Crimson Crown

This was by far the worst night of my life. Well, if the worst thing to ever happen to me in my life was being soaking wet to the bone and locked out of my house on a Wednesday after school. I wait out the intolerable rain for a few minutes before I see the glowing white lights of a cars head lights pull into my drive way through the haze of the rain. As the car shuts off I run to meet my older brother on the driver’s side of our black Land Rover. I quickly follow behind him into the protection of our own home as he slips the key into the lock. I sling my wet back pack onto our hardwood oak flooring not caring about the water it still clings to. I slip off my wet sneakers and rush up our stairs into my bedroom. I shut the door and change into dry clothes and put up my wet blonde hair into a low bun to keep it from my face. Grabbing my phone off my bed I text my best friend Tahira hoping she has made it back to her house from our academy before the unwelcomed rain came.

Tahira is my best friend and has been since I was a small child. She and I met when we were about seven years old. A boy in our second year class had kept pulling her long dark chocolate brown hair. She being the perfect angel she always has been, (with the exception of when she’s with me) let him carry on without a word. Little seven year old me had a different idea and walked over to him and socked him in the face, hence the beginning of our unbreakable friendship.

I swiftly move my fingers across the screen of my phone and send her a message.

‘Hey, party in the woods after curfew. You up for some fun?’ I ask her and she texts me back not a minute later.

‘Ugh, really Moravia? You know I hate this kind of stuff.’

‘Common Tahira, it’s a party, it will help you loosen up.’

‘It’s raining!’

‘It will stop, trust me.’

‘If the rain stops I’ll come.’

‘Great I’ll see you later then.’

‘Whatever just pick me up at the Petofi gas satiation when you leave.’

‘Sure thing Tahira, and trust me, you will enjoy this.’

‘Whatever.’ I shut off my phone and lay on my soft white sheets that cover my bed, too lazy to do anything else in till tonight. I wonder about how my life would change if things weren’t as how they are today.

Many centuries ago our king and queen had created rules that caged us in. They didn’t let us be ourselves. They don’t let us love who we want to. By the time a women turns twenty she is assigned a husband. We don’t have a say in who we spend the rest of our life with. Instead we are handed off to a man we have no knowledge about and are forced to bare at least one child by the time we turn twenty-five. Ever since I can remember I have despised the rules the royal’s inforce, guiding to also despise the royals who force them upon us. The current rulers are King Sarkis Vollento and Queen Valerie Vollento, Tahira’s parents. They didn’t create these rules but they enforce them. Making sure everyone abides by these caging restrictions. They also enforce a curfew, ten O-clock everyone has to be indoors. The party’s I go to are always after curfew and it’s the small freedom we get in our strict lives.

Time passed by in a blur as I eat and get ready for the party. I fix my makeup making it darker and instead of the black sweater I wore to school I pair a silk grey shirt with my navy blue jeans. I look in my golden framed mirror to see my reflection. My grey eyes contrast with my golden skin tone. My long blond hair still in its bun from before but I knew that if I let it down it would hang in tight waves down my back. I walk down my stairs and quickly, yet quietly, start our 67 Impala. It roars to life and I drive to the nearest Petofi gas station, a five minute drive with no cars on the road and pick up Tahira. Once I stop my car under the glowing royal blue Petofi sign I see a figure a few feet away walk up to my car. As the person gets closer I realize they have a dark brown bob cut and are carrying a blue purse at their side, Tahira. She pulls the car door open and slips inside the passenger side. “Hey, you sure you want to go through with this Mor?”

“Yes, Tahira.”

“Fine, I guess no changing your mind now.” I look over at her and smirk.

“You know me so well.” She let out a quite chuckle. She closes the car door before any more cold air can slip its way in and buckles up.

“You’re just lucky that it’s not raining anymore.”

“What did I tell you?” Out of the corner of my eye I see Tahira roll her eyes towards my attitude.

The drive to the forest is spent in a comfortable silence. I look over to see Tahira on her phone as it casts a blue glow onto her face. I turn back towards the road and keep my eyes on the lonely course as I make the correct left and rights needed in the shallow amount of light that pours from the cars headlights. As I pull up to the edge of the darkened forest I hear the fast past beat of music from beyond the tree line. I step out of the car and start walking towards the party without a second thought. “You okay Tahira?” I call back. I hear the crunch of fallen leaves and twigs as she jogs behind me. She soon reaches my side and we walk in unison.

“Yeah.” She says quietly. We soon reach the centre of the party, the music full blast and everyone crowding a large bond fire that spews orange and red flames. I walk to a cooler siting on the bed of dirt and twigs and grab an unopened beer. Making my way back to Tahira I see she has a huge smile plastered onto her ivory face.

“What is it?’ I ask her as I take a large swig of the cold beer in my hands.

“I forgot to tell you but my parents have been talking about who I’m going to marry.” Hearing the words spill from her mouth my face pales.

“You’re excited about that?” I ask.

“Well yeah, I really want to know who I’m going to marry.” I think about the disgusting rules the royals force upon us allowing us no freedom and inwardly cringe.

“How can you just go along like nothing’s wrong?” I shriek. I glance around the crowded area and quickly pull Tahira to a more secluded place in the forest as she begins to speak again.

“It’s what I was raised to do.” I knew she had a point there. It’s what we were all raised to do, follow the rules and keep our mouths shut. Yet I still had a small space in my heart for hope. I fully knew that my hopes were transparent and unimportant, yet still I hopelessly hoped that our crimpling society would change for the better.

“So you intend to just go along with their plans like a good little princess?” I set my beer down on a nearby log long forgotten about.

“Yes.”

“Tahira, can’t you see, you’re corrupting yourself!”

“What do you mean corrupting myself?”

“Tahira, we rarely stay pure once we realize once society wants from us. We corrupt ourselves to be what they want. I intend to stay pure, but Tahira, you’ve already corrupted yourself to be what they want.”

“And what’s that?” She asked her voice taking on a colder tone.

“You’re a perfect girl that’s willing to be trampled over by the royals.”

“But I’m a royal.”

“Yes, but before this discussion I thought you were different, I guess I was wrong.” With my final words I turn away from Tahira no longer caring about her in the moment. “You can find your own way home.” I call back. Without turning around I walk through the dark forest towards my car. The farther I walk the quitter the atmosphere that surrounds me gets. Finally the floor I walk on changes from pine needles and twigs to rocky dirt and I can see my car parked in the distance. As I reach it I grab hold of the handle and slip the keys into the lock managing to unlock it. Climbing inside and sitting on the seat I wish for the night to be over with.