Lyana Mercina Tellura deCantes was a princess. The princess, actually, and heir to the throne of the kingdom of Imena. Seventeen, nearly eighteen, and absolutely terrified of having to step up at any point. She was slim and gangly, too tall and awkward to be graceful, and too shy to bear herself with confidence. Her bright red hair hung to her waist in unruly curls, occasionally obscuring the hazel of her eyes. They were further hidden by the frames of her spectacles---the only pair in the kingdom. She loved them dearly, as they gave her the ability to read her precious books.<br/><br/>Yes, her books! The castle contained the largest library, full of books on everything. Science, math, history, geography, math, and everything in between. There was fiction, too, full of stories and myths. She spent hours in there, browsing and reading, learning everything she could. She knew more about the kingdom than many, and her mind was full of facts and histories. She also knew many myths, stories, and loved hearing them told. Her passion lay in books, not society.<br/><br/>However, she was forced to participate. Her parents, the king and queen, made sure that she was well schooled in the niceties of being a royal (especially the heir to the throne). Her brother, Mylan, learned these things too, but it wasn't drilled into him nearly so hard. He was the spare, and it showed. Their parents lavished attention on Lyana, though she didn't want it, and brushed Mylan off even as he strove to be the best in everything he could. He was among the top fighters in the kingdom, fairly learned, an articulate speaker, an excellent dancer, and an adept musician. He would play pieces of music that Lyana had written. Music was one passion that they shared. They would spent long afternoons together, singing and playing together in the courtyard, enjoying each others' company.<br/><br/>Now that the Festival was upon them, it was hard to find time to be together. Lyana was dragged all around, required to be present for this or that. She needed to watch this play, needed to attend this meeting, needed to do this and that and three million other things. Mylan, on the other hand, simply prepared for the tournament. Perhaps their parents would see him if he won the tournament. So, that was his motivation. That and the fact that there was an honor in being the champion; a title and prestige to be had.<br/><br/>Lyana, suffice to say, was bored. She was bored bored bored and scared and worried. She didn't want to be in front of all these people, in a dress that was tight and uncomfortable, and her hair bound in a scalp-tearing braid. Her tiara was uncomfortable, her corset was too tight, and all these people were<span style="font-style: italic">staring</span>at her. She hated it, every second of it. That was her mantra through the day:<span style="font-style: italic">I hate this. I hate this. I wish I was reading right now.</span>That and a litany of facts and statistics, based on what was happening at the time.