It was the night of her eighteenth birthday and her party was about to start; she was just finishing her hair, when her nanny came in.
"Princess Aubrey, where is your tiara?" the nanny asked.
"Do I need to wear it, I don't want anybody to mock me," she replied.
"You mother wishes you would wear since she bought you it for this particular birthday," she started, "you know you will be taking the throne in a couple of years."
"I wish little brother would, but the women of Beneva always become the Queen," she started, "Then the Queen gets married, so Beneva has a King."
"Just put on your tiara, your guests are waiting," the nanny said and handed her the diamond and sapphire tiara.
"Fine, I will be down in a minute," Aubrey claimed and put the tiara on her head. She didn't feel like dancing to slow, boring songs all night, or dancing with boring princes who only care about politics. At least Aden, her best friend and crush was going to be there. He was the nanny's son, but she never thought less of him for being a servant; but her mother never accepted that they were friends. She finalized her look and headed down the enormous staircase.
An hour later, she was bored out of her skull; people were falling asleep in their chairs. She scanned the ballroom looking for Aden; he was no where to be found, but then she heard him say.
"Are you looking for me?"
She turns around, and sees him leaning on the wall. "Yes, as a matter of fact, I was," she said smugly.
"Will you take a walk with me?" He asked.
"I shouldn't leave the party…. okay," she said as she grabbed his hand, and pulled him out of the ballroom.
"I got you a present," he said as they sat down near the river by the castle.
"You did, you know you didn't have to," she said, while looking him straight in the eyes.
"I did because I wanted to and I'm leaving for college tomorrow," he told her.
"But, you…" she started to say but he stopped her by shoving the present in her face.
"Open it, please." He demanded. She tore the wrapping paper off and opened the box she found inside a necklace; his heartbeat sped up as her eyes widened. "You don't like it?" he asked.
She stared at the sapphire star necklace, "I love it, but you didn't need to spend so much on me."
"I wasn't a problem, if you don't want it I can take it back." He said as he reached for the box. He took the necklace out of the box and said, "But I'd rather you'd wear it." He lifted her hair and clasped the necklace on. His hand lingered on the back of her neck, and he looked straight into her eyes.
"Kiss me, Aden," she said and tilted her head up waiting for the kiss. He removed his hand and backed away.
"Goodbye Brie," he said then walked away. The next morning she went to search for him, but instead she ran into her mother.
"Where did you run off to last night?" She asked.
"I was with Aden, he gave me a gift for my birthday," Brie said and looked down.
"Why do you hangout with that servant boy?" she asked. "You will become Queen and I don't want you to be around such filth," she demanded.
"I don't care about social standings," Brie yelled, "he is my best friend, and you don't have to worry about me hanging with him, he's gone!"
"Well good riddance." Her mother said then walked away.
Brie followed her and said, "I wish to attend college, it will be a great experience for me."
"You may not, you'll have the best tutors in the world here to teach you," Her mother stated, "You will stay here and train to become my successor." The argument ended there because Brie walked out of the room. She touched the necklace Aden gave her, and she knew she will always remember her first love.
Six Years Later
Looking out the window, Brie saw the country she would be Queen to in only four months. She knew that she would have to take a man as her husband because it was tradition to marry before taking the throne. Worried, she walked away from the window and paced her room. She was waiting for her mother to visit her; she said she had some news for Brie. There was a knock on the door, and in walked her mother dressed in a formal dress.
"Why are you wearing that?" Brie asked her mother.
"You will find out in a second," she replied and sat on Brie's bed. "You know that before you take the throne, you will have to marry."
"I know…." Brie started to say, but her mother interrupted her.
"Don't interrupt me Aubrey, it's not polite." She said. "I found you a husband, his name is Lord Eric Dickem." "He's a well respected man in his community and I think he will be a wonderful suitor for you."
"Mother, I won't marry a man I don't love," Brie started, "I want to marry someone that I love and loves me back, mama."
"I don't care; you will marry because it is your duty." She responded.
"I will make a deal with you," Brie started, "I have four months until I become queen, you give until the night of my coronation to find someone I actually love."
"No, I won't agree to that, you need a husband before," she said and Brie interrupted her.
"Mother, why won't you let me do this? I won't become queen if you don't let me do this." Brie said.
"Fine, you have three months, and that's it." The Queen remarked, and then walked away stiffly.
Curled up with a woman in his arms, Aden laid in bed awake; as he stared at the ceiling, he thought why he couldn't get any sleep. He looked at the alarm clock and it flashed five in the morning. He couldn't fall back to sleep, so he went out to the living room and turned on the television. He looked through the channels and found nothing that interested him, so he turned it to the news; when he saw her face, he turned the TV up because it was on mute.
"Breaking news, the Princess of Beneva has announced that she will marry in four months, but has no fiancé." "She has stated she is looking and that if she doesn't find it she is to be wedded to Lord Dickem." He sat there gaping at the television; he felt like someone had just kicked him.
His girlfriend walked into the room and said, "Baby, Come back to bed?" He just ignored her, and she walked up to him and sat next to him. Toying with his hair, she looked at him and said, "What's the matter?"
"Umm, nothing just leave me alone for a few minutes," he responded.
"Why won't you talk to me," she whined.
"I don't want to do this tonight, but I have to do it sometime, and you are here right now," he stated. "I am going home for a while, to see my mother because I haven't seen her in six years."
"Well, I'll go with you." She said excited to see where he grew up.
"No, I think we should take some time and breathe," he said and got up. He walked to the kitchen and got some coffee.
She followed him and yelled, "You're breaking up with me?"
"I think it is for the best," he stated, and walked away.
"No, you can't just come out with "I think we should take some time and breathe, and then walk away," she yelled as she followed.
"Yes, I can, you have to admit our relationship has been going down the tubes for a month now," he said.
"That's your fault, you have been in a dream world for the last month, and you won't tell me why," she yelled back.
"Do you really want to know?" he asked, "I'm in love with another woman." "She was my childhood friend, and before I left she told me to kiss her and I walked away." "She has four months to find a husband and marry."
"What makes you think she will allow you in to her heart again," the girlfriend asked, "And why does she need to marry?"
"I will make her fall in love with me again, and she is the princess of Beneva and she is to become Queen in four months." He replied.
"That still doesn't answer my question on why she has to marry?" she replied, while she paced the room.
"It is tradition, for a Princess to marry before becoming Queen," he said and stared at her.
"That is a stupid tradition, a woman shouldn't have to marry," she said as she dug out her suitcase, "Well, and there is no point on me staying here."
"The apartment is paid off and I really don't have the time to stay here, so you can stay here and I'll get a hotel till I leave." Aden stated and grabbed the suitcase from her.
"Fine and thank you; you are very kind." She said and walked away. That went better than excepted, he thought as he packed his stuff up. After he was finished, he went to the door and looked at what he had before he left for the hotel.