This is the beginning of the book, which I hope makes itself clear enough. Usually people coo and such at how cute this is. I'm cool with that, of course, but I'd like some thoughts.
As Low Princess Shefali Kaur was escorted into the Grand Palace, where the King of the entire planet lived with his family, her mother’s words still floated around in her mind.
“Your position is highly volatile. Remember not to offend the Prince. If you see either of his siblings, be nice to them. They will be obstacles to you if they dislike you. Befriend them if you can! If they don’t like you, they can make sure you never get back to the Palace!”
Why hadn’t her mother come along with her?
Instead of a familiar face belonging to someone she knew would protect her, even if it might be closer to smothering than protection, she would have had some comfort.
She hugged herself, looking up at the ornately decorated ceiling, so high above her head.
The guard’s hand on her shoulder seemed to push her into the ground, even as it guided her along.
She pictured the Prince, seated on a floor pillow, watching her every movement disapprovingly.
Would he hate her?
What would he do to her if she weren’t pretty enough?
She smoothed her wide yellow sash, as an excuse for stilling her stomach.
She dug her heels into the rugs with every step.
The longer it took to reach the prince, she reasoned, the more time she’d have to prepare.
He may want her to prove her conversation skills.
He may ask her to perform some talent.
She had no instruments with her, and if she tried to dance she’d trip with nerves, and she couldn’t even imagine the episode that would occur if she tried to sing!
Failure was the most likely outcome of this meeting, anyway.
When had she really succeeded at anything?
She was only attending to the prince as a formality, so people would know she tried, and when they checked the record, someone would say: “No, we tried Low Princess Shefali, but the gods must have sneezed while making her, so let’s never bring her to court again!”
The more she thought about it, the more such an event sounded like a blessing.
One colossal failure would be easier to swallow than several smaller ones, wouldn’t it?
And she wouldn’t even be the first to fail at pleasing the prince!
The princess of Basmelor had not even been able to secure a betrothal to him!
She almost felt like laughing now.
Basmelorians may be famed for their strange looks, but they were undeniably beautiful all the same.
If such a creature, with her sparkling wings of many colors, and her delicate features, had been unable to win the prince’s heart, what hope did Shefali have?
By all accounts—all accounts she was aware of—she was the picture of Kartavyan normality.
She had brown hair, which, according to the priests hired to say polite things, was a sign the gods did not want to erase the ancient features they had bestowed upon Kartavyans originally.
Even her eyes were brown.
No hint of the genetic alterations her noble family had received generations ago had done any good.
Certainly, the prince, himself, who had inherited the phenomenally outrageous blond and blue eyed combination, the possibility of which had once been shocking, would frown at her.
He would say: “The gods did not even allow your blood to defy the natural order! Why should I even be looking at you?”
He shouldn’t be looking at her, that was the answer she’d give.
Even her mother had the decency to inherit blue eyes, despite her black hair, and she’d made the best of it.
So, really, she had no reason to be nervous, she reasoned to herself.
After today, she’d have no reason to return, her mother would hide her in a closet for shame, and one day she’d be entirely forgotten.
“Wait here, Princess,” the guard said, and disappeared into the wall.
Shefali stood watching the place he’d stood a moment before.
There were panels in the walls that allowed one to use them as doors.
These could prove useful during a war.
But why should war concern a citizen of Kartavya, the only planet almost as peaceful as Basmelor?
She jumped the moment the guard returned, and he bowed in apology.
Looking at the man on the floor, it struck Shefali that there was a reason he gave her this respect.
Her mother was a Low Princess, and Shefali had inherited the title, herself.
But there were not so very many High Princesses to speak of.
There was the darling of Kartavya, the young princess Navina, not yet allowed in public.
She could not even remember the names of other High Princesses, only that their faces appeared in the pictures her mother was always showing her.
She almost wanted to hate them for that.
She’d never be like them.
She’d never achieve their beauty, their grace, the level of adoration showered on them.
There was a statue of Revered Queen Thet, directly in front of her.
The guard prostrated himself before the statue, and Shefali bowed as was necessary.
When she looked back up, the guard had not yet risen.
She saw the queen’s eyes glow, just for a breath of time.
It was then her fate was sealed.
His mother pushed him down on the floor cushion once again. “Stay there this time!” she pleaded. “She won’t hurt you. She’s probably afraid of you, too!”
“Afraid of me? That’s crazy! What could she think I’d do to her?”
“You’re the Crown Prince, remember? You have the power to shame her and her entire family for generations with one word.”
He frowned. “Which word is that? What if I accidentally say it? What if I say the wrong thing and hurt her feelings?”
His mother laughed and patted his shoulder. “Just be yourself, Raza, and everything will be just fine. You’ll see.”
Raza gulped, shifting his weight around on his knees. His mother was about to leave him alone to meet this girl!
She wasn’t the first girl they’d tried to give him.
It was at times like these that Raza wondered if they shouldn’t wait until he was old enough to appreciate girls.
As it was, he… occasionally liked meeting them, but he was only nine years old.
Still, they sent girls.
And he was always afraid they’d end up being monsters and one of them would bite his head off.
They’d be sorry then, wouldn’t they?
One in particular—Ashanti—had sat so close to him their legs touched, and put an arm around him, her fingers digging slightly into his shoulder, saying that when she was Queen, she’d never have to leave his side, and she’d see everything he ever did.
Then she’d brought her other hand over to his previously free shoulder and both her hands had begun massaging him.
That’d been when he’d screamed.
It wasn’t his fault he thought she was a snake monster, was it?
He didn’t even know how to deal with his own little sister. She was sometimes brought to his chambers for them to play. He tried to accommodate her, but he’d never played with a doll before, and kept doing it wrong. Who knew little girls didn’t want their dolls engaged in pitched combat?
“Have fun. Remember, Just look for something unique and beautiful about her. She’s a human being, too, Raz. You can become friends, you know.”
His mouth dropped open to beg for her to stay, but his mother was already gone.
She’d left him to the monsters.
Shefali had to be lifted through the door. She’d stopped taking steps on her own a few paces back, causing the guard to be more insistent.
The guard only expressed his frustration when he slammed the door behind her.
Shefali was bowing as soon as her feet hit the floor, not even taking in the room around her.
“Greetings, Noble Girl.” Raza had learned early on in this process that he should be as formal as possible.
As long as he was formal he knew what to say.
And maybe the monsters would leave him alone if he were nice.
“It is an honor to meet you, my Prince!” Shefali’s words were only barely saved from being completely lost to the carpet by Shefali’s brief raising of her head.
Raza rocked forward on his knees.
Her hair was twisted into little coils, like tight, ropey birds’ nests made of shiny brown cloth.
Could she be hiding another head in there?
No, unlikely.
In each of the nests were jewels, like little eggs or branches stuck through them, which had little berries or blossoms growing on the ends of them.
If he were bored, or not afraid of her girly monster-tricks, he might have enjoyed merely staring at this odd arrangement, but if this was the girl they’d chosen for him, he wanted to see her face to face.
“Sit up so I can see your face,” he entreated her.
She pulled herself up, looking up at him with her mouth in a little “o.” “Why do you want to see my face?”
So he could be sure she didn’t have fangs.
“I just wanted to see it.”
Her face was pale and delicate, with rosy little cheeks and wide brown eyes. Her eyebrows came down over her eyes, small brown lines of perturbation, as she pouted slightly in confusion.
Huh. Not evil at all.
“Well… are you happy now?”
He nodded. She was pretty. And now he really felt like he was talking to her not at her. “So… what’s your name?”
“Well, it’s—” her eyes widened. “They didn’t tell you?” Her voice rose an octave.
His mouth opened just slightly. “Uh… no…” They hadn’t told him any of the other girls’ names, either.
“You don’t even know my name!” Shefali shook her head, which made clinking sounds, which finally alerted Raza to the rather long earrings she was wearing.
“No…” Was that his fault? “I’m sorry! I just didn’t learn it!” Raza had never thought to ask! But he should have! It was all his fault! He’d upset her! He reeled back on his toes.
Shefali bit her lip. “Oh, no! I’m sorry! I am Low Princess Shefali Kaur. I’m just so nervous about meeting someone I might marry and not really knowing anything. I thought my name might be important information.”
Raza could see the hurt in her eyes, and could nearly read how she was feeling as if she didn’t matter.
He’d never been able to tell what another person was thinking that way before.
He tried to reach out to her with his mind, though he didn’t know how effective he could be.
He didn’t know anything about girls, but somehow, he knew something about her.
Shefali leaned back and looked down.
The Prince was getting entirely too close.
His inquisitive blue eyes were probing a bit too deeply into her subconscious.
She peeked back up to see his golden brown hair spilling over one eye.
She couldn’t look away once she’d given him that much contact.
“It is important.” Meaning she was important.
After all, how many girls out there weren’t monsters?
He came forward on his knees, trying to get a better connection by closing distance. “That’s why I asked you. I guess you know my name.” He breathed a shaky laugh, bringing his shoulders up to his ears.
The edges of her mouth twitched up, imprinting her first smile in Raza’s mind. “Yes.” She laughed through her lips.
“So, what do we do now?” Raza picked at the edge of the pillow he sat on.
“I’m not quite sure,” Shefali looked up and over her right shoulder, as if expecting someone to be there and explain everything.
Raza grimaced. “If you’re going to be my wife, I’m… going to need We’re friends.”
Shefali pulled her shoulders forward. “Then… how should I talk to you?”
“Call me Raza. It’s my name, after all.” Raza shrugged. Thinking carefully, he decided to give her a big smile. “You could also call me Raz.”
Shefali examined Raza’s expression critically. She couldn’t understand the intent behind it. “Right. I’ll call you Raza.”
“And what would you like me to call you?”
“Whatever you want, of course.”
“All right then. I’m calling you Fali.”