"Hello, Amelia," my grandmother greeted me when I returned to Genovia. I had been instructed to be in her office once I returned. ANd it isn't the fun-for-the-good-news-office. It was the scary family one. Where no good news come out of it.

She never greeted me so kindly after I returned from America. Something was up.

"How was your trip to America?" she asked, ignoring my question.

"F-Fine," I stammered. I didn't like how nice she was being.

"I am sure you missed your little boyfriend," she snapped, tossing me a copy of The National.

"What?" I asked. I sounded like I was five years old. I looked at the paper. Pictures of me and Joshua from England were thrown all over the article. The picture of me in Joshua's shirt was in the middle of it all. I quickly skimmed the article. Only one person had those pictures.

"They have been together for about six months now," Seamus Fitzpatrick explains.

"But they found it romantic to keep it a secret. But honestly, I think it is because she thinks he isn't good enough for her..." Seamus Fitzpatrick continued on. "She looks at it as a fling. He's good for a shag but not for a real boyfriend."

My mouth dropped in complete and utter shock. "Grandmere.... We uh...never..." I started. I had no idea where to go with this.

"What? Do you deny this?"

I didn't say anything. A denial would be disloyal. "Grandmere, I love him," I said softly a few minutes later.

"And yet you find it necessary to hide the relationship from me?" she demanded. "Mia, when you are in love with someone you really don't care who knows. You would have told me right away. Do you realize how this fling is looking to our public? Answer me already."

I bit my lower lip, "I- I was scared of how you would react."

"But it is so much better to hear of it in the tabloids? Amelia...how can you continue to do this to us? To Genovia?"

"Do what? Fall in love with the perfect man?" I demanded.

"To bring shame-"

"Oh shame? What are you more angry about?" I started, gaining confidence, "That I am dating him, or that I didn't come running to you to tell you about it?"

She pursed her lips. "You are dismissed."

I laid in bed for the rest of the day, rejecting offers for food. She hadn't said I couldn't date him. Just that it was shameful. It didn't make any sense. What was wrong with Joshua? "Mia?" my dad asked, knocking on my door.

"What?" I snapped. "If you are here to do her bidding then you can leave."

He shook his head, "No."

"What is it then?" I demanded.

"She doesn't get it," he explained. "She's never really been young and in love before."

"What about Grandpere?"

He rolled his eyes, "She never told him she loved him. At least I never heard her say that to him."

"I don't care anymore. If she won't let me be with him...then I'll reject my claim to the throne. Maybe then Joshua and I could get married and move to New York. Have our own lives out of the spotlight. That would be the ideal life for me."

He looked surprised, "I don't think it's that bad. She just needs to get used to the idea."

"Just like she got used to the idea of you and Mom?"

He didn't say anything at first. "Mia...your mom and I were very different people. Very immature. We loved one another, but differently than a couple in love should. And besides, I knew my duty to Genovia. I grew up here. I was friendly with a lot of the people here. I knew that my love for Genovia is greater than any other kind of love. I would not give up Genovia for a frivilous fling...not a fling really but you know what I mean. This was the life I grew up in. Why would I want to give it up for something that was thrown at me when I was past the growing up stage?"

" Like I've had to give up my old life?" I countered. When he didn't respond, "Whatever. I'm sure all his calls will be blocked now anyways. I'll never get to talk to him ever again."

"Stop being a drama queen," my father said with a laugh. "You will. You always find ways around what your grandmother wants." He stood up and went over to my vanity. He picked up my sceptor that I got for Christmas when I was fourteen. "I'm sure we'll have a new prince sooner than we all expected," he said twirling the useless gift. "Good night Mia."

I was right about one thing. All of Joshua's calls were intercepted. I walked around the palace like a big mope. My friends tired to take me out, but Grandmere had hired a new bodyguard for me. He would be much stricter than Lars. He would question any person that tried talking to me. And I had to have all my phone calls taped.

I still didn't get it. Why didn't she like Joshua for a royal consort? He was perfect. He had the blonde hair and blue eyes going for him, like Grandpere had (or as I am told). He acts like a perfect gentleman in front of her. He rides horses for crying out loud!

I refused to talk to the woman. She was a devil. Was it possible to have the devil within a person who wears the most lady like clothes known to man? I didn't know, but I was sure she had the devil within her. She still came to my dress fittings for the Winter Ball though.

"Sebastino, I honestly do not think blue is her color," she said, sitting at her seat near where I was trying on my dress.

I stared at her, "I think blue is perfect Sebastino. I think it would compliment my escort'seyes perfectly- oh, I forgot I am not allowed to bring an escort of my own choosing."

He pinned the dress in the back, "I do believe you have lost some weight, Princess."

I saw Grandmere grinning, "Finally!"

"Why are you here, exactly?" I snapped.

She looked shocked that I stood up to her finally.

"I mean, you clearly hate me, what are you doing here watching me? It's not like I'm going to run off to England tonight to see him. It's over, you happy now? I'm never going to see him again. I haven't even talked to him in over a month. You win, now go gloat to your stupid friends."

She silently stood up and walked out of the room. Everyone else just stared at one another in complete shock. Their once un-assertive princess was finally standing up for herself...sort of.

School was filled with nerves. All my friends began stressing out over the next two years. They were going to have to find careers and start their lives out. I didn't have to worry about that. My life was already planned out since I was fourteen years old and my dad got testicular cancer.

"You are so lucky," Aimee said as we left our psychology final. I saw Preston coming toward us. She smiled.

"Yeah, real lucky," I moaned.

"Hey girlie," Preston said kissing her on the cheek and lifting her into the air.

"Hey Pres," she said giggling. "Put me down."

"Princess," he said with an exaggerated bow. "What's going on?"

"I'm just saying how lucky Mia is to have everything planned out for her. She doesn't have to search for a job."

"Yeah, not too many princess positions are open," I quipped with a forced smile.

They shared a glance, "Mia, the ball in this weekend, isn't it?" Preston asked. "I remember when you guys used to have it back in New York. Used to back up traffic for hours."

I nodded, "Yeah, well we don't anymore. I gotta go."

"Hey Mia," a voice said to me while I groomed Daisy in the stables. I turned and saw Lucie. The ever disappearing Lucie. "Hey."

"I finished up the book. Well, the principal writing that is. There are still editing and stuff. I doubt it will be out for months."

"Oh?"

"Yeah."

"Where've you been?" I asked. "It's been months."

She smiled, "Here and there. California for a little while. New York. I had a fling with a regular guy for a while before I realized that I needed a guy that could keep up with me. The life of a socialite and writer is very busy. I have to keep up appearances on all the continents. He was stuck on his ex."

I smiled, "But that is kind of sweet. What did he do?"

"He was some type of engineer or something with computers. I forget. I just thought he was hot at night with this band he played with. That's how we met."

I smiled. "Well, fun while it lasted, right?"

She half smiled, "Yeah. I guess."

"How've you been, otherwise?" I asked, sitting on a bale of hay.

"Great. Happy. I met this great guy over in America. He's incredibly sweet."

I smiled. Maybe she was growing up. Or maybe not considering she just went on about that other fling. "Not the regular Joe?"

"God no. I just kind of had to prove to myself I could get him. You know how those things are. This guy is a little more high profile. And you?"

"Flying solo," I said reluctantly.

"But didn't I read about you and Joshua?"

"You may have...but Grandmere cut that off a few weeks ago. I haven't even spoken to him. She's put up a protective block on the whole relationship."

Lucie sat next to me. "That really blows. How'd you feel if I told you I had a message from him?"

I looked at her quickly. "What?"

She grinned, "Think I'm randomly going to show up after months without a sneaky reason?"

I hugged her and we fell over the bales of hay. We burst out laughing.

"Don't you want to hear?"

I nodded, "Duh."

"Here," she said, handing me a note. "I didn't read it. I'll be upstairs distracting your grandmother."

I held the note up to my nose so I could possibly grab hold of his scent.

Dearest Girl-

I know it is not really you rejecting my phone calls. I know that you love me just as much as I love you, so don't worry I haven't moved on to another. I never could. I love you too much. I want you to know that I am not talking to Fitzy anymore. He used the money he got to help out Whitney's mother...and then Whitney dumped him after she found out how he had gotten the money. It wasn't her fault...all Fitzy's.

We will get through this. We'll figure something out. What we have together isn't something one can simply stomp out. We'll be together once again, darling girl....

Love - Joshua.

I folded up the note and put it in my pocket. I saw Dad walking by, showing off his polo ponies to some new girlfriend. I rolled my eyes. So much for swearing off women forever. I looked around me. I had everything a girl would ever want.

Allegedly I had the prince of Cabonia chasing after my affections. I doubted that though. Eddie was always a dear friend. I had Rob still calling me. I had designer clothes. A palace to live in. Although, the palace does not have internet access, so that is kind of a downer.

But there was one thing that was missing. Joshua. The one person who kept me sane. All the other people in my life were such...characters. Like they were made up. I mean, who would ever imagine a grandmother with tattooed eyeliner? Or without eyebrows? Or a father who was a prince playboy? Or a mother who marries a math teacher?

The combination of people who made up my family still amazes me. Does anyone else have a crazy family like I do?

I couldn't ponder on this note for very long because Grandmere sent William out for me. "My sincerest apologies, princess," he started with a bow, "But your grandmother wishes to see you in the garden."

I nodded and told him I would go change my clothes and then would see her once I finished.

I quickly showered and combed my hair back into a low ponytail. I was letting my hair go back to it's natural blonde color. The auburn color was disappearing. My tri monthly visits to the royal hairdresser was now simply for a trim, no coloring necessary. I stared in my mirror. I didn't even recognize myself anymore.

I highly doubted anyone who knew me before I came would. I wasn't the light hearted girl without a worry in the world. Now I had every worry in the world. I had to worry about college, my grandmother, my father, and finding a suitable consort. And I had no luck in finding that...well, finding a consort that Grandmere approved of that is.

"Princess?" William asked, opening my door. "She is growing impatient."

I rolled my eyes. "Of course she is. I'll be there in a moment."

He nodded and closed my door. I bit my lip. I hadn't seen one person from my past that I knew wanted to see me. Michael. I don't know how my thoughts turned to him. They simply did. Would Grandmere had approved of him? I highly doubted it. Then again, he wasn't Anglican. He was Jewish though, which according to Grandmere is just as bad. I wouldn't be able to remind her that he wasn't a practicing Jewish man, that would have been even worse.

I glanced at a picture of he and I at my prom. I couldn't help but realize that it was the last picture taken of me as a virgin. Before he and I had slept together that very same night. Had he known what was going to happen? Is that why he rode back to my apartment with me?

I was happy I had done that with him because he was so caring...so gentle. But what about Joshua? I was actually fully in love with him. He would be just as caring, just as gentle.

No. He'd be even MORE caring, MORE gentle. Well, both their touches would be rough; Michael's from hours on his guitar and working as a mechanic, Joshua's from rugby and all of his work outdoors. The two couldn't be more different, and yet I fell for the both of them.

No. I didn't really love Michael. I was just in...hmm, infatuated with him. Yes, just infatuated with him. Maybe it was the fact he was a musician. Every girl gets a crush on that type of guy, right? I mean, most girls fall for the musicians they see on MTV or in their teen magazine's. But I was able to know my little crush. Ugh, I am being such a child. It's time for me to grow up already! To stop thinking about Michael James Moscovitz.

I needed to focus on how to get Joshua back in Genovia. Back with me. I put the picture of me and Michael back into a frame...behind a picture of me and Joshua at the first Holiday Ball he attended. He was behind Joshua...where he belonged.

"It's kind of you to finally join me," Grandmere said coldly when I finally made my way to the garden.

I gingerly took my seat across from her. "I didn't think it would be appropriate to see you when I was not dressed properly. I had been riding."

I nodded to the woman who was serving us. "Thank you," I whispered.

"You can leave now," Grandmere snapped to the young girl.

She girl scampered off.

Yeah, and I'm the shame to the family? I'm not rude to the servants. She was the reason we had so many disgruntled employees.

"Amelia..."

I stared into my cup of tea. "Yes, Grandmere?" That was the nicest I'd been to her in weeks.

"I am struggling to understand why you have been misbehaving lately."

I stared up at her from below my hat, "Beg your pardon?"

"Your behavior these past few weeks have been atrocious."

I tried my best to not allow my mouth to make a fish like motion. But the words I was thinking could not come out.

"You must not allow yourself to make that expression," Grandmere said, as she raised her cup to her lips.

"It's the only thing stopping me from saying what I am currently thinking," I replied sharply.

She nearly choked on her tea. "Amelia!"

"Look, Grandmere..." I started. "I have no idea what you have against Joshua-"

"I have looked at his background check," she replied before I could finish.

"So? Grandmere, you had no problem with him before...I mean, when he and I were friends..."

"He has a record, Amelia. And another serious relationship in the past. One where he pledged himself to another. But I'm sure he told you that right?"