Three Pretty Princesses

Chapter 18- Pauline

"I don't like him," Ava stated matter-of-factly, ducking her head so it didn't collide with a low-hanging tree-branch.

Evalyn groaned. "He's amazing once you get to know him. I trust him with my life."

"Actually, you're trusting him with my life," Ava retorted, "If he lets loose about the look-alike scheme, it risks all our lives."

"Reese loves me. He'd never do anything like that. You trust Sonyae," Evalyn pointed out as she stroked the mane of her beautiful dappled-grey mare.

"Sonyae isn't as impulsive as Reese, but I know you're an uncannily good judge of character so I'll trust you.. and him," Ava replied.

Pauline, lagging behind the group, kicked her chestnut horse and began to trot up to the conversation.

"Evalyn, I think you could do so much better."

"Yeah, Pauline's right," Ava agreed, "I'll set you up with some handsome noble boy at the Autumn Ball."

"What's the Autumn Ball?" Pauline asked.

Ava chucked. "It's the most unintelligent waste of money ever. We invite royals, nobles, and ambassadors from around Montague to join us for a giant masquerade party. It's where all young bachelors and bachelorettes go to find love."

"Will Prince Erik be there?" Pauline was given a humorously suspicious face from Evalyn, but Ava didn't seem to notice how unsubtle the question was.

"No, he's going to practise ruling Frostvale. His widowed mother, Empress Elizabeth will attend though," Ava said.

Pauline cursed inside. The last time she had been with Prince Erik was over three months ago. Her stomach turned with yearning as she thought of him. He was a thousand miles away, but Pauline hoped he was thinking of her too. Well, he'd actually be thinking of the girl that he thought she was- Ava. This wasn't too disheartening for Pauline, because with the news that Evalyn had told Reese the secret, perhaps she could tell Prince Erik it too. However, even if Prince Erik did love Pauline for whom Pauline was, there was still was an obvious problem: they were too different in rank to marry. Royals were known to marry lunatics, elderly, cousins, and even siblings to secure power, but that was the thing: it was all about securing power.

"Ava, when was the last time a royal married a peasant?" Pauline said, dreaming of a marriage that could never occur. Evalyn scoffed and playfully nudged Pauline from her horse. She understood the implications behind Pauline's words.

Ava took a few moments to search her mind. "Well, Lachlan the Charming married a peasant girl. She was supposedly the most beautiful women in Montague, but I guess stories tend to make everyone more beautiful. That was hundreds of years ago, though. The most recent occurrence I can recall would be Duchess Rose, youngest sister of Empress Elizabeth, eloping with a bard. That was very controversial at the time, but the Duchess is still occasionally invited to feasts."

Pauline nodded, disappointed. The only way that Prince Erik could be with her is elope, but with no other heir apparent, it would leave Frostvale in ruins. He would never shirk his responsibility like that.

It was frustrating, really. Pauline thought herself to be the heroic protagonist of a fairytale book, but obstacles kept on getting in the way of the victorious ending. The victorious ending, of course, was Pauline as the Empress of Frostvale, and most importantly, the wife of Erik.