Marigold's Eclipse: The Magic of Marigold

Maggielyn's Birthday

(Marigold)

I watched as Princess Maggielyn opened her birthday gift. It was a pair of ballet slippers to add to her collection.

"I love them!" Maggielyn shouted as she jumped into my arms.

"I'm glad," I replied, holding the tiny princess close. After letting go, I left Maggielyn and her five sisters to gush over the slippers and headed towards the common grounds, where I found my best friend, the ever-absent Prince Anthony.

Prince Anthony was considered to be one of the most beautiful people in all of the fourteen nations. His brown hair was blowing with the wind. His hazel, almond-shaped eyes stared into the distance as his pale skin glowed in the light of the sunset. The color of his pouted lips seemed to match the pink in the sky.

"Today, you are one step closer to becoming king, and yet you do not wish to celebrate it with your sister?" I ask as I sit down next to the lonely prince. The sun was just about to set, and the stars were just becoming visible.

"You seem to forget, Lady Marigold," Anthony responds with the level of politeness he only dawns when he's upset, "I must wait till the other six become adolescents before that day comes."

"You seem to forget, my dear Prince," I retort with the same foreign politeness, "you only have five more sisters to wait on, not six."

"My mother just informed me that she is expecting another," Anthony informs me, a sense of melancholy in his voice, "she will make the announcement tomorrow to not take the spotlight off of Maggielyn."

"I'm glad she finally told you," I say, revealing the secret I had been keeping, "it's been awful keeping this from you and your sisters."

"You knew," he says as more of a statement than a question.

"I was asked to predict the gender of the baby. All signs point to a girl," I explain, "you should be happy."

"I am. I love my sisters more than anything." Anthony confirms more to himself than to me, "but I am to turn eighteen this year. My father was sixteen when he became king."

"Your father had two brothers! Who were twins!" I exclaimed, "You can't possibly compare his situation to yours."

"I know," the prince said, nodding his head.

"Have you talked to your father about changing the law?" I ask.

"He is only willing to change it if I already have a queen in mind," he informs me.

"Well then, find a queen!" I shout, exasperated. Lately, it's felt like they've had the same conversation repeatedly.

"The only queen my father will accept is you," the prince responds, annoyed.

"You shut your mouth!" I exclaim, "The last thing I want is to be queen. I am not meant for politics."

"You aren't meant to be a tutor either," Anthony counters.

"At least I'm able to use my knowledge!" I argue, "As queen, all I'll ever be able to do is prepare balls and look beautiful. God knows I'm only good at the latter."

That last sentence made a smile break through Anthony's serious expression.

"Have you talked to my father about giving you another position?" The prince asks, chuckling at my confidence.

"No. The only other position King Lou is willing to give me is palace magician," I sneer, "and I might as well just be a jester."

"So you would rather teach me quadratics than enhance your skill as a sorceress?" Anthony argues.