----Oh man! this is my first fic and i don't know how you readers would respond...anyway, i hope you like this.
Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters just the story
Summary: Fixed marriages suck! But that was all going to change when it was the only way Rinoa could do to save her family from their deep debts. And the bad thing was she was going to marry the crowned heartthrob prince she despises.
Princess Hours
by: Ishin Shishi
Chapter 1
The encounters
Kings, queens, prince and princesses all people wished to be like them. It would be nice to become royalty, with all the perks and the silk dresses and special treatments. Nowadays royal families still live; a good example is Dollet and of course my beloved country Galbadia, but these royalties no longer rule the land. They are the symbols of the undying culture and tradition of the country, they are respected and they still have a say in the government. Ummm…I think they call them Constitutional Monarchy. Yeah that's it.
Sigh
I don't know why normal people want to be royalty; I mean life has so much to offer! Do they want to exchange freedom for seclusion? I know I won't. I love life; I love having to do what ever I want without anybody dictating what I should do when I should do it. Someday I will become rich and famous. Someday those royalties will wear my creations. Yep! You got it right! I want to be a fashion designer. And yet, to some it may seem easy to achieve but it's really difficult.
I'm only eighteen but I already have a ton of problems, and they're not just the zits and acne! My parents are thinking about divorce and my family is so deep in debt. Ironically I still love life even though there are many difficulties. I guess just the thought of giving my family a comfortable life gives me strength to tackle each obstacle.
"Oh my God his so cute!" I breathed deeply, my classmates are once again drooling over him. I don't know what they see in this guy, I mean his arrogant, boastful and…
"He looks like a raccoon" I stated upon seeing his baby pictures. My friends keep track of him. From baby pictures to his current picture, from the gum he chewed out to the bottle of water he threw away…talk about obsession. They'll even fight about whom he likes most. Well ding-dong he doesn't know you exist!
"Yeah, she's right" My friend Quistis agreed. She was a tall blonde woman; her words could easily deceive you. She acts like an adult but she's only a teen…like me. But I act the complete opposite of Quis. I'm very predictable, moody and sometimes annoying.
"Look who's talking, 'Miss-i-want-to-be-a-fashion-designer-but-can't-make-a-decent-outfit'" Yuffie glared at me. I jumped up to the table and showed them what I was wearing. We all wore uniforms and 'tweaking' it was allowed if you're sure you won't get caught. After all I go to one of the most prestigious Art school here in Galbadia so putting my creative mind to work isn't a bad thing…right?.
"What are you 'exactly' wearing?" Selphie asked tying her yellow ribbon tightly. I could now smell the scent of insults about five-seconds away.
"Um…Let's see, black sweat pants with white stripes over your school uniform and multi-colored doll shoes." Quistis described in an insulting and disgusted tone.
"Oh! Don't forget the chopstick" I pointed at the portion of my hair which was twirled and fastened by a chopstick with Hello Kitty design. I took their 'criticisms' as 'compliments', maybe there just jealous of my talent…who knows!?
"Prince Squall!" The usual tone of squealing girls resounded again in the walls of the campus. Selphie and Yuffie rushed to the railing and looked for the familiar face they both longed to see.
Squall was used to this. Swarm of girls swooning whenever he comes to school. Ever since he decided to study at Galbadia Art School he figured almost half the girls enrolled there because of him.
"Prince Squall!" They called, he just walked pass them as his security guards made a two meter radius away from him.
"I love you Prince Squall!" He was also used to that, there was no denying the fact that he was really good looking. A lot of girl students would die for just a smile from him. He never smiled…well he never smiled his true smile that is; only one person could make him bring out his real smile. The person he so longed for but he could never have.
Selphie and Yuffie sighed as the prince just walked in Building B.
"He's so hot" Selphie exclaimed.
"Would you stop drooling over that guy?! Your just making him think his all that" Quistis said, the typical straight 'A' student and the most responsible among the four of them.
"Well he is all that, his handsome, his a prince and his…."
"Taken" Quistis said with a glare. Yuffie and Selphie propped their elbows on the table.
"You know you should do more activities that actually requires neurons" She added. "And I don't mean shopping"
"Well, how could you resist such a beautiful creation of God?! I mean his perfect." Selphie said dropping her face to her hands in a way that you could tell she was in love.
"Look at Rin, she isn't crushing on Prince Squall but she still gets low grades" Yuffie piped.
"Hey! My grades are out of the question" The raven-beauty replied. "At least I use my time to improve my talent"
"Talent?" The three said in unison. She just rolled her eyes.
"I didn't know you had one" Yuffie said sarcastically.
"Oh my God Yuffie! Prince Squall is looking over here" Selphie and the short girl rushed to the railings and once again swooned because of the presence of the young prince.
The classrooms for Art majors like them were in a balcony, it was done that way to see more of nature and let them be inspired. Building B was not far from there building, only a few feet away. And right now Prince Squall was looking at their direction.
Rinoa secretly fixed her hair up; she knew the prince was looking her way. She smiled a bit. 'Maybe he likes me' She thought.
"Oh his gang is together huh?" Quistis said as she peeped at there direction.
'Yep! The Prince's gang. It consisted of students like him too. All rich kids like him. Zell Dincht his father is a CEO, Seifer Almasy his father is also a CEO, Irvine Kinneass' family owns a ranch and his father is the owner of a multi-million dollar Company, while Cloud Strife is the son out of wedlock and the son of another CEO'
"I guess the saying really is true, Birds of the same feather fly the same flock" Quistis stated; another day and another lecture from Quistis' words of wisdom. The gang of the rich kids and the prince was there leader.
"Those two girls look retarded, swooning because you're looking at them" Seifer said followed by a chuckle. No one respond. Anyone who knew Squall knew he wasn't looking at them.
"Oh, so you're looking at Aeris?" Cloud stated following the prince's gaze. At first it may look like his looking at the girls Seifer refers to as retards but if you look closely his eyes were fixed at the beautiful brunette ballerina.
He smiled as she faced him and waved 'hi'. He waved back.
"Oh, the prince's day is now complete" Irvine said. No one really could confirm if the two are in an intimate relationship or not. Aeris and Squall were friends, and the woman was the only known girl Squall ever befriended. If there was something else between them no one really knew. All of them knew that talking or rather spreading gossips about the prince would cause them pain and agony not from the prince but from his 'groupies'.
It was almost lunchtime meaning Rinoa had to go down to the Girls Comfort Room and clean the pail of water they'd been using in the 'Painting-Class'. It was a routine work for everyone attending the class; the teacher said it was to train them for 'discipline-and-responsibility'. 'Well discipline and responsibility sucks' Rinoa thought bitterly as a few of the dirty water splashed down her multi-colored doll shoes.
She panted like a dog as she carried the pail of water down the stairs. As she reached the bottom she sat down to catch her breathe.
"I hate this!" She murmured under her gasps. Finally, getting the enough air she needed she gathered all her strength and will power to carry the pail. She gripped the handle firmly making her hands white. But when she turned to the side of the stairs an unexpected event happened.
Splash
Rinoa didn't dare to look at the person she just spilled the water at. But she knew she should.
"I'm so sorry!" She apologized using her apron to wipe the wet shoes. Students started gathering up, holding cameras and video cams to capture the scene unfolding before them. "I'm so sorry Prince Squall, let me wipe it…"
But she was immediately cut off when he started removing his shoes.
"Just throw them away" He said. Getting an extra pair of shoes in his locker, it was no surprise to anyone that he keeps an extra pair of shoes. It was compulsory for every student to bring an extra pair. One is used only on school grounds and the other used outside the school…it was for cleanliness.
Squall turned back to the way he came from but he was quickly cut from his track when….
Rinoa glared at the arrogant young brunette. She reached for one of his shoes and angrily threw it at him. This made everyone make the 'ohhhh' sound.
"You think you can pick on me just because you're the prince of this country! Well for your information you're a lousy prince 'coz you have no respect for people who look up and respect your family! Good thing the reign of royalties in this country are no longer of use 'coz if it were and you were to become king I would be the first one who'll start a mutiny to bring you down! I also have a pride. Plus you're not all that, if you ask me your really ugly! You look like my dog's ass" Rinoa shouted. The prince turned and approached her. Rinoa couldn't help to be intimidated and step back as he approached her.
Rinoa knew she had nowhere to go, the students were blocking her primary exits so she had no choice but to confront him.
"No one ever dared to speak up to me like that and you, an ordinary girl could stand up and threw a shoe at me" Rinoa couldn't really tell if he was being sarcastic or serious. But what he did next made the hair of the back of her neck stand.
He lessens the distance of their faces as he slowly brought his face to her. This made Rinoa gulp. "I like you" He whispered with a smile.
The students around them were now screaming in joy. He closed up their distance ready to kiss her…
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…. But the sad truth was that never happened. I just breathed heavily as the young brunette walked away. My eyes followed his figure until he turned to the left corridor. With the kissing and liking me and starting a mutiny?! Huh! I could've never done that. I mean he was the prince for Hyne's sake! One of his groupies would've had me killed if I threw his shoe at him. I'm lucky that no one haven't stabbed me yet for wetting his valuable shoes. The part I threw his shoe at him came from my beautiful and creative mind but the part where is spilled water on his shoes was unfortunately true.
Building B, it is where Prince Squall's classes takes place and because his course is for film making they changed all the windows of the building to bullet proof ones, I guess the royal family was scared of having there little boy get assassinated…. Paranoid much?!. I was on my way to see the Head of the filmmaking department to deliver a message from my instructor. I stepped inside the building; it wasn't my first time entering the building, usually students who aren't in the film-making course weren't allowed to go inside but since it was lunch time no one would halt you on your way and perform airport security protocols.
I walked up the first door I saw and waved my hand to an intercom attached next to the door.
"Huh, rich kids always get the best of things" I said. I waved my hand in front of it, not sure what it was meant for. Maybe some fancy device they want to show off.
But my engrossed mind over the object was averted to voices coming from inside the room. I peeped through the small glass window and saw two students sitting across each other.
"Huh! Prince Squall and that….girl" I wasn't really sure who she was but I heard a couple of things about her and the prince. I'm not an eavesdropper type but this might be the news of the century and I the first born of Julia and Fury Caraway will witness it firsthand.
Hoping to get a better position to hear the two of them I searched for someplace to hear them and luckily I found an open door a few meters away from them, enough for me to hear and far enough for them not to see me.
"Aeris…" It was the prince. Aha! It was her! The ballerina they've been talking about. "I really, really like you" My eyes shot wide open. Did I just hear that right?
"I like you too" She said followed by a giggle, I knew she wasn't taking their conversation seriously.
"I mean…. Aeris…I want you to…. marry me" He said. I gasped! He was proposing to her! Oh my God! Imagine how many Gils I would make for this juicy story…. I know its bad but I'm desperate… well not that desperate but this was a chance to hear what a beautiful girl like her say to someone like him.
"What?" She said in an almost confused tone. Aha…again. Aeris was stalling.
"The elders of the palace said I should choose a wife for my upcoming marriage. If I don't they will be the one to choose for me. I want to marry someone I already know rather than marrying someone I resent to be with"
"Squall we're still young"
"I know, but you're the only female friend I have and the only person in this world that can make me really smile Please?"
"Squall, you're my friend but…I'm not ready for this. I'm still young and I have a lot of dreams I want to fulfill. I don't want to risk our friendship for this. Plus I'm not ready to take part in the traditions of your family."
Ring, ring
Talk about bad timing! I reached for my pocket as the menacing device continued to beep. Arrgghh! It was my mom. I immediately rejected her call and tried to get back to the conversation…but just like I suspected they were no longer talking. I peeped curiously at the open door and saw them looking at my direction, I went back to my position and wished I didn't do that. That would only make them more suspicious.
Ring, ring
Once again my phone rang. I reached for my pocket it was my mom…again. This time I took out the batteries. Then I heard footsteps…could it be? Did he found out? Well if his dumb he couldn't but I know his smarter than that. So like the idiot girl I would be I started panicking and didn't know exactly what to do.
"Hey" He called, I walked a few steps towards the window and pretended I didn't hear him.
"Hey, face me" He called again.
"I saw something…ohh" I sang trying my best not to seem obvious.
"What did you see?!" He said then I once again heard footsteps. This time I took larger steps towards the window.
"London Bridge is falling down…" I didn't know what to do. I could've sworn I saw my life flash before my eyes as I heard him walking towards me. This time I took the chance to run away from him and out the glass doors. Good thing I was a fast runner and he didn't catch me. That was too close, first was that incident earlier and now this. Oh my God! I hope he didn't notice me.
"I'm going to kill her" The furious raven haired woman said.
"She's like all teenagers Julia" Her husband stated smiling. Julia just glared at him.
"You're the one who's pushing her to do this teenager stuff. Why couldn't you be like any other father who works for his family?" The replied getting a lot more aggravated than she already is.
The mature woman took another look at the room of her daughter.
"I mean, is this a room of a girl?"
"Well, that's what she likes. She loves to suffer finding her stuff, let her be" Julia walked out of the room, leaving his smiling husband.
"Julia" Fury said stopping her wife in her pace. The woman turned.
"I want a divorce" She said.
"Divorce? How many times do we have to go through with this? You've asked me that for fifty-seven times already, aren't you getting tired of it?"
"I haven't, but do you know what I'm tired of?! This house, this mess, you and my work!" The man looked away in shame; ever since the unfortunate event he never found a job. His job as the father was passed on to his wife and he became the mom.
"I'm sorry, I never thought Sephiroth would do something like that." Julia rolled her eyes.
"That's the problem with you, you trust people so much"
"But Sephiroth was my friend, I never thought he would do something like that"
"Uhh!! I want to take your brains out and throw it at the pit bull next door"
"Mr. And Mrs. Caraway" somebody called.
"Go get that" The woman commanded. Fury immediately obeyed her order and opened the gate to people calling.
"What is…"
"We're from the palace, we need to speak with you"
Prince Squall sat at the back of the black limousine. Half-heartedly listening to his assistant.
"At 7 pm your highness, you would be practicing for archery. Dinner would be served at seven thirty and at eight, selected participants from the royal school would be performing for your royal highnesses." His eyes were fixed outside the window, where normal people walk or ride a bicycle. He never regrets being a prince; it was a lifestyle he was blessed with. Looking outside the window a familiar figure caught his eyes.
'Jogging pants, twirled hair…'"Stop the car!"
----that's the first chapter..how do you like it so far??please tell me what you think, no flamers...