... Or the one where foreshadowing happens, books are read, and damn that girl looks good.
Aka: A Princess overlooked.
"I live to serve you, my lady," Maggie said, and she meant it in equal measures teasing and earnest. Lena didn't know what she would do without her best friend in the castle. Lex had taken Sam away from her and sent her to another household as soon as he had come into power when he had realized exactly how much the other woman meant to her.
Lena loved her brother and did her best to respect her King, but she hated Lex Luthor much more than she could have ever imagined back when they were children. He was a despicable man and treated those around him as though they were nothing. Lena figured she was probably nothing to him as well. She hated the part of herself that instead, she must continue to love him... and as King... he should never have been allowed to rise to power.
Lex Luthor was a tyrant. He allowed anything so long as it fed into the Kingdoms' coffins. Human trafficking, slavery, drug trade were all considered admissible. His methods inside and outside of the council are despicable and dirty. Anyone who was paying attention could see it. "Much better," he said when she presented herself to him again. "I appreciate the um, sparkles. It is good to see you finally taking my advice to heart. Someone might finally begin to notice you, you know."
"Thank you, my King," Lena grumbled. The book she had hidden between the corset and the outer skirt dug deeply into her waist. She didn't mind because it lets her know it's there. Lena couldn't help the small glimmer of victory begging to grow in her stomach. It felt kind of petulant but she couldn't hold it back. She caught the look Maggie shot at her and the corner of her mouth tilted up in response. Lena was more grateful to her than she had ever expected.
Lena took her seat with Lex Luthor in the box, slightly behind and to the left of him. While he was distracted greeting those who begged his favor, she slipped the book free and held it close, as though it were the most important thing in the world. Books we're an endangered species since Lex had come to power. He was terrified of an educated populous resulting in the possibility his people could turn against him.
Lena half hoped the people would rise in rebellion one day. She wasn't particularly inclined towards taking the crown herself and knew that it would probably end in her demise, but their subjects didn't deserve what Lex was putting them through. Her brother was a sick and vicious man. It was evident from the state of his concubine when he was tired of them.
Lena shook off the thoughts to turn her attention to the stadium, at least until the games begin. The parades and marches were nice to watch. It almost seemed fun for a little while. Lena like seeing the animals they were healthy, strong, and cared for, and the fighters were smiling in greeting.
She was too high above to make good eye contact, but none of them were paying her the slightest of attention anyway. Everyone looked to Lex. Each set of warriors, beginners, intermediates, and the champions; the pain of animals, stopped before them and presented themselves to the royal family. Lena stood as she knew she was supposed to and waved alongside her brother faking her best smile.
Lex leaned in to whisper in her ear, "I have heard good things about this girl, the one with the red and blue armband." His tone was inspirational and pretty rare for him. Lena's eyes followed his long finger.
The gladiators stood in perfect rows, as was customary. Each of them was beautiful, buit, and muscular almost to an extreme. Lena felt soft in comparison. The warriors didn't wear armor and mail as the army did. Lex had explained to her once it was because the gladiators needed more flexibility to be able to move more easily.
The woman Lex had pointed out wore even less than the others. She was only geared in leather braces, graves, and a breastplate. She lowered menacingly to the ground in front of her as the captain of the group directed some kind of flowery speech to Lex. Lena appreciated that the woman didn't attempt to fake any kind of enthusiasm as many of the others did.
She was too far away to make eye contact with or even make out any of the details of her face. Lena could see strength radiating off of the other woman on waves nonetheless. Lena could appreciate it. She aspired to gain such confidence one day. Lex could strike fear into the hearts of the people around him with just a look, and Lena got a feeling no one ever disrespected the woman down on the sand. Lena didn't feel anywhere near as respected as either of them.