Princess - A Love Story

Chapter 5

Emily woke up with a slight headache and eyes so swollen she couldn't open them properly. She splashed water on her face and brushed her teeth then eyed herself in the mirror. Her face was a wreck but she was feeling much stronger and braver that morning. She went to her sitting room wondering what she should do next. She found Marie sitting at the table looking over some papers.

"Good Morning, I trust you slept well." Emily silently applauded Marie for not mentioning her swollen face. "Yes thank you. What are you doing?"

"I'm doing the accounts for the Household Ma'am. In time, you will probably take over. Everyday purchases needed to be recorded and larger requests will need to be made to His Highness." Emily made a face. She really, didn't like the idea of asking anyone for anything.

"Your face will freeze like that," announced Zoe from the door. Emily looked at her and Zoe held her gaze. All said and done, she was the future Princess, and Zoe knew she had no right to speak to her that way. Emily sensed her next actions would set the tone of their equation going forward. She stuck her tongue out.

"There you go again. Miionis can do without a twisted face Princess, thank you very much," she huffed in mock exasperation while Marie hid her smile. "I'll ask for tea then."

Tea? "Coffee please" Emily said urgently. "Coffee? Not good for a body to drink coffee first thing."

Emily shook her head, "I can't function without coffee. Do you want Miionis to have a dim witted Princess? All because Zoe wouldn't give her coffee?" she asked dramatically. Zoe threw her hands up and called for some. The coffee arrived soon in a small delicate cup. Emily picked it up and sipped in experimentally. "Is it to your liking?" Marie asked. "It's not bad, but," Emily looked at her, "Can't I get a bigger cup? This much coffee is like a drop in the ocean. I need more coffee. In preferably the biggest cup in this house. Palace," she corrected. "Mansion." Marie said. "This is the Royal mansion in Miionis city. The palace is a few hours drive away from here. The Queen and the Prince go there sometimes when they need some quiet time." Emily sipped her coffee and took this all in. Shortly a large pot of coffee arrived and Marie and Zoe watched in amazement as she proceeded to finish it all.

"How you sleep with all that caffeine buzzing in your veins, I don't know," Zoe declared. Emily shrugged. "So what am I supposed to do today?"

"After breakfast, you will meet with your tutor. He is to instruct you in the history and the economics of the region as well as explain the structure of Miionian society." Marie consulted her notes, "Then the Queen would like to meet with you after lunch. You will have the afternoon free and while the family is expected to eat dinner together when in residence the Queen has suggested you can excuse yourself for a few days till you are settled in." Emily rushed through breakfast eating just an apple horrifying Zoe. "I can't eat anything before noon," she explained.

Marie had explained that the afternoons and early evenings were Emily's to do as she pleased, but for the next few afternoons the dressmaker would come to fit her out for a new wardrobe. Emily put on her favourite outfit, a grey skirt with a pale pink blouse, and was whisked away to meet Mr. Triton, her tutor. He was a short chubby man who liked to tell stories. She found him entertaining and he found an ear willing to learn and listen to his bad jokes. All told a successful morning.

That afternoon, Emily sat across the Queen. She had been invited to the Queen's own apartments. Almost as if the causal setting signified the deeper relationship between them and the Queen was acknowledging it. She was offered a cup of tea which she accepted. She waited for the Queen to speak first. The Queen looked at her over the rim of her cup. She took a sip and set her cup down.

"Do you know why you're here?"

Not a question Emily had expected. "Err, actually no."

"Well then what did you think you were going to do here for five years?"

Emily's eyes took on a naughty look, "You mean, I'm not here for an extended vacation in an exotic European country?"

The Queen eyed her sharply and just as Emily was considering apologizing for her flippancy, her eyes crinkled at the corners and her lips turned up the corners.

"I think I'm going to like you, my dear. While your presence does serve a larger purpose to our politics, I must admit that I have hopes you and Philip will become more to each other than expedient short term spouses. But, since this is the one subject that Philip has proven intractable on, I will say no more. I suppose some things are even beyond the control of a Queen." She sighed, "but a grandmother can hope."

Emily smiled. Old ladies were the same the world over. Every bit meddling matchmakers and incurable romantics.

"Now," the Queen said, all business again, "what you are expected to do. The biggest task on hand is of course, the wedding." Emily squirmed uncomfortably. She had tried not to think about that too much which was ridiculous since that was why she was here. "Let's work backwards from there shall we? We are almost into September and I am planning for the wedding in the last week of February. That gives you six months to prepare for your role."

"Exactly what does a Princess do?"

"Anything she wants actually."

"Really? I thought it was merely their job to look pretty and wave at crowds."

The Queen was amused, "Well, that's a part of it. But you can be involved in the government if that interests you or you can be as entrepreneurial as you choose to be. Or you can focus on being the symbol of hope and good fortune to the public which is essentially, looking pretty and waving to crowds, as you put it."

"How will I decide?"

"That's where the next six months will come in handy. For the next two months, you are to focus on your studies with Mr Triton. You will need to work hard as you need to catch up with others your age. In a month or two we will start introducing you to people. Nothing public, a few people at a time in a more casual setting. So no official events. Then you will attend the Academy the following month. The usual time is about three years but the other children would have started at eighteen and you are already twenty. You can continue there for as long as you like. Philip has another four months to go. Once you are married you, depending on what you choose to do, you can devote your energy to that. And after that..." the Queen trailed off, "Well I hope you will choose to remain here. I hope you will not exercise the five-year clause. But Philip is adamant we not hold you to anything outside the stipulated time."

"I understand Ma'am, er, Your Majesty."

"It's Grandmamma to you as well now, young Emily. Remember dear, we are now family. One last thing. You will be expected to meet with your Grandfather and we will not be able to put him off for too long. Philip will let you know the details." She set her teacup down. "Go on now child" the Queen said signaling the interview was over.

The next few days went by in a whirl. Marie and Zoe talked to her constantly telling her all they believed she needed to know and she valued that. She spent her afternoons with the dressmaker. The first day they had an argument about what was acceptable for a young Princess-to-be. Soon Madame had to admit the girl had taste and was more willing to listen to her. She wasn't expected to join the family for dinner till she was felt ready. Everyday Marie asked her if today was going to be the day but she declined. Before she knew it a week went by. Of Philip, she saw very little. They ran into each other occasionally on their way to their various appointments but never exchanged anything more than a polite Good Morning or Good Evening before Philip rushed away closely followed by his own aide, James. It was lowering to be so ignored. One afternoon, after her lessons, Emily returned to her apartment where Marie waited for her.

"I am to inform you, the Queen and Prince Philip have left for Belgium a short while ago. It was decided just this morning so there wasn't time for them to see you before they left." Emily nodded. "And," Marie held out a small box, "Prince Philip requested this be given to you."

Curious took the box to the sofa and sat down to examine it. What could it be? She rattled it. Marie laughed. "If you're so curious why don't you open it?" She tore through the plain paper covering and lifted the lid. "It's... my phone?" She had turned it off when she got to Miionis as she forgot to activate an international roaming plan. She looked back at the box again then saw a folded scrap of paper. A note.

"Sim changed to a local one."

And beneath that, he had scrawled his own number.