ERICA'S BATTLEGROUNDS

A knock from my door followed by an entry is enough to let me know of my guest, Laurel my sister, she never waits to be invited in. "Not ready yet ah" she chimes in not really expecting a reply then her gaze sweeps along my frame and she chuckles, "are you trying to impress the queen?" she states, simply. She knows a lot about me and think it is time I devise ways of keeping off prying minds.

"Is it too obvious?" I ask her not willing to give an obvious answer.

"Only to me", she answers back then opens the door and I follow her to our shared hallway which leads to the stairways.

 "I was on my way to check on you, your brothers are already waiting", Sarah my handmaiden says when we meet her in the hallway, then pretends to be dazed looking my way, "you look like a princess, my lady", you would think she was not the one who arranged my clothes.

"I agree with you", my sister smiles then tilts her head to look at me suspiciously but I continue walking without answering what she wants to hear; why am dressed like this. So before dinner with parents was announced, my stepbrother Sebastian and I had arrangements to go horse riding, it is something we do regularly, of course without my mother awareness. But now sharing a dinner table with her will be nearly impossible to get away.

She is the epitome of elegance and will not hesitate to point out my misbehavior or improper attire even in the presence of others, which I don't mind at all. But her presence today means I'll have ask her permission to go horse riding and have to give her what she wants; a long beautiful dress that flows all the way to my ankles and inside a corset that is already crushing my ribs, Sarah worked hard on my hair and I am confident she's going to like.

It is totally not my style I rarely wear corsets and heavy dresses, and she knows that. But I think you have to give something to gain something and am hoping looking good in her eyes today will be enough to melt her. I love horse riding and I don't mind going through a little discomfort to get it. I will endure being perfect even though it does not sit well with me, I have a big mouth that sometimes dissociates itself with my brain and says things that lands me in trouble, but I'll keep it in check today.

"Princess Laurel, princess Erika, dinner is almost served", Tobias our butler opens the door leading to the main dinning room and gestures for us to enter by holding the door.

"Thankyou Tobias," I chip in while my sister nods. I have always been the louder one while my sister is reserved and chooses her words carefully especially in front of other people. She is always decent and put together even in difficult situations. I guess that is what you become for being my mother's first daughter, 'always be in control of you emotions and your environment', that is what we always hear from her, I don't really take it to heart most of her preferences and am sure she will one day give up on me and that we make me the happiest person.

At the dinner chambers my elder brother Humphrey is seated with my stepbrother Theodore discussing something, while Sebastian is leaning on the wall looking at outside through the window.

"Good evening boys?" Laurel greets them while I move across the room to see what Sebastian is gazing at.

"Good eve....."and before they could answer back Sebastian turns around and burst out laughing, he is infectious and I almost laugh at myself as everybody else flags him.

"What are wearing?", he asks still laughing,

"A dress, what else could it be you moron", I answer him back irritated that they have to mention everything concerning my life. And as if that is not enough, the other men comes my way and start inspecting and giving unwanted comments.

"You look.....",Humphrey starts and seems to be thinking while smiling wistfully...."heavy", Theodore finishes it for him and he nods in agreement. "Are you comfortable?" Sebastian teases me while patting on my shoulder softly and I move away to show my irritation. "Of course, Laurel wears them all the time, why won't I be?" I smile to let them know I am comfortable.

"I hope you get what you want from Her Majesty", Humphrey continues and looks over at Theodore to let me know they all know that I don't do most things for nothing, which is true and that shocks me of how much they know me but I will never admit to that. They are still laughing and nodding which makes me think they are remembering other things confirming their suspicion that I want something.

Tobias announces the arrival of the king and we all stand facing the door, and when the door is opened, our eyes are blessed with a sight enough to make us suspicious of the overall dinner plans. Our father, the king, walking side by side with the two women of his life; my mother we call her the queen all the time, on his right and my stepmother, we all call her mother, on his left side.

"I wonder who waited for who", I state in a low voice for Sebastian's ears alone and he starts giggling, am also struggling to control the laughter that is threatening to escape me, because that will cause disaster the two of us. But I think the queen is in a good mood that she ignores his giggling fits while I smiles innocently like I didn't do anything. I was hoping for him to get in trouble for teasing me about the dress.

"Don't forget our horse riding", he manages to slip it out while we take our seats, with the kings permission of course.

"Am working on it", I answer him without looking his way

"So that was what the dress was all about?" his voice is low, but he says it as if he finally discovered something new.

"It is called strategy, you'll learn when you grow up", my voice is low just for him, and with that am sure I managed to wipe everything that makes him show his teeth, protecting him in a way from my mother's wrath, which worked. He is stunned and was unable to finish whatever he was about to whisper to Theodore, who is still adjusting his chair. He's always the last to sit since he usually pulls the chairs for either the queen or mother, today it was mother's chair only since the king did it for the queen and Humphrey pulled Laurel's chair, me on the other hand don't wait for people, I pull my own chair, well mostly.