Author's Note: Welcome to Ash's Place! I hope you enjoy reading! Don't forget to vote and comment if you like it!

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Ash's POV

"Lady Locklynn, your presence is requested in the throne room."

Of course it is. My presence is always requested in the places I never want to be.

I want to say: Tell them I am busy. Tell them I have other duties to tend to. Tell them that the future queen does not need to be summoned. Tell them to shove their requests straight up their fat lazy...

Instead, I muster up a sweet smile and say, "I understand, Sir West. I shall come with you right away."

He holds out the crook of his arm for me to take so he can escort me to the throne room. Finnegan West is a kind man, with dark wavy hair and blue eyes. He is the kind of guard every girl wishes she had. At twenty-five with his warrior physique, he is easily one of the most attractive men I have ever met. His quiet introverted personality contrasts with the intense dedication he has to ensuring my safety and it makes me love him even more. He provides a sense of comfort and safety that no one else can give me. If I had the choice, I would marry him.

But Lady Locklynn will never be offered such luxuries.

My choices are not my own. They will never be my own.

Finn holds himself with such easy confidence as we walk down the hall to my inevitable doom. Bouquets of purple and yellow flowers cascade down the white walls, the only splash of color in the otherwise pristine and boring white hall. My annoying high heels clack obnoxiously against the white marble floors, and I wish I could take them off and throw them at the guards stationed outside the quickly approaching throne room doors. Maybe if I just slightly impale them, I can get out of this meeting.

"Lady Locklynn..." Finn whispers lowly while laying a gentle hand over mine that is still tucked in his arm. A silent warning. Ugh.

I roll my eyes and force my magic to flow back into my body. Just a little impalement wouldn't actually hurt anyone, right?

We stop in front of the doors and the guards bow their heads while crossing an arm over their heart. I click my tongue and they raise their heads. Finn gives a curt nod to them, and they open the large wooden doors for us. I take a deep breath and plaster a soft smile on my face as I drop Finn's arm and confidently walk into the throne room.

I bow deeply before the King and Queen perched atop their dramatic thrones. The wooden thrones have carvings up and down the sides of them. Creatures of all kinds, engaged in battle are carved into the King's throne and the flowers that grow out of the bloodshed are carved into the Queen's throne. Both are draped in extravagant purple silk. A tongue click has me raising my head with natural grace. I maintain the perfected and practiced soft smile that has been drilled onto my face for the last twenty years as I take in their appearance.

The Queen's long and flowing gown is a glittering silver, highlighting her natural silver hair. My natural silver hair. She sits with her ankles crossed and her hands placed delicately in her lap. She is the perfect embodiment of what a queen is supposed to look like. I move my eyes up to her crown, bejeweled with sparkling purple gemstones and dazzling pure diamonds.

Moving my eyes down her face, I catch a new bruise on her perfect cheekbones. Although it is covered by her makeup, I still notice. I always notice. When my eyes meet hers, I realize she is observing me in the same manner that I have been observing her.

I watch her eyes travel down my body and when they land on the mud that is caked onto the bottom layer of my own flowing gown, her eyes slightly narrow with the disapproving grimace I have received countless times in my short existence on this earth. Ignoring her, I move my attention over to the King.

The King is dressed in black, as is custom for all the men here in Terraga, the land of the witches. His deep purple cufflinks glint off his suit and emphasize his purple eyes. My purple eyes. He sits in a relaxed posture although his body is anything but relaxed.

His fingers drum against the arms of his throne and I can feel his piercing stare on me. I refuse to shrink away from him though and steadily maintain my composure. He clears his throat loudly and I allow myself to meet his eyes.

"Ashlee," he booms, and I cringe. I hate that name.

"Yes, Your Highness?" I softly say, hating the way my voice sounds so submissive.

"You have got to stop gallivanting around. You need to be focused on your studies. You need to be focused on your magic. Your twenty-first birthday is coming up in three months and you will have to demonstrate your skills at your coronation. Are you even ready yet?"

Am I even ready yet?

What. A. Joke.

"Would you like a demonstration now?" I question, trying and failing to keep the annoyance out of my tone.

"Watch how you speak to me!" the King bellows and I bow my head in apology. He makes me wait for what feels like an eternity before clicking his tongue and releasing me from my apology.

"Enough. Yes, please show me your newest skill."

I look back at Finn and gesture for him to join my side. He cocks a quizzical eyebrow at me but follows my instruction and comes to stand next to me.

I whisper an apology before levitating him high into the air with just my hand outstretched, eliciting a slight scream from him and a giggle from the Queen. To further my demonstration, I allow Finn to free fall a few feet before catching him with my magic and lifting him back into the air.

If he wasn't so scared right now, he would be fuming but I don't feel too guilty; he told my parents I skipped class this morning to walk in the gardens. He said it was because he was worried about my safety, but I know it is because he worries about his safety if something were to happen to me.

I set Finn back down gently and slightly smirk when he staggers on his feet a little. I turn back to the King just in time to see a genuine smile disappear off his face. He will never offer a smile to my face. He never offers a smile to anyone except to my younger brother, Aiden.

As if the thought of my brother is enough to summon him, which I can guarantee is not because otherwise I would accidentally summon him all the time since I often think about how I would murder him, he appears behind me and grabs my shoulders, thoroughly startling me. Before I have a chance to test out some of my murderous plans, the King speaks. Again.

"Ahh, my son. It is always a pleasure to see you," the King bellows joyfully and I fight the urge to punch someone.

"The pleasure is all mine, father. I wanted to be here when you told little Ashlee the great news you have for her."

I shoot Aiden a look and he smirks, tilting his head in that irritating way he does when he is about to say something I won't like. He realizes that I don't yet know what "great news" the King has for me and chuckles to himself before sliding his hands into the pockets of his suit pants and sauntering over to the lounge chairs. He dramatically flops down, his silver hair falling into his face, and snaps his fingers. A servant quickly rushes to offer him a glass of something. Likely alcohol.

"What is this news that Aiden speaks of Your Highness?" I ask, glancing at the Queen for any hint of information but she avoids my gaze.

The King claps his hands together and leans forward in his chair, "Well, my daughter, you are to be married in two weeks' time."

"Married!?!" I shout, much louder than intended, earning me a glare from both the King and the Queen. I lower my voice and take a deep breath to regain my composure.

"Married? What do you mean married?" I ask again, this time softer and more "ladylike."

"He means you will hold hands with a man in front of an altar and become legally bonded together in the eyes of the crown. He will become King when you become Queen. Finally, someone else will have to deal with your royal BS all the time and whoever the unlucky soul is will have two and half months to shape you into the Queen that this kingdom will be happy to serve," Aiden interjects, and I almost roll my eyes.

"I am aware of what getting married entails. What I meant to ask is why am I getting married now? Do I even know this man you speak of?" I question hesitantly.

"You will meet him tomorrow evening when the two of you have dinner together. You are getting married now because you are too unruly. You need to be the kind of Queen that will follow her King willingly," the King explains.

Right, the kind of Queen that sits silently in meetings, speaks only when spoken to and obeys everything her husband tells her to do. The kind of Queen I never want to be. The kind of Queen I vowed to eradicate as soon as I took the throne. But that plan would only work if I was still unmarried. I can't change the rules if I am forced to follow them.

"I understand. If you don't mind, I would like to retire to my room for the night. I must get adequate sleep for my meeting with my future husband tomorrow," I say with an even and calm tone. The King dismisses me with a hand, and I turn on my heel and stride out of the throne room.

Only when I am outside of the doors and headed toward my room, do I allow myself to feel the overwhelming emotions that have been flooding my body for the last fifteen minutes. Swirls of magic flow from my clammy hands and snake their way up my arms. I blink back hot tears when I think of what is to come. I don't want to be married right now and I certainly don't want to marry a stranger.

Footsteps follow me all the way back to my room and stop directly behind me. I deeply inhaled and turn to face Finn with that same practiced smile on my face. My magic seeps back into my skin at the sight of his obvious distress.

"Lady Locklynn, I promise didn't know, or I would have told you," he says softly, reaching for my hand. I let him take it and feel more tears threaten to ruin my façade when he holds my small hand in his large calloused one.

"I know," I whisper, my voice betraying my intentions to pretend to be alright.

"Are you okay?" he asks, and I let myself meet his eyes.

No. "Yes," I answer, and he looks at me with such fervor that I take a step backward. My back presses against my door and I reach behind me and twist the doorknob. My door opens into my room, and I cross the threshold. Finn goes to drop my hand, but I take a quick look around the hallway and when I see it is empty, I tighten my grip on his hand and pull him into my room with me. I quickly shut and locked the door behind me before turning to him.

He opens his mouth to protest but I cut off his words as I press an unpracticed rushed kiss to his lips. I pulled away within a single heartbeat, leaving him standing there, shocked. He opens and closes his mouth a few times before just looking at me in confusion.

I answer his unasked question with a simple sentence.

"I wanted my first kiss to be with someone I care about."