When Princess Victoria makes international headlines for drunkenly stumbling out of a Paris nightclub, her family decides that she must change her reputation before it affects the rest of the Royal Family, in particular Victoria's older brother, and heir to the throne, Prince George. Her grandmother, Queen Margaret, and her grandmother's private secretary, Hamilton, assign Victoria official royal engagements to generate some positive press for the Princess.
Then, Victoria gets some shocking news. Her older brother, Prince George is getting married. He is marrying a commoner, Natalie Remington, who doesn't have experience being in the public eye. Victoria must step further away from the spotlight to give the public a chance to get to know Natalie, so she can adjust to the press that goes along with being the wife of the future King. That's difficult to do, since all eyes are on Princess Victoria, waiting for her biggest scandal yet. Victoria wants her freedom from the constraints of the Royal Family, but she must learn how to behave without attracting the press.
Ella is falling apart trying to live a "perfect" high school life. Then she meets Ren, who can see past her scars. Suddenly perfection isn't her only option.
*****
Ella Volkov is a gifted music student, but she's depressed and starting to crack under the pressure of high school. Her overbearing father won't even let her choose what instrument she plays. Then she finds herself alone at a party with Ren, her best friend's crush. She'd always thought he was rude, but after that night he's all Ella can think about. Now she's trapped. If Ella dates Ren, it will ruin her friendship with Jenny. But if she stays true to Jenny, she's losing the one person who can see past her scars. It's up to Ella to decide if she will forge her own path, or stay in the "perfect" box designed for her...
Content and/or Trigger Warning: depression, anxiety, self-harm, violence, sexual assault.
[[word count: 50,000-100,000 words]]