Disclaimer: The wonderful peeps in this story all belong to Meg Cabot's
Princess Diaries books. But of course you knew that already didn't you?
However the characters Lucie and Isobel are mine. The song in this chapter
is mine too. It's called Echoes.
~{@~{@~{@~{@~{@~{@
Michael sat on the edge of yet another hotel bed. He was finally in Paris. One night here performing as the pop star Solo and then he could head home for recording purposes and be away from Europe. He was looking through a photo album he'd found in the bottom of a suitcase. Lily must have slipped it in the last time she'd stopped over to see him before he jetted off to yet another country. He'd been half way through his Euro tour before he'd found it. Most groups stated in France or England, he'd followed that rule and toured the major UK venues, then he'd travelled the rest of Europe, ending the tour with France. Finally here he was, in Paris. Lucie his manager knocked on the door. "Michael? Ready for your final European Concert?" Michael nodded "How long?" he asked. Lucie checked her watch "You've got two hours before you're due up on the stage." She said.
Michael began to hum a tune that had been haunting him. "Hey that's great!" Lucie cried "Is it for the new album?" she asked. He shrugged "Who knows?" he replied. She smiled encouragingly and walked out of the door, Michael flicked through the photo album. They were photos of him and Lily in elementary school. Photos of people he'd met at college and university. There was a blank page but there were more photographs in the album. He turned the page. There was what he'd expected to see, but dreaded seeing. Mia his ex-girlfriend. Princess Amelia Mignonette Grimaldi Thermopolis Renaldo to be precise. They'd broken up just after Mia's college graduation ceremony. He still loved her. He began to hum the melody that had been haunting him again. He reached for a scrap of paper and began to scribble down the lyrics that appeared as he hummed the tune.
When the concert was finished the audience were still screaming for Solo. Michael had thanked them for being a wonderful audience; exhausted he made his way back o the hotel and crawled into bed. The next morning he woke and began to pack his stuff away when Lucie knocked on the door again. "How do you feel about doing one more concert?" she asked nervously. "Where?" he asked praying the reply wouldn't be Genovia. "Monaco." Said Lucie flatly. He sighed in relief. "Who for?" he asked. "Just the royal family and invited guests." He nodded "We'll travel today, you'll do the concert tomorrow night and then we'll leave the day after." She was beginning to get on his nerves so he ushered her out if the door saying, "The concert's fine, I'll do it. I have some stuff I need to do you mind leaving now Lucie? I'm sorry but I have a few things to do." With Lucie out of the way he sat on the bed and picked up his guitar. He began to pick out chords and a decent tune. The tune that had been haunting him, it was taking him over. He fiddled with chord changes until he thought it was perfect than began to sing the lyrics softly.
I tried to play the royal suit
In a whirl of glamour and amour
I could have fought a little more
My Queen of Hearts. I'm sorry.
Fighting the royal house,
I could have fought a little harder
I realise now it's too late
I shouldn't have let you slip away.
Maybe if I fight the battle one more time
I can win the place by your side
For I miss your whispers in my ear.
Sick of hearing echoes that aren't there.
If I fought again for you
Could I win you for myself?
If I battle King and Jack and Ace
And lose. In my heart you'll still have a place.
Maybe if I fight the battle one more time
I can win the place by your side
For I miss your whispers in my ear.
Sick of hearing echoes that aren't there.
I hear you laughter on the wind
I hear your sighing through the trees
I hear your chatter in the tides
Advancing on the shore.
But I open up my eyes
It doesn't take that long to realise
The noises on the wind and air
Are echoes that aren't there.
He put down the guitar and finished packing. Four hours later he was in Monaco. A palace official led him to a suite in the west wing. "These are your rooms sir. If you need anything, do not hesitate to ask." He spent the day wandering around the palace gardens and having a tour of the city. Here it was beautiful. He sat down in a shady spot and took out his notebook. He looked at the list of songs he had waiting to be recorded on to an album. He quickly added Echoes. The album was to be called House of Cards. He had twelve songs already, but some were short, he wanted a few more on to make up the length. So far he had Echoes, Spades, I'm Sorry, Whispers, Denial, If Only, Never Again, Joker, Here Now, Straight, Smokescreen, Nothing Much Matters Anymore and Two of a Kind. There was enough time for him to add Alias but there was a gap still. Then he remembered a song he'd written for Mia. It had been one of many. In his characteristic scrawl he added Tall Drink of Water.
He felt a twinge of loneliness; he'd never met another person as magical as Mia. She captivated him. She was beautiful, but didn't realise just how beautiful she was. Which made her even more attractive in his eyes. She was unassuming, gentle and shy. Not for the first time he kicked himself for letting her slip away and a tear formed in the corner of his eye. He wandered aimlessly and barely noticed others were in the garden until he bumped into someone. "God I'm sorry!" he exclaimed as he helped pick up the items the young lady had dropped. "Don't be, it's as much my fault as it is yours." He looked at her. It was Mia surely. "Princess Amelia?" he asked his voice shaking. The girl shook her head laughing. "Isobel." She replied. "Amelia's my cousin." She said. "May I ask you who you are now you know my name?" she asked. Michael was dumbstruck dazed and confused. "Solo." He replied. "Ah, the famous Solo. Solo can't be your real name surely?" she enquired. He didn't want to reveal his name -it was private. No one had leaked out that the geek Michael Moscovitz; Valedictorian and computer wizard had become the pop superstar famed for his mix of styles. "People just call me Solo. Always have and always will." He replied. He began to feel uncomfortable. "I'm sorry but I have to meet my manager." He mumbled. She smiled and turned from him "Good luck meeting your manager then." She replied, then turned and headed in the opposite direction.
"Lucie?" He called when he reached the room where his manager was staying. "Yeah?" she replied as she headed to open the door. "I've got the final list for House of Cards." The oak door swung open and she welcomed him inside. "That's great Michael, I'll take it and check it over now if you want." Michael handed over the sheet of paper. "This looks good - there's a few numbers I don't know though." She said after reading the list. Michael looked up "They're good numbers I think the fans will like them." He said. "I'm sure they will, Solo seems to have a talent for giving them what they want." She replied as she handed the sheet back. "Michael is there something you want to talk about?" Michael looked at her bemused. "What do you mean?" he asked. "So many of the songs you perform - no matter what style they are sound like you're trying to reach out to one person." "That's because I'm singing to the listener," Michael said emphatically. Lucie looked into his eyes. "That's not what I meant Michael - just look - even the names of these songs sound like you're trying to speak to one person through the music." "I don't see what you mean Lucie, they're just songs." he replied, hoping she'd dig no further.
"Michael look at these Echoes, I'm Sorry, If Only, Never Again, Here Now and Nothing Much Matters Anymore. On the first album there was Solo, Heartbreak, Forgive Me, Lost and Come Back. Then on last years album there was Without You, Lonesome, Sorry to have let you go, and Come back." He shrugged. "They're only names Lucie. They don't mean a thing" The look on Lucie's face made it clear she still disbelieved him. He turned and took a step back toward his own room. "Who is she Michael?" asked Lucie.
He stopped and turned back to face her. "Mia." He replied. "Who?" Lucie asked. She'd been Michael's manager for four years, he wasn't with Mia when they'd met and he'd never mentioned her. "She was my girlfriend for six years. Amelia Thermopolis." "What happened?" Lucie asked Michael looked at her sighed deeply and replied, "She tuned into a princess." Lucie laughed disbelievingly, "Michael everyone has a pet name for their partner - it doesn't mean it's true." A voice spoke behind the pair of them. "On the contrary, in Mia's case it does. She's the Crown Princess of Genovia. Surely you've heard of Amelia Mignonette Grimaldi Thermopolis Renaldo?" it was Isobel, but she wasn't smiling anymore. Lucie gasped in disbelief. Isobel carried on talking "And I presume Solo, that you are Michael Moscovitz? My cousin never stopped talking about you when you were together, and she never met another person like you." With that Isobel turned around and left them.
~{@~{@~{@~{@~{@~{@
Michael sat on the edge of yet another hotel bed. He was finally in Paris. One night here performing as the pop star Solo and then he could head home for recording purposes and be away from Europe. He was looking through a photo album he'd found in the bottom of a suitcase. Lily must have slipped it in the last time she'd stopped over to see him before he jetted off to yet another country. He'd been half way through his Euro tour before he'd found it. Most groups stated in France or England, he'd followed that rule and toured the major UK venues, then he'd travelled the rest of Europe, ending the tour with France. Finally here he was, in Paris. Lucie his manager knocked on the door. "Michael? Ready for your final European Concert?" Michael nodded "How long?" he asked. Lucie checked her watch "You've got two hours before you're due up on the stage." She said.
Michael began to hum a tune that had been haunting him. "Hey that's great!" Lucie cried "Is it for the new album?" she asked. He shrugged "Who knows?" he replied. She smiled encouragingly and walked out of the door, Michael flicked through the photo album. They were photos of him and Lily in elementary school. Photos of people he'd met at college and university. There was a blank page but there were more photographs in the album. He turned the page. There was what he'd expected to see, but dreaded seeing. Mia his ex-girlfriend. Princess Amelia Mignonette Grimaldi Thermopolis Renaldo to be precise. They'd broken up just after Mia's college graduation ceremony. He still loved her. He began to hum the melody that had been haunting him again. He reached for a scrap of paper and began to scribble down the lyrics that appeared as he hummed the tune.
When the concert was finished the audience were still screaming for Solo. Michael had thanked them for being a wonderful audience; exhausted he made his way back o the hotel and crawled into bed. The next morning he woke and began to pack his stuff away when Lucie knocked on the door again. "How do you feel about doing one more concert?" she asked nervously. "Where?" he asked praying the reply wouldn't be Genovia. "Monaco." Said Lucie flatly. He sighed in relief. "Who for?" he asked. "Just the royal family and invited guests." He nodded "We'll travel today, you'll do the concert tomorrow night and then we'll leave the day after." She was beginning to get on his nerves so he ushered her out if the door saying, "The concert's fine, I'll do it. I have some stuff I need to do you mind leaving now Lucie? I'm sorry but I have a few things to do." With Lucie out of the way he sat on the bed and picked up his guitar. He began to pick out chords and a decent tune. The tune that had been haunting him, it was taking him over. He fiddled with chord changes until he thought it was perfect than began to sing the lyrics softly.
I tried to play the royal suit
In a whirl of glamour and amour
I could have fought a little more
My Queen of Hearts. I'm sorry.
Fighting the royal house,
I could have fought a little harder
I realise now it's too late
I shouldn't have let you slip away.
Maybe if I fight the battle one more time
I can win the place by your side
For I miss your whispers in my ear.
Sick of hearing echoes that aren't there.
If I fought again for you
Could I win you for myself?
If I battle King and Jack and Ace
And lose. In my heart you'll still have a place.
Maybe if I fight the battle one more time
I can win the place by your side
For I miss your whispers in my ear.
Sick of hearing echoes that aren't there.
I hear you laughter on the wind
I hear your sighing through the trees
I hear your chatter in the tides
Advancing on the shore.
But I open up my eyes
It doesn't take that long to realise
The noises on the wind and air
Are echoes that aren't there.
He put down the guitar and finished packing. Four hours later he was in Monaco. A palace official led him to a suite in the west wing. "These are your rooms sir. If you need anything, do not hesitate to ask." He spent the day wandering around the palace gardens and having a tour of the city. Here it was beautiful. He sat down in a shady spot and took out his notebook. He looked at the list of songs he had waiting to be recorded on to an album. He quickly added Echoes. The album was to be called House of Cards. He had twelve songs already, but some were short, he wanted a few more on to make up the length. So far he had Echoes, Spades, I'm Sorry, Whispers, Denial, If Only, Never Again, Joker, Here Now, Straight, Smokescreen, Nothing Much Matters Anymore and Two of a Kind. There was enough time for him to add Alias but there was a gap still. Then he remembered a song he'd written for Mia. It had been one of many. In his characteristic scrawl he added Tall Drink of Water.
He felt a twinge of loneliness; he'd never met another person as magical as Mia. She captivated him. She was beautiful, but didn't realise just how beautiful she was. Which made her even more attractive in his eyes. She was unassuming, gentle and shy. Not for the first time he kicked himself for letting her slip away and a tear formed in the corner of his eye. He wandered aimlessly and barely noticed others were in the garden until he bumped into someone. "God I'm sorry!" he exclaimed as he helped pick up the items the young lady had dropped. "Don't be, it's as much my fault as it is yours." He looked at her. It was Mia surely. "Princess Amelia?" he asked his voice shaking. The girl shook her head laughing. "Isobel." She replied. "Amelia's my cousin." She said. "May I ask you who you are now you know my name?" she asked. Michael was dumbstruck dazed and confused. "Solo." He replied. "Ah, the famous Solo. Solo can't be your real name surely?" she enquired. He didn't want to reveal his name -it was private. No one had leaked out that the geek Michael Moscovitz; Valedictorian and computer wizard had become the pop superstar famed for his mix of styles. "People just call me Solo. Always have and always will." He replied. He began to feel uncomfortable. "I'm sorry but I have to meet my manager." He mumbled. She smiled and turned from him "Good luck meeting your manager then." She replied, then turned and headed in the opposite direction.
"Lucie?" He called when he reached the room where his manager was staying. "Yeah?" she replied as she headed to open the door. "I've got the final list for House of Cards." The oak door swung open and she welcomed him inside. "That's great Michael, I'll take it and check it over now if you want." Michael handed over the sheet of paper. "This looks good - there's a few numbers I don't know though." She said after reading the list. Michael looked up "They're good numbers I think the fans will like them." He said. "I'm sure they will, Solo seems to have a talent for giving them what they want." She replied as she handed the sheet back. "Michael is there something you want to talk about?" Michael looked at her bemused. "What do you mean?" he asked. "So many of the songs you perform - no matter what style they are sound like you're trying to reach out to one person." "That's because I'm singing to the listener," Michael said emphatically. Lucie looked into his eyes. "That's not what I meant Michael - just look - even the names of these songs sound like you're trying to speak to one person through the music." "I don't see what you mean Lucie, they're just songs." he replied, hoping she'd dig no further.
"Michael look at these Echoes, I'm Sorry, If Only, Never Again, Here Now and Nothing Much Matters Anymore. On the first album there was Solo, Heartbreak, Forgive Me, Lost and Come Back. Then on last years album there was Without You, Lonesome, Sorry to have let you go, and Come back." He shrugged. "They're only names Lucie. They don't mean a thing" The look on Lucie's face made it clear she still disbelieved him. He turned and took a step back toward his own room. "Who is she Michael?" asked Lucie.
He stopped and turned back to face her. "Mia." He replied. "Who?" Lucie asked. She'd been Michael's manager for four years, he wasn't with Mia when they'd met and he'd never mentioned her. "She was my girlfriend for six years. Amelia Thermopolis." "What happened?" Lucie asked Michael looked at her sighed deeply and replied, "She tuned into a princess." Lucie laughed disbelievingly, "Michael everyone has a pet name for their partner - it doesn't mean it's true." A voice spoke behind the pair of them. "On the contrary, in Mia's case it does. She's the Crown Princess of Genovia. Surely you've heard of Amelia Mignonette Grimaldi Thermopolis Renaldo?" it was Isobel, but she wasn't smiling anymore. Lucie gasped in disbelief. Isobel carried on talking "And I presume Solo, that you are Michael Moscovitz? My cousin never stopped talking about you when you were together, and she never met another person like you." With that Isobel turned around and left them.
