To Be A Princess (ON HIATUS)

CHAPTER 6 - You Really Expect Me to Fall in Love With a Jerk Like Prince Xavier?

TO SAY I WAS furious would be the understatement of the year. Not only was I not informed of my ennoblement until the actual announcement, I was apparently being forced to participate in something that I had hoped I could avoid entirely.

Even though I knew nobody was really to blame for this situation, I couldn't help but blame Izzy. She had been the one to bring my uncle to the palace and she had been the one—albeit indirectly—to cause my ennoblement and therefore my participation in the Choosing Rite.

Cecily seemed to sense the unspoken tension between the two of us because she pulled me aside a few days after the announcement. She had chosen to stay in Aucelon for the duration of the Choosing Rite while her parents and brother went back to Beyren. That cheered me up when I found out despite everything else that had happened.

"Sky, what's up between you and Izzy?" she asked. Izzy was in the library finishing up yet another assignment and Addie was in her room probably embroidering. I had wandered put into the gardens to find Cecily waiting for me in the pavilion.

"Nothing," I denied quickly.

She raised an eyebrow and crossed her arms. "You're a horrible liar Sky, now tell me the truth before I force it out of you."

"I don't want to be a noblewoman or a debutante, both of which I resent," I finally sighed. I would rather not be on the receiving end of Cecily's wrath. "I kind of blame Izzy for causing all of this."

"She didn't know this would happen," Cecily said. "You can't blame her."

"I know," I replied. "But I can't help it. I need someone or something to blame."

"Then blame fate," she said.

"You know I don't believe in fate," I said and rolled my eyes. "Or destiny."

"Believe what you want," she said. "I was just trying to help."

"I know," I sighed. "What should I do? Purposely get myself disqualified from the Choosing Rite? Wait, can I do that?"

"You'd probably have to either marry someone else or commit a crime," Cecily said. "Neither of them sound very appealing."

"Yeah," I said. Suddenly I had an idea. "Wait, I think I know what to do. I'll be back!"

I jumped up and ran back into the palace. I had walked around the palace for a few minutes before I found Xavier and the other debutantes sitting in the Queen's sitting room. Madame Firmin sat in the corner of the room keeping a close watch on everyone. I cringed at the debutantes' poorly hidden attempts to flirt with him and I'm pretty sure she did too.

"Excuse me, can I please talk to Prince Xavier?" I asked. "In private?"

Xavier stood up rather quickly and looked almost relieved at a chance to leave the room. I felt all of the debutantes glare at me as we left. I turned around and saluted them as I shut the door. I could've sworn Madame Firmin gave me a small smile.

"What do you need?" Xavier asked.

"It's obvious neither of us really like each other," I said bluntly. "So I want you to disqualify me from the Choosing Rite."

"Why?" he asked in surprise.

"As I said before, neither of us like each other," I replied.