Royally Falling

~ prologue ~

"Do you ever feel like a plastic bag
Drifting through the wind, wanting to start again?
Do you ever feel, feel so paper-thin
Like a house of cards, one blow from caving in?"
Firework - Katy Perry

oOoOo

As I walk through the Palace Gardens to escape my parents for an hour, I can't help but worry about what my future will hold.

I just abruptly left the meeting with our royal advisors for some much-needed alone time. Of course, I am never alone. As the Crowned Princess of Amaria, I am constantly surrounded by royal guards.

It can be very annoying at times, but I would rather not be assassinated or kidnapped. The Palace Gardens are the one place in the Palace I can come to get some semblance of alone time.

It's so comforting to walk through the rows of rose bushes, gaze at the fountains, and observe the birds at the bird feeders. I know I can always come here to get away from the stifling Palace and all my responsibilities.

I hear footsteps approaching where I am sitting on a bench near the rose bushes. I inwardly groan; I literally just got here. Looking up, I see that Blair, my guard/best friend is here. She must have been sent to escort me back to the meeting I stormed out of.

"Kate, are you okay?" Blair asks, with concern etched on her face. Being my closest friend, she is updated on my predicament.

"Yeah, I'm alright. I just needed to get out of there. I can't cope with the overwhelming pressure of the marriage to Prince Alexander. I don't even want to get married and rule Amaria until I am at least twenty-five!"

I have always had dreams of falling in love and traveling before I settle down, marry, and take over as queen. I guess all it will be is a pipe dream.

I do want to rule the country someday, but I am only eighteen years old. I want to live a little before being tied down by so many responsibilities for the rest of my life.

Just a few minutes ago, my father was telling me he plans to request a meeting with Denmark's Royal Family to arrange a political marriage to Prince Alexander.

The only positive in the said marriage is I would still be able to become the Queen of Amaria. Since Alexander has two older brothers, he is the 'spare' and it's highly unlikely that he will take his country's throne.

"That sucks. Are they even considering allowing you to attend Harvard University this autumn?" She asks.

I've been trying to delay the marriage by persuading my parents to allow me to attend university abroad. It would give me at least four more years since it would be bad publicity to be married and living in a different country from my spouse.

"They're considering it, but I can tell that they will need more convincing. You recall what happened last time I attended school." I remind her.

Two years ago, My younger sister Maeve and I were both attending Stonewall Academy, after convincing our parents to allow us to have a more normal schooling experience.

Up until then, we had tutors at the palace to educate us. Anyways, after one semester, the press got wind of our enrollment in the prep school and infiltrated the campus. There were reporters from all over Europe there to follow us and get interviews. Of course, our publicist and security teams handled the situation, but it soon got so bad that our bodyguards couldn't fight off reporters.

Ever since, Maeve and I have settled for online school. I guess there is a reason royals don't typically attend conventional schools.

However, moving from Europe to Boston would not be simple.