𝕭𝖎𝖙𝖙𝖊𝖗𝖘𝖜𝖊𝖊𝖙 (𝕬 𝕽𝖊𝖒𝖎𝖓𝖌𝖙𝖔𝖓 𝕷𝖊𝖎𝖙𝖍 𝕱𝖆𝖓𝖋𝖎𝖈)

Part 3

Dahlia's POV

I woke up a little earlier than my mother and sisters to write a letter to Marguerite and tell her what's about to happen and explain why I might not be around so much for a while. I asked her in the letter to keep this a secret so the royal family wouldn't be swamped with questions and such. I knew Marguerite would keep it a secret. We trusted each other and shared our innermost secrets since we became best friends so many years. I went downstairs quietly and asked one of our butlers to deliver the letter later today.

An hour before noon, my family were already dressed properly to fit the Queen's presence and I was dressed the same I was, though my dress was more simple than stitched in rags. I hoped to God that my hair would be able to hide my scar for as long as I could while we stayed with the royal family. I wouldn't want any of the princes or the Queen to look at me like some kind of freak or ask me how I got this scar. If I ever spoke bad about my family to them, my own blood might punish me worse than I can imagine.

The horse-drawn coaches arrived to our house about fifteen minutes before noon and my mother and sisters went inside first while I was forced to sit with the man steering the horses.

I could hear my family talking amongst themselves inside the carriage and my pretentious sister, Rose, bragging about how she'd easily win over Prince Remington with barely any effort. "He'll take one look at me and wonder where I have been all his life. I wouldn't be surprised if he asked for my hand in less than a month." I rolled my eyes at how presumptuous my sister can be and how she believes everything in her life can be handed to her on a silver platter. If she didn't have such a privileged lifestyle, she would suffer in the real world.

The ride to the castle took about a few hours since it was outside of the main cities and village of the land, but I heard rumors that the castle was bigger than every building in England and that it was like something from a fairytale story about princes and princesses. Maybe for once in my life, I get to know what it's like to live like a princess. Without the prince, though, because I know that won't happen for me.

Riding through the countryside was beautiful to look at and calming for me. Even though I wouldn't have as much fun as the rest of my family, I was still a little anxious about going to live in a castle where the Queen and her sons lived. Never imagined something like this would happen to me and its almost like entering one of my books. Whatever may happen during this special event, I hope to make some good memories and make them last forever.

When the sun was at its highest peak in the sky, we finally arrived to the castle. It was the most spectacular thing I've ever seen in my life. It was big and elegant and refined and better than my inexperienced mind could picture. It looked like I took up almost all the land it was settled in, and there could be a hundred rooms inside. I wonder what a Queen with three sons would do with so much space in her home.

We were greeted by a kind butler who helped my sisters and mother step out of the carriage, and then lifted me off of the steerer's seat until my feet landed on the ground again. My family went ahead of me and so I tried my best to catch up and not trip on my dress while also not trying not to draw so much attention to myself.

When we got to the front doors, two guards opened them up to us and the inside of the castle was exposed to us. It was like stepping through Heaven's gate with such divine architectural detail and staircases that looked like it led up to oblivion. The ceiling was painted to look like the sky polluted with white, fluffy clouds and adorable and innocent cherubs flying around. My favorite thing to look at though, for some reason, was a frame of a paper with sketches scattered across it, and it looked like a city with people and ships and strange symbols found all over the paper.

"Welcome, Miss Josephine", I heard a familiar voice from yesterday declare from the top of the stairs, and Queen Stephanie was smiling down at us and made her way to us so gracefully. "Your Majesty", my mother remarked and the rest of us kneeled to show the Queen respect. "You may stand, all of you", the Queen kindly commander, causing us all to stand back up, "While you're in my castle, all I ask is that you respect me and my family and if you ever need anything, come to me or the staff. I want you to be completely comfortable in my home and not leave you feeling pressured to live up to any unrealistic standards."

She took my mother's hand and shook it with a sweet smile before doing the same with my sisters who were starstruck, and then when she stood before me, I was still a bit bother shy and intimidated by her beauty and status, but her smile helped me feel peaceful. "I'm happy to see you again, Dahlia", she said to me with such joy in her tone, I was almost speechless. "Um, thank you, Your Highness", I told her slightly blushing while glancing at the ground in shyness, "Same to you." Then she nodded and led my mother to where her workstation would be.

I watched as my mother followed the Queen, and then jumped in fear when my sisters started screaming for some reason and somehow, my bracelet fell off and got lost on the ground. I got on the floor trying to look for it and found it a few feet behind me. But as soon as I tried to grab it, another hand took it, their fingers decorated with letter tattoos and studded with fancy rings, and I hesitantly and slowly looked up to meet the face of a boy with soft brown eyes, black hair that was sticking up and a style found within the way he was dressed that made me believe he was, "Prince Remington!", my sisters shouted the answer in my head as they pushed me away and basically almost crowded the young prince.

I was about to walk away to somewhere else when before turning the corner, I glanced back to see the prince's eyes looking into mine again and giving me a small and quick smile that made something rise in my cheeks and my heart beat faster than its usual rate. I looked away and rested beside a wall away from everyone before feeling my face heat up quickly and my heart rate going up. What was this feeling that was happening to me? Was it because the prince smiled and looked at me? But...why me?

I didn't realize it before because I was bewildered, but thinking about his face again, Prince Remington's appearance was actually so...pleasing to the eye. I've never met anyone as beautiful as him and thinking about his eyes and his smile brought a smile to my face. What was happening to me? Why am I feeling so flustered by a royal figure who I can't ever compare to? And why, for some reason, do I feel like I've met him before?