The Princess's voice turned sour as she poured out her woes to her unwitting servant.
"Since there is no other heir, this coming out ball, which announces me to the kingdom and proclaims I am of marriageable age, is really Father's quest to find the best possible protege to marry me off to. Someone to take the throne when he dies. I'm sure he has some ideas already, but I would wager they're not young, handsome men. I'm going to be auctioned off like some prize cow!"
Anaisa stared at the young woman. "You're saying that you don't want to be married off against your will to a man you hardly know?"
"I'm saying I don't think my hand in marriage being the keys to the kingdom will land me anything but the most power-hungry of men," The Princess made a face. "Father says he will allow me some say in the matter, but he's too desperate to keep that promise in any satisfactory way. The kingdom is far more important to him than I am."
