Her Royal Pen Pal

Chapter 15 [Protocol and Family Secrets]

(Copyright) © 2011 Candle_Ice

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[A/N I choose a celeb to play Princess Ariel - Lucy Hale ... Picture at the side!]

Chapter 15

Elise was seriously considering online courses. The daily hassle of going to school and being constantly surrounded by questioning people was too much for the girl who preferred to be left alone. 

By this morning, news of her visit to the palace became public knowledge. There was no picture of her and Leonidas from the previous night in the papers, but there were shots from previous occasions of him, a barely visible one her from their first date, and a detailed explanation of how 'His Highness's personal car was seen arriving at her house, and then later driving to the palace, where it spent a many of hours, until finally going back to Elise's house'. Speculations were filling every news channel, and papers. 

What does this mean for the couple? Are things serious? The Crown Prince has never introduced his girlfriends to the King and Queen, how special is she? And many, many, many more questions were being asked, debated, analyzed, criticised and whatever else on the television when she woke up. 

After arriving at the university's campus, Elise was convinced she was starting online courses. A photographer had actually chased her all the way to the parking lot, but he couldn't enter the campus, thanks to the security guards. 

But that didn't mean she had a peaceful day. If she thought her fellow school mates were bothering her before, then she was in for another story, as she could barely breathe when they surrounded her gushing and asking questions. It was pure chaos. 

Finally, she was able to escape from them and make her way to the Dean's office to speak with him about finishing off the rest of the school year via online courses. Even though he, himself, was curious about her relationship with the Prince, he didn't pester her with questions. And for that she was grateful. They had a lengthy discussion about her academics and since her grades were always above 85% she would be able to finish off online. Next year, her final year, would be tough to do online though, for then she'd have to be doing mainly work study, where she'd work in a Ministry, get the feel and idea of the operations and daily life, whilst checking in with her lecturers to finish her final thesis. Then she'd graduate and have her degree.

Leaving the Dean's office, Elise walked slowly to the parking, avoiding the crowds of students, and hiding in the shadows cast by the pillars or the trees, all the while thinking of how her life has changed in one week.

Just last Friday, she was a typical university student, walking the halls, no one paying her too much attention. Just last Saturday, the thought of online courses never crossed her mind. Just last Sunday, the media didn't know her name and she was chatting with a guy she met online. A guy she started to like; a guy who was almost too good to be true. Monday, she found out that he was true, and that her guy, the one she likes is Prince Leonidas, a guy she had no idea she could like. She was still shell shocked from his proposal. But by Tuesday night she was his girlfriend. By Wednesday morning, the media not only knew her name, but knew where she lived, and everything on her school record. On Wednesday night he'd met her family, by Thursday she'd met his. And today, Friday, she'd registered to complete her school year in the privacy of her own home. Tonight, now, her family will meet his family. 

Who knew a week could change a person's life so much? With that thought, Elise felt drawn back to reality, it was almost as if her memory kept her in dreamland and she was amazed to see that she'd arrive home. Lost in her trance of remembering her week, she had no recollection of getting to her car, much less driving it all the way home.