FAKING ROYALTY [rewrite]

chapter three

The feeling of sunlight against my face alarms me until I open my eyes to see Taryn fumbling around my resting chamber with ease. The curtains are open, and the windows are slightly cracked to let a breeze in. However, the largest breeze comes from the open balcony doors.

She turns her head to me and sends me a bright smile as of to tell me good morning without having to say the words themselves. This is only a brief moment until she ushers me out of bed to stand up and holds a stay in her arms that she'll lace up from my back. She hands me my stockings to put on and shoes, and I then sigh as I feel as she places the stay onto my body afterwards. And while I'm used to putting them on myself, the first pull of strings makes me jerk my head since I wasn't expecting it. Within a few minutes, we are already at the step of placing the visible layers on my body.

"I suppose this will do," Taryn tells me, shaking her head softly at the fabric in her hands. I watch as she begins to tie the skirt around my waist, and I reach down to help hold it in place as I touch the silky material. In the village silk was very expensive, but a breathable material, and nobody could really afford it. That's why we would turn to other materials, but this fabric feels so fine against my fingertips. After the skirt is tied, Taryn finishes with my upper half. "Princess Alexandra loved the color purple, but the prince loves the color blue. I figured the blue would help you impress him more. As well of it being silk, the princess adored the fabric but didn't really mind others like linen. If you want to talk to a sibling that adores linen when she can get the chance to wear it, it's Princess Cadenza. She tried to get her wedding dress to be linen, but she was told no. Now, let's get your hair ready."

She combs through my hair, and I'm seated in a chair near a window. I look outside and see Laurance messing around with a sword in hand as he looked like a mess running around the field with a knight nearby him. It's a rather entertaining sight as their swords are dropped onto the floor and hand to hand combat is commenced between the two.

It's so early in the morning, and it confuses me as of why Laurance could already be working so hard while I am being prepared for the day ahead. Cadenza must be being prepared for her day as well. So how is it that Laurance is working on an empty stomach? I suppose he could've snacked on something small for the small spar, but he just concerns me. Does he do this everyday? Surely what he's doing works up an appetite.

I feel slight pulling on my hair only to come to realize that I was so enhanced from the males in front of me that I didn't even notice that Taryn was styling my hair into an elegant updo. She tells me to stay seated as she goes off to fetch a hat and some jewelry, and I decide to continue to watch the boys mess around through my window. I'll tell Laurance about it later, but not right now.

After pinning the knight into the ground successfully, Laurance and the male stand up and shake hands. I sigh when I realize that their little session has been declared over with, and Taryn sets the hat down nearby for when I would go outside later, and begins to put the jewelry on my body. The two males smile at one another and begins to pick up their dropped belongings and walk back towards the doors to the palace where the knight would take a small break and Laurance would freshen up for breakfast.

"Do they do that every morning?" I asks, tilting my head back slightly as to get a better view of Taryn.

She only chuckles at me and motions to me that she was done with my hair. "I suppose they do. I never paid much attention to them while I prepared the princess for her duties. Though from the words that go around the palace hallways, the prince finds a large interest in being a knight, or even a guard."

I nod my head and stand up from my place. Smoothing out any possible wrinkles in my dress, I stand up straight and hold my head up high. I was nervous for what could possibly be ahead of me, but I suppose I'll just have to learn how to deal with it.

Taryn looks me up and down quickly and delivers me a soft smile. It felt warm as she begins to walk towards the door once more. I'm still learning my way around, and I'll be thrilled for the day that I can walk around on my own. Being unable to do so now makes me feel like a dog on a leash being lead around, never being the one to lead.

Soon enough we make it to the dining hall, and I nearly stumble when we stop. I had been focusing on my feet the entire time we walked. But when I look up, three pairs of eyes look up at me over the long able. Hayden at the head, and the two Zvahl siblings on either side of him. I hadn't expected Laurance to make it here before me.

"Y/N, I'm glad you could join us," Hayden tells me, never once looking up at me from his plate. "You may be seated."