Vicki went downstairs and frowned at the sound of raised voices coming from the kitchen, one she recognized as belonging to her mother and the other to her father. Why is dad here? She thought. Philip hardly visited her at home anymore, he had done it more frequently when she was a kid and would bring her uncle with him, which as she grew older she realised it was to secure his alibi. As she got older his visits grew less and less frequent and he would have her visit him at the palace under the guise of visiting her uncle Robert. Janna ever seemed to question why she had to go to the palace so much and she was glad for it. With her mother constantly working the excuse that Robert was checking in, but her older brother half-brother Fletcher was twenty one and could easily come back home to check in. Vicki had just finished her first album and was very proud of it, it was set to release in a few days and based off of the singles she had leaked she knew it was going to be a hit. Vicki followed the source of the noise and found her parents arguing in the dining room.

"What's going on?" Vicki asked casually. She wore a relaxed black tee that draped over her thin figure paired with fishnet stocking and black shorts that were too short for Philip's liking. She wore a heavy layer of make up and looked vastly different from when she visited him at the palace.

Philip's eyebrows shot up, "Just what do you think you're wearing?" He asked.

Gail, her mother, sighed, "She always dresses like that."

"Then why haven't I see her in anything like that before?" Philip demanded, motioning to Vicki's outfit.

"Because you're never around, dad." Vicki said as she crossed her arms. "Or when you come you at least give us some sort of warning. Why are you here?"

"I'm here because I received a copy of your new album, and I must say I do not approve of it." Philip said harshly.

Vicki frowned, "Why not?"

Philip sighed, "You're talented, Vicki, but you're wasting your talent. I will not allow you to release an album where half of your songs about sex and drugs."

"Not half, only a couple." Vicki said as she crossed her arms. "Mom's already approved it, so there's nothing you can do. Besides, that's all everyone sings about now."

Philip narrowed his gaze, "Your songs are completely inappropriate, Vicki." He said sternly. "I'm cancelling your album, if you want to produce music you will produce something appropriate."

"Excuse me?" Vicki asked angrily. "You don't get a say in my life. You may be my father but you're not my dad." She said with a glare. "Do you really think sneaking me into your palace once or twice a month constitutes father daughter time? You didn't raise me, you visited when it was convenient for you or sent for me when you could steal time away from your real family." She spat.

"Vicki, you don't understand-"

"No, I do understand." Vicki cut him off and narrowed her glare. "You need to protect your reputation. That's what you care about, not me. If you actually gave a shit you would have acknowledged me properly, but I'm just your throw away bastard that you visit out of pity!" She yelled. "You have no say in what I do with my life, so why don't you go running back to your real family?"

"Vicki, listen to me-"

"You know what? I'll go, even though it's my house." She snapped, then turned on her heel and stormed out of the room.

"That was nicely handled." Gail said as she approached Philip. She placed a hand on his shoulder. "But she does have a point, you're her father but you're not her dad. You didn't raise her, you left her with me and John to raise by ourselves. She hasn't had it easy, it's only because of the money you provided that John didn't leave me. He's always resented her for our affair, which isn't fair to her because it's exactly her fault. There's a lot about your daughter that you don't know." Gail said. "I understand that it's not your fault, but things here haven't always been the best for her.

"And whose fault is that?" Philip snapped. "I left her in your custody, I gave you everything you need to give her a good life. She can't possibly mean anything in those songs."

"Art is a form of expression, Phil." Gail said. "She's expressing how she feels which is why I let her do it, I'm sure there are others out there who will relate to it. As for you giving us everything we need, she doesn't need your money, she needs you."

Philip sighed, "You know I'm as involved in her life as I can be, I'm the king, if anyone were to find out..."

"I know that and so does she, but it doesn't change the way that she feels. She grew up seeing you sparsely and always on your terms. What kind of parenting is that?"

"You want to lecture me on parenting? She's the one who got my son drunk at a party! Under your watch she was hospitalized twice for alcohol poisoning." Philip ranted. "You're never around to provide actual supervision. Perhaps I should have her sent to the Carsons, they can at least keep an actual eye on her. Who knows what else she's doing behind our backs?"

Gail sighed, "You're not sending her away and you don't get to lecture me on how I parent my daughter. Like Vicki said, you only see her when it's convenient for you, she's a child, not a toy you can pick up and play with whenever you please."

"She's going to your brother's." Philip said firmly.

"No, she's not. You can't make me send her, Philip." Gail argued. "You chose to keep her a secret and you're just going to have to live with the conseqeunces of that decision. If there's nothing else, I want you to leave my house."

"Gail-"

"Leave." Gail repeated. "We're not arguing about this anymore."

Philip sighed and left the room. Gail watched him with crossed arms. It's not my fault that she's out of control, Gail thought. He has no right coming in here and telling me how to parent her, he's the one who stuck me with her and now he's suddenly acting like he knows what's best for her? He barely even knows her. She ran a hand through her hair, sure, Vicki partied, so what? All teenagers do, she had only overdone it twice, but Gail knew that Vicki was upset on those nights, she was in a safe space surrounded by friends who made sure she got to the hospital, everything turned out fine and Vicki, with some help had been toning it down ever since she started a band and got involved in music.

There was a knock at Cassidy's door, and she opened it to reveal Joshua. The light brown haired young man entered the room carrying a bouquet of flowers. Cassidy grinned and ran over to him and pulled him into a hug.

"Hey Joshua." She greeted him with a kiss on the cheek.

"Hey Cassie." He replied as he handed her the flowers. "These are for you."

"They're beautiful, thank you." Cassidy said with a smile. Even though Cassidy had everything she could ever need and could afford much nicer things, Joshua still showered her with gifts which she loved. He didn't like it when she bought stuff for him, so she showed her affection by making him things which he loved even if it didn't turn out the best, at least she tried. "But, what's it for?" She asked, her eyes widening. "I didn't forget anything, did I?"

Joshua laughed, "No, no. I just saw them and thought you might like them."

Cassidy grinned and turned to one of her maids, "Please put this in a vase with water."

"Of course, Your Highness." The maid said, then set off to do the task. Cassidy dismissed her other maids the smiled at Joshua.

"So, I have the day off today." Cassidy said sweetly as she approached Joshua and held onto his hands.

"Mmm, do you?" Joshua asked with a smile.

"Cassidy nodded, "Uh huh, we have the whole day to ourselves." She said as she leaned and whispered into his ear, "I just might have some ideas on what we could do." She trailed a finger down her chest. She stopped at his best and held onto the buckle.

"Ooh, I like where this is going." Joshua said with a smirk. He grabbed Cassidy face and kissed her on the lips then he trailed kisses down her neck while she worked on removing his belt.

Cassidy and Joshua laid in bed, Joshua had his arm around Cassidy and she had her arm wrapped around his torso the two were cuddling closely in the warmth of the blankets.

"How much time do we have?" Joshua asked as he glanced at his watch, he knew her maids would be coming back to check on her any moment now.

Cassidy sighed, "We should probably get dressed."

Joshua nodded and the pair got dressed quickly. Joshua made the bed and ignored Cassidy when she offered to help.

"Like you know how to make a bed." Joshua teased when he was finished. He pulled her into a hug and smoothed down her tousled hair. "Might wanna run a brush through that. Or do you need your maids to do that for you too?"

Cassidy grinned and hit him lightly on the arm, "I can brush my own hair!"

Joshua chuckled as he sat on the bed. He watched Cassidy brush her hair, when she was finished she joined him on the bed and held his hand.

"Wanna watch a movie? We just got Les Mis." Cassidy suggested she rested her head on Joshua's shoulder

"Another musical?" Joshua asked, feigning annoyance. "What are you, trying to kill me?" He teased.

"I just might be." Cassidy joked with a smile. "Come on, it looks so good!"

Joshua sighed, "Fine, but after we're watching a horror movie."

"I agree to those terms." Cassidy said playfully as she extended her hands. "You'll have to hold me during the scary parts though."

"Oh I plan on it." Joshua said, then kissed Cassidy on the cheek.

"Let's go." Cassidy said as she stood Joshua followed her lead and the two walked from the room, holding hands.

That evening Philip had Cassidy called into his study. Cassidy entered the room where Philip was sitting at his desk, reading over a report. He may have given her the day off, but it seemed like he was as busy as ever.

"Why didn't you let me help out today?" Cassidy asked.

"I thought you could use a break, Cassidy." Philip replied. "You've been working so hard and I just wanted to make sure you don't overwork yourself. The duties of heir can be overwhelming for one not prepared to take them on. I had been preparing Bentley his whole life to do so but you have not had the same benefits."

"Oh, thanks." Cassidy said as she sat down across from her father. "Why did Ben step down anyway?"

Philip finally glanced up from his report, "He hasn't told you?"

Cassidy shook her head, "I think there's something going on with him."

"I can assure you that your brother is perfectly fine." Philip said as he leaned back in his chair. "And he is not what I called you here to discuss."

"Then what did you want to talk about?" Cassidy asked.

"Your relationship with Officer Beckett must come to an end, Cassidy." Philip stated simply. "I have tolerated it for as long as I can, but the fact of the matter is that in a year, once you are ready, you will be having a Selection. I can no longer allow you to date him, he also serves as a distraction from your royal duties."

"But you said I could keep seeing him!" Cassidy protested as she forced back tears. She was determined not to cry in front of her father.

"I said you could continue to see him so long as it didn't affect your productivity or your image. I don't think it looks very good on the next Queen of Illéa to spend hours alone in her room with her partner."

"How did you know about that?" Cassidy asked, shocked. The only people who knew were her maids, one of them must have told her father. Miriam, she thought.

"That doesn't matter, Cassidy. What matters is what I'm assuming happened in that room. Did you even think of the consequences, you could wind up pregnant with a bastard. Do you have any idea what that will do for your image?" Philip lectured. "I was content with you two dating so long as you didn't take things too far, but it appears that you already have. You will end things with him tomorrow or I will have him deployed."

Cassidy's jaw dropped, "You would send him to the front lines to prevent him from seeing me?"

"I don't want to do this, Cassidy, so don't force my hand." Philip said.

Cassidy swallowed a lump in her throat but nodded, "I'll break up with him tomorrow." She said quietly.

"Thank you, Cassidy." Philip said as he returned to reading over his report. You may go now."

Cassidy nodded as she stood. She left the room feeling her heart sinking. You knew this was the deal, you'd have to break up with him before the Selection anyway, she thought, and even before she was heir they were never meant to last because surely her father would have married her off to foreign royalty. She wiped tears from her eyes as she went back to her room and sighed when her maids were there.

"Is everything okay, Your Highness?" Natalie asked, sounding genuinely concerned.

Miriam gave her a disapproving look, but said nothing.

"I'm fine, thank you for asking." Cassidy said quietly. "If you don't mind I'd like to be alone right now."

"Of course, Your Highness, take all the time you need." Miriam said, she dipped a quick curtsy and left the room, Rose followed suit but Natalie lingered.

"Can I ask what happened?" Natalie asked, when the two girls were alone.

Cassidy burst into tears and sat on her bed, relieved to be alone with Natale.

"My dad's making me break up with Joshua." She replied as she wrapped her arms around her torso. Without hesitation Natalie sat on the bed beside her and wrapped her arms around the princess.

"I'm so sorry." She said, and she really meant it. Sure, she had the biggest crush on the princess but she knew nothing would ever happen between them, Cassidy was as straight as they came. But she knew how close the Princess and Joshua were and he was a nice man, neither one of them deserved this. "May I ask why?"

Cassidy nodded through her tears, "He thinks we're too close and that he's a distraction. We're not and he isn't." She said she knew she sounded like a whiny child but she didn't care, her father could have at least given them more time together, her Selection wasn't for a year, why did it matter if she continued to date him?

"At least you'll still get to see him around the palace." Natalie pointed out.

Cassidy sighed, "That's going to make it worse, knowing that I'll see him everyday but that I can't be with him."

"What if you can be?" Natalie asked.

Cassidy gave her a confused look, "What do you mean? My father found out we spent the day together in my room, he'll know if I keep seeing him."

"Not if you have someone helping you." Natalie said.

Cassidy thought for a moment, "But you could lose your job…"

"Not if we don't get caught, which we won't." Natalie insisted. "I just want you to be happy, I promise we'll be discreet and I'll alert you if anyone's coming. What do you say?"

Cassidy thought for a moment, "If you're willing to take that risk, then I am too."

"I am." Natalie assured her. She knew the risk she was taking was huge, but the worst King Philip could do was fire her, and she really just wanted Cassidy to be happy. Natalie smiled when Cassidy hugged her tightly, she returned the hug, glad to be able to help the princess who was becoming more and more like a friend to her.