not a fairytale

four

 I took a deep breath as I stood outside the gates to my father's home, my home that had never quite felt like home. I looked long and hard at the tall, wrought iron gates that I hadn't stepped foot anywhere near since I ran off five years ago.

I took a deep breath before hitting the buzzer that alerted the main house that I was outside the gates and waited for a response and stared at the screen next to the call button.

"Miss, please state your business, if you don't have an appointment-" the manager of the house remarked, not even looking at the screen.

"Di 'al Signor Lombardo che sua figlia è qui [Tell Mr. Lombardo his daughter is here]," I replied, looking the camera dead in the eye.

I'd dyed my blonde hair back to it's natural deep brown and had barely put on makeup, there was no mistaking who I was, I was the spitting image of my mother.

"Signorina Lombardo, I'm so sorry, we'll send someone out to pick you up at the gate right away," he said in a panicked tone as he looked up at the screen.

Within a matter of minutes, my brother was on the other side of the gate on a golf cart.

"Am I dreaming or are you actually here?" He remarked as I sat down next to him.

"Can it," I snapped, rolling my eyes.

"What are you here for?" He asked as we approached the house.

"Meldeva," I replied.

"Shit, you're serious about this guy," he remarked.

"Yeah, I am," I replied.

"And you need Dad to endorse you representing our family," he replied.

"Yeah," I replied, "I'm sure it comes with a shitload of prestige if he at all considers me. I'm sure it will look good on him to have me in the eyes of the press again. I know it hurt him when I took off."

"He'll be happy to see you," he remarked as we walked into the house and to my dad's office.

"We'll see," I sighed as I sat down and waited for Anthony to go get him from the main part of his office.

"Juliette Catarina Alessandra Lombardo," my father's voice echoed as he walked from his main office to the waiting area outside of it, "How long has it been? Five years?"

"Five years," I replied, standing up as he came over and hugged me.

"What made you decide to come back home?" He asked.

"I-I need something," I sighed.

"What? Anything for you, my daughter, luce della mia vita [the light of my life]," he replied.

"Meldeva," I replied, "Apparently their crown prince abdicated and they're having this crazy weird contest where the Prince chooses his future wife and queen and I want to do it."

"I know about the Meldevan custom, it's quant, but it seems to work for them. I didn't think that was in any way up your alley," he replied.

"I told Anthony that I don't have any direction in my life, I don't know what I want to do and I don't know where I'm going from here. That maybe this is what I need, a change in pace for a bit, I mean, it's not like I'm going to win the contest," I replied, "And Logan, the prince, I know him, I met him when I was still going to Meldeva with you and we've stayed friends. I like him."

"And why don't you think you would win the contest?" He asked, an inquisitive look on his face.

"Come on dad, do you really think I stand a chance against women who were born into nobility and royalty and raised in polite society?" I asked, giving him a look.