The Princess and the Palace Guard

1.

"Jeanette, please hold your fork properly. How many times do I need to tell you?" my mother sighed. We were eating family dinner at the large glass top table that could probably seat around twenty people, but at the moment it seated three: My mother- the queen, my father- the king, and myself- princess Jeanette.

"Whatever," I mumbled, slightly adjusting how I held my cutlery, and shoving another lot of roast lamb into my mouth. I know, I'm probably the most ungraceful princess you'll ever come across.

"Jeanette! If you dont start fixing your behaviour soon, I promise you that you will see the very last of your time alone. We will get someone to stay with you at all moments to ensure that you are acting like a proper princess should." She scolded. Fix this, fix that, what else does she want me to fix? I can't hep it that I'm not perfect, that I'm royalty, that I'm myself.

"May I please be excused? I think that I will go to the royal bed chamber and get my forty winks." I said in a sarcastic posh voice.

"If you say so. Just remember to be up by six o'clock tomorrow, we're going to visit the local sports grounds." I smiled at that last reminder, the sports grounds were where I felt most comfortable. We were only going for the grand reopening, but at least I would be around the place the I wanted to be.

I walked up the three flights of stairs, to my little-too-large bedroom. Ugh, I hated this room, but it was on of the the only rooms where I had complete privacy.. Most of the time at least. I took off my deep blue evening dress and the black heeled shoes in which I was forced to wear to dinner tonight, and I changed into my pyjamas. As soon as I was dressed, I dove into my king-sized bed, not worrying about removing all the pins from my hair, or taking off the bucketload of makeup I had on, and I quickly drifted off to sleep.

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I awoke to a disturbingly loud knock at my door, unfortunately, most of my days started like this.

"Princess? Are you awake?" It was one of the guards.

"I am now, thanks. And please, kindly don't call me 'princess', call me Jean." I mumbled.

I slowly got out of bed, and still in my pyjamas, I went down to the kitchen. Even though my parents don't allow me to be in there, since its the chef's duty to make my food, I go anyway as I am sick of everyone waiting on me.

"Good morning, Jeanette." the main chef, Dianne, greeted me.

"Morning, whats cooking for the posh ones this morning?" I asked, the posh ones referring to my parents.

"Gourmet breakfast, as always, and I'm guessing that you're getting your pop-tarts?"

"Ah, you know me so well!" I smiled and went to get them out of the pantry. I looked in the box, my smile turned into a frown, seeing they were nearly all gone, and I was down to my last box. "They're almost empty, could you cover for me tonight so I cant go get some more?"

"Sure I will. Now go on, cook them and get out of here, you don't want to get caught again." She smiled.

Suddenly I heard yelling, it was Dad.

"I'll be back," I told Dianne, and she nodded.

I followed Dad's voice, and saw him standing very close to one of the guards. I think he saw me or something becuase he whispered something to them, and walked away. What was that all about? Why was he yelling at the guard? He never yells at anyone but me. And which guard was it? None of the guards I knew would do something worthy of my dad yelling that much.

"Dad? Dad!" I ran over to him so that I was now facing him.

"Jeanette! What have you been told about running in the palace? And why are you wearing your pyjamas? Breaking rules is not something a princess should be doing, now is it?" He scolds me and I roll my eyes, this isn't new.

"Why were you yelling at that guard? What did they do?" I ask.

"That is my business, Jeanette, not yours, and I suggest that we do not bring up the subject again. Are we clear?"

I nod.

"Good, now change out of those disgusting pyjamas, and find your maids, they have your clothiers ready for the day."

I nod again and head to the clothing room, where I warmly greeted my four maids- Rebecca, Maddison, Kerrie and Lauren. Apart from my best friend, John, who is a palace guard, these girls were probably my favourite people in the castle. If it was me with all the power, they wouldn't be called my maids, they would be my girls. Not as if I owned them, but as if they were my group of friends that I could go to whenever I wanted them.

"So, you're off to the sports grounds today?" Asked Kerrie, and I smiled happily.

"Yes! I'm so happy, I'll be sooo much more comfortably there!" I jumped up and down a bit too enthusiastically, but the girls just laughed with me.

"Here's your clothes, go on, you know the drill." Rebecca handed me the clothing selection for the day and I headed off get changed.

I came out of the change room wearing their selection of a pale pink, flowy summer dress, paired with a golden heart locket and some sparkly gold flats. I sat in the hair an makeup chair, not caring what they did to me, as long as I don't look like a cake. In the end my long blonde hair was in a high curly ponytail and my makeup was pretty much just tinted moisturiser and some brown eyeliner.

"You look great!"

"I love how your hair looks with that dress!"

"Oh my gosh that necklace is gorgeous!"

"Absolutely stunning, Jean!"

I fake smiled, because really, I hated looking all prim and proper, and I would much rather be in a pair of leggings or sweatpants than a dress that makes me look too posh for words. But I had to pretend I liked it, lets face it, I had to pretend about everything these days.

"Thankyou girls, I'll see you tonight!" I waved to them and made my way back down to my parents.

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"Well, you took your time didn't you," Said mother as I reached the bottom of the stairs.

"Sorry," I mumbled.

"Jeanette! What have we said about the mumbling? We'll have to get her a new grammar teacher, because obviously this one isn't doing enough for what we pay her." She said in an annoyed way, in which I was used to.

"Can we please just go?" I asked impatiently.

"Mind your tone of voice, Jeanette." Dad warned me.

"Mind your tone of face," was my comeback.

"Jeanette!" Both my parents said at once.

"I don't know about you, but I really don't want to be late for the sports grounds reopening." I stated as I walked out of the palace, my parents following.

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Well.. Hi. What do you think? Is it rubbish? Yeah, probably, but oh well, I think I'll live. Eh.

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- Mel :D <3