The Life and Adventures of Blair Willows and Friends

Chapter 1

"I hereby call this meeting to order!" roars Dame Devin, my aunt. Oh my gosh, she's my aunt.

I sit at the head of the oval-shaped table because I'm now a princess. Their princess. This is my first official royal meeting, and I can already feel the butterflies in my stomach.

I have a hard time understanding why destiny chose me, a nobody from nothing, to be a princess. I live in a palace now! I don't have to struggle to pay the rent anymore! It still blows my mind sometimes.

"Princess Sophia, what are your thoughts?"

My head snaps over to Miss Privet. "What?"

She sighs, "What do you want to do as your first official act?"

"Oh, uh..." I give it some thought, but eventually, come up empty. "I, uh, don't really know?"

Glancing over at Delancey, I can tell that was the wrong answer. I blush a deep red and look down at my nervous hands.

The silence that follows is utterly unbearable. Everyone's looking at me. Expecting something from me. Waiting for me to make my first mistake. (Which I think I already have.)

And all I can think is: 'ohmygoshohmygoshohmygoSHOHMYGOSHOHMYGOSHOHMYGOSH-'

"That's alright." Miss Privet cuts in. And I couldn't be more grateful. "Dame Devin, why don't you tell us about one of your projects?"

And so, Dame Devin launches into a wildly dramatic story about giraffes that I have trouble following. But at least it's not me talking. At least I'm not the center of attention. At least I'm not Princess Sophia of Gardenia.

If only for a minute.

But then it's over, and I'm being pushed out of the royal meeting hall and into my bedroom.

"Blair!"

My hands slam on my ears. "Jeez D!"

"Oh I'm sorry, but I'm not the one who just flunked her first royal meeting!"

I open my mouth to respond, but I don't know what to say. I mean, I did. I am a disaster princess and a disaster human being. What am I doing here?! I just utterly annihilated any chance I had at being respected by the royal court. Now all they can see me as is a confused child flailing her arms around and screaming.

I am a joke to them, and I am a joke to myself. Worst of all, I'm a joke to Delancey. How could I do this to her? Not only did I embarrass myself, I embarrassed her, and that is just not fair. Her whole life she has been groomed to be the Princess of Gardenia. This was her dream, and I just stole it from her. And I don't even want it!

I don't want to be here, the fate of 32 million people resting on my shoulders. I'm only 17! Last month I was busing tables trying to make ends meet. Now I have to figure out how to solve poverty, fix the country's massive debts, and not let millions of people starve!

And I have no idea how to do any of that. This isn't me. I'm Blair Willows, not Princess Sophia of Gardenia.

I can't do this...

"Blair! Get your act together!" Delancey claps her hand in front of my blank expression. She is yelling. She is so mad at me, so embarrassed.

And then it all comes rushing out of me, like a dam breaking. There are tears and snot everywhere, and I can't catch my breath.

"I'm sorry Delancey! I'm so, so sorry!" I repeat over and over and over as my body is racked with sobs.

But all of a sudden, Delancey is wrapping her arms around me and running her finger up and down my spine and whispering: "It's all gonna be okay, love."

And I believe her. It's gonna be okay because Delancey is here with me. Brilliant, beautiful Delancey, who loves Gardenia more than life itself. It's all gonna be okay because it's Delancey's kingdom, too. I may be the one crowned 'Princess', but she shares all of the responsibilities. She bares the weight just as much as I do.

So while one lost 17 year old girl can't run a kingdom, two are gonna give them a run for their money!