**"The Royal Masquerade"**

Part 6

The next day began much like the first: Max trying to balance in heels, Miss Ethel barking commands, and a whole lot of embarrassment on his part. After spending nearly an hour walking up and down the hall with books balanced on his head (a ridiculous exercise, in his opinion), Max finally threw himself onto a nearby chair, groaning.

"Is it even legal to torture someone like this?" he muttered, rubbing his aching feet. "I swear, I'll never make fun of girls for wearing heels again."

Miss Ethel, standing as rigid as ever, shot him a sharp glance. "Princesses do not complain, Max. And you won't get anywhere with that attitude."

Max rolled his eyes. "Yeah, well, I'm not exactly a princess, am I?"

"Not yet, but you will be by the end of this week, or you'll be letting down not just the royal family but your own. Now, up! We have more to do."

Just as Max was about to protest, the door to the training room opened, and Princess Elena stepped in, looking as graceful as ever. Max had to admit, she made the whole "princess" thing seem effortless, but after his first day of training, he knew it wasn't easy.

"Good morning, Max!" Elena said, her voice light and cheerful. "How's the training going?"

Max sat up, trying to hide his exhaustion. "Oh, you know... just casually dying over here."

Elena laughed, a sound so genuine it made Max feel a little better. "It's tough, I know. But I have something that might help make things a bit easier."

Max raised an eyebrow. "Easier? Please tell me it's a way to make these heels feel like sneakers."

She giggled again and reached into a small bag she was carrying. "Not quite, but close enough." She pulled out a delicate silver necklace with a small pendant attached and held it up for Max to see.

"What's that?" Max asked, eyeing the necklace suspiciously.

Elena stepped closer, smiling as she held it out to him. "It's a special device. If you wear this necklace, it syncs your voice with mine. It'll make you sound just like me, so no one will suspect a thing when you're pretending to be me."

Max blinked, staring at the necklace. "Wait, seriously? Like, it'll change my voice?"

"Exactly," Elena said, leaning down to fasten the necklace around his neck. "It's enchanted with a spell, so whenever you speak, it'll match my voice perfectly. Just make sure you wear it at all times."

Max looked down at the pendant, feeling the weight of it against his chest. "This is... kinda weird. Cool, but weird."

Elena smiled and took out a small device, no bigger than a coin, from her bag. "This is for backup," she explained, handing it to him. "It's a tiny communication device. If you ever need to reach me, press the button, and we can talk. Just keep it hidden somewhere, like in a pocket, and no one will even know you have it."

Max turned the small device over in his hand, feeling like he was being inducted into some kind of royal spy club. "Okay, so I've got the voice thing and this secret communicator... What's next? Do I get a crown that shoots lasers?"

Elena laughed again, shaking her head. "No laser crowns, unfortunately. But you'll be fine. Just follow the training, wear the necklace, and you'll sound exactly like me."

Max hesitated, fiddling with the necklace. "I dunno, this still feels... I mean, what if I mess up? I'm not exactly great at this princess stuff."

Elena's expression softened, and she sat down beside him, placing a hand on his shoulder. "You won't mess up, Max. You're doing great so far. Plus, I'll be around most of the time. You're not replacing me, just helping me out when I can't be there. You'll be fine."

Max looked up at her, his nerves starting to settle. "Yeah, but still... it's a lot. What if someone figures out I'm not you?"

Elena smiled warmly and leaned in, giving him a quick kiss on the cheek. "You'll do great," she said, standing up. "Just remember to wear the necklace, and you've got nothing to worry about."

Max's face went red as he blinked in surprise. "Uh... thanks?"

She gave him a wink. "Now, back to training! Miss Ethel has some... interesting plans for you today."

Max groaned inwardly but stood up, the blush still lingering on his cheeks. Miss Ethel, who had been standing off to the side, cleared her throat and clapped her hands.

"Right! Let's move on to curtsying. It's essential that you master this gesture if you're to blend in at official events."

Max raised an eyebrow. "Curtsying? I thought that was just a fancy bow."

Miss Ethel's eyes narrowed. "It is not 'just a fancy bow.' It's a display of respect, elegance, and grace. Now, watch me carefully."

She demonstrated the move, lowering herself smoothly with one leg behind the other, her posture impeccable. Max watched, his face blank. "Yeah... I'm definitely gonna fall if I try that."

"You will not," Miss Ethel said sternly. "You will follow my instructions, and you will curtsy with grace. Now, try it."

Max sighed but did as he was told, stepping one foot behind the other and attempting to lower himself into the curtsy. Predictably, his balance wobbled, and he ended up stumbling to the side, nearly knocking over a vase.

"Wow," Max said, straightening up and looking at the vase with wide eyes. "That was close."

Miss Ethel, clearly unimpressed, shook her head. "Again."

For the next half hour, Max attempted to master the art of curtsying, each attempt more awkward than the last. By the time he finally managed one without falling over, his legs were trembling, and he could hardly stand.

"Okay, okay," Max panted, waving his hands. "I think I'm getting the hang of it now."

Elena, who had been watching from the sidelines with an amused expression, stepped forward. "You're doing great, Max. Really."

Max shot her a look. "You're just saying that because you don't have to do this."

Elena grinned. "Maybe. But you're still doing great."

Miss Ethel clapped her hands again. "Enough for today. We'll pick this up again tomorrow."

Max let out a sigh of relief, kicking off the heels the second he was allowed. "Thank God. My feet are killing me."

Elena walked over, still smiling. "You're going to get used to it. It just takes time."

"Yeah, time and a few hundred blisters," Max grumbled, flopping down into a chair.

Elena giggled and pulled out a small package from her bag, handing it to Max. "Here, I got you something."

Max took the package, raising an eyebrow as he opened it. Inside was a pair of soft slippers, the kind that looked like they were made for royalty. "Wait... are these for me?"

"Of course!" Elena said with a grin. "You deserve some comfort after all this. Just don't tell Miss Ethel."

Max laughed, slipping the slippers onto his sore feet. "You're a lifesaver. Seriously."

Elena winked at him. "I try."

As the day came to a close, Max felt a strange mixture of exhaustion and excitement. Despite all the awkwardness, the mistakes, and the overwhelming pressure, he was starting to feel like maybe—just maybe—he could actually pull this off.

The thought of spending the next week pretending to be a princess still made him nervous, but with Elena's help, and the necklace she'd given him, maybe it wouldn't be so bad after all.

Besides, how many guys could say they'd been trained to be royalty?