Chapter 3- Princess 101
While Kim walked away with Drake to begin her princess training with Charlotte, Riley arrived back at the lair. The portal opened in the living room, startling Lilly and Mikey from their video game. They looked up when they heard Riley's soft rants.
"Stupid piece of shit. Flirting with me, god!" She mumbled
"Whatcha doing?" Lilly asked innocently
Riley's head flew up and locked with Lilly. Her eyes narrowed. "I met our distant cousin, Lord Shithead, and I don't like him."
Raph entered the room at this point and raised an eye ridge as his girlfriend kicked the couch.
"Who ticked her off this time?" He asked, looking over at Lilly and Mikey.
The two shrugged and Raph rolled his eyes. They turned their attention back to their game while Raph walked over to Riley. She looked up at him with a smile.
"Who is it this time?" He asked
Riley sighed dramatically before quickly telling Raph what happened. As she spoke Raph's eyes grew wider and wider until finally they narrowed.
"He did what?" He hissed
"Forget that, Raph!" Riley cried, "This guy is suspicious! There's no way someone would take his crown being taken away suddenly so well."
"Not everyone is out to get us, Riles." Lilly spoke up, not even turning around to face her sister. "Don't be so paranoid."
"Paranoid!" Riley cried, "People were out to get us for years!"
"'Were' being the key word." Lilly replied
Riley rolled her eyes before she noticed Raph being unusually quiet. She looked over at him and saw a look she hadn't seen much of before. He was sad.
"What up, Red?" She teased before she noticed Raph's lack of reaction to the teasing. "Seriously, you're scaring me."
"Well that shows how much of a good boyfriend I am." He whispered back
"Pardon!" She shrieked, making Lilly and Mikey look up over at the pair.
Riley glared at them before she grabbed Raph's hand and dragged them to his room. As soon as the door shut Riley rounded on Raph.
"Explain. Now." She demanded
"I'm not a good boyfriend." Raph responded, chuckling darkly. "I can't even keep my girlfriend from being scared of me."
"Okay, Raph, listen to me. Just remember I love you, okay?" He nodded "Good. Then forgive me." Riley finished before she swung her hand back and smacked him across the cheek.
Raph recoiled and rubbed his now red cheek.
"What the shell!" He cried
"Have you gone completely insane?" Riley asked
"I don't know? I'm not the one who slapped me!" Raph cried back
"Yeah, so I could knock some sense into you!"
"Well mission unaccomplished. You almost knocked me out!"
"What is your problem?"
"I am!" Raph bellowed
Riley and Raph stood there. Silence drifted through the room.
"I am." Raph repeated more softly, breaking the thick silence.
Riley walked up over to Raph and caressed his non-slapped cheek.
"What do you mean?" She asked gently
"I'm not…romantic." Raph admitted
"What are you talking about?"
"I'm not romantic. And I can't see why you're with someone who isn't. That Renald guy, or whoever, was more romantic in one gesture than I've been since I met ya'."
Riley's eyes rolled. "First off, that creep wasn't romantic. And second, you are romantic."
"How?"
"In your own way, Raph. The way you make a joke or tease me when I'm down in the dumps. I may get mad, but I'll tell you this, I'm always smiling on the inside, because you cheered me up and I get mad to hide the fact you've helped."
Raph smiled slightly and wound his arms back around her waist, pulling her closer.
"Yeah?" He asked
"Yeah." Riley replied "Or how you let me scream at you and swear at you, because you know it's my way of letting something out and you stand there. You take me in your arms and you let me struggle, thrash, scream, swear and cry and you just stand there and let me. You don't let me go."
"So?"
"So?" Riley giggled, "Everyone's a different romantic. Donnie shows it by making stuff, Mikey lets Lilly do whatever she wants and he always acts surprised even if he's seen it many times. And Leo? Well, his overprotective side shows he cares, which is romantic."
Riley smiled and leant her forehead against Raph's, looking him in the eyes.
"Your brash talking fires me up and fits with mine. I enjoy fighting with you it makes me smile. We're the same. And you know me so well that you know my yelling is the only way you get any answers out of me about what I'm feeling. The silent guy with the fighting spirit who watches from the shadows and knows how I act, because it's how he acts. That's who I fell in love with and that's who I'll always stay in love with." Riley finished kissing him gently.
"You have no idea how much I missed you." Raph spoke up huskily.
"No I don't." Riley answered slyly, "Show me."
Raph smirked before he picked her up and kissed her passionately.
Meanwhile
"You'd never be that self conscious about our relationship, right Mikey?" Lilly asked when Raph's door shut.
"Course not, babe." Mikey replied, "I know I'm the most important person in your life."
Lilly smiled and kissed Mikey on the lips.
Back in Rayon, Drake was leading Kim through the castle on their way to meet Charlotte. The pair passed through many hallways talking about Kim's life and her sisters before they came to double doors. The guards beside either door opened them with a bow and Kim stepped into an enormous ballroom. All of the walls were cream and gold and the floors were hard, shiny wood. Two more sets of double doors were located to the west and northern ends of the ballroom and giant glass chandeliers covered the ceiling. There were pillars by each set of double doors, a second level with an open balcony to overlook the ballroom and a grand staircase right in front of Kim's feet. She turned to look behind her and saw that the double doors she entered through were golden with beautiful detailing. She realised that the Southern entrance was for the royalty. She laughed at the miniature statues that stood on either side of her. Kim marvelled at the red-carpeted staircase and the sound of her heels walking across the wooden floor. She couldn't help but stare at the many paintings and tapestries that covered most of the walls.
In the middle of the ballroom stood Charlotte. Her eyes were hard and her mouth was in a thin line. She walked up to Kim and Drake and bowed low.
"Greetings again, your highness." Charlotte greeted, "Are you ready for your first class?"
Kim looked over at Drake in confusion. "Charlotte will teach you decorum and Rayon history. She and her assistant will take good care of-" Drake stopped and looked around the room. "Charlotte. Where's Emily?" He asked
Charlotte was about to answer when the Northern doors slammed open and a young girl ran inside. She ran over to the group and bowed, while trying to catch her breathe. She was a lovely human-looking girl around Kim's age. She had nice light brown hair with dark brown highlights, green eyes and a few small freckles around her nose. The girl straightened up and smiled brightly.
"Hello your highness. I'm Emily, Charlotte's assistant. I'm so sorry for my lateness, your highness, your Lordship." Emily greeted
Drake could only shake his head and chuckle slightly. "Tardy. Again. I'm sure you two will get along just fine. Good luck Charlotte, I will be in the west wing study if you need me." Drake announced before he left Kim, Emily and Charlotte.
When Drake left, Charlotte turned to Kim sharply and her eyes narrowed. "Let us begin, shall we half-blood?"
Kim's mouth dropped. "Excuse me?"
"Let's begin." Charlotte repeated, "Surely your time on Earth has not affected your hearing?"
Kim glared at the woman. "Look, Charlotte, I know you don't like that I am half mortal, but I would like it if you addressed me by my name instead of 'half-blood'."
Charlotte ignored him before turning towards her assistant. "Emily, take notes." She commanded, "We will need to keep track of areas to improve."
"Improve?" Kim hissed, "You're supposed to be teaching me decorum and history."
"And that's precisely what I am doing, half-blood." Charlotte replied, "I will teach you Rayonian decorum fit of our royal family. But first I need to assess what I am dealing with. Now please spin in a circle."
Kim glared as she did as instructed and spun around in a circle. Charlotte watched, looking over Kim in detail.
"Well, carriage, obviously. Hairstyle needs a little work. Complexion...Stop!" She ordered when Kim stood in front of her. "Eyes, lovely. But hidden beneath bushman eyebrows." She lifted Kim's chin. "The neck is seemly. Ears like her mother. Hideous nails."
Kim looked at her nails in confusion. She didn't have anything wrong with them. No nail polish, no fake nails, she didn't understand.
"Clearly you've never kept up hygiene, princess." Charlotte mused, "It's called a French manicure. Have one. One must be kept well groomed at all times here. And you will wear stockings. And I never want to see those shoes again." She added, pointing to her silver high heels.
"But, they're nice shoes. They're heels." Kim retorted, her hands on her hips.
"Here in Rayon, Earth clothes are…not suitable for a princess. They're hideous and dated. You will wear shoes like these." Charlotte said revealing her shoes, which looked like simple pumps on Earth, but had detailing along the edge in Rayon's old language.
"You mean pumps?" Kim asked hiding her anger at Charlotte's insults of her expensive strappy heels.
"If you like." Charlotte answered, "Now, no strappy, heeled shoes, just these. Your hair, nails and eyebrows we can do later-"
"My eyebrows are fine!" Kim cried, "They're not bushy! I just had them waxed like 3 weeks ago."
"Oh my and we must work on her speech." Charlotte added, looking at Emily who scribbled everything down.
"Oh c'mon!" Kim cried, throwing her arms into the air.
"What are these words? We must drill these Earth customs out of her."
Kim groaned and smacked her face.
'Kill me now.' Kim begged, 'Now I know why mum left.'
"Remind me to call Paolo, Emily, so he can fix up her appearance. Now, onto walking and posture. Let's drill these Earth customs out of the half-blood so she becomes a decent princess." Charlotte said, "Follow, princess."
Kim growled low as she followed Charlotte. 'Drake's wrong if he thinks this woman will warm up to me.'
Back at the lair, Violet was reading on the couch next to Donnie as he watched Riley verse Mikey at a dancing game the girls bought on their tour.
"Watch out, Mikey, cause here I come!" Riley cried as she started dancing faster, showing off incredible flexibility in her moves, which caused Mikey to lose.
"Oh man." Mikey moaned.
Mikey noticed Raph and Leo walking down the stairs and he waved them over.
"Dude, your girl totally kicked my shell at this game." He complained to Raph.
Raph looked at Riley who shrugged and smirked.
"What can I say, I'm flexible." She answered
Raph raised an eye ridge and smirked.
"Really? How come I've never seen any of this flexibility until now?" He asked suggestively.
"You never asked." She replied smugly.
"Well, I'm asking now to see it."
"Really? Well then…CATCH ME!" Riley screamed before she took off in a run up the stairs and into Raph's room with Raph close behind.
"I have one word…EW!" Mikey cried, covering his eyes with his hands.
Violet sighed, placed her bookmark in the book, closed it, walked over to Mikey and whacked him over the head with her book.
"OW!" Mikey cried, his hands now covering his head. "What was that for?" He asked
Donnie stared at his girlfriend in bewilderment and confusion. Violet stood in front of Mikey, her back to Donnie, with her hands on her hips.
"Leave them alone, Mikey. It's cute, in a disgusting way, that they like showing public displays of affection. Well, affectionate and suggestive words anyway." Violet mumbled
Mikey couldn't help but crack up at that comment. Violet just whacked him again, which caused him to cry out again.
"I'm serious, Mikey. Be nice. It's not like you do the same with Lilly." She added.
'Nor with Donnie and me.' She thought mentally.
Everyone was silent for a moment, mostly staring at Violet, until Lilly burst through the doors to the lair with a squeal. She ran up to the group and pulled Mikey up.
"Guys, you have to come like now!" She cried
"What's up, babe?" Mikey asked worriedly.
"I finished my own song!" Lilly cried happily, pulling Mikey to the doors of the lair. "C'mon! Come back to our music room and hear it!"
"I'd like to hear it, Lilly." Leo said with a smile
Lilly squealed in delight and orbed everyone to the music room. She quickly jumped behind her drum set and smiled brightly.
"Hey Vi!" She called
Vi looked up with a weird look on her face that Donnie hadn't seen before.
"Yeah Lills?" She asked quietly.
"Can you play guitar for me, please? The music is right on the stand next your guitar."
Violet nodded and picked up the guitar.
"One, Two, Three, Four!" Lilly cried out.
Violet began her guitar strumming immediately and Lilly began to sing.
Sparks fly
It's like electricity
I might die
When I forget how to breathe
You get closer and there is nowhere
In this world I'd rather be.
Time stops
Like everything around me
Is frozen
And nothing matters but these
Few moments when you open
My mind to things I've never seen.
'Cause when I'm kissing you
My senses come alive
Almost like the puzzle piece
I've been trying to find
Falls right into place
You're all that it takes
My doubts fade away
When I'm kissing you
When I'm kissing you
It all starts making sense
And all the questions
I've been asking in my head
Like are you the one should I really trust?
Crystal clear it becomes
When I'm kissing you
Past loves
They never got very far
Walls up
Made sure I guarded in my heart
And I promise I wouldn't do this
Till I knew it was right for me
But no one
(No one)
No guy that I met before
Could make me
(Make me)
Feel so right and secure
And have you noticed
I lose my focus
And the world around me disappears
'Cause when I'm kissing you
My senses come alive
Almost like the puzzle piece
I've been trying to find
Falls right into place
You're all that it takes
My doubts fade away
When I'm kissing you
When I'm kissing you
It all starts making sense
And all the questions
I've been asking in my head
Like are you the one should I really trust?
Crystal clear it becomes
When I'm kissing you
I've never felt nothing like this
You're making me open up
No point even trying to fight this
It kinda feels like it's love
Cause when I'm kissing you
My senses come alive
Almost like the puzzle piece
I've been trying to find
Falls right into place
You're all that it takes
My doubts fade away
When I'm kissing you
When I'm kissing you
It all starts making sense
And all the questions
I've been asking in my head
Like are you the one should I really trust?
Crystal clear it becomes
When I'm kissing you
A lot of clapping and cheering was heard when Lilly finished singing. Violet turned and faced her baby sister with a smile on her face as she was clapping. Mikey ran over to Lilly and kissed her smack on the lips, which she returned passionately. When they broke apart, Mikey smugly turned around and stared at Violet.
"What was that about public displays of affection, Violet?" Mikey asked smugly.
All Violet did was simply stare than orb away in a splash of water, leaving everyone confused.
"Whoa." Mikey said, before he turned to Lilly. "I-I didn't mean for her to…I wasn't…I didn't think-"
"It's okay, Mikey. I know." Lilly cut him off with a smile.
Lilly looked to the spot Violet stood before, then looked at Donnie who quickly turned and ran off to find Violet.