Princess of Astravia falling for the enemy

Prologue When I was a child, my father, the reigning king, told me the history of my nation instead of a traditional bedtime story: before I was born, a horrendous civil war split the nation in two. It was once called the Republic of Astravia, a great nation that prospered for over 300 years before the civil war. Hard times began when a drought hit the country's western region. At first, help was available, but the drought grew worse and caused problems. The republic’s representatives fought over resources amid the drought, causing famine and worsening the crisis. The famine led to economic decline and many deaths. A civil war soon followed, and the nation split into two territories, Astravia to the east and IllyriaNova to the west. My grandfather was a senator in the east, and to end the fighting, my family established a monarchy, which brought our nation prosperity. After my father finished, he would always say, ‘You are the princess of Astravia, and you must do everything for the people.” My mother would come in, eyeing my father, who looked so proud, telling an eight-year-old the history of our nation. She would sit on my bed and rub my head until I felt sleepy. Soon afterward, I would drift off into a deep sleep. Present time It was mid-morning, and my two ladies-in-waiting, Lumi and Elara, and I were lounging on the deep scarlet velvet couch in the study room where we were supposed to be studying. Instead, we decided to take the morning off. Lumi’s gentle touch on my arm startled me, breaking my concentration on the romantic book I was engrossed in. A loud knock suddenly echoed through the room, and without waiting, someone entered, disrupting the peaceful moment and pulling me out of my focus. Aeron, my twin brother, was my closest family member and my best friend. We both had light golden-brown curls and ocean-blue eyes, inherited from our mother. His long eyelashes always made me envious. He usually joked and smiled, but lately Queen Rhiannon, my stepmother, had been especially hard on him. His tone sharpened, and his serious expression made my stomach tighten. I hated seeing him like this and missed the old him, feeling like we were losing the last bits of our childhood as he grew more distant. “The king would like to speak to you,” said Aeron with a straight face. I must have looked surprised as he winked at me and said, “I don’t think you’re in trouble.” I smiled. It’s been a while since I’ve seen my brother act like himself. “I’d better hurry off,” I said. “Yes, don’t want to keep Father,” stated Aeron. He was back to being serious. I stood up from the comfy couch, leaving Lumi and Elara alone in the room. Aeron left the room as if he had an important errand to attend to. I straightened my dress, since Father would be displeased if I had any wrinkles, saying that it wasn’t ladylike. I headed out the door, as I didn’t want to keep my father waiting long. I walked a long corridor to my father’s office; it was in the back of the palace to avoid wandering eyes, and it was quiet. I was rarely allowed in. I stopped in front of the door. Dark wood bore the Astravia logo, and the handle showed years of wear. I reached for it, but the thought of what he wanted me for scared me. I shook my head, making my curls bounce. I was being silly; it was probably nothing. I lifted my hand as my silver bracelets jangled, and I knocked. My heart skipped a beat as I heard his voice telling me to come in. I opened the door, looking at my father peering out the window at the capital. I could only see the back of his head with his salt-and-pepper hair and his hands behind his back. “Hello, Father.” His head turned to face me. I walked towards the desk where I expected him to be doing his important business. All kinds of important documents were scattered across his desk. To my surprise, my father had a picture of the whole family from when I was little, including my beautiful mom. His wife didn't like us having any pictures of my mother, saying they made her sad, but I think she was really jealous. The thought of my mother’s picture on the desk made my heart melt a little. Her soft expression and smile make you trust her instantly, leaving your heart melting every time you see her. “Come here, Astra.” I came over to the enormous window overlooking the capital, filled with buildings from skyscrapers to old architecture from when the city was founded, all under a blue sky. Astravia’s largest city became the capital after the civil war. About 5 million citizens lived here, with the palace on the west side of the border shielding it from the city’s business. The capital was called Solara, and it had all the latest fashions, which is every girl’s dream. It was our most advanced city, and while we lived a nice life here, the border lived in poverty, and the repercussions of the war were left behind. We were spoiled here. He announced, “I have an important announcement, and I need you to be there at dinner tonight.” The mention of dinner made me curious, and the gathering felt more intriguing, making me want to know more about what was so important. “May I ask what this is about?” I asked, sounding a little bit too eager. He chuckled. “I wanted to wait till tonight when everyone can be there, but I don’t want you going in blind.” “Okay, father,” I replied. I wasn’t sure why he was so mysterious. I had never been like this before; there must be a reason. “Have you seen the Ashfords lately?” King Corvus asked as he raised an eyebrow towards me. Our families were close; the Ashfords were among the wealthiest in our capital. Wren was their only son and five years older than me. He often spent time with my older brothers, Orion and Jett. They had one daughter, Sera, who was twenty. She usually kept to herself. “No,” I answered. It had been a few months since I’d been at a charity ball that the Ashfords attended. At the last one, Eira danced with Wren and many other suitors, telling them I stole her allowance and whatnot. “They’re coming to dinner tonight for the engagement, as this has been planned for years,” Father said. Now this was really puzzling. Was this Wren and Eira’s engagement? Did he want me to come to his office so I wouldn’t get my feelings hurt? “Now, run along, sweetie. I have a ton of work to do before tonight,” said King Corvus. There he was, rushing to his obligations. I nodded and, as I walked away, wondered how tonight might go. As I was getting ready for dinner, Elara was combing my hair. She was silent. I’d known her since childhood, and she was more reserved than usual. Lumi was my first friend and came to us when she was about four. My mother, then Queen, took her in from an orphanage. A charity event raised funds for the orphanage, and my mother wanted to present the check in person. Queen Seraphina took a tour and glimpsed petite Lumi in the corner. My mother was thoughtful, giving Lumi a home in the palace, and although she wasn’t authorized to adopt her, she raised her as if she were her own. Queen Seraphina gave Lumi a special job: always to be my friend, and since that day, we have stuck together. One day, when I was 8, I met Elara. She was the maid’s daughter who didn’t have a babysitter. My mother said it was okay for her daughter to come to the palace because she was a year older than me, and we could be friends. At first, she just stared at us as we played with our dolls. I told my mom that she was weird and I didn’t like her. She wasn’t happy with me and didn’t like that I wasn’t kind. My mother let me choose whether to ask her. My mother just gave me a look, and I felt like I had disappointed her, but in the end I reluctantly asked her to play. After that, I told my mother I had the best day ever. My mother was an amazing person who was taken too soon from this world. Lumi and Elara became my ladies-in-waiting about two years ago when the Queen threatened to throw them out. I found a loophole in hiring them so we could be together. The Queen wasn't too pleased with this solution and treated them like dirt. “Is something wrong?” I asked with worry. “Queen Rhiannon. She, ah, she took your diamond necklace for Princess Eira,” Elara hesitated. She frowned even harder, lowering her head as if she was ashamed. I was about to make a not-so-nice comment about the Queen and her ungrateful daughter, but I held my tongue. I did not want to upset Elara. “It’s too big anyway. It weighs my neck down.” It did, which is why I only wear it on certain occasions. I only hope that it weighed Elara down enough that she can’t talk to Wren. “I’m sorry, Astra,” Elara said in a low voice. “There’s nothing you could have done. Queen Rhiannon is greedy and thinks everyone is beneath her.” I said. I know talking about the Queen isn’t right, but to treat people badly is where I cross the line. My father gave me that necklace for my birthday last year. The centerpiece was a 15-carat diamond that felt heavy around my neck, and I’ve only worn it a few times. Still, Queen Rhiannon has been eyeing it for her own daughter. “What color dress did you pick out for me tonight?” “The deep violet dress. I think it goes nicely with the occasion tonight.” “I think my amethyst heart necklace would look lovely with it.” She smiled. I didn’t want her upset over something she couldn’t control. Besides, I preferred the amethyst heart necklace. Even though it was cheaper and smaller, it had diamonds around the heart. Its dark purple made the heart pendant easy to see. Maybe tonight, Wren will notice me.