The Royal Decision (Book 1 of The Royal Series)

Chapter 2

The Preparation

“Princess, at last I have found you. The queen is already waiting for you and she expected you to be ready in an hour,” my personal maid and friend said when she saw me walking out of the garden.

“Maylinne, didn’t I said not to call me ‘Princess’ or ‘Your Highness’,” I smiled when I saw her panicked look.

“Princ- Your high- … Aurelia, I’m serious this time you are not running away from me,” she replied

A weak smile grew on my face as I remember how she managed to keep me from running. It was also time for me to prepare for the ball at that time. I was reading peacefully in my father’s library (partly escaping from my mother’s grasp) when I heard rummaging footsteps. In front of my father’s library, two guards were told to constantly be on guard so as to not let anyone disrupt his majesty’s peace and to keep outsiders out. Besides my father, only my mother, brother and me can enter. Since I figured that three of them would be busy that evening, I was sure that those footsteps would not be coming near me.

However, all didn’t go as I expected as May (a nickname given by me for Maylinne) barged into my father’s library. I was overwhelmed by her action and my mouth formed a huge ‘o’. I mentally slapped myself to get a hold of the situation.

I was about to ask her to leave as if my father got a wind of this he would show no mercy. He always said to me that no one should dare to invade a king’s privacy. Since he always said that while smiling at me so I never took it seriously but it would take an airhead to not take a king’s word seriously.

I dropped my book on the floor and pushed her out from the door hastily. Surprisingly, she stopped me and showed me the queen’s seal.

She grinned to me while saying, “Guards, help me escort Princess Aurelia to her room.”

What?! I thought only royalty has the privilege to order guards to ‘seize’ another royalty. Would the sun be rising from the West tomorrow or what?

I fixed my fiercest glare on the guards, daring them to step closer to me. I was about to smile triumphantly when I saw hesitation on their eyes. Unfortunately, a golden seal flashed before them and within seconds, I was already taken away by the guards. Along the way, they kept on mumbling their useless apologies for their rudeness.

Still, I couldn’t get angry at them as they followed my mother’s order. As I had guessed, I was welcomed by a bunch of maid and of course, my royal mother. They dragged me into the bathroom and constantly pouring warm water on me after they ‘gently’ took off my clothes. They started doing my hair and dressed me up. Finally, they stopped after they earned my mother’s nod of agreement.

I shuddered when I thought about what happened. It seemed that my reaction triggered May’s memory as well as she smiled evilly and asked me if I would like to be ‘escorted’ by the guards once more. If I could curse, I would say it but my education was everything but curses. Reluctantly, I walked to my room hoping that I wouldn’t see my mother’s eager face.

For once, luck was with me as I was alone with May in my room. I thought of slacking on my bed for a moment but dropped that idea as May’s disapproving gaze met mine. I sighed and dragged myself to the bathroom. I eased myself in the comfortable bathtub while asking her to do the rest.

I was looking at my reflection while May did my hair. A knock sound came from the door and a maid came in, bringing a large package with her. She put it on my bed, saying that it was a present from my mother before she curtsied and left. Overwhelmed by my own curiosity, I quickly opened the package in anticipation

It was the most beautiful dress I had ever seen. The dress was made by the thinnest satin layered to one another. The color was like the blush of spring, mixture of pink and yellow merging together in harmony. The satin was smooth, so smooth that it almost slipped out of my hand the moment I tried to hold on to it. The fabric was as soft as a feather and wearing this would surely be comforting. I owned a lot of dresses given to me by my father but nothing was as dazzling as the one before me. As I ran my fingers through it, I felt the coldness of white pearls. Silver threads were delicately embroidered on it shaping glinting stars.

Carefully, I put on it and glanced on the mirror. Beside me, May gasped and awe was written on her face. I took a quick twirl and the dress danced with me before settling itself softly on the ground. A small whisper of wind gathered as I lifted the dress.

“Click,” the door opened, revealing my father dressed in white and gold suit. May curtsied and excused herself leaving both of us alone.

“I assume that you like your new dress?” my father said

“I like it? No, I love it father. Thank you,” I whispered

“Wait, it is not quite complete. I am sure that you would look more stunning with this,” he held out a silver choker and put it on my neck. I could feel the chilling metal brushing against my skin. There were sparkling white roses circling my neck, and below my chin, a beautiful pink sapphire rose glowed. I hugged my father as no words could express my thanks to him.

“Well well, we wouldn’t want your dress to be ruined, do we?” my father said while smiling at me fondly

We decided to stay in my room and talk for a while as there was still time before the ball begins. Moreover, I still need to wait for my brother to escort me to the ball. Soon, my father made his way towards mother’s chamber to escort her.

Not long after, the grandfather clock struck 6 and with its gongs, came my brother who appeared before me and waiting for my hand. I smiled and held my hand out. He was charming in his identical white suit as my father.

“I shall compliment you on how beautiful you are today. I assume that May has done her best,” he said. I should probably thank him but knowing my brother, he wouldn’t be praising me sincerely. When I searched his eyes, I knew that he was amused.

Oh… you’ve got guts to laugh at me… Never mind we shall see who wins in the end.

“She certainly did a good job brother but why do I feel that your hair needs to be adjusted a little? Wait, I shall do it for you.” Before I even touched his hair, he backed away approximately 0.5 meters from me. I laughed and gave him a victorious smile.

He glared at me, attempting to get me back for what I did. However when I smiled while playing with my fingernails, he took the sign and immediately backed away from me even further.

Here is the thing, my brother would never allow others to ruin the ‘perfect blond hair’ that he was so proud of. He inherited it from my mother while I inherited my golden hair from my father. Normally, he would glare at anyone who dares to ruin it. Sadly I’m immune to it, so when I attempted to touch his hair, he would avoid me like a plague.

“Children, I am sure that both of you are old enough to stop being childish,” my mother’s voice filled the corridor. She was walking gracefully with my father, prepared to make her entrance to the ballroom.

I walked towards her and hugged her, “Thank you for the wonderful dress mother.”

“It’s good that you are grateful to me. Don’t run from me like I’m a witch when a ball is coming. Your father cannot hide you away from me forever, can he?” she nudged my father’s arm.

I had thought that my father was the most powerful man, knowing that he was the king but here, I saw my father held his hands up and sighed, surrendering to my mother. She somehow made me realize that at the end women wield more power than men.

I smiled and said, “Well if only you wouldn’t push me into the arms of those lords, maybe I wouldn’t run away from you next time. Moreover, I’m not old enough to stop being childish,” my mother frowned and I continued, “After all you did admit that I am still a child. You just called brother and me Children.”

She laughed and whispered something to my father which I was sure not a compliment for me. She turned her head towards me and warned, “Be prepared, I will definitely shove you to any lord I find suitable to be my son-in-law.”

I was frightened when I saw the humongous door that lead to the ballroom. My brother laughed as I smiled and I thought, “Here I go…”

“Presenting His Royal Majesty King Tyreus Johanson Nathaneus and His Royal Majesty Queen Drescilia Gilliftinny Nathaneus, His Royal Highness Prince Dominique Johanson Levasque and Her Royal Highness Princess Aurelia Gilliftinny Crelezia.”