You'll Be in Jail

During one conversation, the Czar told me to get a firm grasp on my husband-to-be. Until recently, I had the boy dress in his finest and polish his appearance each time he met the Czar and the Queen, as anyone would when they meet their beloved's parents. However, as the wedding draws near, I knew that they would need to be introduced to his quirks and eccentricities, that quite frankly, were exactly what attracted me to him. Yes, he has morning breath when he wakes up, he leaves his socks on the floor, he hates to dust, his dishes go unwashed, and *gasp* he does not always wear a suit with his hair combed to the side.

The aberrations presented were more than the Czar could stomach. What kind of parents would allow their children to dress outside the terms of Court guidelines? He wanted the boy to change his look, to abandon his individual "style" and to conform to his demands. There's a fundamental difference in belief that forms the foundation of the differences between me and the Czar. To him, it is my mission, given at birth, to realize the dream he had when he set sail for the New World. For me, it had always been my mission to find my own dream and make it my reality. In the New World, it is up to you make your own happiness. These two differing views are undoubtedly at odds with one another.

That's why it's no wonder that the Czar constantly speaks of "control." Clearly, the boy's parents had lost control of him. I had better learn to control him, to make him listen to my demands, which should coincide with their own, lest he control me... then, they say, I will be in jail. He actually said I would be in jail when I marry the boy. I am nearing my 30s, and I'm unable to share a meal with a friend without getting a lecture about how unnecessary friends are. I cannot buy a gift without hearing how it is not enough. I'm told that I don't spend enough money on the Czar and Queen. I'm told I should not marry the boy I have chosen. And when I leave this place is when I'll be in jail? Oh, the irony.