Aligned (Book #2 in the Divided Series)

Chapter 1 - Part 4

The rest of the next few days passed slowly. Every time we left our rooms, Geoffrey Hanes, the rude boy from the entrance hall, kept making snide remarks to us, just me and Izzy. It seemed he was determined to send us running home, not that that would every do anything. He kept saying how he would woo the princesses and make sure that we were sent home.

Izzy and I just ignored him, and I vowed I would never let him near me once he left here after the formal presentations were done.

All of the schools were leaving after only a fortnight, I had found out, all except our school, who were here for a month. We had no idea about this of course, but we were going to be told when the others left, that this was a grand holiday as part of the apology, and moved to a hotel near the palace, while Izzy and I stuck to doing things mostly in the day time, so we could stay for the full season of presentations that were planned.

By the time the grand ball for the presentation of the princesses was upon us, I was a nervous wreck. I wanted to hide, and the only thing stopping me was the fact it was a mask ball. Izzy and I had been forced into identical white dresses, and everyone else had been barred from wearing white. The dresses had no sleeves, and we had no idea how they had managed to get them made up, until we were told our measurements were sent over weeks ago in preparation.

It took hours for them to get us ready, and we were supposed to be missing the festivities as we had apparently come down sick. Our friends thought it was rotten luck, and we had been moved rooms, claiming it was conjunctivitis. We were now living in the height of luxury, and I hated it. I wanted to be honest with my friends, but I wasn't allowed to be.

After we were done, we were standing in our dresses, waiting for an escort to the ball. I wondered why we were ready so early, but Steve showed up, and told us there was something we had to do before the ball, and led us deeper into the family quarters.

I was thinking about what my friends were up to as Steve led us down a few long corridors, not really paying much attention to where we were going. Katie, Andy and Nicola had said they had run into Albert as he wondered around, greeting students, and flirting with girls. Andy and Nicola didn't think much of him, but Katie thought he looked alright, for someone who spent so many nights out in clubs and drinking till they collapsed, and in her words, 'god knows what else'.

I was worried, especially when Andy said Katie was getting flirted with, and Albert seemed to be coming around just to see her as they spent time together as a school group. I mean, it had only been two days!

I was so lost in thought, that when we stopped, I almost tripped.

"Presenting, Their Royal Highness's, Princess Bella and Princess Louise." Someone said, and opened a set of double doors.

Waiting for us on the other side of the door was our parents. I had no idea we were going to see them before the ball, but that may have been mentioned throughout the process of getting dressed, and I just wasn't paying attention.

"Welcome girls." Father said, coming forward and we each gave him a slight curtsy, like we had been taught to.

"Father, mother." We said at the same time, grinning at each other.

"How wonderful to have you home again. Do you like your rooms?" Mother asked, coming forward and giving us each a kiss on the cheek.

"They are wonderful. I loved the piano." Izzy said, bowing her head in acknowledgement.

"I loved the colour schemes." I said truthfully.

"Presenting, His Royal Highness, Prince Albert, and Miss Katie Barnes."

Our head whipped around at this. I stared as Katie came in on the arm of Albert. She was wearing an old red dress that she hated, but must have decided was good enough to bring. Either that, or her mum forced her to bring it.

"Mum, dad." Albert said, coming into the room, bringing Katie along with him. "This is Katie. She's with one of the school groups." Katie dipped a very shallow curtsy, wobbling.

"Welcome child." Father said, as mother went and kissed her on the cheek, and both of them glared at Albert. What a way to make an evening more awkward.

"Albert, these are your sisters, Bella and Louise." Mother said, coming to stand next to us. We dipped our heads at him, as he stood there staring at us. Katie dipped another shallow curtsy at us, wobbling again. Someone would have to give her lessons. Then again, I think I was worse than she was before I got taught.

Albert stood looking at us in silence, almost sneering at us. We looked back in a calm silence. I knew my face was arranged to show nothing, and I had a feeling Izzy's was as well.

After a few more seconds, we stopped staring at each other, and faced our parents once more. I was going to kill Katie for this. She didn't even tell us! Why she would keep that secret, I have no idea.

After being told what we had to do for the ball, which in Izzy and my cases, it meant standing and greeting everyone for an hour or so, then dancing, with every person who asked us. I was not at all inclined to like that rule, but I knew there would be plenty of men waiting to dance with us, and I just hoped that I would remember the steps to all of the dances that were listed. We had been taught them, but doing them in private vs in public were two very different things!

I walked into the ball on Izzy's arm. Mother and father ahead of us, and Albert behind us. Despite him being the eldest, it was decided that for tonight only, we would walk in ahead of him, since it was our coming out ball. Every other event that we attended with him from now would have him walking ahead of us, unless one of us decided by mutual agreement that we were to become the reigning monarch after our parents. If that happened, the heir would go first, followed by Albert, then the rest of us in age order.

Getting to the double doors that I knew held the ball and all the guests, I started to panic, but forced myself not to show it. I felt Izzy grip my hand tighter as we walked forward and stopped, waiting to be announced. Soon, we would have every eye in the room on us, and there was no way that we could escape from it. It would be our first time really acting the part of young royals, and we were terrified.