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...
She ran to her bedroom, sat behind her bed, and hid.
She almost tripped a few times, but Kalia supposed that running in respectable five inch heels and a long dress while in an unstable state of mind could do that to a girl.
After what felt like for ever to Kalia, trying to calm down what she was sure was a rising panic attack, a knock at the door startled her. Ophelia pushed through, her gaze landing on Kalia after fumbling with the light switch.
"There you are! Kalia, what the hell! Mother is about to blow her top!"
"I just needed a minute."
"Yeah? Well you've had five. Pull yourself together, this is happening," her sister confirms, taking hold of both of Kalia's arms, shaking some sense into her. "Oh, crap. Mother is going to kill me," she worries aloud, reason finally dawning on her.
Ophelia gives her an incredulous look that confirmed her very statement. "Breathe, gather your wits, so we can go back down." Kalia did, and with Ophelia's warm hands on her cold arms, she felt some comfort that eased her low, nerve-filled spirits. Kalia was more scared of her mother right now than meeting some pompous prince from the States, and she didn't even want to think about his parents.
"Okay. I'm ready."
Ophelia nods, looking relieved, and hooks her arm in her sister's as they headed down the staircase together. Kalia was grateful for her at her side, she knew that for sure she could not have done it alone, with her sanity in tact.
"I told mother you had dropped an earring."
Kalia turns to her, and almost laughs with nervousness. "I'm not good at thinking on the spot," Ophelia comments.
"It's okay. Mother will eat it up, as long as I'm there eventually. What do you think she told the guests?" Kalia worries again, not wanting to make a fool of her parents. She should have prepared herself better to avoid that, but a little part of her wondered whether it would help her plan or ruin it. She mentally kicked herself for thinking such selfish thoughts, but then again, this whole plan was selfish to begin with.
"I heard her telling them that you would be joining us momentarily, but the rest kind of got cut off on my way over to you." Kalia nodded, a little relieved, a little not. Something was itching at her, now that they were making their way down the final flight of stairs. She wanted to ask Ophelia if she had caught a peek of the Prince before she ran up to fetch her from her bedroom, but she quickly decided against it.
As they neared and the voices became louder, Kalia could almost make out what they were saying. She heard a woman speaking in an accent foreign to the province. It was American, she decided as the noises became clearer. The mixed chatter slowed to a complete stop upon noticing the two sisters, or at least, that's what Kalia had imagined. She hadn't dared raise her gaze from her feet, and pretended to carefully watch her foot placement as they made it down the steps.
Ophelia led her toward the adults, and upon noticing a pair of heels on a set of legs Kalia wasn't familiar with, she was tempted and looked up to become accustomed to the new face. The words that came to mind when Kalia laid her gaze upon the woman before her were many things she didn't expect of the Queen of New York: stunning, young-looking, and was a woman with a kind face. "You must be Princess Kalia." The Queen's soft voice invited Kalia to return her embrace in a hug, something she also hadn't expected. "You are as beautiful as I'd imagined you to be," she smiled kindly, tempting Kalia to smile back at her with shy thanks. Her accent had Kalia intrigued, not having heard it before in person. This woman's was lovely, though, trumping ill thoughts Kalia previously had about how they couldn't possibly sound proper.
"I am Queen Celeste. This is my husband, His Majesty of all of New York and the East Coast, but you can call him King Eltis." He holds out his palm outwards and Kalia humours him with hers, which he covered with his other, large hand. "Pleasure to meet you, princess. I know our son is eager to make your acquaintance."
Kalia wasn't looking for the Prince any time soon, though she was sure he stood not too far from his King and Queen. As though reading Kalia's thoughts, Celeste informed, "My son has been taken hostage by little Princess Lena, it seems," she giggles, and they all follow in her lead. Kalia laughs nervously, wondering why she was so fortunate as to have such wonderful sisters to help her in these dire times. She did wonder where Lena had taken him, but she was certain there would be a guard or two not far behind.
"Shall we head to the dining room?"
Kalia's father lead the way with King Eltis, Queen Lania and Queen Celeste falling a few steps behind in deep conversation while Ophelia and Kalia followed in pattern. "Where is Tessa?"
"She must have gone to fetch Lena and the Prince. Poor guy is probably having the welcoming of his life," she laughs and Kalia allows herself to relax, chuckling at that too. Lena was a piece of work, but she was damn near the most adorable thing in the whole world, and it made up for it one hundred per cent of the time.
Kalia took in the sight in front of her, Ophelia matching her expression when their eyes met as they both thought the same thing. A giggle almost escaped her lips at the notion of two pairs of Kings and Queens being under the same roof, let alone walking together. It was a rare occasion. But then she remembered why they were here in the first place, and the giggle dissipated almost immediately.
Shortly, they arrived before the ostentatious dining room, with a table that could serve about fifty people. We were shy around forty guests.
"Ah, there they are," Lania stated, sounding elated. Kalia followed her line of sight and catch a glimpse of the back of the Prince as he was turning, incredibly tall, broad and looming in comparison to little Lena. There were a few things Kalia had noticed before she had ripped away her gaze. One: he didn't have blonde hair like she had expected - she didn't know why, but that was what she had imagined - but was a brunette instead, which was immensely pleasing to her palate. Two: he was holding Lena's tiny hand in his, and three: he looked really good from behind.
Kalia made the most of her short, curious, unfulfilling glance, because she'd be damned before he would catch her looking his way a second time that evening, and giving him more of her attention, so she thought.
Going back to the plan, she tried to fall behind Ophelia in step, so that his attentiveness would be set on her, but she doesn't look up to confirm it.
However, it didn't seem to work when she heard the next words come from her mother's mouth."Kalia, meet Prince Elec."
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Early update for y'all :) Hope you enjoy reading so far, more to come tomorrow xx
