Elegant

~ Chapter Seven: Faded ~

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One of the many things she did not fully understand about the castle was why the throne room led to the library. Her father liked to say that the accessibility of the throne room to the library refreshed his brain between royal duties.

Yet today, a commotion was coming from behind the library doors. Selina's stomach growled for breakfast, but things out of place at the castle were rare, well, sort of. She cautiously strutted toward the door in her blue heels, matching the satin.

It did not help that the floor practically echoed with her footsteps as the throne room was inconveniently acoustic.

"No, remember the 'S' goes before the 'T'!" chanted Briana within the library.

Selina finally tip-toed right up to the library door and carefully leaned her ear against the hardwood.

"Much better, see?"

"Yes," heaved an older-sounding man. "But what must our explanation be for this tremendous mess? Surely we will be blamed for it regardless."

"Oh, don't be silly now," Briana seemed to be breathing heavily as well. "We must have left one of the windows open."

"Really?"

"Oh, come on now, Jeremy hush! The walls have ears, you know!" Briana warned.

"Everything here has ears!" She hushed Jeremey again.

Selina could not decide to either head down to breakfast or ask the castle staff what had happened. Just a mess, perhaps?

She did not want to verify their paranoia and strolled to the dining hall.

The dining hall had a table that stretched far beyond rationality. The ceiling hung a marvelous chandelier that would often dance to the lights of candles lit there during dinners. Down the treacherously long room was a small door that led to the kitchen quarters. Chefs would make their marvelous dishes here for the royal family. For such a small room, the staff was quite enormous. The table lay the usual plates and utensils next to each chair, of which only four had ever used. The table was decorated with flowers from the royal garden and stood as a masterpiece.

As the princess's heels clicked against the marble beneath her, a butler, who was always stationed behind the doors to the dining hall, greeted her.

"Good morning, Princess Selina!" he bowed before her.

"Good morning to you, too! I would like something light to start my morning, please," responded Selina.

"Of course, Your Royal Highness," the butler bowed again and walked to the kitchen quarters. As her family was off for errands, Selina sat at the head of the table, looking at the freshly picked roses.

She dreaded that today was the perfect day to finish the papers Mrs. Castor had falsely graded. She let out a little sigh.

A few minutes later, the kitchen door burst open. The butler arrived with a fresh plate of salad: freshly picked spinach, cheese, and an omelet, alongside some milk.

"Thank you!" said the princess with a smile. The butler walked back to his assigned post.

As she used her fork and knife to cut into the omelet, the hall echoed with the sounds of her utensils dragging against the porcelain.

At that moment, she realized how sore her legs were, but she did not remember practicing ballet yesterday. Bad night's sleep, she supposed.

She sipped on her milk.

"So, how were errands with Mom and Dad?" Selina questioned as she pruned the hydrangeas with gloves.

"Oh, you know, the usual, super exhausted now," replied Alyssa drowslily, picking apples from a tree.

"You can say that twice! I woke up with a terrible headache, and my legs seem sore for no reason!" she picked up the scraps into a wheelbarrow. Selina looked down to find her blue boots muddy. She had changed out of the satin into a maroon sweater as well.

"Might I have to see the doctor, you think?" she questioned, giving a worrisome look to her sister.

"Oh, relax you! Bad night's sleep, probably." Alyssa picked off the extra leaves from her plucked apples.

"Right." Selina picked up a watering can and turned around to water the bushes. The sunlight beamed on the royal garden.

Selina fell onto the ballroom floors, attempting yet another Pirouette. This time, she lay flat on the floor, taking a deep breath.

It was hard enough to get a hold of the difficult turn, let alone with a headache. So she lay there. She thought of the tiny errand she could run according to her sister, and inquire why Briana thought it unnecessary for her to join her family on their errands. It was not the first time Briana had seamlessly cut her out of royal duties. Often, Briana would explain how it was better if the princess took care of herself instead of exposing herself to the elements. But lately, it had been adding up quite a bit.

Selina became more alone in the castle or at school when her family was home. She was spending limited time with them, but Alyssa always found a way. Perhaps that was the true reason she was spending more and more time in the library late at night with her sister. It was calm and serene, often scrolling through endless books every night. It was a pocket of peace for the sisters.

A knock on the ballroom doors.

"Come in!" yelled Selina, attempting to quickly get off the floor and not look like she had been staring at the ceiling this whole time. Jeremey, the servant, walked in and bowed deeply.

"You have a visitor, your highness," he stated.

"And who might that be?" asked Selina, confused, almost fully standing. She rarely ever had visitors.

"A young boy who identifies himself as Jim." Selina took in a sharp breath.

"Oh, I think you have made a mistake," she laughed. "I believe he is a friend of Alyssa's."

"He wishes to see you," replied Jeremey promptly.

"Oh!" Selina stood there, confused.

She had met Jim a few times and made small talk, but surely nothing sustainable enough to have him as a visitor. "I shall see him after I change." she continued, trying not to act as surprised.

"Yes, Your Highness." Jeremey bowed deeply again and left the ballroom, closing the enormous doors behind him.