To Be a Princess

→chapter ten

When Ophelia had first arrived at Royale High, she thought the worst punishment she could ever get was a detention or two. Never in her wildest imaginations did she would be arrested by the Divinian Royale family. After Leo had handcuffed her for something she was sure she didn't do, her world had turned upside down.

She couldn't remember ever losing consciousness, but she found herself waking up in what seemed to be a jail cell. She tried to stand up, but something pulled her back down, and she realised that her hands were shackled to the wall.

Her braids had come loose and her hair was falling on her face, but she couldn't even use her hands to move it out of the way, so she miserably attempted to blow it out of her face. Sighing, she gave up and went back to trying to process her thoughts.

The last thing she remembered was being carted away by guards and seeing Leo's guilty face turn away from her. What on earth was going on? He had said something about her attempting to murder the princess. She didn't even know who the princess was. In fact, no one in Divinia knew who the princess was. It was a Divinian tradition to not reveal the heir's identity until they were sixteen, to protect them from assassinations and any other dangers. How could she have killed her if she didn't know her? There had to have been a mistake. So many questions buzzed around in her head. How was Leo connected to this?

After a few minutes had passed, she heard voices getting closer and mentally prepared herself for whoever was coming. To her surprise, outside the cell stood Leo and an older man, both of them wearing a strange uniform that bore the Divinian royal emblem.

"Leo...?"

However, he didn't answer, and instead tried to avoid her gaze.

"Are you aware as to why you're here?" asked the man next to Leo.

"Erm, no?"

"I wouldn't feign ignorance if I were you. The more you cooperate, the fewer consequences you'll face. Now, I'll ask you again. Do you know why you're here?"

"I don't know what's going on, but you've got it all mixed up. I don't even know who the princess is! How could I have tried to kill her?! I have no idea what you're talking about." She tried to stay calm, but the gaze of the man made her nervous.

"I will repeat myself. It's in your best interest to tell us the truth. All evidence we have received points at you threatening the princess's life and causing harm to her."

She looked at him in confusion, but before she could reply again, Leo interrupted him.

"Dad, I told you, she doesn't have a clue about what's going on. She's completely innocent. Cassie just made a rash decision. You have to believe me. If you would just let us both explain-"

Cassie? Dad? How was Cassie involved with this, and why did Leo call that man his dad? Everything was starting to make even less sense.

"Quiet. I told you, don't let your emotions get involved with your job. It doesn't matter if she's your friend, we're following the King's orders now." He sighed. "Moving on. What exact relation do you have towards Charlotte Dormer? We have been notified of your uncanny resemblance to her, which you continue to deny." Dormer? Where had she heard that name before?

"Charlotte? I mean, I've been told I look like someone called Charlotte by someone back at school, but what does that have to do with this? I've never met her in my life anyway."

"See, she doesn't know anything? Now would you please let her go, Dad? Please don't use that on her."

"Leo, one more interruption and I will send you away. Don't forget the position you play." Once again, he returned to face Ophelia."

"It seems you're still not cooperating. You leave me no choice. Leo, you'll watch over her until I return. I'm putting my faith in you, don't let me down." He left briskly, leaving Ophelia to silently look at Leo's face from the other side of the bars.

"So are you going to tell me what the hell is going on, or am I supposed to be kept in the dark. Because these shackles really aren't fun."

"Opi, I'm so sorry, I never thought she'd go this far. I knew she was scared about Charlotte, but she's taking it too far," he said, frustrated.

"Taking what too far? Please just tell me what's going on. I'm so confused."

However, he wasn't focusing on her and continued to ramble quickly. "She's abusing her power, and even got the King involved! I knew she had a short temper, but this is seriously so low of her. If she doesn't call it off, they're gonna try using a truth serum on you! It's so crazy. Why is no one listening to me?!"

"LEO! Calm down! Just slow down and tell me what's going on? What's this about a truth serum? And who's this princess everything keeps thinking I tried to murder?"

"Fine. Just promise you won't freak out? I've already done enough of that to last me a lifetime." He took a deep breath and continued. "The royal family thinks you tried to kill the princess. And that's a serious crime, but they're trying to get answers out of you using a truth serum. Barely anyone knows it exists, and it hasn't been used in so many years, but the princess ordered it to be used on you because she thinks you're too suspicious. I tried to talk her out of it, but she has all the power when it comes to convincing the King. So if you aren't found innocent very quickly, they're gonna use it on you. But those things are horrible. They don't just get the truth out of you, they take a huge toll on you mentally, which is why they stopped being used."

After hearing all this, she didn't want to even imagine what the truth serum could supposedly do to her. Some pieces were beginning to come together, and she finally mustered the courage to say. "So, what you're saying is, Cassie is the..."

"Yes. Cassie is the Divinian princess."

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Cassie was pacing around her room, deep in thought. Ophelia had been taken away, so surely she should be feeling calm at last. Instead, she felt stressed and guilty.

She was doing the right thing, wasn't she? Yes, obviously. It was the right thing. She had tried to hurt her. And she looked too much like Charlotte for it to be a coincidence. She had obviously done all those things to get to her.

But still, a small voice in her head told her that Ophelia was innocent and that it really was just that. A coincidence. After all, she had never really spoken to her or looked at her with malice. It could all have been clumsy accidents. No, that's what she wanted her to believe. She'd be falling into her trap if she sympathised with her. Then her thoughts drifted back to how she had treated Leo. She knew it had been wrong of her, and how much he hated having to follow orders against his will. And she did it anyway.

"Ugh, why do I keep meeting the weirdest people at school." Dropping onto her bed, she tried not to think about anything at all, and instead tried to relax. But the moment she lay down, she felt something crumble under her weight. Turning over to see what it was, she noticed a folded piece of paper poking out from under one of her pillows. Confused, she took it into her hand and unfolded it to see what was on it."

A little birdie told me that the princess has been going around accusing the wrong person.

She repeated it multiple times in her head to make she had read that correctly. Before a sinking feeling in her stomach made her realise how terrible of a mistake she had made.

"Holy shit."