Here is chapter 3! Thanks to everyone who's reviewed the story. Again,
Sailor Moon belongs to all of those people of which I am not included.
'The Swan' and Princess Grace is used without permission. The Alice in
Wonderland reference is used without permission. Okay...so I used a
lot of stuff without permission. Please don't tell! I have no money!
Also again, parentheses indicate a translation, if I feel it is
necessary.
Ash
Switched at Birth - Chapter 3
"A hoopskirt?" I said. "She'd going to make me a hoopskirt?" I nearly
fell off the dressmaker's stool in surprise and disdain.
"With layer upon layer of fluffy ruffles," Mother said dreamily.
It sounded like my gown was going to be made out of potato chips.
"But hoopskirts went out with the Civil War!" I wailed.
"Which one?" the queen asked.
Mlle Meiou eyed me nervously. She looked at the queen. "*La princesse
est distraite? *" (The princess is distressed?)
"*La princess est tres distraite! *" I said. "I'm not the hoopskirt and
ruffles type. Really, I'm not. Couldn't I have something more up-to-date?"
"You'll look just like Princess Grace did in 'The Swan'," Mother told me.
Ugh. I'd seen that movie a couple of years ago. The dress that Mother was
envisioning was not very appealing to me. First of all, it was white. The
smallest speck of dirt would be visible on it. Second of all, the sleeves
went to her elbows, which was too old-fashioned for me. Thirdly,
hoopskirts and ruffles? I don't think so.
"*Soyez calme, Mlle Meiou, *" Mother said. "*La princesse est fatiguee. *"
(Be calm....the princess is tired)
"Mother, I have a ball gown that I brought from America. Perhaps I could
wear that instead of rushing Mlle Meiou," I suggested hopefully.
"Really?" Mother asked. I nodded. "Well, I will have to see it first." She
motioned for Mlle Meiou to undo her work. I was slowly being unraveled
from a thick cocoon of muslin that was supposed to be the base for my
out-dated ball gown.
M. Artemis cleared his throat. "If I may continue, Your Highness?"
"*Oui, continuez, *" said the queen.
*Fatiguee* was right. I'd been standing on that stool for over an hour,
with the dressmaker fussing and bustling around me, turning me in every
direction, and occasionally jabbing me with a pin in some unexpected part
of my anatomy.
Meanwhile, M. Artemis was trying to teach me how to act like a princess
in public, and Mother kept running in and out of the sewing room every
ten minutes to confer with her secretary and to add new things to the
list of what I had to do this week.
I was tired just thinking of all the things I still had to do today. And
my phone call to America hadn't come through yet.
"Of course, we don't expect you to know all the correct forms of address,"
M. Artemis was saying, "but if you listen carefully as each person is
introduced, the title will be included in the presentation. If I say,
'His Excellency, the Prime Minister of Eritrea,' you will call him 'Your
Excellency.' Now, the gentlemen will either kiss your hand, or bow."
"Really?" I asked interestedly. "I've never had my hand kissed."
M. Artemis cleared his throat again. "It would be inappropriate, Your
Highness, if you appeared to enjoy it. In any case, the kiss is simply
a formal touch of the lips to the hand.
Mlle Meiou motioned for me to get down off the stool. I stepped down
and stretched my arms. They were tired from being held out stiffly at
my sides.
The sewing room opened and a young woman in a white blouse and a severe
black skirt entered, carrying a load of books and papers.
She smiled. "Ahh. My princess. My pupil." She curtseyed gracefully, in
spite of her narrow skirt and armful of books.
I liked her right away. She seemed glad to meet me.
"You acknowledge the curtsey with a cordial nod of the head," M. Artemis
said.
I smiled and nodded slightly.
"You must be my tutor," I said.
"That is my pleasure and my privilege," the woman replied.
"Madame Haruna," M. Artemis said.
"So much to do, so little time," Mme Haruna said in French "We'll start
your lessons immediately. You already speak French so well, that I will
have more time to teach you other things."
"And you respond the same way to a man," M. Artemis droned on
relentlessly. "A gracious but impersonal nod of the head."
The door opened again and another woman came in. She had a large notebook
against her chest.
"Mlle Aino," M. Artemis introduced her. "Your mother's secretary."
Mlle Aino curtseyed. I acknowledged her curtsey with a slight inclination
of my head.
"Good," M. Artemis said.
"You have a telephone call," she informed me.
"Telephone call!" I took a hold of Mlle Aino's elbow and practically dragged
her out of the room. "Where's the telephone?"
*********************************************************************************************
It was wonderful to talk to my (American) family. My parents were packing
the rest of my things and sending it off tomorrow.
Sam asked me if I had to wear a crown all the time.
As soon as I hung up the phone, a wave on homesickness hit me.
I followed listlessly as M. Artemis, Mme Haruna and Mlle Aino led me on a
tour of the palace. Mlle Aino gave me a map to check as we hiked from room
to room. I couldn't help thinking of my home in America. Although it was
rather large, I didn't need a map to find my way to the kitchen there.
"Every Tuesday and Thursday the ground floor is open for guided tours.
Please remain out of that area between one and three o'clock."
"When am I ever going to see anybody?" We were in the East wing of the
palace, and portraits of the first thirteen Serenitys stared at me from
the walls of the portrait gallery. I felt empty and lonely and tired.
"You will meet people suitable to your station," M. Artemis said.
"Why, only this Saturday, at your grand ball," Mlle Aino said, "you will
meet many people from fine noble families. And once you meet your betrothed,
you'll-"
"My _what_?"
"Your betrothed," she repeated. "Prince Darien Endymion Mamoru of Outopia."
Groaning silently, I rubbed the bridge of my nose. "Does betrothed mean the
same thing in this country as it does in America?" I asked wearily. I steeled
myself for the answer.
Mme Haruna looked sort of uncomfortable, as if I wanted her to explain where
babies come from.
"If the definition is engaged, then yes, it does," she said. "You've been
engaged to Prince Darien since you were seven years old."
**************************************************************************************************
Finding out you're betrothed to a prince you've never met, but has been a
central figure in your teenage fantasies, from one of the most powerful
countries in the world, is an effective way to clear your mind of other
trivial matters. But it does raise a few important questions.
Like, "_Are you kidding? _"
Nobody answered me. All of a sudden everybody wanted to hustle me back to
the family quarters, because it was ten to one, and the common folk would
be wandering around the palace any minute now. The royal portrait gallery,
where the thirteen Serenitys hung, was part of the tour.
"Okay. Fine. Let me see the king and queen. There are a few things I want
to know about this betrothal."
Unfortunately, seeing my parents wasn't on my schedule. Fortunately, lunch
was. The meal was laid out on a table in an upstairs dining room. M. Artemis
and Mme Haruna sat with me. They kept drilling me on how to be a princess
and the history of Paradeisos.
Even though I was starving, I waited for my drill team to start eating before
I would taste anything, just to make sure that neither of them keeled over
into the soup.
But they didn't eat. They didn't even lift their spoons.
My suspicions were right, I thought morbidly. They're afraid Beryl is going
to poison the food, too.
I wondered how I'd ever be able to carry out the duties of my office without
a healthy calorie intake.
"Isn't Your Highness hungry?" M. Artemis asked.
"Actually, I'm...uh...waiting for you to start."
M. Artemis looked startled. "But, Your Highness, we cannot eat until you
begin."
"Oh." No wonder we were all sitting there not eating. I couldn't tell them
what I was thinking. That Beryl was trying to kill me in order to regain her
title as princess. They would think that I was being paranoid. To be honest,
I thought I was being paranoid, myself.
To gain the approval of my drill team, I gestured for a servant to bring me
a bowl of soup, and a small helping each, of salad, pasta, and some sort of
meat pie. I saw M. Artemis and Mme Haruna fill their own plates. Slowly, I
raised a spoonful of soup to my lips.
This is it, I thought. The moment of truth. Do or die time. If Beryl messed
with my food, I'd be hitting the floor in a couple of minutes.
I swallowed.
Nothing happened, except I almost burned my tongue. Inwardly, I screamed
with joy and thanked all the gods of all the religions I knew of, which,
by the way, was a lot.
Outwardly, I drank another spoonful of soup.
****************************************************************************************************
I felt better after lunch. And after being dragged around from one thing to
another made me grateful that I had stocked up on some calories.
I had a thousand questions to ask, all of them about my betrothal, but
nobody was answering them. "No time now; can't slow down. Later." I felt
like Alice trying to keep up with the Red Queen.
Mlle Meiou did some fittings after lunch. Her sketches for my outfits were
totally depressing. The designs ran the gamut from dull to frumpy. I made
a mental note to steal her sketches and burn them. Then, I'd replace them
with sketches of my own. Or the very least, I'd add some color to the
dull sketches and 'misplace' the others.
At three o'clock, after the tourists left, my keepers whisked me downstairs
to the reception foyer, where the entire palace staff was lined up to meet
me.
The line seemed endless.
"The head chef...the assistant chef...the second assistant chef...the pastry
chef..." Maids, footmen, chauffeurs, gardeners, housekeepers (palacekeepers),
the switchboard operator--on and on we went.
Everyone bowed or curtseyed to me. I acknowledged the introductions with a
slight inclination of the head.
M. Artemis seemed pleased. Finally, Mlle Aino introduced my personal maid,
Lita.
"It must have been you who prepared my bath and put away my things last
night," I said to Lita. "Thank you very much. I really appreciated it."
Lita was very young. In fact, she was hardly any older than I was. Finally,
someone to talk to! Someone to tell me what's what.
She curtseyed. To M. Artemis' dismay, I ignored my protocol lessons. I
reached out and took her hand. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw M. Artemis
frown as I shook Lita's hand. I ignored him.
"It is a pleasure to meet you, Lita," I said happily.
"Thank you, Your Highness," she murmured. Her cheeks were tinged pink. I
could tell that being singled out embarrassed her, so I let go of her hand.
Behind me, M. Artemis cleared his throat impatiently. Turning, I met his
disapproving look with a defiant gaze, daring him to say something in front
of the palace staff. He decided to remain quiet.
"We should return you to your quarters, Your Highness, so you can rest,"
Mlle Aino suggested tentatively.
"Very well," I said. I headed for the stairs.
*********************************************************************************************
My mind was beginning to overload as we started back upstairs, me and my
entourage, which now included Lita. Suddenly, Mlle Aino cried, "Oh! The
reporter! He's waiting for the princess in the morning room. Lita, help
the princess change-"
"I have to see a reporter now?"
"Yes, Mademoiselle, for the interview."
I snapped. I'd been surrounded by people poking me with pins, jabbering
at me in French and English, talking to me as if I was a hick from the
streets, acting as if I didn't have a cultured bone in my body. I'd
trudged for miles through the palace, and hadn't sat down all day,
except for breakfast and lunch.
I put my royal foot down. Actually, I stamped it.
"I'm tired!" I shouted. "I'm hungry! I'm cold! I want to rest. I want to
watch TV. I want five minutes of peace and quiet with nobody ordering me
around, telling me how to act, or how to address the second council of
the governor of Spain!"
Everyone fussed about me anxiously, murmuring soothing words and pleas
for cooperation.
"It's very important that you speak to the newspaperman as soon as
possible," M. Artemis said.
"Why? Why can't it wait until tomorrow?"
"Just this short interview," he urged, "and you will have the rest of
the day to yourself."
"What rest of the day?" I retorted. "The day is practically over."
"It would be a shame," Mme Haruna said, "to disappoint the nice, young
man." She heaved a dramatic
sigh.
It's amazing how guilty the sigh of someone you look up to can make
you feel. Darn adults. They must have monthly meetings of the
International Parenting Association of How to Mess With the Heads
of Children.
"You _must_ have children," I said to her. Mme Haruna merely smiled.
Mlle Aino spoke, "You can have afternoon tea with the reporter in the
Rose Room, if you'd like."
"That will be fine," I said. "Come on, Lita. Let us get ready."
***************************************************************************************************
Andrew Furuhata bowed. He was a tall man, with blond hair, gray eyes,
and a friendly face.
I acknowledged his bow with a gracious nod of the head. Then, I motioned
for him to take a seat at the table where afternoon tea had been prepared.
Off to one side, M. Artemis stood, chaperoning my interview.
Apparently, I was always to be accompanied when I was with a man who was
not Prince Darien. So much for privacy.
"It's an honor to meet you, Your Highness," he said in a pleasant voice.
"Thank you," I replied, smiling slightly.
"This shouldn't take too long," Andrew promised. "I just have a few
questions."
"It's quite all right," I said reassuringly.
Meanwhile, a servant had poured tea for the both of us. Andrew and I took
a sip before he asked his first question.
"What was your first reaction when you learned you were Princess Serenity
the Fourteenth?" he asked.
"Are you serious?"
He grinned. "Can I quote you?"
I smiled back, and took another sip of tea.
I don't know why we needed M. Artemis' help. Andrew was doing just fine.
He certainly wasn't like one of those reporters from back home that shoved
microphones in my face and asked me dumb questions like what would it take
for me to refuse to assume the crown. A new car? A date with Tom Cruise?
How shallow is that? I ask you.
M. Artemis didn't have to coach me at all. Andrew made all the suggestions
for rephrasing my answers.
He was also very patient; letting me take my time to answer the more difficult
questions, or waiting until I had finished chewing and swallowing my food
before he asked another question.
"How does Her Highness like her homeland?"
"I haven't seen anything of it yet," I replied. I only just arrived last night,
and today, I spent the entire day inside the palace, for lessons and such."
"The princess will be making some public appearances this week. She will visit
the University of Lunaris, the local high schools and primary schools, and the
Lunaris General Hospital. She will also be doing an interview with the BBC,"
M. Artemis informed Andrew.
Well, that was the first that I had heard of it, I thought. At least I would
get to be on television. Maybe Molly or my family would see it.
"May I have the princess' schedule for the week?" Andrew asked. "The newspaper
will want coverage."
"Mlle Aino will keep you informed," M. Artemis said.
"I think I have all I need." Andrew closed his notebook.
"Oh, let me see you out," I offered.
"If Her Highness wishes."
We both stood up and headed towards the main entrance. M. Artemis hovered at
my side like a nervous butterfly.
"With all due respect," I said to him, "please walk behind us."
He hesitated.
"Give me a break," I muttered. "All I want is a normal conversation."
"All of the princess's comments will be off the record," he said to Andrew.
"Of course."
He complied, and waited until we were two meters in front of him before
following.
"Thank goodness," I sighed. "It's so nice to talk to someone near my own age."
"What would you like to talk about?" Andrew asked curiously.
"I don't know. Anything," I replied. "You're the first person I've had a real
conversation with in this country."
"Don't you like your new home?" he inquired.
"As I said before, I haven't seen anything of it yet, besides the palace," I
answered. "I've only been here for one day, and already, I feel like I'm about
to go stir-crazy. Everything is so hectic; the ball, my public appearances, my
lessons."
"Perhaps when next week rolls around, everything will seem more sedate."
Andrew suggested.
"Perhaps," I agreed. We arrived at the main entrance. "It was nice talking to
you. We must do it again sometime."
"It would be an honor, Your Majesty," Andrew said, bowing. "Until next time."
I nodded. "Next time."
I was elated. My first real friend in Paradeisos. Sure, he was being paid to
talk to me, but at least he seemed like he wanted to.
Sailor Moon belongs to all of those people of which I am not included.
'The Swan' and Princess Grace is used without permission. The Alice in
Wonderland reference is used without permission. Okay...so I used a
lot of stuff without permission. Please don't tell! I have no money!
Also again, parentheses indicate a translation, if I feel it is
necessary.
Ash
Switched at Birth - Chapter 3
"A hoopskirt?" I said. "She'd going to make me a hoopskirt?" I nearly
fell off the dressmaker's stool in surprise and disdain.
"With layer upon layer of fluffy ruffles," Mother said dreamily.
It sounded like my gown was going to be made out of potato chips.
"But hoopskirts went out with the Civil War!" I wailed.
"Which one?" the queen asked.
Mlle Meiou eyed me nervously. She looked at the queen. "*La princesse
est distraite? *" (The princess is distressed?)
"*La princess est tres distraite! *" I said. "I'm not the hoopskirt and
ruffles type. Really, I'm not. Couldn't I have something more up-to-date?"
"You'll look just like Princess Grace did in 'The Swan'," Mother told me.
Ugh. I'd seen that movie a couple of years ago. The dress that Mother was
envisioning was not very appealing to me. First of all, it was white. The
smallest speck of dirt would be visible on it. Second of all, the sleeves
went to her elbows, which was too old-fashioned for me. Thirdly,
hoopskirts and ruffles? I don't think so.
"*Soyez calme, Mlle Meiou, *" Mother said. "*La princesse est fatiguee. *"
(Be calm....the princess is tired)
"Mother, I have a ball gown that I brought from America. Perhaps I could
wear that instead of rushing Mlle Meiou," I suggested hopefully.
"Really?" Mother asked. I nodded. "Well, I will have to see it first." She
motioned for Mlle Meiou to undo her work. I was slowly being unraveled
from a thick cocoon of muslin that was supposed to be the base for my
out-dated ball gown.
M. Artemis cleared his throat. "If I may continue, Your Highness?"
"*Oui, continuez, *" said the queen.
*Fatiguee* was right. I'd been standing on that stool for over an hour,
with the dressmaker fussing and bustling around me, turning me in every
direction, and occasionally jabbing me with a pin in some unexpected part
of my anatomy.
Meanwhile, M. Artemis was trying to teach me how to act like a princess
in public, and Mother kept running in and out of the sewing room every
ten minutes to confer with her secretary and to add new things to the
list of what I had to do this week.
I was tired just thinking of all the things I still had to do today. And
my phone call to America hadn't come through yet.
"Of course, we don't expect you to know all the correct forms of address,"
M. Artemis was saying, "but if you listen carefully as each person is
introduced, the title will be included in the presentation. If I say,
'His Excellency, the Prime Minister of Eritrea,' you will call him 'Your
Excellency.' Now, the gentlemen will either kiss your hand, or bow."
"Really?" I asked interestedly. "I've never had my hand kissed."
M. Artemis cleared his throat again. "It would be inappropriate, Your
Highness, if you appeared to enjoy it. In any case, the kiss is simply
a formal touch of the lips to the hand.
Mlle Meiou motioned for me to get down off the stool. I stepped down
and stretched my arms. They were tired from being held out stiffly at
my sides.
The sewing room opened and a young woman in a white blouse and a severe
black skirt entered, carrying a load of books and papers.
She smiled. "Ahh. My princess. My pupil." She curtseyed gracefully, in
spite of her narrow skirt and armful of books.
I liked her right away. She seemed glad to meet me.
"You acknowledge the curtsey with a cordial nod of the head," M. Artemis
said.
I smiled and nodded slightly.
"You must be my tutor," I said.
"That is my pleasure and my privilege," the woman replied.
"Madame Haruna," M. Artemis said.
"So much to do, so little time," Mme Haruna said in French "We'll start
your lessons immediately. You already speak French so well, that I will
have more time to teach you other things."
"And you respond the same way to a man," M. Artemis droned on
relentlessly. "A gracious but impersonal nod of the head."
The door opened again and another woman came in. She had a large notebook
against her chest.
"Mlle Aino," M. Artemis introduced her. "Your mother's secretary."
Mlle Aino curtseyed. I acknowledged her curtsey with a slight inclination
of my head.
"Good," M. Artemis said.
"You have a telephone call," she informed me.
"Telephone call!" I took a hold of Mlle Aino's elbow and practically dragged
her out of the room. "Where's the telephone?"
*********************************************************************************************
It was wonderful to talk to my (American) family. My parents were packing
the rest of my things and sending it off tomorrow.
Sam asked me if I had to wear a crown all the time.
As soon as I hung up the phone, a wave on homesickness hit me.
I followed listlessly as M. Artemis, Mme Haruna and Mlle Aino led me on a
tour of the palace. Mlle Aino gave me a map to check as we hiked from room
to room. I couldn't help thinking of my home in America. Although it was
rather large, I didn't need a map to find my way to the kitchen there.
"Every Tuesday and Thursday the ground floor is open for guided tours.
Please remain out of that area between one and three o'clock."
"When am I ever going to see anybody?" We were in the East wing of the
palace, and portraits of the first thirteen Serenitys stared at me from
the walls of the portrait gallery. I felt empty and lonely and tired.
"You will meet people suitable to your station," M. Artemis said.
"Why, only this Saturday, at your grand ball," Mlle Aino said, "you will
meet many people from fine noble families. And once you meet your betrothed,
you'll-"
"My _what_?"
"Your betrothed," she repeated. "Prince Darien Endymion Mamoru of Outopia."
Groaning silently, I rubbed the bridge of my nose. "Does betrothed mean the
same thing in this country as it does in America?" I asked wearily. I steeled
myself for the answer.
Mme Haruna looked sort of uncomfortable, as if I wanted her to explain where
babies come from.
"If the definition is engaged, then yes, it does," she said. "You've been
engaged to Prince Darien since you were seven years old."
**************************************************************************************************
Finding out you're betrothed to a prince you've never met, but has been a
central figure in your teenage fantasies, from one of the most powerful
countries in the world, is an effective way to clear your mind of other
trivial matters. But it does raise a few important questions.
Like, "_Are you kidding? _"
Nobody answered me. All of a sudden everybody wanted to hustle me back to
the family quarters, because it was ten to one, and the common folk would
be wandering around the palace any minute now. The royal portrait gallery,
where the thirteen Serenitys hung, was part of the tour.
"Okay. Fine. Let me see the king and queen. There are a few things I want
to know about this betrothal."
Unfortunately, seeing my parents wasn't on my schedule. Fortunately, lunch
was. The meal was laid out on a table in an upstairs dining room. M. Artemis
and Mme Haruna sat with me. They kept drilling me on how to be a princess
and the history of Paradeisos.
Even though I was starving, I waited for my drill team to start eating before
I would taste anything, just to make sure that neither of them keeled over
into the soup.
But they didn't eat. They didn't even lift their spoons.
My suspicions were right, I thought morbidly. They're afraid Beryl is going
to poison the food, too.
I wondered how I'd ever be able to carry out the duties of my office without
a healthy calorie intake.
"Isn't Your Highness hungry?" M. Artemis asked.
"Actually, I'm...uh...waiting for you to start."
M. Artemis looked startled. "But, Your Highness, we cannot eat until you
begin."
"Oh." No wonder we were all sitting there not eating. I couldn't tell them
what I was thinking. That Beryl was trying to kill me in order to regain her
title as princess. They would think that I was being paranoid. To be honest,
I thought I was being paranoid, myself.
To gain the approval of my drill team, I gestured for a servant to bring me
a bowl of soup, and a small helping each, of salad, pasta, and some sort of
meat pie. I saw M. Artemis and Mme Haruna fill their own plates. Slowly, I
raised a spoonful of soup to my lips.
This is it, I thought. The moment of truth. Do or die time. If Beryl messed
with my food, I'd be hitting the floor in a couple of minutes.
I swallowed.
Nothing happened, except I almost burned my tongue. Inwardly, I screamed
with joy and thanked all the gods of all the religions I knew of, which,
by the way, was a lot.
Outwardly, I drank another spoonful of soup.
****************************************************************************************************
I felt better after lunch. And after being dragged around from one thing to
another made me grateful that I had stocked up on some calories.
I had a thousand questions to ask, all of them about my betrothal, but
nobody was answering them. "No time now; can't slow down. Later." I felt
like Alice trying to keep up with the Red Queen.
Mlle Meiou did some fittings after lunch. Her sketches for my outfits were
totally depressing. The designs ran the gamut from dull to frumpy. I made
a mental note to steal her sketches and burn them. Then, I'd replace them
with sketches of my own. Or the very least, I'd add some color to the
dull sketches and 'misplace' the others.
At three o'clock, after the tourists left, my keepers whisked me downstairs
to the reception foyer, where the entire palace staff was lined up to meet
me.
The line seemed endless.
"The head chef...the assistant chef...the second assistant chef...the pastry
chef..." Maids, footmen, chauffeurs, gardeners, housekeepers (palacekeepers),
the switchboard operator--on and on we went.
Everyone bowed or curtseyed to me. I acknowledged the introductions with a
slight inclination of the head.
M. Artemis seemed pleased. Finally, Mlle Aino introduced my personal maid,
Lita.
"It must have been you who prepared my bath and put away my things last
night," I said to Lita. "Thank you very much. I really appreciated it."
Lita was very young. In fact, she was hardly any older than I was. Finally,
someone to talk to! Someone to tell me what's what.
She curtseyed. To M. Artemis' dismay, I ignored my protocol lessons. I
reached out and took her hand. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw M. Artemis
frown as I shook Lita's hand. I ignored him.
"It is a pleasure to meet you, Lita," I said happily.
"Thank you, Your Highness," she murmured. Her cheeks were tinged pink. I
could tell that being singled out embarrassed her, so I let go of her hand.
Behind me, M. Artemis cleared his throat impatiently. Turning, I met his
disapproving look with a defiant gaze, daring him to say something in front
of the palace staff. He decided to remain quiet.
"We should return you to your quarters, Your Highness, so you can rest,"
Mlle Aino suggested tentatively.
"Very well," I said. I headed for the stairs.
*********************************************************************************************
My mind was beginning to overload as we started back upstairs, me and my
entourage, which now included Lita. Suddenly, Mlle Aino cried, "Oh! The
reporter! He's waiting for the princess in the morning room. Lita, help
the princess change-"
"I have to see a reporter now?"
"Yes, Mademoiselle, for the interview."
I snapped. I'd been surrounded by people poking me with pins, jabbering
at me in French and English, talking to me as if I was a hick from the
streets, acting as if I didn't have a cultured bone in my body. I'd
trudged for miles through the palace, and hadn't sat down all day,
except for breakfast and lunch.
I put my royal foot down. Actually, I stamped it.
"I'm tired!" I shouted. "I'm hungry! I'm cold! I want to rest. I want to
watch TV. I want five minutes of peace and quiet with nobody ordering me
around, telling me how to act, or how to address the second council of
the governor of Spain!"
Everyone fussed about me anxiously, murmuring soothing words and pleas
for cooperation.
"It's very important that you speak to the newspaperman as soon as
possible," M. Artemis said.
"Why? Why can't it wait until tomorrow?"
"Just this short interview," he urged, "and you will have the rest of
the day to yourself."
"What rest of the day?" I retorted. "The day is practically over."
"It would be a shame," Mme Haruna said, "to disappoint the nice, young
man." She heaved a dramatic
sigh.
It's amazing how guilty the sigh of someone you look up to can make
you feel. Darn adults. They must have monthly meetings of the
International Parenting Association of How to Mess With the Heads
of Children.
"You _must_ have children," I said to her. Mme Haruna merely smiled.
Mlle Aino spoke, "You can have afternoon tea with the reporter in the
Rose Room, if you'd like."
"That will be fine," I said. "Come on, Lita. Let us get ready."
***************************************************************************************************
Andrew Furuhata bowed. He was a tall man, with blond hair, gray eyes,
and a friendly face.
I acknowledged his bow with a gracious nod of the head. Then, I motioned
for him to take a seat at the table where afternoon tea had been prepared.
Off to one side, M. Artemis stood, chaperoning my interview.
Apparently, I was always to be accompanied when I was with a man who was
not Prince Darien. So much for privacy.
"It's an honor to meet you, Your Highness," he said in a pleasant voice.
"Thank you," I replied, smiling slightly.
"This shouldn't take too long," Andrew promised. "I just have a few
questions."
"It's quite all right," I said reassuringly.
Meanwhile, a servant had poured tea for the both of us. Andrew and I took
a sip before he asked his first question.
"What was your first reaction when you learned you were Princess Serenity
the Fourteenth?" he asked.
"Are you serious?"
He grinned. "Can I quote you?"
I smiled back, and took another sip of tea.
I don't know why we needed M. Artemis' help. Andrew was doing just fine.
He certainly wasn't like one of those reporters from back home that shoved
microphones in my face and asked me dumb questions like what would it take
for me to refuse to assume the crown. A new car? A date with Tom Cruise?
How shallow is that? I ask you.
M. Artemis didn't have to coach me at all. Andrew made all the suggestions
for rephrasing my answers.
He was also very patient; letting me take my time to answer the more difficult
questions, or waiting until I had finished chewing and swallowing my food
before he asked another question.
"How does Her Highness like her homeland?"
"I haven't seen anything of it yet," I replied. I only just arrived last night,
and today, I spent the entire day inside the palace, for lessons and such."
"The princess will be making some public appearances this week. She will visit
the University of Lunaris, the local high schools and primary schools, and the
Lunaris General Hospital. She will also be doing an interview with the BBC,"
M. Artemis informed Andrew.
Well, that was the first that I had heard of it, I thought. At least I would
get to be on television. Maybe Molly or my family would see it.
"May I have the princess' schedule for the week?" Andrew asked. "The newspaper
will want coverage."
"Mlle Aino will keep you informed," M. Artemis said.
"I think I have all I need." Andrew closed his notebook.
"Oh, let me see you out," I offered.
"If Her Highness wishes."
We both stood up and headed towards the main entrance. M. Artemis hovered at
my side like a nervous butterfly.
"With all due respect," I said to him, "please walk behind us."
He hesitated.
"Give me a break," I muttered. "All I want is a normal conversation."
"All of the princess's comments will be off the record," he said to Andrew.
"Of course."
He complied, and waited until we were two meters in front of him before
following.
"Thank goodness," I sighed. "It's so nice to talk to someone near my own age."
"What would you like to talk about?" Andrew asked curiously.
"I don't know. Anything," I replied. "You're the first person I've had a real
conversation with in this country."
"Don't you like your new home?" he inquired.
"As I said before, I haven't seen anything of it yet, besides the palace," I
answered. "I've only been here for one day, and already, I feel like I'm about
to go stir-crazy. Everything is so hectic; the ball, my public appearances, my
lessons."
"Perhaps when next week rolls around, everything will seem more sedate."
Andrew suggested.
"Perhaps," I agreed. We arrived at the main entrance. "It was nice talking to
you. We must do it again sometime."
"It would be an honor, Your Majesty," Andrew said, bowing. "Until next time."
I nodded. "Next time."
I was elated. My first real friend in Paradeisos. Sure, he was being paid to
talk to me, but at least he seemed like he wanted to.