The Princess Diaries

Chapter four

After school Daniel and I decide to have a quick walk around the beech before I go to see my grandmother. It's killing me not being able to tell him, but I understand why I cant. I just hope he doesn't start to think I don't trust him because I do.

After a couple minutes of walking we go sit on the wall that looks across the sea. I lean my lead on his shoulder and continue to hold his hand. After a couple of minutes of silence I hear Daniel quietly say, "I think I love you"

I freeze for a second. That's new. Do I love him? I mean I enjoy spending time with him no matter what we do. I smile at the sound of his voice. Oh my god. "I think I love you too" I admit looking up at him. He leans forward, placing his lips on mine.

"I must admit, I got a little worried when you went silent" he tells me, pulling back from the kiss.

"What you thought I was gonna run off? You know how I feel about running in sand" I joke. Though it was true. I hated running in sand. It got everywhere.

"Very true" he agreed, smiling at me.

***

"They're here, your majesty" Charlotte tells Clarisse.

"Send them in" she tells her. Mia and I walk into the gorgeous office, "Charlotte take nots, will you?"

"Amelia, circle slowly, so I can evaluate the work to be done" Clarisse tells Mia, though Mia seems to be in a world of her own not listening to a word. I look at Charlotte and we both laugh, trying to hide it.

"Amelia!" Grandma raises her voice to get her attention, "does you bad posture effect you hearing? Turn"

"Oh, sorry" Mia replys before quickly spinning.

"No, no, no. Slowly, turn. Slowly. Thank you. Well, carriage, obviously. Hairstyle. Complexion. Stop!" Mia stops spinning, facing Clarisse, "Eyes... lovely. But hidden beneath bushman eyebrows. The neck is seemly. Ears, like her father." She says with adoration in her eyes.

"Really? They are?" Mia asks happily bringing her hands to her ears.

"Oh, my! Who has nails like these?" Clarisse asks, shocked.

"Everybody"

"Not me" I interject, quietly.

"Tomorrow I would like to see clean fingers. And you will both wear stockings. Not tights, not socks. And I never want to see those shoes again" she tells Mia, looking at her shoes. "Those are alright Aurora dear but I would like you to start wearing heels" She tells me.

The three of us sit in a line next to each other with Clarisse in the middle and Charlotte sits of to the side with her legs crossed, still taking notes.

"When walking in a crowd one is under scrutiny all the time. So we don't shlump, like this. We drop the shoulders, we think tall, we tuck under and transfer the weight from on foot to-" as I'm doing as she says, Mia crosses her legs, "-No. Princesses never cross their legs in public." I see Charlotte uncross her legs when she hears that and laugh quietly. "Why don't you tuck one ankle behind the other and place the hands gracefully on the knees."

Before Mia and I leave, grandma gives me some books to read to help me be a good queen some day.

***

"Come on! Go for it!" "Come on, get her!" "In you face!"

"Come on, come on! Just block one, Mia!" out gum teacher says. I watch as Mia stands having footballs go past her one, after the other and go into the goal.

"I can't do this. I'm a girl" Mia tries to use the excuse.

"What am I? A duck?" the teacher shoots back, unimpressed.

"No! I mean... You're an athletic girl. I am a synchronized swimming, yoga- doing, horseback-riding, wall-climbing- type girl. My hand-eye coordination is zero."

The teacher gives in and puts Josh in goal to help her. Before he reaches the goal I stop him and whisper, "don't be an ass" in his ear. I know how they can be. I'm not blind. I try to get them to lay of her and they mostly do. When I'm around. But I spend most of my free time in the library with Daniel or someone, meaning the group of friends have nobody stopping them.

***

I'm sat in the back of the limo and Mia is with Joseph in the limo driving behind us. I said we could just share but they where both already picking us up.

"Hey, Ant?"

"Mh-hmm?"

"I'm turning the back seat into a dressing room so I can get changed into a proper outfit for madame" I say the last bit jokingly.

"Yes, well, don't forget you shoes. Specifically bought with a higher heel to battle your hight disadvantage" he replies, mockingly with a slight smile.

I role my eyes before saying, "thanks"

"Strange town, San Francisco. When I purchased the pumps they asked if I wanted them wrapped or if I wanted to wear them."

"Well I do think you'd look great in them" I tell him, laughing, "although I'm not sure they'd fit"

Ant lets out a laugh, "all right, closing"

The slider between the back and front of the limousine closes and I start to change.

"Going up" Ant warns me. I sit still so I don't go flying. I continue. "Going down" He warns me again.

"Ok this is just all kinds of dangerous why has this place got so many hills" I complain.