Twenty Seven Crowns

A Royal Proclamation

I walked with my younger sister May through town to deliver our harvest for this season. We had partnerships with many of the markets and that's how we make most o our money, though it's not much.

As I walked through the market delivering food, my sister was distracted by the beautiful Ribbons and dresses that she knew we would never have. She enjoyed looking at the finer things that other people would soon walk around in.

As I was trading our goods to the apple cart owner, a royal messanger stood on the platform in the middle of the town center. When I heard the trumpet, I quickly finished my trade and dragged my sister by the wrist to where we could hear.

The messanger cleared his throat, then unrolled a scroll before speaking.

"Here ye, Here ye, all young ladies of the Tilan province will be considered for the queens choosing of twenty five damsels. These chosen young ladies will become young ladies of the court and will eventually be crowned princesses after tutoring. As such, the crowned princesses will go on to marry one of the twenty six eligible princes, along with the queens own daughter, and make alliances with the other twenty six provinces. These fortunate ladies will be chosen only from the Tilan province and it will be by hand selection. The queens own royal guard will had pick the young ladies, when they are all chosen, he will escort them to the castle. That is the end of the royal proclamation" He rolled the scroll back up, then stepped off the platform.

Everyone went about their normal business and I continued making the rest of the trades with our market partners. When I was done, May followed me home.

"Can you believe it Becka? You could be chosen to be a princess." I rolled my eyes.

"May, I'm a simple girl. I don't need dresses, or fancy food, or even a bunch of shoes. I don't want to marry someone who is in charge of an entire province and I certainly don't want to be in a position where I have to learn to rule beside that person. Being a princess isn't for me, so I'm ok not being chosen." I continued walking until we ran into a friend of ours.

"Hello ladies, what are you doing so far from your house?" A muscular young man with dirty blonde hair and blue eyes began walking next to us as he inquired our explanation.

"Good afternoon Barren, we were on our way home from the market. Father and Caleb finished harvesting our crops yesterday. We were doing our trading early so we would be home in time for dinner. Why are you so far from your home?" He smiled.

"Well, as it happens, you mother sent me to find you ladies. She never said what you were doing, so I was curious as to why you were so far. Would you like an escort home?" He bowed kindly and offered his services.

"That would be lovely, on the way May can tell you about the exciting proclamation that was given in the town center today. You can tell your sister Miley when you get home." He looked at May for the details of the proclamation so he could relay the information to his sister.

May went on and on about every detail of what was said, then she gave her personal hopes and thoughts about the matter. I listened quietly as we walked the rest of the two hours home.