"Alena, will you move already?" My mother demanded from the other side of the door.
I 'mmphed!' a reply, slowly sitting up in my bed.
"It's after nine and you have a man waiting for you in ten minutes! Move!" My mother clapped her hands.
"I'm moving!" I called, slinging my feet over the side. "Slowly." I muttered, sliding off the bed and landing on the wooden floor.
I padded over to my wardrobe, yawning.
"Do I have to wear a dress?" I called.
"Yes!" Mother called back.
I groaned, then rifled through the dresses.
"No no no," I pushed past a black one, a purple one and a red one. "Here we go!" I pulled out a white one.
It hit my knees and had a high collar, with no sleeves. I pulled out my long, waist-length blond hair out of the collar, sighing. After pulling it into a lazy bun at the base of my neck, I slipped on grey flats and left my room.
My mother waited outside my room, tapping her foot impatiently. "Finally." she sighed.
I said nothing, mentally sighing as she lectured me on promptness as she led me into the living room.
Sometimes I really hate being a princess.
A man waited impatiently, watching the doorway with a frustrated expression on his face.
"My apologies, Sir Lucas. My daughter wasn't aware of your arrival." Because no-one told me.
I sat on the couch opposite his chair.
"I will leave you to talking." My mother was all smiles and grace, her snippiness and anger hidden behind a mask as she left.
"Alena, correct?" Lucas asked.
I nodded, rubbing my eye tiredly.
Lucas was about average height, with brown hair and green eyes. The air was awkward for a moment. "Tell me about yourself." He urged.
"I like sleeping," I said, leaning back in the plush sofa. "and flying. I'm sixteen."
Lucas appeared startled. "'Flying'?" He repeated.
"Yup. Flying." I nodded. "My Uncle takes me sometimes. Up in an airplane."
"Hmm."
"And I like cats."
"I'm more of a dog person."
"Then we wouldn't get along, now would we?" I asked seriously, resting my elbows on my knees and staring at him.
He appeared unnerved. My grey eyes usually do that to people. Score! I mentally cheered.
"Uh, er, well-"
"And I don't like playing chess." I took a shot, knowing a lot of guys that wanted to marry me liked chess.
"Uh, that's too bad." He stuttered.
"And I don't really want to marry. I would be most unhappy, and that would make your popularity plunge, now wouldn't it?" That part was true.
Lucas went pale. He abruptly stood up. "Not to be rude, but I don't think marriage would work between Adeshia and Valond. My sincerest apologies."
I stood up as well. "That is too bad, Lucas Marker."
He started. "How did you know-"
"I believe we are through, then." I walked out.
My mother exploded afterwards.
"Alena Celestina Sinclair! Why did you have to turn him down?!" My mother waved her arms. "He was perfectly fine! A Knight of Valond, handsome and rich! What more could you ask for?!"
"We weren't compatible." I said simply.
"NOT COMPATIBLE?!" My mother roared. "Don't give me that! Your marriage is important to the people of Adeshia! It is time to learn your place, young lady, and marry!"
"NO!" I snapped.
Which is saying something, cause it takes a lot to make me mad.
"I don't want this! I want to go to college on the Mainland and learn! I don't want to marry until I'm twenty-three! I don't want to be a princess!" I grabbed my tiara that my mother insisted on me wearing and threw it on the ground.
My mother looked at me, horrified.
Because throwing my tiara down meant I quit. Or a great sign of disrespect.
"Alena..." My mother said in a warning tone.
"NO! I don't want to listen to you dictate my life anymore!" I clamped my hands over my ears and ran out of the room.
"Alena! Get back here this instant!"
"It's too late, Mother. She's too far gone in her anger." My little brother said solemnly.
Alex. I both love and hate you.
Love you because you help me out of trouble sometimes. Hate you 'cause you just laugh at me most of the time. Alex is my little brother, 10 years old. We share the light blond hair, and that's about it. I have grey eyes-he has blue.
And he's evil.
Very evil.
I stomped outside, angry.
"Hey, how's my niece-whoa Princess, something's got you worked up. What's up?" My Uncle Friedrich asked.
"Hmph." I rested my head against his airplane.
Uncle Friedrich is almost my dad, we're so close. My dad died when I was little, and I don't remember him much. Uncle Friedrich is awesome. He taught me how to fly before I could read, much to Mother's disapproval.
He's my ticket to freedom out of this stifling hellhole.
"Uncle Friedrich, I want to take a plane to the mainland."
Uncle Friedrich appeared startled. "The mainland? Ninjago? Are you crazy? You wouldn't survive a day out there!"
"Please, Uncle! I need to get out of here! I can't stand it here anymore!" I pleaded.
He looked torn. "As long as you promise to keep in contact with me."
I nodded my head eagerly. "Promise!"
He sighed, running a hand through his brown hair. He was my dad's adopted brother, which is why Alex and I don't look anything like him.
"I could get banished for this." He muttered, then turned to me.
"I love you, sweetheart." I hugged him back tightly.
"I love you too, Uncle."
We parted, and I strapped myself into an airplane. "Goodbye." Uncle waved.
I bit my lip. "I don't like goodbyes, so instead, a..."
"See you later, alligator." Uncle smiled sadly.
"In a while, crocodile." I started up the plan.
He yelled something over the engines. I lip-read what he said, then zoomed down the runway with a smile and tears dripping down my face.
Go chase your destiny, Dream-girl.