Adela laid in her bed thinking. How was Lucia better than her? How could Prince Michael be blind to every attempt she had made and yet be charmed by Lucia just breathing? Could she never do anything right? What was in her that made her so unlovable to him? If she did not marry the Crown Prince of Vershia, she would always be a failure in her mother's eyes. She would never be worthy of being Josephine Handhoff's daughter. So, she needed to marry the Crown Prince. She needed to make him see that he was the perfect match for him. She had tried her mother's way and that had failed. So now she tried being a little different.
He did not like women who openly went after him. So, in the last three years, she had not. She had lingered on the sidelines. Not too far that he would forget her but not too close that he would think she was after him. He liked his women to be strong and independent. Weaklings seemed to repulse him. So, she had worked hard to be independent. She had done everything to show him that was strong. She had studied his interests and had used those to spark conversation. She could not understand what she was doing wrong. What more did he want? How else could she change?
What was in Lucia that Prince Michael seemed to gravitate towards her? His eyes always followed her around the room like there was a magnet on her that drew them in. Lucia was beautiful but Adela was that and more. She had a successful career she was sure that she and the prince could have more in common if he tried. But he did not. Even though he spoke to her, there was a distance there. A part of him he only opened up to Lucia. She had not missed when he smiled at Lucia during dinner. It was not one of his PR smiles. It was a genuine smile that lit up his eyes. Why could he not offer that to her? What was in Lucia that she could not emulate? She was better than Lucia. Why couldn't he see that?
Lucia had walked away from him when their mother had suggested that she set her eyes on the prince for marriage. She had fled and Adela had been there for three fucking years. She had not fled. She had never given up on him.
Maybe that was it. That was the key to having him look away from Lucia.
An idea began to build itself in Adela's head. She was sure that if Prince Michael knew that Lucia had fled from the idea of marrying him all those years ago, he would look at her differently. Surely his pride would force him to take a big step back from her.
A smile softened her features and she closed her eyes. She had a plan now. Everything would be fine. She would be the Crown Princess of Vershia. She would prove to everyone that she was not the useless one.
The morning sun filtered into the dining room through the large floor-to-ceiling glass panes. Lucia sat in the dining room all her concentration on the game of Scrabble.
"That's not a word, Line!" Leroy told his sister.
"It is and it's not my fault you missed it!" Caroline retorted with a grin.
"What does it mean then?" Leroy challenged triumphantly.
"Sextet refers to six sets of something," Caroline had her chin raised proudly.
"So 'Sextets' refers to groups of six," a smug glint shone in her eyes.
She oozed with confidence.
"Like quartet," she added, "And quartets."
She then raised her hand palm towards her soon-to-be husband who grinned and high-fived it with a proud grin.
"Isn't anyone else going to protest this?" Leroy argued.
"Unfortunately," Lucia sighed with defeat, "She is correct."
Caroline let out a giddy giggle and Leroy rolled his eyes.
"It's your turn goody two shoes," Leroy grumbled at Lucia.
She picked up two letters and put them on the board.
"Next," she said defeatedly.
She was not having a good round.
Prince Michael picked up three pieces and put them on the board.
Leroy cheered and Caroline scowled.
"Can't you let a girl win once?" she asked.
"Why should I be lenient on you when you are being ruthless?" he asked with a grin.
Lucia smiled too. He looked genuinely happy. She loved seeing him like this. This was a side to him that few got to witness. There was a happy glint in his eyes.
"Your turn Lee," Caroline sang in Leroy's direction.
He picked up a piece and put it on the board. Lucia could not help but grin at his grumpiness. She was the one at the bottom of the scoreboard and was behaving better than him. He really was a sore loser. But that didn't mean that Caroline was not cheating. Lucia knew that she had her phone below the table and was using AI to get answers. She did not care to expose her sister as it had nothing to do with her. And she liked seeing Leroy try to figure it out.
"Prince Alex," Leroy said to his future brother-in-law with barely suppressed frustration.
"It's your turn."
Adela could hear them from the living room where she was pretending to be drafting an email. She had said that she'd be busy so she could not join them. She had too much pride to go and join them now. She had been trying to appear mature to Prince Michael but he had surprised her by wanting to play as well.
Just go and say your work finished earlier than expected, a part of her whispered.
I would risk Prince Michael suspecting that I had lied. I cannot have that.
She stayed where she was wondering how she could get close to Prince Michael without looking like the ultimate fool.
Lucia won his affection by staying on the sidelines, she reminded herself.
I should be patient. He will see me too. I just have to be patient.
She heard Caroline cheer and Leroy groan loudly. She could hear Lucia's quiet giggles and the princes' low voices. Caroline seemed to have won a round.
She would have that moment too one day. One day she would be the Crown Princess of Vershia. She would show that she was the best of all the women in the court. She would show everyone that she was not defective. She would be worthy of her mother's careful guidance.
"Next round!" Lucia's voice floated in from the kitchen, "This time I will win."
No, you will not, Adela promised, I will win. I will come out at the top.