I wake up to Sia gently shaking me as she whispers, "Princess... Princess Zinna.  You have to wake up."

My eyelids lift slightly and I attempt to ascertain whether the sun is currently rising.  The curtains are still closed, but there is no light peaking through so I assume the sun is still sleeping as I should be.

"Why are you waking me up so early?" I ask.

"You need to be ready before anyone else wakes.  Otherwise we risk someone coming in and seeing your wings," Mirriania responds.  "So get up before we force you out of bed."

I sigh as I sit up, feeling the weight of my fatigue with every movement.  "How long did I actually sleep?" I ask.

"A few hours at least," Mirriania answers.

"No where near 8 hours," Sia answered at the same time.  Mirriania glares at her, but she simply shrugs.  "I'm being honest."

"Can I at least go back to sleep after you strap me into the corset?"

"You can sleep when you're dead.  Until then, stop being so weak," Mirriania reprimands.

"I'm still your princess," I mumble.  Mirriania raises an eyebrow, clearly not caring at all about my station.  She's gotten comfortable around me, treating me as an equal as I've asked of them.  I'm beginning to regret that decision.

"We get less sleep than you," Mirriania says as she helps me out of my night gown.  "We go to sleep after you and wake up before you.  And we do just as much as you.  Ben has tasked us with listening to the rumors and whisperings among the maids, butlers, and other workers throughout the day to find ways to help you.  There is no time for you to relax and there is no time for us.  We're all suffering.  Get used to it."

Sia begins wrapping my wings around my stomach and holds them in place as Mirriania places the corset over them.  Once it's in place, they begin lacing it up and tighten it.  I don't know what hurts more, the pain from my right wing, the pain from my right side, or the pain in my lungs from the lack of oxygen.

Mirriania and Sia step back to admire their work.  Sia nods as Mirriania walks around me, I assume to make sure that my wings are tightly bound to me on all sides.

"Perfect," she finally says after circling me.  Then she pulls out a multi-colored, short-sleeved, full-length dress.  Sia carries a dull-pink sash, a lily, and a handful of miniature white flowers.

"I dyed the dress myself," Sia says as Mirriania helps me into it.  "It was dyed with a mixture of red, purple, and yellow flowers as well as their stems and leaves.  I thought it was something a girl from a small village might create so as to avoid spending money on more expensive dresses."

After Mirriania finishes helping me into the dress, she takes the sash from Sia and ties it around my waist.  At the same time, Sia begins braiding the flowers into my thick, curly hair.  She allows it to fall naturally in the back and places the lily in the front right side.

When they're both done, they turn me so that I can see myself in the mirror.

"Wasn't it worth waking up early?" Mirriania asks.

"Definitely not," Sia mumbles.

"You never help," Mirriania whispers back.

"I'm still tired," I say, "but I look good.  Thanks."

"You're welcome.  Now, take your medication," Mirriania says as she pushes another vial into my hands.   I sigh as I accept it.  "And tonight you'll be bathing in a bath of rose petals."

"Why?"

"It actually has some health benefits.  We usually use lavender, chamomile, and the like, but roses can help soothe your skin and brighten your complexion.  It makes you look even more beautiful.  We just don't do it because roses don't really grow in our kingdom," Sia answers.  Mirriania and I both look at her in confusion.

"She's... right," Mirriania says.  "I don't know where that came from, but she's right.  Roses can be beneficial to your skin and I've been told it feels amazing.  It'll just have a different smell than the types of baths we usually do."

I nod and turn to face them.  "Inaria and Vin?" I ask.

"Right outside the door.  We checked before we woke you up.  They're hoping to talk to you before your day begins. I believe they have a message from your father and the Council."

"Then it's not as important as my sleep."

"I'll simply tell Inaria you feel that way."

"Don't!" I say as I grab Mirriania's wrist. "You're the worst. Fine, I'll go talk with them now."

I walk past a smug-looking Mirriania and open the door to my room. Vin and Inaria are standing on either side of the door with serious expressions, clearly taking this job even more seriously than they usually do. They're already my personal guards, tasked with keeping me - the princess who constantly jumps headfirst into danger - safe. Their jobs were already the type that led to early onset grey hair, but they always had a little fun with their jobs. They had to or they would never survive it, as many hadn't. Yet here they are looking the way my father's guards always do.

"What happened to you two?" I ask.

Inaria glances at me and her mouth twitches up a little, but no smile breaks on her face. I suddenly remember what somehow escaped my memory: I'm wearing flowers. My whole look is basically flowers. Is Sia trying to embarrass me in front of these two forever?

Vin glances at me moments after Inaria does and he doesn't hide his amusement even nearly as well.

"If either of you laughs, I will fire you without hesitation," I say through gritted teeth.

"I didn't laugh," Inaria states evenly.

"I might've a little," Vin responds shamelessly.

"You're fired. Go home and send someone else."

"You wouldn't survive a day without me. Just accept that you look ridiculous."

"I look amazing."

"You look-"

"Like a human. She's wearing something a human would wear and she looks nice, Vin," Inaria interrupts.

"Sorry, yes. You look great," Vin says as he rolls his eyes.

Immediately Inaria becomes my favorite guard yet again. It shifts every once in a while, but only between Vin and Inaria. Vin is like a brother who sometimes joins me in making trouble and at other times is overbearingly protective. Inaria is wise, strong, and consistent, though she has her childish moments. Usually, Inaria is my favorite between the two of them, but at times I just need more Vin than Inaria.

"Well, come in," I say as I open the door for them. "I'm told you wanted to discuss something with me."

Vin and Inaria walk into the room and close the door behind them. Vin immediately makes himself comfortable in one of the cushioned chairs by the hearth.

"Ben didn't get permission from the Council to be here," Inaria states. I already know this, so I raise my eyebrow at Inaria as she continues. "But he told us just an hour ago that the analysts have moved up the projected start date for the war. It's been almost a week, but the people are getting restless. They want something done in retaliation for what the humans did to our future queen."

"They can get in line," I snap back.

"I'm just telling you what Ben told us. When our people want war, things have gotten bad, Zinnia. You know that."

"I know," I sigh.

"And Ben was assigned to observe you and the royal family and report back as often as possible. He's supposed to tell them if the royal family might pick you."

"Basically they want to know if the war is going to happen despite my efforts?" I ask. Inaria nods and I roll my eyes in response. "You see? This is why I've been saying that it's time for the Council to give their seats to the next generation. My generation would know that Ben is more loyal to me than he is to them. And anyways, I can't believe they have such little faith in me."

"You can't?" Vin asks.

I glare at him, but Inaria ignores him as she responds. "Maybe it's not you, but the human that they don't have any faith in."

"Either way, they already sent me. I will get revenge for Cynthia while stopping this war from beginning once again."

I refuse to let this war happen again if I can help it. The last war stopped for a while out of necessity, but there was no formal truce. With the building animosity lately, that was supposed to happen when Cynthia met with them. However, instead of signing a peace treaty, Cynthia died at the hands of cowards. Now I'm the one trying to prevent war. Prevention was never my strong suit. I'm usually the one causing the problems, not trying to stop them from happening.

"The castle will be alive very soon," Mirriania says.

"Yes, desert will soon be served," Sia adds. We all give her questioning looks.

"Ignore her. Sia has weird eating habits. She'll eat desert. We'll eat breakfast," Mirriania says.

Inaria shakes herself out of her confusion first. "Vin and I should get back to our posts. Our relief will be here soon."

"But from now on, one of us will be with you at all times," Vin adds. "So don't worry. We'll always be watching to make sure you're safe."

"Thanks, Vin," I reply. "Now leave before someone starts asking questions."

Vin and Inaria leave the room while Sia and Mirriania fuss over me for a few minutes before someone knocks on my door to invite me down to breakfast. When a butler finally arrives to call me for breakfast with the other ladies, I'm more ready than I ever though possible. I think Sia and Mirriania spent more time getting me ready this morning than they do for special occasions.

I walk down the hall, led by a butler named Ezra. He is the first person other than the Herald and Casimir who hasn't looked at me with disgust, disdain, or confusion. I think I like him.

When we arrive at the dining hall, Ezra opens the door for me and bows as I walk through the door. I'm sure they're treating all of the ladies with such respect because we're guests of the royal family and possible future queens, but my first thought is that they somehow know I'm a princess. Then I remind myself not to be so paranoid.

After I'm inside, Ezra once again takes the lead and walks me to a chair. He pulls it out for me and waits there until I sit. The other ladies don't seem as new to this experience as I am, so I attempt to hide how odd this all feels. At home, we would pull out our own chairs. We would sit wherever we saw fit so long as it wasn't at the end of the table. No one sat at the ends unless there was absolutely nowhere else to sit.

I look around at all the ladies present. 11 women who were all likely present for different reasons. I'm sure at least one of them actually thought they might currently or eventually have feelings for Casimir, but I'm equally sure that many of them are present for the power or the benefit to their family. It's possible that one of them is here because the King Father and Queen Mother can influence her and, therefore, also their son if she is chosen.

I can't really judge them all too much since I also have my own ulterior motivations, but I think ending a war permanently is a good one to have if it must be present.

Once every lady is seated, the Queen Mother enters the room and stands at the end of the table. We all look at her as she commands our attention, seemingly effortlessly.

"Good morning, ladies, and welcome to the first of your fourteen days in the castle. For one of you, these fourteen days will turn into a lifetime." The Queen Mother's eyes land on each and every lady in the room except me. I think her eyes linger a bit longer on Lorelei than anyone else, but it's impossible to tell without another example.

The Queen Mother continues. "Today, each of you will receive a schedule. Do not worry, the maids and guards assigned to you will be the ones who will ensure that you are notified of where you are to be and when you are to be there. However, a true queen does not leave these things up to their staff alone, so you will also be provided with a copy of your schedule for the next fourteen days now."

With that, we are each simultaneously presented with rolled parchment, sealed with wax. I open mine and read the contents.

Day 1

7:30 - Breakfast in the Grand Dining Hall
9:00 - Dining Lessons in the Grand Dining Hall
10:00 - Dance Lessons in the Grand Ballroom
12:00 - Literacy Lessons in the Library
13:00 - Lunch in the Grand Dining Hall
14:00 - Dress Fitting with the Royal Seamstress
15:00 -Tea with King Casimir Lockhart
16:00 - Manners Lessons in the Grand Dining Hall
17:00 - Language Lessons in the Library
18:00 - Dinner in the Grand Dining Hall
19:00 - Rose Bath in the Royal Bath
20:00 - Free Time
22:00 - Bed

I stop reading after Day 1 and focus in on any time I have with Casimir. That time seems to change every day, but the lessons remain the same. I wish I could see the other ladies' schedules to see if their schedules also seem to suggest they lack the necessary skills to be in the presence of royalty, let alone be queen. I know how to dine respectfully in fifteen cultures, I have been taught human dances by my mother, I can read and speak in nineteen different languages, and I have knowledge of the manners customs in fifteen different cultures including the one I'm currently blending into. I understand that they think I'm not royal, but do common people in this kingdom not even have knowledge of how to dine with royalty? Our common people might not know as many languages as I do, but they can at least read and write in our own language and in two others. They at least have knowledge of the manners of their own kingdom and of the two surrounding kingdoms. It's important because it helps avoid any diplomatic problems.

I say nothing about the schedule, though. It's best to simply accept it. I consider just skipping everything but the meals and meetings with Casimir, but I doubt that will be well received.

I'll just have to grin and bear it.