Waking Up A Princess

Chapter Nine

A tiny red light blinked on the recorder to indicate it was working. The room was completely silent everyone waited for Ailey to give the okay. She swallowed the lump in her throat before forcing a smile and a small nod. The only reason she has ever been interviewed before was due to her softball career. She wasn't one to brag about it, but she had been quite good - hence why she had managed a softball scholarship she wasn't even sure if she would be able to take now. 

"Alright then. First question. You grew up without the knowledge of who you are? I mean, you didn't know your father was a crown prince or that you were a princess?" My Lykes pushed on the bridge of his glasses to stop their descent down his nose, a curious look on his face. 

Of course this would be a huge question for anyone reporting on her story. How could you grow up without any sort of knowledge that you were actually royalty?

"Yes," Ailey nodded and cleared her throat as quietly as she could manage suddenly nervous. "My parents wanted me to grow up like any other kid and have a normal life." 

"They wanted her title to come by choice. Her mother insisted she deserved a normal childhood. Something I believe was the best decision for her." Charles, the king and her grandfather, smiled lovingly at his granddaughter. His warm hand gently rubbed her shoulder in an attempt to ease her nerves. 

Mr. Lykes scratched down a few notes before his pen paused. "May I ask exactly what you were told? I do not mean to pry too deeply," he assured with a slight grin. He was much nicer than Ailey had imagined a reporter on the case would be. 

A reassuring smile pulled at her lips to calm the reporter who appeared to be as nervous as she was. "I was told my father was from a far away country and that it was quite expensive to visit. I knew I had a grandfather here, but was told very little about him. My parents never shied away from the subject, but that never mentioned any of this." Ailey held her hands out to encompass everything around them. 

"Mhm." More pen scratching. "And how exactly did you discover you were our princess, Princess?"

Ailey grimaced at the use of her title but allowed it to slip without comment. "Leonard, my grandfather's personal butler came to me in America. I've lived with my aunt since the...accident. He gave me a letter and allowed me to read it before he explained it all to me." 

Mr. Lykes blinked and stared at the teenage girl before him with a blank look. "You were given a letter?" He echoed her earlier statement. 

"Yes," she nodded slowly. "My father wrote a letter and gave it to my grandfather for safe keeping. It explained everything in the event something were to happen to him. There was even a small note from my mother." Her vision blurred as unwarranted tears filled her eyes. Blinking rapidly, she kept them at bay and unnoticed by those in the room. 

The couch dipped beside her under the weight of Prince Liam. Apparently someone had noticed her emotional display. Very gently, he took her hand in both his warm ones. It was a small gesture that spoke volumes and Ailey couldn't have been more thankful. Charles moved to the other chair across from the couch to allow the two their space. 

Ailey had no idea what Liam's intentions were, but she was happy to have a friend around when she needed it. And she really needed it right then. "Once that was explained," she continued, "things sort of began to fall into place. Growing up, I did a lot of things most kids did not and my parent taught me quite a lot about the world. I suppose they were preparing me as best they could. In their own way." 

Mr. Lykes had been furiously scratching notes for the last several minutes and a silence began to stretch in the room. "Before you came to Elmira to meet your grandfather and accept your role here, you were..." He trailed off as he flipped through several earlier pages of his notebook. "Yes. You played softball?" He questioned.