Love is just a phase...right?

It happens every summer. Every summer I’m dragged from our castle in Romania to visit my mother’s “friend” King Nicholas and his stupid, arrogant, rotten son Prince Everett, belch! It’s every summer that I fight tooth and nail with my mother about the exact reasoning of me having to visit them, and each summer I get the same freaking answer, “because Jennifer, it’s your duty, when you’re old enough, you’ll marry him because that’s what princesses do!” Marry him my butt, like I would ever marry him, HA! I despise the memories of the past ten summers I’ve spent with him since I was eight! Hehe, except when I did something absolutely terrible to him, then it was a little but more enjoyable. Like the time when I switched his morning oatmeal with pig slop from the farm, or when I loosened his horse’s saddle girth right before he mounted, but then there were those times where he cut most of my hair off during the night, and when he threw all my clothes into the lake, ugh! This summer though will be different! I’m tired of those stupid, childish games, yes, this summer I will just ignore that poor excuse for a ‘man’ and carry on with how I originally planned my summer…not with him! 1

“Jennifer!” I heard my mother call. I rolled over and hid myself underneath the covers hoping that it was my imagination that was calling me instead. Wrong. 2

“JENNIFER!” she was pounding on the door now. Ugh.3

“Go away…I’m sleeping…” I managed to muffle with my pillow.4

“Jennifer. If you do not get up and open this door immediately, I will have someone break down this door and drag you out!” she threatened.5

“But it’s only a day after my birthday!” I complained.6

“That’s never stopped us before.” she snapped. Since I really would prefer to not have someone random break down my door, I might as well do as she says…Nah.7

“Ok then…have someone break down the door” I managed to smirk through my bed.8

“ARRRGGG!” I heard my mother stomp off furiously yelling at any poor person that was in her way. I obviously have no choice but to force myself to get ready before my mother does it for me. I shudder at the thought of spending the whole summer with Everett. UGH! For an unknown reason we always manage to leave a day after my birthday. Every year on my birthday, before I would blow out the candles, I would wish that for one summer I wouldn’t have to put up with Everett. Each year I would have to accept the blow of it not coming true. I wonder if God is punishing me, or if karma is on his side, but I wish the tables would turn already! I groggily push myself off my bed and stumble towards my vanity. I sit down and stare at myself through the mirror. I don’t know why I thought that turning eighteen would change my appearance at all, but of course like all women…I thought it would. I sighed at my pale complexion. Everyone said that I was an almost perfect replication of an angel, if it weren’t for my dark brown hair. Hmm…really the only thing I appreciate about my self, are my ocean-blue eyes. I was about to completely lose my self in my thoughts, until my mother literally threw the door open.9

“WHY ARE YOU NOT READY YET?!” she screamed. I was too caught up in her entrance that I wasn’t aware of her rummaging through my wardrobe. 10

“Hmmmm…I think this one would look just lovely!” I heard my mother mumble. Before I knew it, I had a dress thrown at me, and my mother shoving me into the nearest bathroom like a mad-man. Befuddled, I looked at the dress. It was a long, silk garnet colored dress. The sleeves were about ¾ lengths, and the neckline plunged into a wide, deep, square neck line that I personally thought showed a bit too much cleavage for my liking, though I would wear it so my mother wouldn’t harass me any further. The dress seemed to hang nicely on my body, despite it hugging every curve that was visible on my body. I sighed as I combed through my hair and put it up into a messy bun with three strands of hair falling in my face. I smirked. This should get my mom pretty irked. I hastily put on some eyeliner and mascara and paced out the door. I walked back into my room to find all of my belongings stripped of their places. I ran down hall and stopped at the top of the staircase to find all my belongings packed into several bags being carried out by many servant men. At this point my mother is pushing me down the steps, but holding me at the scruff of the neck so I don’t run away…darn. 11

“Mom…you don’t have to force me like that!” I exclaimed. 12

“Well, I don’t want to take any chances.” She said as she eyes me warily. I sigh giving in for the moment, though I’m not about to surrender!