Thrown into Royalty [chicklit romance] [REVISING]

V.

A/N: Hi guys! How are you all today? Don't forget to vote and comment! Also, check out Maeve's outfit for this chapter, along with Caterina's on my Polyvore page as stated on my profile! xx

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V.

I remembered how nerve-wrecking it was when I was supposed to be Rapunzel in a school play when I was eight years old.

I had to sit on top of a ladder behind the tall prop painted as a tower, and I had to look over the sea of parents watching their children proudly. I remembered catching a glimpse of Aunt Julia waving and holding up a video camera in her hand, a huge, enthusiastic grin on her face.

When it came to my very first line on stage, I immediately froze and forgot my lines. My teachers were whispering out my lines to me, hoping that I would say something but I never did so they had to get someone else to take over my role. That was how frightened I was of being on stage.

Imagine how I was at my first dinner with the King & Queen of Sweden.

I was already seated at the large dining table, with gold cutleries laid out in front of me. I didn't know that there were much more different spoons for eating other than the normal spoon, the soup spoon and the teaspoon. I didn't understand why I had about five different forks and spoons in front of me— one fork the size of the teaspoon and the other one being the normal size. I didn't understand a lot of things while I was at the table, awaiting the presence of the King & Queen.

"Maeve, are you okay?" Noah, who sat beside me, asked softly, pulling me out of that embarrassing childhood memory.

"I'm fine, I'm okay." I told him reassuringly, but it sounded more like I was reassuring myself.

Noah's other royal siblings hadn't even arrived yet, and we were early. It was frankly awkward sitting at an almost-empty table half an hour before dinner.

The doors of the dining hall suddenly opened, and a straight-faced Christoffer walked into the hall. A servant pulled out a chair opposite to us at the dining table for him to sit down on.

Christoffer glanced at us. "Noah. Maeve." He acknowledged our presence.

I gave a small smile while Noah nodded towards him.

A few minutes later, the doors opened again for Astrid and Matteus, who ran to their seats and sat down once their chairs were pulled out for them. Astrid sat on the opposite of Matteus who sat beside me.

"Hi Miss Maeb!" Matteus greeted me eagerly as they giggled.

"Hello guys," I smiled, my nerves calming as the aura in the hall was much more friendly because of the kids.

A teenage girl with long dark hair and green eyes entered the hall, with a thin frame of about 5'10".  She was familiar, probably because I've seen her on the news or anything else. She was also very beautiful in her Oscar de la Renta dress and Michael Kors kitten heels. She looked over at the table and her eyes were locked on me, scrutinising. "Noah, is that your girlfriend?"

I chuckled nervously as I glanced between Noah and her. "I'm not his girlfriend—"

"Oh?" She raised her eyebrows when she looked. "Really? The whole palace has been talking about your arrival."

"She's a friend on a holiday here," Noah simply told her in a clipped tone.

"A friend on a holiday?" She repeated, frowning as she sat down between Christoffer and Astrid.

Noah sighed, then looked at me. "Maeve, this is Caterina, my sister. Caterina, this is Maeve, my friend."

"Oh, quite lovely to put a name to a face." Caterina raised her eyebrows, and a smile finally graced her lips. "Nice to meet you, Maeve."