more women in the castle, but I am looking forward to finding love," he ended with a shy smile that grew with confidence as his gaze shifted from Gavril to the camera.

I looked at the familiar picture of him through the perfectly arranged pixels. I remembered seeing him at balls- me in my little ballgown trying to stay out of the way while he was paraded around proudly. I hated that dress Mother made me wear, but she insisted it was the latest fashion.  He wore a golden crown on his head then, one that looked like a smaller version of his father's. His mom introduced him to me, and honestly I wouldn't have remembered him if he wasn't the crown prince of Illea. 

Now, he was grown up. The crown he wore on his head was much bigger, but you could still see his thick brown locks poking up in the middle. His face had slimmed out, as had the rest of him. I don't, however, think that he had grown in his personality. He still looked like the arrogant charmer he was at birthday teas that my family was sometimes miraculously invited to.

I'm sure it was all pretense that I saw here, but I wasn't about to say that to my mother.

"Well said, Prince Aaron. King Maxon, do you have any advice for your son as he enters this new world? It seems just like yesterday you were having your selection," chuckled Gavril.  The king's eyebrows lifted, as if he were surprised they were talking to him. I could see that he was probably surprised Gavril had asked him a question.

"You definitely need to keep your relationships private," Maxon advised carefully, as if he were remembering what it was like to be in his son's position. "Follow your heart; it won't mislead you." His crown glinted from the lighting on the stage, his eyes looking sincere as he looked at his son to give him genuine advice. 

I'm sure Gavril was looking for something a little lighter, but he smiled charmingly anyway. He had his legs crossed in that talk-show-host way that could make anyone feel like they were having a personal interview. "Stay here to meet the Prince's future bride, after the break!" I wasn't so easily fooled. His charisma was a pretense that got him money and prestige.

The family started talking again and Penelope and Harry were arguing. I rolled my eyes at Mother and Uncle Darry, who are on the brink of another sibling fight. Father was trying to be the peacemaker, but was failing. I sighed and turned to Franny, who was playing with my ring.

She twiddled with the silvery band carefully, occasionally trying to remove the sapphires from their iron grip in the setting. When she shifted it up and down my ring finger, you could see the faint markings of a tan line upon my pale skin. "What is this?" She asked curiously. I remembered that she asked me this a few times, but I still responded with the same answer. 

"This is my family ring," I responded, looking at the sapphires on the ring as she revolved it around my finger. "You'll probably get one when you're Penelope's and Harry's age." She nodded slowly and continued looking over the glimmering metal. I already knew what hers looked like, along with the twins', but I still preferred mine. 

Of course, I was pretty biased.

The break on the Report  ended after a commercial for a new and upcoming drama show, causing us all quieted down to listen to the selected. I wondered how many girls were crowding at the screen, hoping to see their faces fade in and out for all of Illea to see. I could see some that were disappointed when their names weren't called, and I imagine some cases like mine in which they were glad. 

I watched Prince Aaron's expression as he looked at the pictures from the applications appearing on the screen behind him. He was talking to his mother, murmuring things I couldn't hear or comprehend. He was looking at his future wife and queen, but he just didn't know it yet. 

The truth was, he would probably settle for the one with the most family ties and a pretty face to go with it, like I was probably going to be forced into doing. 

I didn't mind. I was going to leave, anyway. Hopefully for a country without castes, bias, and importantly, my mother's expectations. I'm sure she already had the perfect suitor lined up and ready to go after she figures I'll give up on this 'dream' that I call my future.

I looked at the screen trying to remember all of the names and faces for when I saw them in the tabloids in the upcoming months. While scanning the women, I saw one of them looked strikingly familiar. I couldn't quite pin down her name, but her violet eyes particularly stood out. She might've been an actress or a mode or something, but her high cheekbones and dark locks were startlingly familiar. 

It seemed Aaron thought so as well as he furrowed his brow to look at her before whispering to his parents.

I realized why she looked so familiar.

That girl was me.

hey it's me, fresh outta 2017. PS for all you new readers, I wrote this like back in 2013 or something and WOW I'm old!!!!

Haha, anyway, just editing here. I know it's short, but before I edited this short little sucker, it had about 400 less words and I'm scared if I insert too much I'll make a bunch of plot holes, so it's cool. I mean I was 13 when I wrote this, not like 16 is an improvement, but I'd rather not cringe when I look back, ya know?

stay cool nerds