Kalia is a modern day princess. Living with her parents and three sisters in their royal kingdom in London, she had convinced them to let her go to a normal school and live a normal teenage life. And apart from the occasional ball and family dinners...
That night Kalia had cried herself to sleep. The thought of leaving her family, friends, leaving the life she started to build behind - naturally, it overwhelmed her.
When she had woken, she had hoped it was all just a bad dream. An encounter with her mother was all it took to drag her back into the real world, where her imagination was regulated.
"Oh, there you are," her mother chirped, appearing in her doorway, her tall body clad in charmeuse silk. "We have a few things to take care of for you regarding the arrival of our special guests, so I need you to book me in for this afternoon."
Kalia knew what this meant. Dress fitting. She expelled a lengthy groan. "Can't you just do all these things without me? Take Tessa, she loves to play dress-up."
Her light chuckle fills the room. "Your sister would love a chance to dress you in something she fancies, but you would hate anything she chooses. It's no secret that your tastes are worlds apart."
"That's the point. The plainer I dress, the better my chances are of scaring him back to where he came from."
Disappointment takes over her expression, and the little light of hope slowly dimmed down to nothing in her eyes. "Kalia, darling. I know this isn't how you wanted to live out your life, but this is how it has to be. This is how it's always been, and you know that."
Her mother was right and Kalia knew it. She hated the situation she was stuck in, but she would have to comply for now in order for her plan to work out. The only way out of this marriage was by his hand - in plain sense, if he wasn't happy with her being his wife. So, logically, the only thing Kalia could do is to attempt to repulse him, and that was without knowing what sent him running for the hills. It was a terrible plan, she admits to herself, but it was a tiny loop hole to the almost fool-proof royal tradition that she could not bear to pass up.
***
Kalia sat at the cafe, waiting for Lisa to arrive. Being timely was one thing that was nurtured into her nature being brought up in a royal family. She didn't mind waiting, though. This part of London wasn't the sector she saw much of; meaning that it wasn't glamorous enough for 'someone like her'. The Queen would probably blow her top if she knew that Kalia was hanging around in a place like this, and the King was a whole other story. She loved it, though. It was the last place anyone would think a princess would get a coffee. Here, she wasn't one.
Lisa was a friend she'd met in high school, and most regarded them as each other's best friend. Last night Kalia had convinced herself that she wouldn't tell her, because she had been so persuaded that this arrangement was not going to happen. No way in hell I'd let it, she thought. If her father could have read her mind, he would be appalled at her language, and make sure to tell her, too.
But now, Kalia had time to put her emotions aside, mostly, and she was starting to accept the whole ordeal if it must come into play (that is, if her little plan didn't work), and her coming to terms with things scared her a little.
She had to think realistically about this. She knew that the chances of her plan to rid of this pompous prince had a low success rate, so if it didn't work, she couldn't allow herself to become miserable over her loss.
Besides, they were scheduled to arrive in a few days. God knows she would be busy with helping out with all the preparations, and if this doesn't turn out the way she hopes, it will be her only chance to tell Lisa of the mess she was in before it was too late.
Before she can turn her head, Kalia notices a golden-brown headed blur from the side of her eye.
"Kalia!"
She turns in her seat and greets Lisa in all her grace. Embracing her in a tight hug, Kalia motions to the seat across from her before her friend slumps down into it.
"What was so urgent that you had to meet me so early in the morning?" Kalia truly admired her. The fact that she got out of bed not too long ago was evident in her hair, her outfit and her attitude. Being a princess meant that Kalia didn't get to have those late nights in. No matter how hard she tried, she knew she would never be a normal teenager. Reality bit her in the rear every chance it could.
So she details Lisa in on the whole story, and it doesn't take long as long as it should. Kalia wasn't particularly the epitome of a chatterbox, but she hadn't exactly been very keen on going in depth on the matter. She only told her all of the important bits - which seemed to be almost all of it.
Shock, disbelief; the look on Lisa's face was nothing short of incredulous. "But... you can't leave!"
"I know." The two old friends share a solemn look and a short silence, unwavering while it lasted.
Kalia bit at her nails. "Don't worry, I have a plan."
Lisa clapped her hands together in excitement. "That's my conniving little princess! So, go on! Let me hear it!"
She let her voice drone on, getting sick of it by the time she was done talking. After a minute of staring at Lisa's inimitable thinking face, she graces Kalia with a response. "Hm... I like it. Are you sure it will work, though?"
Kalia scoffs. "Of course not. The only thing I know is that the chances of that happening are slim. I'll still give it all I've got."
"Good, we had summer plans. And I'll miss you too much." Kalia smiles sadly at her. I would miss you too, she thought.
"So, is there anything that you know and could use to turn him off more?"
Kalia thought about this. The truth was, she had no idea who he was, and she didn't dare ask her parents more about him, because if there was still a slight chance that this could work in her favour, that he could arrive and decide that he did not want her, she would have to remain uninterested by face. She explains this to Lisa.
"So, basically, the only things I have to go by is that he is a 'kind, respectful man'," Kalia re-iterates her father's description of the Prince. She trusted her father, but it's not exactly as though they had the same taste in men.
"I'll do some digging. It will be a cold day in hell before I lose my best friend to a pompous prince."
Kalia smiles at her friend's diligence. She required Lisa's persistence, as it pushed her not to give up so easily.
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