Waking Up A Princess

Chapter Two

It all felt like a dream. The letter had explained everything. Her father had been a prince in the small European kingdom and had come to America to attend college. That was where he had met her mother, after that she knew the story. What she hadn't known, was that her father had kept his title  from her mother until they were married. That, apparently, hadn't gone over so well. In the end, they decided it would be best to raise their daughter like any other American child away from all the pressures of the childhood her father had lived. They had thought to tell her after she was done with high school, but they hadn't gotten the chance.

At first, Ailey had been angry and felt as if her parents had betrayed her. Leonard had left soon after he gave her the letter so that she could think about what she had been told. Jenny had held her while she cried, not caring that she was covered in dirt, and helped her through her confusion. She had every right to be angry with her parents for keeping such a huge secret from her. But, then again, she could understand why they had - not that she agreed with their decision. The next day, Jenny had helped her pack a few things and sent her off to a country they knew little about. Ailey's head ached at the thought of how quickly everything had changed.

She hadn't wanted to go with the man she now knew was her grandfather's personal butler. She had wanted to forget about his appearance and just go on with her plans for a stress free summer. Jenny, on the other hand, felt that it was important for her to give him a chance. "He's your grandfather, Ailey. Give him a chance. Your dad would have wanted you to." And of course, she had been right. That was the only reason she had got on the private jet. Jenny had been forced to stay as she was teaching summer school and needed to make plans for the next school year.

Leo, as she had now taken to calling him, was seated across from her with a book open in his lap. He seemed pretty consumed in his book, so Ailey jumped at the sound of his voice. It had been a long flight.

"Look there, my lady. Welcome to Elmira," he said with a proud smile as he pointed out the window.

Ailey pressed herself to the glass just as the plane cleared the clouds. She gasped as she took in the unbelievable sight of sprawling castle beneath her. It's walls were of a light grey and white stone with a few darker ones now and again. It was arranged so that a large courtyard was positioned in the center. Several smaller ones were scattered throughout the winding halls. She could make out a large stables and several other smaller buildings she didn't know the purpose of. Large, blooming trees in white and pink lined the long drive that lead to the castle's front gates. Vines grew along several of the walls, giving the palace a country feel. It was the most beautiful building Ailey had ever seen. "It's stunning," she breathed.

Leo simply chuckled as the pilot easily lowered the huge plane a distance from the castle to land on a private runway. "i'm glad you think so."

Once they were free to exit the plane, Ailey rose and went to grab the duffle bag of clothing she had brought with her. She really didn't have many nice clothes that were suited for this - she was more of a casual dresser. Instead, Leo took the bag from her despite her objections.

He offered her a kind smile but kept the bag. "Come now, Ms. Princesses do not carry their own bags. This is your first time in our country and the first time any of the public will see you. Your father's death left a whole in our country's heart. Seeing your face will help."

Ailey swallowed as he called her a princess but nodded. This was so surreal. She followed the butler down the steps from the plane to find a black Lexus awaiting them. Leo deposited her bag into the trunk and opened the door for her before getting into the front passenger seat. Ailey was quiet as they made the quick drive to the castle that was no less impressive on the ground.