I sat down for dinner with Wolf and Uncle Kevin. It was still weird eating meals with other people. I was so used to just grabbing a Pizza and eating in my room. Here, we actually sat and talked. Though I mostly listened. I didn’t really know what to talk about.
Uncle Kevin turned and spoke to me. “I have something to talk to you about Anna.”
I hesitated. “Okay…” Was I in trouble?
“It’s about school.The headmaster of the Academy is coming tomorrow. We’re trying to get you admitted.”“The Academy?” I asked.
“Kind of the Colony’s version of a private school,” Wolf explained, “It’s taught by only the most exclusive teachers from the regular world.”
I was confused. “We’re the Governor’s children and we don’t go to the Academy automatically?”
Uncle Kevin answered. “This is an equal colony. Wolf is accepted because he is the heir so needs an exclusive education, but you need to be approved.”“Heir?” I asked. I felt stupid asking about stuff they obviously already knew.“The Governership is set up as a Monarchy,” Uncle Kevin explained.
“But, why?”
“Well, no government is perfect, but it was decided monarchy was the best. All of us founders believe that if we start with a good governor, then they can instaill in their child those traits needed to be a good governor, and then they can instill in their children and so on. Does that make sense?”
“Yeah, I guess…”
“So, the point is, you’re not an heir, so we need to get you approved to go to the Academy”
“Oh. Okay.”
We went back to eating. I looked over at my cousin and watched him eat. Had he had a choice in becoming the heir? I mean, I sure wouldn’t want my whole future already decided for me.
I followed Wolf into his room after dinner to ask him about being the heir.
“How long have you known you’d be heir?” I asked him
“A little while…”
“Months? Years?”
“About a year I guess, when the whole Colony was being designed and Uncle Kevin was in the running to be Govenor.”
“Do you want to be the next Govenor?”
Wolf just shrugged, not answering.
“Don’t you have any choice?”
“The colony needs good Government,” was all Wolf said.
“Yeah, but why does that Governemnt have to be you?”
“It’s just the way it is Anna.”
I didn’t push any further. Wolf may have been resigned to being the heir but I could tell that he sure didn’t want to be.
**********
The next evening, Phillip, the headmaster of the Academy came for dinner. I tried hard to make a good impression, but I could tell it wasn’t working. As far as Phillip was concerned, I was just an outsider and pretender.
After dinner, I busied myself cleaning up so I wouldn’t have to talk to Phillip anymore. All I did was say stupid things. As I was cleaning I noticed Wolf pull Phillip aside and talk to him.
The conversation looked serious and intense, and then Phillip finally nodded and went to talk to Uncle Kevin, who smiled and shook his hand.
“What did you say to him?” I whispered to Wolf.
“Doesn’t matter,” Wolf said, “What matters is that your in.” He walked away to the living room.
After the headmaster left Uncle Kevin told me the official news. “You’re a member of the Academy Anna Lisa.”
“I-I am?”
“Congratulations niece.”
“Thanks.” I looked over at Wolf. He quickly looked away. Even so many years later my cousin was still looking out for me, just as he had done so many times when we were kids. I turned back to the dishes. Someday, I would find a way to repay him.
