Chapter 5

Susanna awoke to the sun shining brightly and her cellphone vibrating like mad. She grunted and fumbled around for it, finally grasping it and pushing the button.

"'Ello?" she said, her voice raspy.

"Well, how was it?"

Susanna sighed, but sat up in her bed.

"Vivian… what time is it?" Susanna said.

"It's eleven o'clock!" Vivian replied. Susanna grunted again and looked at her watch. In Telera, it was three o'clock in the afternoon. She gasped and sat up straighter.

"Holy shit, Vivian, it's three o'clock!" Susanna cried.

"What? Oh right… I keep forgetting the time difference!"

"I can't believe my mother didn't wake me up! It's a miracle," Susanna mused, running a hand through her hair, only to find that it was still in its fancy updo, albeit rather messy.

"So?"

"It was… tiring," Susanna answered, yawning. The reception had gone on into the wee hours of the morning, and Susanna's mother hadn't let Susanna leave.

"Oh, come on, Suzy."

"I took a lot of notes," Susanna said. She had finally been allowed to go get a notepad and pencil around midnight, and had started taking notes of all the various fashion.

"Suzy!" Vivian cried exasperatedly.

"What? Dammit, Viv, it's not my fault it went to four o'clock in the morning," Susanna replied, yawning again.

"Fine, then. Did you dance with anyone?"

"Yeah, with the prince once or twice."

"I knew it!"

"What?"

"I knew you didn't hate him!" Vivian exclaimed triumphantly.

"Whoa, no one ever said I didn't hate him. I was forced," Susanna reasoned.

Vivian sighed. "Susanna, tell the truth for once in your life."

Susanna avoided the remark. "I'll be home tomorrow. Right now, I'm starving, so I'll see you then."

"Suzy, wait –"

But Susanna hung up, falling back onto the pillows. She rolled over onto her stomach, reaching to her head and undoing her hair. It fell down her back, still curly. She finally willed herself to get out of bed, and walked to the balcony. She stretched, squinting in the sun.

"Susanna!"

She looked down and to her great surprise, saw Ryan, waving his hand at her. She knitted her brow, placing her hands on her hips.

"What are you doing?" she called.

"I'm coming up! Don't go anywhere!" he yelled, running up the stairs and into the house. She rushed forward and leaned over the railing, but he had gone inside. Checking to make sure she was decent, she straightened her tank top and pajama pants.

Suddenly her door flew open and a very excited Ryan rushed in.

"What is going on?" she demanded.

"I came to a revelation last night," he said, pacing the room. He was obviously somewhat hungover, and running only on adrenaline. He still wore his tux, although it was wrinkled and buttoned haphazardly.

"I was watching Roberto and Alberta last night and thinking, why don't I have that? I've been looking, trust me, and have found nothing in my life I would even consider committing to. So I then I thought, you know what? I've been Telera my entire life!" he ranted heatedly.

Susanna was completely and utterly confused by this point.

"So I said, hey, this is probably why I have no meaning in my life. I need to go somewhere, away from Telera. That's the only way, Susanna."

"The only way to what?" she asked, bewildered.

"To find meaning! So I have come here to ask you something," he said, stopping his pacing and looking at her.

"And what is that?" she said, a little afraid of what she was about to hear.

"I want to come to New York with you."

She stopped short. "What?"

"I want to see something new, Susanna! And don't worry, I don't want to stay with you or anything… good God no, but at least I'll know someone." He paused. "I just want to see if maybe my life can change," he ended, sitting down on her bed, breathing hard.

Still perplexed, and yet unexpectedly understanding, she said, "Well, if you really want to…"

"Really?" he said, a smile on his face.

"Sure, why not?" she said dully.

"Good, because I've already booked the penthouse at the Plaza." She rolled her eyes at this. "I have to go pack," he said, standing up and making for the door.

"Ryan?" she said, and he stopped.

"Yeah?"

"Why don't you get some sleep?" she recommended.

He sighed. "Yeah, I suppose I should. Don't want to look tired when I get to New York!" With that, he left.

Susanna plopped back down on her bed, totally amazed, not only at what he had said, but at what she had said. Why had she said yes? The repercussions of this were bound to be terrible. And yet… she had felt sorry for him, going on about not having meaning in his life. Maybe he would find something in New York. And besides, it's not like she would see him all the time.

At least, that's what she hoped.

Ryan walked back to the castle, still surprised at himself. Susanna was sure to think he was a complete and utter idiot… but she had said yes. And why was that? Had what he said really made an impact on her?

He had meant every word of it, to be sure. But he had been positive that she was only going to laugh at him… he groaned, holding his head in his hand. He had had one too many glasses of champagne last night, plus he hadn't gotten any sleep. Perhaps he should take Susanna's advice and go to bed…

He had stayed awake all morning, first convincing his mother that he truly wanted to go to New York, and then making plans. The idea had just hit him… it made sense. He was obviously finding nothing in Telera, so why not leave?

He reached the castle and made it to his room, which looked more like a disaster zone. Clothes were strewn everywhere, arbitrarily packed into many suitcases. Bypassing them, he went to his bathroom and took some aspirin. Staggering back, he fell onto his bed.

He lay on his back, trying to make sense of it all. By tomorrow, he could be on to a new life.

At least, that's what he hoped. :)

Susanna didn't bother changing, and went downstairs to find some food. Her mother was nowhere to be found, which both surprised and relieved her.

She went to the kitchen and threw open the refrigerator. Grabbing the milk carton, she found a glass and quickly filled it. Gulping the milk, she fortuitously found a bagel in the cabinet. She cut it and slathered it with cream cheese. Gathering up the milk carton, her glass, her bagel, and a plate, she staggered outside to the patio. The sun was warm and welcoming as she unloaded her burden onto the table.

She happily refilled her glass, and ripped into the bagel. She was having a grand time, successfully getting cream cheese all over her face, when an unfriendly sound ruined her contentment.

"Susanna, I just heard the news!"

Her mother flew out the door, but to Susanna's great surprise, her mother was still in her bathrobe, her hair in curlers. Susanna tried not to laugh as her mother came closer and sat down.

"The prince is coming to New York with you!" her mother cried, mechanically reaching over and rubbing the cream cheese off Susanna's face.

"Mother," Susanna moaned and flapped her mother's hands away.

"You must introduce him to all our friends," her mother continued. "You know, the Rutherfords, the Seaborgs, the Bohrs… oh no, wait, they're in Greece…"

"Mother, just let me handle this on my own, please?" Susanna said, sighing.

Her mother tsked, but then seemed to realize she was in her bathrobe.

"I'll see you at dinner," she said hurriedly, and then rushed off.

Susanna laughed, but finished her bagel in peace. She then took her cellphone off its clip on her pants, and dialed Vivian's number.

"Hello?" Vivian answered.

"Viv, it's me."

"Suzy!"

"Listen, you will not believe what I am about to tell you," Susanna said.

"What? What is it?"

"Guess what I am bringing home?"

"What? What?" Vivian said eagerly.

"Guess!" Susanna baited her.

"Suzy!"

"Fine. The prince!"

"What?!?" Vivian squealed.

"He wants to come to New York, so come to New York he shall," Susanna said, standing up and walking along the patio.

"Oh my God!" Vivian shrieked. "This is amazing! See? I was right. You don't hate him."

"I don't hate him… I strongly dislike him," Susanna said.

"Oh come off it. If you do hate him, what is the valid reason?" Vivian challenged.

Susanna paused. "I don't know, we've just never gotten along," she said, thinking.

"Really? There's no horrible story behind it all?"

"Not really. He used to boss me around as a kid… we had the same tutor and he used to brag about how he beat me in every subject… I guess it just sorta carried on into when we grew up."

"People change, Susanna," Vivian said.

Susanna hardened. "No they don't. They only pretend to to get what they want," she said. She heard Vivian sigh.

"You can't be that cynical, Suzy."

"Watch me," Susanna said, her eye catching the irises surrounding the mansion; they were her father's favorite.

"Well, I suppose I'll be seeing you and the prince quite soon, then?" Vivian said.

"Yes, I… I mean, we get in at five tomorrow."

"See you then, Suzy."

"Goodbye." Susanna hung up the phone with a click. She tossed it back onto the table and walked to the irises. She lowered herself down onto the balls of her feet, smelling the tall flowers' scent. A prick of tears formed behind her eyes, but she contained them.

"He's dead," she whispered, her only answer that of a summer breeze. She shook her head and stood up, and walked back to the table. She gathered up all her stuff, and with one last look, she went inside.

She dropped her stuff off at the kitchen and went back to her room. She decided to take a bath, so she ran some hot water and went to her cabinet of bath collections. She took some bubble bath and scents and added them to the water. The scent of hibiscus, her favorite scent, soothed her overworked senses and she slid into the water.

She stayed in there for over half an hour, until she felt relaxed but rather pruny. She got out and decided she might as well look nice for dinner, and so got dressed in a light, summery purple dress.

Still having over an hour until dinner, she began to pack her many suitcases back up with clothes. She tossed in her notes from the previous night and took some of the stuff from her bathroom.

Pausing for a moment, she went to her balcony, looking out on the sun setting across the Teleran countryside. She missed New York, but how much different would it be with the prince now there?

"I hope I've made the right choice," she said to herself, before going down to dinner.

"Take a taxicab at all times. Never the subway. Don't trust other people's directions. And don't go down any alleyway that is not properly lit."

The queen was giving Ryan some last minute advice before he left for New York. He ate his dinner quietly, not bothering to try and interrupt her. There was a pit in the bottom of his stomach, but whether it was anxiety or excitement, he couldn't tell.

When he had finally escaped dinner and his mother had shed a tear or two, he went back to his room, which looked empty except for the massive suitcases in the middle of the room. He undressed to his boxers; his pajamas were already in his suitcase. He lay on his back on his bed, contemplating what he supposed he would do once he got to New York. He fell asleep wondering.

The beginning of the rest of his life was about to begin.