5. Dreams

Brooke's dreams ride straight in front of her as she sees the royal family in their majesty.

“Brooklyn, hurry!” her dad called from behind her door. Brooke slid into Capris pants and a white tank top. She grabbed her sword and its sheath, clamping it to her belt. She dashed a comb through her hair, running it over the waved tresses. Brooke stared in the mirror. This was the day, the first step to her dream. Brooke grew hyper at the reality as a sudden rush of blood raced through her. She put on sneakers and stuffed the confirmation letter in her back pocket. The master guardians will ask for it. She wondered what they would be like. She imagined rigid and intimidating. A shiver graced her skin, but she shook it off. She had to be confident, sure of her abilities. She nodded to herself. Brooke walked into the hallway that led to the living room.

            Brooke felt out of place compared to how Mary, Fannie, and Lucy dressed. Fannie balanced a phone between her ear and shoulder, pacing the room. She had on a white dress shirt that fell over black pants. The news said it would be ninety degrees outside, the hottest day of winter. Perfect for a parade, but not for what Fannie wore. Lucy sat on the couch, texting and checking texts wearing a pink, frilly blouse and a blue jean skirt that any Dad would have said no to wearing. Not her dad, he was too busy looking at Mary’s butt in those tight black jeans. The halter-top she wore squeezed her plastic breasts so they seemed to pop out like two rubber balls. Brooke grimaced. She cleared her throat, and Dad averted his gaze to face Brooke. “There’s my princess,” he cooed. Dad was the only normal one with his old, brown golf pants, and blank white t-shirt. Brooke made sure she had on comfortable clothes. She didn’t want to make any changes.

            Mary looked Brooke up and down. “You’re wearing that to the parade?” she scoffed.

            Brooke arched her brows, propping her hands on her hips. “Right back at ya.” She rolled her eyes. “We are going to a parade, not some fancy party; children will be there.”

            “Watch your tone with me, young lady!”

            “Why don’t you watch something other than my dad’s wallet?”

            “Brooklyn, please,” begged Dad.

Brooke breathed and decided to let it go. It was the day of her audition after all. She grasped the brass handle of the front door, twisting it like a bolt, and replied, “Well, the parade won’t wait for us.”

            Dad nodded and urged Mary to let it go as well. “Come along girls.” Fannie snapped her phone shut and Lucy stood up, phone still in hand. The girls followed after Mary into her black SUV Dad bought her last year.

            “Try to have a good time, Brooklyn,” said Dad as he waited for Brooke to go.

            “Just remember, you said try,” whispered Brooke as she walked past him.

She hopped into the SUV and Dad took the wheel. Brooke leaned on the window, hoping the scenery would ease her. Any negative vibe possessed the potential to hinder her. The road curved beside Alagracia’s entry wall. Brooke wondered about Rogue. Had her dad scared him away? After the audition, she must visit him and see how he was doing. She smiled at the thought of them sharing tea with him and telling him about the audition, the parade, and ridiculing her stepfamily.

They passed the docks where she spotted even more anymalis. That same anymalis stood unlatching the ferryboat. “Ugh, I can’t believe the princess allowed those filthy creatures into the kingdom walls,” scorned Fannie. She glanced at Lucy who had not looked up from her phone. Fannie elbowed the girl. “Huh, Luce?”

“Politics is not my favorite conversation topic,” Lucy snapped. Figured. Anything that didn’t involve gossip, fashion trends, or boys weren’t her favorite conversation topics. She returned to her phone.

“What do you think Mom?” Mary applied red lipstick onto her crusted lips, smacking them and looking at herself through a compact mirror. Mary adjusted her purse between her legs. Brooke noticed the corner of a book sticking out. Mary caught Brooke’s stare through the mirror, clapped it shut, and closed her purse.

“The only way I like animals is when they are wrapped around my neck.”

Brooke thought back to the stranger named Dorian and the anymalis. What was her name? Ellis. She sure was cute. Brooke couldn’t imagine killing a shy thing like that. Brooke also wondered who that Dorian person was anyways. Madam Moon was a strange character too. They both knew her mother, but she did not know them. Had her mother ever mentioned them? Brooke didn’t remember.

The sounds of the city came alive as Brooke heard loud drums rolls and boastful trumpets. Tall buildings surrounded the SUV and people bustled on the sidewalk. Brooke caught her eye on the academy, its long, brilliant square shaped structure extending wide amid the horizon. Inside its brick walls was her destiny.

The castle captured Brooke’s attention next. Its turrets disappeared within the clouds as the sun made the gold around its windows glimmer brighter than itself. Upon the smaller turrets waved tiny flags with colors of green and yellow, the kingdom’s proud colors. The grand lake, expanding as wide as the castle sat still as grass. Not a single wind disturbed its stature. The entire scene was beautiful.

Dad drove the car to a parking lot beside a large empty stadium. Of course, it would be empty; all the action was by the castle. Where will the parade end? Brooke wondered, but before she decided to ask, Dad parked the car and turned off the engine. Lucy finally looked up from her phone and gasped. “Hey it looks like the parade has not started yet; do you think we can go meet one of the princesses, Mom?”

Mary gave her an uncertain expression. “Hmmm, I don’t know baby.”

“They don’t meet with too many people,” finished Dad.

“But she always greets the children, she’ll sure to greet us.” Brooke wanted to see the princess too, but she kept quiet.

“Ok baby, we’ll see what we can do.” Mary, the girls, and Dad stepped out the car. Brooke continued to stare at the castle as she exited the car as well. Soon she will work there. Soon, that castle would be her career.

“Dad, what time is it?”

Dad glanced at his Rolex watch and answered, “8:30 and before you ask, the parade will end at one, so you can make it to your audition thing.”

Brooke nodded. Dramatic drum rolls and excited screams echoed into the sky. The parade was about to start. Lucy’s shoulders slumped as she pouted her lip. “Aw, we missed them.”

Mary patted her back. “It’s ok, baby, maybe some other time.”

“We better get to the starting point, guys,” announced Dad. They all nodded and followed him. Brooke squeezed through the crowd, excusing herself after bumping into people’s shoulders, hips, butts, and stepping on someone’s foot. She found herself to the front and saw the whole parade. Alagracia’s marching band sang the proud anthem of Alagracia, dressed in the colors of yellow and green. The instruments sang in harmony. Cymbals rang through the air. The music of the anthem and the march of its melody filled the kingdom with a sense of pride.

Then there was the army, the marines, the navy all together on leading floats and following behind the band. They held their rifles on their shoulder, saluting to the flag of Alagracia. Following them was a circus float in which painted men and acrobats flipped beside their float. A lion sat on top and sent a fierce roar to the crowd. The crowd responded with a roar of its own. Brooke screamed too, and then giggled at herself when she stopped.

After the circus float came the royal float passed by, tall and too in the colors of Alagracia. Brooke saw the king first. The queen was deceased, no longer riding beside him. The wind brushed through King Victor’s hair, jostling the black curls, his eyes a prideful, regal blue. Behind him were the two princesses side by side. Princess Meredith looked dazzling as the sun shone her blonde curly hair, glimmering like the gold on her palace. Brooke saw her more clearly than she saw Princess Catalina who sat to the left of Princess Meredith. That was the royal family in which she will protect. 

 

Author's Note

Dear Reader,

I meant to introduce the royal family: King Victor, Queen Shahana (deceased), Princess Catalina, and Princess Meredith (very important character). Hope you got a feel of the setting and kingdom. This chapter is the rising action to the drama that happens in the next chapter.

I chose this picture because it's like Brooke is imagining her future and dreams right in front of her.

Thank you for reading.

Sincerely JazzSoulKeke,

God bless