AUTHOR'S NOTE: I have the third part of this trilogy totally outlined (for the most part at least, I like to add things that come to mind). Pay close attention to the little conversations Mia and Joshua have. They'll come up later. By later do I mean later as in later in THIS story, or later as in in the Trilogy? Hmmm, only I know for sure (okay, and a few others). Read and review. You better review.

Joshua pulled me into a back yard to hide from the cameras. "Are you okay?" he asked hugging me. "Of course I am," I stammered.
I couldn't help it. I breathed in his aroma. It was so... manly and grown up. He smelt like Old Spice and cologne. He loosened his pull on the hug so that we were nose to nose. "Because if you aren't..."

I felt my lips separate and get pulled towards his. We were definitely going to kiss. I had the butterflies that you get before you are about to be seriously kissed. "Maybe I'm not," I whispered, making my eyes rise to his.

We slowly moved our noses to the side so that our lips were lightly brushing past one another.

"Your highness, I have a car for you," Lars said, coming out of no where.

He pulled me away quickly. I looked back at Joshua who was combing his fingers through his hair and mumbling something. Probably how stupid he was for getting that close to me again.

"Amelia, you must learn to deal with this in a proper manner!" Grandmere lectured. I felt like I was fourteen again. Sitting in her study instead of the Plaza suite. "And what in the world are you wearing? A tank top? Amelia, what have I said about that?"

"They cause uneven tan lines?" I asked.

"Other than that."

"Um, that they are not proper for the future ruler to wear in public?"

"Exactly. Oh, William, would you please bring some finger sandwiches in for us?"

"Certainly." I stared at the photos of the five of us at lunch.

"I was just trying to hang out with my friends."
She sighed heavily. "Amelia, it isn't proper to be acting like this."

"Like what? A normal eighteen year old?"
"Exactly. You are supposed to show that the family is stable and that the country will be in excellent hands one day."
"Well, I'm sure it will be, there's always parliament." Little did she know that I totally planned on having Parliament doing everything. I didn't even want to be the dowager princess. I was even thinking about abdicating and disappearing into the masses.
"Amelia, we are the pillar of strength here. I cannot possibly be having my future dowager princess fluttering around with these common people."
My mouth dropped in shock. "But I used to be common!"

"No you weren't. You thought you were, but you were always royal."

"All my friends are common...well, technically Joshua is of some noble blood- "
"He's thirty fifth in line for the crown," she corrected.
I hadn't known that, not that it's a big deal or anything. "Well, anyways, all my other friends are common!"

"I was able to accept the old friends from America because...well, you are American and they were your friends from there. You grew up with them. But what about this? These girls, I understand, were talking about being outside in their underpants?"
I stopped myself from laughing. "Grandmere, it was a joke. What, do you have spies out there for me?"
"I have my ways. Amelia, what happens behind our doors happens. But when you are out in the public you mustn't act so vulgar."
"I did not act vulgar," I corrected. "I was eating lunch with friends. How is that vulgar?" "You were discussing vulgar things. If the reporters hear you talk about that then they will think your sex life is free reign."

I blushed. "I have no sex life."

"Uh huh, right. Think I don't know about last year?"

I looked down to the floor. "Grandmere..."

"When your mother caught you making out with, who was it? David Shriver or something?"

Oh. Thank. God. "Oh, right. Yes, that. Well, I haven't even kissed a boy since then."

"That's a relief."

"I know. I'll try to be better, Grandmere. Okay?"

"You need to start acting more responsible, Amelia. Like a lady."

I nodded quietly.

"It's one thing to have embarrassment over in America. But quite another to be embarrassed in my own country."

Great. Now I embarrass her. "Yes Grandmere. I will change."

"Good. You may leave now."

So I did.
I had gone into that room believing that I was one person, and left a different one. I seriously was going to be different now. I didn't want to embarrass my grandmother and my father. I would only be myself behind closed doors. Outside I would be charming and stick to neutral topics.
Joshua noticed the change in me. "Mia, come on. You don't have to act like this all the time do you?"
"Like what?" I asked casually. We were on the phone.
"Like the Stepford Princess?"
I laughed.
"Ah ha! I knew you had a real laugh in there!"
"Well, it's just difficult...being this new person. Being a real princess. All those years in America were nothing compared to this. Now I'm living in a real palace, with real servants, never doing anything for myself."

"Mia, it can't be that bad. Hell, if you are feeling like cleaning your room, come here and clean up my place. It's about the size of your room, no?"

I giggled, "Not quite. Joshua, she won't even let me wear pants outside the palace!"

I could tell he was rolling his eyes. "Well, I happen to think skirts are very nice. Feminine. Sexy." "Oh, and that's just what Grandmere wants, a sexy princess?"

"Well Mia, if you are to find a Prince Consort, then you better be a sexy princess."

"Okay, so I can't talk about anything controversial, including sex, I cannot embarrass the country, but I should be sexy?"

"Well, hell, I don't know. I gotta go though. My parents just bought a horse and they want me to break it in. Hey, do you know how to ride?"

"No." "How is it in this day and age you don't know how to ride a horse?" "Hmmm, maybe because it's not the nineteenth century?" I teased.

"Next time I come up we are going to begin your training."

"Yeah, sure."
What he didn't tell me is that he was going to be with me that summer. He showed up on my birthday with a present; an album of all our 'adventures' throughout the past year. He had been snapping photo's without my noticing! What a sneak!

"It's perfect," I said, flipping through the book. I laughed at a picture of me with Tawny on spring break.

"That's not all," he said softly.

"Oh?"

"I know I really shouldn't be adding into the whole romantic idea of this, but rumor has it that you have always wanted this," he said handing me a small baby blue box with a bow on top.

That box gave it away. Tiffany's. I opened it carefully and was surprised by the present. "Joshua, you really shouldn't have..." I said lifting the bracelet out of the box.

"And when you find your guy you can have his initials engraved for no cost," he explained. I stared at him for a solid minute. Then he was staring at me. We were staring at each other. He kissed my forehead. "But until then I'll have to do."

I laughed, "I guess so..."

I fully learned how to ride a horse that summer. Grandmere was happy because she had always thought a proper young lady should know how to ride. I guess I wasn't a proper young lady before.

Dad bought me my own horse before I started school. I named her Daisy after my favorite kind of flower. She was a young horse, but that was okay. I wouldn't be able to ride her that much anyways once I started school.

Joshua started working that year for a law firm in Genovia. "Why not England?" my father asked him once.

He glanced at me quickly. I think he did at least. "I needed a change of scenery," he explained. "Besides, someone will have to care for Daisy while the princess is away."

I hit him good naturedly. "Oh please. It's not like I'm going to another country or anything. Just the National Academy of the Arts and Sciences of Genovia."

"Oh, just?" he teased.

"I'll still live in the palace," I countered. He rolled his eyes.
I smiled.
Dad gave me a weird look.