The Perfect Princess

Chapter 3 : Being a Princess Gets Real

I LOOKED SUSPICIOUSLY BETWEEN THE King, Queen and General Niche. What exactly did these people have in store for me?

"Honey," the Queen said with excessive enthusiasm. "Since you will be taking over your sister's role, we decided you will now start training to be a-"

"Training?" I choked out. "Why do I need training? This isn't the Olympics or anything."

"Nice one," General Niche remarked sarcastically.

"Fight me," I challenged.

The Queen gaped at me. "Courtney! We do not speak like that!" She paused to ogle at the General. "Especially not in front of dashing gentlemen, such as General Niche."

General Niche chuckled. "Your Highness, you're making me blush."

The Queen giggled like a pathetic little schoolgirl. "You are absolutely comedic, General."

"I think I'm going to hurl," I muttered.

The King, too, looked like he wasn't too far from doing it himself, either. "Anyways," the King said, "why don't we wrap this up? I have a meeting to attend."

"Same here," I piped in.

The King raised his eyebrows. "And where is your supposed meeting happening?"

"In my room," I answered automatically. "I have a meeting with my bed."

"You are such a child," the Queen said with disgust.

"Thanks for clarifying that, Mother," I said sarcastically.

"Courtney," the King said in a warning tone.

"We have planned for you to learn various skills essential in order to become a princess," General Niche informed me.

"What's the first one?" I inquired rather nervously. Knowing General Niche, it was bound to be awful.

He gave me a smug smile. "Follow me and I'll show you. I am certain you will like this one."

~*~

"My theory that you're the devil's spawn slowly gets confirmed with every passing day," I told the General.

"Not all of us are princesses," he retorted. General Niche paused to look at me. "Definitely not all of us."

I balled my hands into fists by my side.

"I advise you to not do that," he told me. "It will tire out your hands."

As soon as we stood outside of the kitchen, I knew I was doomed. "I'm not cooking," I said flatly, giving no regard to what he had just said. "I cannot and I will not cook, Niche, and that's final."

"These aren't my rules, Hale," he barked. "Now get into the kitchen."

"Aren't you going to escort me in?" I asked with false sweetness in my voice. "After all, that is your job, Niche. While other soldiers are out and about, fighting, you're safe inside, showing me where the kitchen is, even though I already know where it is."

He glared at me. "Get inside before I force you inside the kitchen."

I smirked at the General. "Did I strike a nerve, Niche?"

"Go," he ordered through gritted teeth.

I obliged and went inside, though I'm not going to lie; I was interested now. I began to wonder why General Niche had gotten so defensive over that. Was there a reason why he wasn't out there fighting? I definitely didn't like him, but he did spark my curiosity.