With All My Heart

~Chapter One - Set In Stone~

"What?" I spluttered. Ellie almost fell off her beanbag out of laughing. 

"The famous artist, whatever his name is, did a statue of me." Lottie said, miserably. I smiled sympathetically at her, it has to be hard, pretending to be a princess. 

"Well, I guess Lottie has to be the princess of Maradova now, since it's set in stone." Ellie said, clutching her side, probably from laughing so hard. 

"That's enough, Ellie." Jamie said sternly. Ellie looked at him as he looked at her. Their eyes in a ferocious battle. It was obvious what the unsaid bet was: Whoever looked away first would lose. This went on for a few stressing moments until Ellie looked away, looking frustrated. "Now, come on, we have to get ready for dinner." Jamie continued as if the tension in the room was nonexistent. 

We all nodded and went to our rooms and got dressed. I put on a blue dress with flowers and put on white flats and met Jamie, Lottie and Ellie at the end of the hallway. We all walked in silence to the banquet hall, or as the royal family call it, the dining room. 

I think banqueting hall is more appropriate name for this massive room with a table which could fit about a hundred people easily. The room was simple. Elegant painting here and there, but other than that the room was pretty much bare. The colour scheme used made the room seem airy, like you just entered a fairy tale. 

We all sat down and only a few words were exchanged, so we ate in silence for the most part. All of Ellie's favourite dishes were on display in the middle of the table. As we all ate I kept on giving Jamie looks, but he kept his head down and ate in silence. I knew not to try and make a conversation because that will just go down hill. In my house, my whole family sits in the dining room, and talk. About our day, or what our goals for the day were, or just absolute rubbish, like if a dog could swim the English Channel (a dog totally could.)

After a while Ellie spoke, "can we give it now?" She pleaded to her parents. 

"After dinner, Eleanor." He father said. He always looks tired and exasperated, it mustn't be easy ruling a country, especially when you weren't meant to in the first place. Ellie nodded as if she'd leave the topic, but I knew Ellie wouldn't do that. Not that easily. 

"Yeah, I understand where you're coming from, but why can't we give it to them now?" Ellie asked. 

King Alexander was about to say something, probably no, when Queen Matilde answered for him, "ok, since you want to so badly." She replied, smiling a little. 

"Yay!"

Hannah came in and gave Ellie two boxes as she rushed over to me and Lottie, as I smiled at Lottie. Lottie looked nervous, I reached under the table and squeezed her hand, she smiled back at me. 

"Here you go, guys." Ellie offered me and Lottie a box and I frowned. Why am I getting a box? My birthday passed ages ago and Ellie already gave me a present. I looked over at Jamie as he gave me a small smile. I opened it to see a wolf ring, and on it it was escribed 'I am wolf, quietly I will endure, silently I will suffer, patiently I will wait, for I am a warrior and I will survive' and it was written all around it. Lottie got the wolf pendant that meant you belonged in the family, for some reason unknown, I got a ring, and by the way Ellie's family is looking at me, I mustn't ask why...