I sat at my dressing table, already pampered with make-up and my hair had been held up in a high coiffure. My dress was of a cream colour and decorated with indigo ribbons, it wrapped my waist tightly, pushing up my breasts (which I hated) and thus curving out my shape in a womanly way; it stretched wide across the floor of the room.
I had told everyone to leave and give me a few moments to myself- to shed the last tears I would ever be able to shed. Silly princess tears. Now I was about to be queen. A brave, courageous queen, loyal to her people. A guardian, a sister, a mother to them.
I tried to stretch a smile yet only a small and feeble smile came but managed to push away all my anxiety and idiocies. To be queen was to be smart and responsible. I had to get that into my head- my pounding head, full of things to remember for my coronation. Shoulders back, head high, walk elegantly, stand before your people, smile, wave and give a speech. Thank goodness my mother was here to counsel me, despite her old age.
“Your highness,” my advisor called at the door, making me come out of my princess dreams, ‘it is time, your highness.” He said, knocking. It’s only time when I say so! I felt like shouting out, but I was too emotional to let my red lips part and let out a word. Etiquette, eloquence, elegance. I kept repeating the three Es to myself instead. It was too much. I felt the tears building up in my eyes again and said with a shaky voice.
“Please, call my mother,” I heard his steps move away from the door as the soles of his shoes hit the marble ground one step at a time. Left, right, left, right…getting farther and farther away.
“Sweetheart?” I heard, after a few minutes of staring blankly at the mirrors in front and around me. I didn’t want to see my face, just my mother’s- also bright with make-up and rubies on her ears, neck and wrist. Her dress trailed behind her like all her dresses for the most special of occasions- like this one. It was a pure ruby-red with golden decorations around the edges. Her scarf, which she wore around her shoulders, was also gold and made of fine silk.
“How is my precious queen-to-be? Do not be nervous, darling. Everything will be quite fine.” She hugged me from the back, wrapping her arms and scarf around me as I remained seated. “Come on, your highness, you must be making your way to the coronation,” she helped me get up, holding my heavy queen’s dress for me, “Weston, call m’ladies to help Opalite with her dress. She’s ready.”
How I wished it were true.
*****
Etiquette. Eloquence. Elegance. Smile, wave. No! Don’t wave yet. Head up. Shoulders back. Left, right, left, right. It was as if Queen Opalite, a completely different person from myself was talking to me like a professional, as I walked up the aisle to the point where I was to be crowned. The long stretch of carpet seemed like it was forever flowing away from me. I would never make it, especially with the heavy dress I was wearing and the hair that was mounted up on my head. I’m going to fall! No you’re not! Yes I am! No you’re not, shut up and keep walking elegantly. Good luck. Was I talking to myself? No body would want a crazy person for a queen, especially if she was only sixteen years old.
I stood before the people of Kalimina, on the central balcony of the palace. So many faces looked up brightly at me, waiting to say “Hooray! Hooray to Queen Opalite!”
I felt my cheeks go as red as my mother’s dress. She stood beside me, holding my left hand. With my right hand, I held the Kalimina Baton of Responsibilities and Scroll of Laws. The oxygen was not making its way into my lungs; it was as if my air passages had been blocked by my numerous emotions, it made me nauseous and I felt like fainting. But a queen cannot faint in front of her people, so I sent a message of distress to my mother by holding her hand even more tightly than I already was. I breathed slowly and deeply so she understood what the matter was.
“Weston,” she whispered to the side. Weston had been standing behind us, ready for any emergency. From the corner of my heavily made-up eyes, I saw her gesticulating that I needed a fan. I kept breathing slowly and deeply, trying to get as much oxygen in and, in the state that I was, it seemed as though Weston had taken forever to bring me that fan.
In the time when everything went blank, I could see my father’s time-worn face and his eyes full of a lifetime’s fatigue. He had held my hand, on the night he died, tight and said:
"You, my dear, you shall be Queen. Queen Opalite of Kalimina. Take care of the kingdom and of my dear old wife, your mother. She is growing old and I know that the moment I will die, she will not be able to cope with the ruling of the kingdom and the loss.
I bless you dear daughter, wife and Kalimina, for now I die.”
I refused to let him and all of the people who trusted me down so as my mother fanned me secretly, I did everything I could to go back to a normal state. Head up, shoulders back, smile. Etiquette, eloquence, elegance.
“…I now pronounce you: Queen Opalite the First of the Kingdom of Kalimina,” the high priest announced as he placed the golden crown, decorated with jades, on my coiffure designed perfectly to allow the crown to be placed on. The weight of all my duties collected up into the crown which hung heavily on my head.
The great silence that the population had been letting out was turned into a cacophony of loud cheers and the royal band played the traditional coronation tune.
Even though we had rehearsed a whole number of times, it had never felt like this. Of course, at the rehearsals the people of Kalimina were never present, so that made it special. However, I think it was because of the true emotions the band had played their music with and I really felt the responsibilities that all of this meant.
Congratulations, Opal. The queen’s voice in my head came again. Don’t forgot to smile and wave. I did just that- I felt a wide, proud and courageous smile pull all over my face- revealing my pearl-like royal teeth, showing that I was ready to rule over this nation. I waved elegantly, like a real queen to the cheering people below- all chanting in a disorganized way: “Hail to the Queen! Hooray for Queen Opalite!”
Chapter 2
“Your highness, Lord Alexander Lloyd* wishes to see you,”
“Yes, yes, Charlotte. Let him in.” I watched the maid take quick, small steps out and a few moments later, Alexander came in, slowly and cautiously pushing the heavy oak-wood doors open.
Alexander was my cousin and the dearest friend I’ve ever had. He was a week older than I was and ever since our young days, we’ve shared many things together. Neither of us had siblings so we’d only had each other to play with.
“Good morning, my Queen. I came to bring you my blessings,” he came closer and bowed in respect, “congratulations and good luck for everything that you will go through.” He got up from his bowing position, came up closer to me, reached for my hand and kissed it courteously.
“You know, cousin, that it is wrong to kiss her highness’s hand?” I said in a joking manner and he played along.
“Oh my! Then have me locked up, your majesty! For no one will stop me from pressing my sinful lips** onto your hand.” We both laughed at this and I asked him to take a seat at the table I was sitting at.
“Care to join your queen for breakfast? I’ll have Charlotte ask them to bring you something too.”
“Thank you, but it’s quite alright. Actually I was here to congratulate you and ask you for some advice…”
Alexander told me about his love for a young Kaliminian girl who was not of high social class. He explained how they met secretly in one of the far corners of the kingdom- away from everybody else. The problem was that he was of high class, royalty even and she was the daughter of a journalist who didn’t earn very much. They had met at a ball for nobles and she had been there because her father was to write a story about the event. She wasn’t allowed to take part in anything or to make close contact with those of the upper class but Alexander had noticed her. He had seen her bright hazel eyes glisten in the chandelier lights illuminating the mansion full of merry guests. He described how her hair had been tied up in a simple bun and how she looked ravishing, sitting alone and smiling admiringly at the people dancing. He said he saw in her eyes how she desperately wished she could dance too. So he asked her and it became ‘love’s first dance’.
“Oh, Alex! That is such a beautiful love story. And she sounds amazing,” I whispered after he had finished speaking.
“I wish the story would never end. I love her.” That’s when I knew what he was about to ask me and it was going to be my very first task as queen. But could I take such a decision? Could I change the laws of my land to satisfy my cousin? Was it only bothering him or was affecting other people too?
“You want me to abolish endogamy? That is a tough decision, you know. For many centuries that is what has been practiced, I cannot just change it now.” I had actually already agreed with him, but I was thinking about what everybody’s reaction would be. They would complain that I had only been queen for a day and I was already changing laws.
“You can change it. You are the queen for goodness sake. Look, you’re the one who said that you’d be a sister to your people. A sister should be allowed and able to mix with people of different social classes,” I picked up my mug of crimman tea and sipped at it as if I was in though, swallowing down the information. The crimman is a fruit that grows only in the north and mountain region of Kalimina. It is deep red and very sweet, though it gives a bitter after taste.
“I will talk to Weston and Mother.”
*****
“Well it makes sense. You are young and you want to change the way things work, but you must understand that it is a big decision when we talk of changing laws. How can you be sure you will not want to change your mind later? Think of what the social structure will look like. Will there be order or chaos?” My mother was throwing all kinds of questions and I knew that it was like a test to see if I could cope with decision making. I sat up straight in my chair, bold and confident to show that I had made a decision and that I was sticking to it. Mother smiled at this and placed her two hands on her chest as if to say she was proud of me and that I had enlightened her heart.
I, Queen Opalite the First of Kalimina, give my full consent for the legalization of marriages between people of different social classes. I hereby declare the abolition of endogamy.
Signed: Queen Opalite I
Approved by: Henrietta III, Queen mother of Kalimina
*****
That night, I lay in bed, not able to close my eyes for a journey through dreams. Instead I had horrible visions of people dying, babies and mothers crying, blood everywhere- even on the palace walls. It was unexplainable and uncontrollable too for I couldn’t get the awful picture out of my head. I threw my legs over the edge of my colossal ‘queen-size’ bed and walked to my balcony where I watched my kingdom under the moon and star light. I watched my kingdom sleep and prayed that I would not let them down. Goodnight, Kalimina. Your Queen watches over you.
Spoiler
*In this chapter, we were introduced to a new character who goes by the name ‘Alexander Lloyd’ which I borrowed from Rupert Grint because those are his middle names! Yeah, I’m a fan 
**'Sinful lips’ comes from Romeo & Juliet where they meet for the first time. I just had to put it in. Sorry.
**'Sinful lips’ comes from Romeo & Juliet where they meet for the first time. I just had to put it in. Sorry.
