Author's Note: The character of Clarice belongs to Meg Cabot, as does the
suggestion of the character of her husband. I made up his name and
everything else about him, though it may contrast with what's in the book.
(I've only seen the movie - my apologies to you die-hard fans of the book.)
"My Diary, by Clarice Winchester"
October 1, 1957
Dear Diary,
Today I am sixteen years old. For the occasion, my mother and my father - the Duke and Duchess of Winchester - presented me with this diary and announced that we will be leaving to-morrow morning for a two week trip to the country of Genovia - for a royal ball!
I suppose I should begin this diary by introducing myself. My name is Clarice Amelia Elizabeth Winchester. My title is Lady, but I am sure that that will change on the occasion of my marriage. (I wonder what my new title will be? It's all so exciting!) I live in Britain - but soon I will live in Genovia! So much is changing, I must admit (for one always must be honest in a diary) that I am more than a little bit nervous.
Mother has just come into my room, dear Diary, so I must begin again tomorrow. We will take a train to Dover, then a boat will take us to Calais, and then we will board another train. I wonder what Genovia looks like!
October 2, 1957
Dear Diary, We are on the train from Calais, which will take us to Genovia. The ferry crossing was wonderful! I stood on the decks and watched the white cliffs at Dover until they faded into the distance. When will I see them again?
France is as beautiful as I remember. I was last here on my tenth birthday, when Mother and Father took me to Paris. We will not have time to visit Paris this trip, and I must admit I am disappointed.
The train is bumping so that I must end this entry. I will write again.in Genovia!
October 3, 1957
Diary, we are staying in the royal palace! We have two rooms in the East Wing, one for Mother and Father and one for me. I could hardly believe it when the limousine driver that picked us up at the station informed Father that we would shortly arrive at the palace! This is just like a fairy tale. I've been to many manors and once I even visited Buckingham Palace with Mother to be presented, but the Genovian Royal Palace is even more ornate than Buckingham. Nor have I ever stayed in a room quite this grand. My bed has a deep plum canopy and satin sheets. There is a mahogany dressing table next to the mahogany wardrobe, and the drapes are the same plum as the canopy on the bed. The wallpaper is a light lavender with tiny green pears, from the ceiling to my waist-level, and from there down is a shimmering green, the same green as the pears. There is an Oriental rug covering the floor, a deeper plum even than the bed canopy, with green ornamental decoration. The ceiling is so high I couldn't even reach it if I stood on the top of the dressing table, and from it hangs a small gold chandelier with six bulbs that are surrounded by crystals that look like spouting water.
We were brought tea in our own drawing room an hour ago - tiny finger sandwiches and sliced pears. We are expected in the ballroom in two hours, and a maid is coming to fix my hair before we go down.
My dress is white, since this is my first royal ball. It has a tight bodice with pearls sewn onto the line of the princess waist. The sleeves come to points on the back of my hand, like Guinevere. The skirt is full and comes all the way to the floor, even with my one-inch heels. Over the thick, shimmery material of the skirt is a sheer layer that moves when I make the slightest movement. A white rose is sewn onto the shoulder that the men I dance do not touch. I will be allowed to wear a touch of makeup as well.
Oh! Perhaps the Prince will ask me to dance! I can hardly wait!
October 3 - no, October 4, 1957
It is one o'clock in the morning and I should be in bed, but I had to record my memories of the ball while they are as fresh as they will ever be.
It was the most wonderful night of my life. The ballroom was the most beautiful room I have ever seen in my entire life. It was big enough for the hundreds of attendees to dance comfortably, and even left room for two long tables of refreshments on the far side o the room. The polished wood floor shone, and candles that lined the walls reflected off of tall, gilded mirrors. The orchestra played waltzes and polkas and all sorts of old- fashioned dances. I must have danced with thirty men, all of them handsome and dressed in the finest, most formal clothes I have ever seen. Most were in tuxedos, but a few were in military dress uniforms. I think I might have danced with a major tonight!
I danced with the prince twice. Twice! I didn't see him dance with anyone else twice. But he danced with me twice! Once near the beginning and once at the end - he picked me for his partner for the last dance! I don't even remember what it was, my head was spinning so. And my heart was beating so fast I was afraid I'd faint - thank the Lord, I didn't. The prince is the most handsome man I have ever seen. I am madly in love! He has dark brown hair and blue eyes as deep as the ocean. He has strong cheekbones and shoulders that could hold up the world. He is muscular but not too much so, and his face is gentle and kind. He has a perfect acquiline nose and a dear, tender mouth - oh, to be kissed by it! If God is kind to me tonight, I will dream of kisses from the Prince. In the garden perhaps? I can't wait to fall asleep!
October 4, 1957
I am going to marry the prince. I am going to marry the prince. I am going to be a princess - I am going to be queen! I am still shaking.
I slept until almost noon, when a servant knocked on the door and informed me that I had been summoned to the throne room. I was terrified - I thought I had done something wrong! When I arrived downstairs, Mother and Father were there. They had been summoned as well, but they didn't know why either.
"Mother, I'm so nervous," I said. She touched my cheek tenderly and smiled, but hadn't time to reassure me with words, because at that moment the servant opened the door.
A red carpet led from the door to the platform where the King and Queen sat. I was sure they could see my legs shaking as I walked towards them and curtseyed - oh, I nearly fell over when I curtseyed! When I stood, the King spoke words that I will remember until my dying day.
"Young lady, you have made quite an impression on our Henri." I looked to his left and saw the Prince - the same Prince that I had danced with last night. "So much so that he has asked for your hand in marriage. Now, we stand behind him with all of our hearts and all that we are as rulers of Genovia. We would be much honored if you would accept, and thus become our new Crown Princess and our future Queen."
Queen! I felt myself falling, sliding towards the floor. Mother must have rushed forward, because the next sensation I had was her helping me to stand. I was struck absolutely dumb. I was being proposed to by a future King! What does one say in such a situation?
"I would be honored," were the words I felt myself say. Then Prince Henri descended the platform and took my hand, kissing me softly on the cheek.
"The honor is mine, dearest," he said in a low, tender voice. Oh - now I know what
swooning is - because that is just what I did! I felt my face soften into a smile, and lost my knees again. Mother tightened her grip and lifted me up.
"Thank you, Your Majesty," I said.
"Thank you, dear," the Queen said to me, then turned to Mother. "You may take her to her room. Perhaps she needs to lie down."
I bowed my head and Mother led me back to my room. My knees held out until I could sit on the mattress. Mother came and sat down beside me.
"You don't have to, you know," she said. "It's a very important decision."
"I want to marry him, Mother," I said.
"Now, I'm not trying to make you any more nervous, dear, but remember that you're not just marrying one man. You're marrying a whole country. You're accepting the title of Queen of Genovia. I think you can do it.but I don't want you to accept anything unless you feel you're ready."
I sighed. I knew that it was big the moment the King spoke the word "Queen." Why did she think I had nearly fainted? Even now, hours later, I still can't believe it's all real - me, a future Queen. Me. Clarice Amelia Elizabeth Winchester.Reynaldi?
"Mother," I said, "it feels right."
Mother smiled and touched my hair, still stiff from the spray the maid had drenched it with last night. She held me close for a moment, then got up.
"I'm so proud of you, Clarice," she said.
After she left, I sat on my bed for a long time, looking out the window at the gardens below. This was all to be mine. Mine. And someday I'm sure it will feel real and natural and I will feel like a Queen. But right now, I feel like a frightened country girl from the English countryside. Can I do this?
"My Diary, by Clarice Winchester"
October 1, 1957
Dear Diary,
Today I am sixteen years old. For the occasion, my mother and my father - the Duke and Duchess of Winchester - presented me with this diary and announced that we will be leaving to-morrow morning for a two week trip to the country of Genovia - for a royal ball!
I suppose I should begin this diary by introducing myself. My name is Clarice Amelia Elizabeth Winchester. My title is Lady, but I am sure that that will change on the occasion of my marriage. (I wonder what my new title will be? It's all so exciting!) I live in Britain - but soon I will live in Genovia! So much is changing, I must admit (for one always must be honest in a diary) that I am more than a little bit nervous.
Mother has just come into my room, dear Diary, so I must begin again tomorrow. We will take a train to Dover, then a boat will take us to Calais, and then we will board another train. I wonder what Genovia looks like!
October 2, 1957
Dear Diary, We are on the train from Calais, which will take us to Genovia. The ferry crossing was wonderful! I stood on the decks and watched the white cliffs at Dover until they faded into the distance. When will I see them again?
France is as beautiful as I remember. I was last here on my tenth birthday, when Mother and Father took me to Paris. We will not have time to visit Paris this trip, and I must admit I am disappointed.
The train is bumping so that I must end this entry. I will write again.in Genovia!
October 3, 1957
Diary, we are staying in the royal palace! We have two rooms in the East Wing, one for Mother and Father and one for me. I could hardly believe it when the limousine driver that picked us up at the station informed Father that we would shortly arrive at the palace! This is just like a fairy tale. I've been to many manors and once I even visited Buckingham Palace with Mother to be presented, but the Genovian Royal Palace is even more ornate than Buckingham. Nor have I ever stayed in a room quite this grand. My bed has a deep plum canopy and satin sheets. There is a mahogany dressing table next to the mahogany wardrobe, and the drapes are the same plum as the canopy on the bed. The wallpaper is a light lavender with tiny green pears, from the ceiling to my waist-level, and from there down is a shimmering green, the same green as the pears. There is an Oriental rug covering the floor, a deeper plum even than the bed canopy, with green ornamental decoration. The ceiling is so high I couldn't even reach it if I stood on the top of the dressing table, and from it hangs a small gold chandelier with six bulbs that are surrounded by crystals that look like spouting water.
We were brought tea in our own drawing room an hour ago - tiny finger sandwiches and sliced pears. We are expected in the ballroom in two hours, and a maid is coming to fix my hair before we go down.
My dress is white, since this is my first royal ball. It has a tight bodice with pearls sewn onto the line of the princess waist. The sleeves come to points on the back of my hand, like Guinevere. The skirt is full and comes all the way to the floor, even with my one-inch heels. Over the thick, shimmery material of the skirt is a sheer layer that moves when I make the slightest movement. A white rose is sewn onto the shoulder that the men I dance do not touch. I will be allowed to wear a touch of makeup as well.
Oh! Perhaps the Prince will ask me to dance! I can hardly wait!
October 3 - no, October 4, 1957
It is one o'clock in the morning and I should be in bed, but I had to record my memories of the ball while they are as fresh as they will ever be.
It was the most wonderful night of my life. The ballroom was the most beautiful room I have ever seen in my entire life. It was big enough for the hundreds of attendees to dance comfortably, and even left room for two long tables of refreshments on the far side o the room. The polished wood floor shone, and candles that lined the walls reflected off of tall, gilded mirrors. The orchestra played waltzes and polkas and all sorts of old- fashioned dances. I must have danced with thirty men, all of them handsome and dressed in the finest, most formal clothes I have ever seen. Most were in tuxedos, but a few were in military dress uniforms. I think I might have danced with a major tonight!
I danced with the prince twice. Twice! I didn't see him dance with anyone else twice. But he danced with me twice! Once near the beginning and once at the end - he picked me for his partner for the last dance! I don't even remember what it was, my head was spinning so. And my heart was beating so fast I was afraid I'd faint - thank the Lord, I didn't. The prince is the most handsome man I have ever seen. I am madly in love! He has dark brown hair and blue eyes as deep as the ocean. He has strong cheekbones and shoulders that could hold up the world. He is muscular but not too much so, and his face is gentle and kind. He has a perfect acquiline nose and a dear, tender mouth - oh, to be kissed by it! If God is kind to me tonight, I will dream of kisses from the Prince. In the garden perhaps? I can't wait to fall asleep!
October 4, 1957
I am going to marry the prince. I am going to marry the prince. I am going to be a princess - I am going to be queen! I am still shaking.
I slept until almost noon, when a servant knocked on the door and informed me that I had been summoned to the throne room. I was terrified - I thought I had done something wrong! When I arrived downstairs, Mother and Father were there. They had been summoned as well, but they didn't know why either.
"Mother, I'm so nervous," I said. She touched my cheek tenderly and smiled, but hadn't time to reassure me with words, because at that moment the servant opened the door.
A red carpet led from the door to the platform where the King and Queen sat. I was sure they could see my legs shaking as I walked towards them and curtseyed - oh, I nearly fell over when I curtseyed! When I stood, the King spoke words that I will remember until my dying day.
"Young lady, you have made quite an impression on our Henri." I looked to his left and saw the Prince - the same Prince that I had danced with last night. "So much so that he has asked for your hand in marriage. Now, we stand behind him with all of our hearts and all that we are as rulers of Genovia. We would be much honored if you would accept, and thus become our new Crown Princess and our future Queen."
Queen! I felt myself falling, sliding towards the floor. Mother must have rushed forward, because the next sensation I had was her helping me to stand. I was struck absolutely dumb. I was being proposed to by a future King! What does one say in such a situation?
"I would be honored," were the words I felt myself say. Then Prince Henri descended the platform and took my hand, kissing me softly on the cheek.
"The honor is mine, dearest," he said in a low, tender voice. Oh - now I know what
swooning is - because that is just what I did! I felt my face soften into a smile, and lost my knees again. Mother tightened her grip and lifted me up.
"Thank you, Your Majesty," I said.
"Thank you, dear," the Queen said to me, then turned to Mother. "You may take her to her room. Perhaps she needs to lie down."
I bowed my head and Mother led me back to my room. My knees held out until I could sit on the mattress. Mother came and sat down beside me.
"You don't have to, you know," she said. "It's a very important decision."
"I want to marry him, Mother," I said.
"Now, I'm not trying to make you any more nervous, dear, but remember that you're not just marrying one man. You're marrying a whole country. You're accepting the title of Queen of Genovia. I think you can do it.but I don't want you to accept anything unless you feel you're ready."
I sighed. I knew that it was big the moment the King spoke the word "Queen." Why did she think I had nearly fainted? Even now, hours later, I still can't believe it's all real - me, a future Queen. Me. Clarice Amelia Elizabeth Winchester.Reynaldi?
"Mother," I said, "it feels right."
Mother smiled and touched my hair, still stiff from the spray the maid had drenched it with last night. She held me close for a moment, then got up.
"I'm so proud of you, Clarice," she said.
After she left, I sat on my bed for a long time, looking out the window at the gardens below. This was all to be mine. Mine. And someday I'm sure it will feel real and natural and I will feel like a Queen. But right now, I feel like a frightened country girl from the English countryside. Can I do this?