Victorie plus N

Chapter 11: Queens

"You should get that top," Lolita says as she browses through some red sweaters down the aisle. She's talking about the short-sleeve top I'm holding up, that has a simple image of a rain cloud against a pale blue background. Our shopping spree is in full swing, and this is the seventh store we've been to.

"Definitely," Kelly adds, holding two folded dresses that I'm guessing she just tried on. One of them has a graphic image of a unicorn on it. "It suits you."

"Really?" I ask, "Isn't it kind of not really appropriate here, I mean, it's always raining."

I've gotten as used to the rain as I have not gotten as used to leading a princess-like life. Meaning, I'm not a big fan of the rain. Sure, it's nice and refreshing, and I used to love the rainy season back in California, but it rains here, like, 5 times a day! And it's always 70 degrees (Fahrenheit) here, in the summer! I'm from southern California, that's freezing where I'm from! So, I don't think a short-sleeve top is going to be anything I'll be begging to buy.

"Well," Lolita says, "Isn't your house warm? Just stay inside all day, that's what I do. Don't you?"

I've been here for about three days. I've been out in the garden twice to look around. I don't know what I do yet. Sometimes, Lolita just gets on my nerves, and I've only known her for two days.

I just shrug. "I guess."

In the end, I buy the shirt.

After 5 more stores, we go inside a formal-dress store. It has what looks like Victorian-style dresses, and then tuxedos in all different colors. I've seen people around town wearing stuff like this, I'm assuming they're doing something like cosplay, but who knows?

"You have to get a gown for the Masquerade Ball, January," Ann tells me at my questioning look.

"Oh, okay."

Lolita swings her designer purse over her shoulder as she turns to us. "We have to as well."

Everyone has designer purses from Coach, Chanel, Kate Spade, and so on. I only have an LCUFUN backpack. Yeah, I have no idea what that brand is either. I'm going to have to get a designer purse. I have the money now, no sweat, right? I sigh.

I pick out, after 10 minutes, a cream-colored and pale yellow gown. I wait for everyone else to pick out the gowns they want before I pay. For some reason, I want to do it together. I don't really know why. Maybe because back in California that's what all my friends and I would do, wait for all the others to finish browsing before paying. After an hour, I realize I made a mistake. I've browsed the whole store, and only Margy has picked out a dress out of the four. She comes to wait with me by a rack of handkerchiefs.

"Do they always take this long?" I ask her.

"Yes, always."

I think back to the day's events. Other than Lolita being super bossy like I knew she would be, and some ladies talking about people called "Manipulators" and traveling (probably just cosplay), the day wasn't that bad. Not really. Kind of fun. After another 45 minutes go by, everyone has picked out a gown, and we pay together at the counter. The woman working the cash register is very friendly, a middle-aged woman, and seems to know the rest of the girls.

"What, by chance, happens to be your name?" she asks me very formally, like how all the servants talk formally. She must have to do it for her job, too.

"My name is Victorie Beckenridge," I tell her.

She gives me a curious glance as she checks my gown. "Victorie, almost like our queen, Queen Victoria. She is such a nice ruler, is she not?"

Wait a second. Did she just say 'like our queen, Queen Victoria'? Queen Victoria ruled in the Victorian Era (hence the name). It's the 21st century, Queen Elizabeth II is the Queen of England. Obviously, this person has been hit on the head a few times because Queen Victoria is not the ruler of England anymore.

"Excuse me? The last time I checked, Queen Elizabeth II was our ruler," I say, concerned.

"Queen Elizabeth?" she says confusedly, "You must be mistaken, Queen Elizabeth passed away many centuries ago, Queen Victoria is our queen now. She is a great queen as well."

I'm about to say something in return when Ann beats me to it.

"Let's go Victorie, we still have tons of other things to do."

Everyone else nods and heads to the door with their purchases, and Ann takes my hand and turns me around, leading me to the door. I don't bother protesting. That lady needs serious help, but my friends were obviously okay with what she said, even though they're giving each other secretive glances when they think I'm not looking. What is going on?

I spent the rest of my day really confused and trying to pretend that there was no awkward silence between us because no one really talked since the formal dress shop. When we were done, I gave everyone half-hearted goodbyes as they did also, and thanked them, though they looked really anxious as they watched us go in the black SUV Ann and I returned to Beckenridge Manor in. During the ride, Ann did not speak, which was very unusual for her, but I also didn't speak, lost in my own thoughts. We arrived at the manor, and after eating a silent dinner where Ann and I did things on our phone and Teddy read his book, I went back up to my suite and quickly went to bed.

Today was really strange, I think, as I lay in bed, and there must be something my "friends" are hiding from me. Why does that shop owner think Queen Victoria is still queen when she's not? Why did my friends become really quiet and anxious after that? There's something obviously going on here, I just don't know what.