Three Pretty Princesses

Chapter 4- Pauline

Pauline was uncomfortable will a lot of things in the Palace. She was uncomfortable with the lavish decor that filled every room from the throne room to the toilet. She was uncomfortable with how she was handcuffed with absolutely no explanation as what she was doing in there. She was uncomfortable with how the Queen (well, a woman who she thought was the Queen), was looking at her.

But nothing made her more uncomfortable than the two other girls in the room with her. They both looked almost identical to Pauline. They provided a better reflection on her appearance than the iron at the Orphanage.

To be fair, there were a few differences. There was just enough variation in the girls that convinced Pauline that no occult magic had been used to twin her- these girls were natural.
The blonde one stood a few inches taller than the others. Her lips were thinner, and pressed into a stern frown. Perhaps she wouldn't have looked as different if she wasn't as put-together. Her hair was neatly swept up into a high bun, and her beautiful regalia was dream-fuel for the girls at Pauline's orphanage.

It was difficult to get an unbiased picture of the darker haired girl's appearance with the tears running down her face. Her big eyes were puffy and swollen from weeping. She was the one who looked the most different from the other two- her face was more heart-shaped and she was quite a bit shorter. However, she still shared the majority of the others' facial features: the bright green eyes curtained by long dark eyelashes, the high cheekbones, the soft wavy -almost ringlety hair-, the rosy glowing complexion, the eyebrows that were just a little too close together, the button-like nose, and the famous cupid-bowed lips.

Pauline knew that she wasn't the only one who was judging the similarities. The blonde's eyes unashamedly darted around the other two girls' bodies. Their jaws, their feet, their shoulders. Her mouth was slightly parted in disbelief. "How could this be so? We look so similar."
The blonde's voice was deeper than Pauline expected it to be. She had the classic accent of a girl who had never worked a day in her life, yet she had a throaty edge.

The Queen's voice fulfilled all expectations of what a queen's voice should sound like. It was as high-pitched and plummy as how the girls at the orphanage spoke when they pretended to be the Queen.
"We commissioned some of our best servants to find girls who looked like you, my sweet pea," she said, "They're not perfect, but they'll do the trick."
"The trick?" Pauline wondered aloud, although there was an idea forming in her mind about what it was.
"Oh of course! They haven't told you have they!" the Queen casually exclaimed, as if she didn't realise that the two girls she was talking to had just been kidnapped and forced into the Palace, "Well, you all know my daughter, Princess Ava," she continued, gesturing to the blonde girl, "We're giving you the opportunity to be ladies-in-waiting to her, and occasionally, even better. You get to be her."

"What?" Pauline demanded.
Queen Gwendoline stare down Pauline, then gave a look to the senior guard, which didn't seem good. However, the Queen continued, saying, "My Ava lives in constant danger of being politically assassinated. She's the only heir to the throne, so we must protect her at all costs. That's why we need you two look-alikes to pose as her during political functions. The assassins will target the queen, leaving Ava unharmed. We'll alternate it. Sometimes Ava will play herself, just in case anyone gets wind of the plot. The disguise should be so good that not even I know who is who."

"Wait, hold up," Pauline put her hands on her hips, as she tried to figure out what the Queen was suggesting, "You're giving us the opportunity to die for Princess Ava. Actually, it's not like we had much choice considering you forcibly abducted us from our homes!"
Pauline looked to the darker haired girl beside her. All evidence of her earlier tears had vanished- except for her sporadic sniffing.
"Surely, you can't agree with this," Pauline pleaded.
The girl's big eyes lifted from the marble floor. She spoke fast, as if she was afraid her voice would betray her. "It would be a pleasure to serve Princess Ava."

Which left Pauline as the only one questioning this plan. The only sane girl in the room.
"Of course you can refuse the offer. You could go home to your Orphanage," Queen Gwendoline reassured her, "However, since you now know the plan to protect Ava, you would pose as a significant security risk..."

It was the most thinly veiled threat that Pauline had ever heard in her life (not that she was frequently threatened at Kyria Town Orphanage). She was helpless. She couldn't run without a thousand soldiers hunting her down, and slitting her throat to shut her up .Pauline had to admit: the Queen was smart. This plan was fool-proof in almost every way possible.

"You'll start your work today," the genius-in-disguise commanded, looking at the two girls, "We're having a dinner with the ambassador of Avauntwood. We have a good relationship with Avauntwood so the stakes won't be very high. However, it shall be good practise."
The Queen stopped for a second, and then carried on, "We'll use the brunette. The red-head doesn't seem to know her place."

The comment planted a thought in Pauline's mind. "But your majesty, what about our hair?"

"We'll sort it out."