Author's Note: So...the end. I lied, said there would be a couple more chapters but instead I just gave it all to you in one big long chapter rather than a few short ones. I hope you all liked the story. I've got an idea for my next story already, and I'm really excited about it. Look for it in the coming weeks! I'm also considering possibility of continuing this one in a sequel, but we'll see about that...
A loud, pounding knock at Mia's bedroom door was her unpleasant awakening from a short sleep last night. She and Michael had stayed up until almost five in the morning. Talking, kissing, laughing, cuddling, kissing, making out, watching movies, kissing... Mia smiled, rubbing her bleary eyes and checking her bedside clock. Nine-thirty. Meaning that she'd had five and a half hours of sleep.
Barely enough to perform her princess duties on. Luckily, today was just another day of fun and relaxation with her friends at Mia's Genovia castle. Mia laughed out loud bitterly to herself. Fun? Relaxation? Who was she kidding?
She had to talk to Lilly. As much as she didn't want to, she knew it was the right thing to do. Lilly would be stubborn, she would jump to conclusions, she would be angry and overexaggerate everything, but Lilly was still Mia's best friend. And Mia couldn't stand her being mad at her. Remembering the knock on the door at once, Mia leapt up from her bed and ran blindly towards her bedroom door, pulling it open in haste. Hoping to see Michael standing there.
No such luck. Mia's best friend stood there, wearing a stony expression. "We need to talk," she demanded, and barged right into Mia's room, slamming the door shut behind her. Her hair was a mess, she was still in her pyjamas, and she looked like she hadn't slept a wink at all the previous night. Lilly collapsed down onto Mia's bed.
"Explain."
Mia looked at Lilly, puzzled. "Lilly? You were the one who just came in here and told me we had to talk. So, you kind of initiated it. Which means you probably have something to say... don't you?"
Lilly frowned at Mia. "No, you have some explaining to do. Tell me how long this has been going on. Tell me why you didn't tell me. Tell me why you chose my brother, of all people, to cheat on your boyfriend, who loves you, by the way, with. Start from the beginning, and don't leave anything out."
"I just woke up, Lilly," Mia moaned.
Her response was a cold glare and a menacing frown.
"Okay, fine," Mia relented. "I didn't tell you about me and Michael before because I thought you'd freak out. I knew you'd react like this. So I kept it a secret. Also, I didn't tell you because I didn't want Kenny to find out. I wanted to tell him on my own time."
Lilly interrupted. "I'm your best friend! I wouldn't tell your boyfriend!"
"No, but you'd be mad at me for liking your brother. And Lilly, it wasn't like you made it out to be. I didn't use you as a way to meet your brother. I didn't even know he was your brother when you and I became friends. Believe me, that first time I ran into him in your hallway, I was pretty surprised to see him there."
Mia thought she saw Lilly's expression soften a bit. "Listen, Lil, I'd never do anything to hurt you. It's just that... I don't know, I started talking to Michael a lot more and then I realized that I really, really liked him. I never really wanted to date Kenny. I don't know. You know me, I felt guilty and didn't want to say no to him." Mia looked down at her hands, realizing how wrong her actions had been. "But Michael. Then there was Michael, and I just couldn't say no to him."
Lilly was silent for a moment.
"Lilly, please. You've got to believe me. I never, ever used you to get closer to your brother. I'd never do that to you." Mia's eyes began to fill with tears. "You're the best friend I've ever known, and I never want to lose that."
Again, Mia's words were met with Lilly's silent.
"And that's all I have to say."
Lilly breathed in and out deeply. And then she spoke, softly. "Are you in love with him? My brother?"
Mia's eyes widened and she went to sit down beside Lilly on her bed. "I don't know, Lil. How do you know when it's love?"
"You just know." Lilly paused. "Are you?"
Mia thought for a moment, which was ironic. Because she knew in her heart, she didn't need to think about it. The answer was clear. And she knew the answer better than she'd really ever known anything else in her entire life. "Yes," she said, softly.
Lilly smiled. "You and Michael really deserve each other, Mia. I'm not mad at you. Or him. I just wish you could have told me. I guess I would have reacted like you thought, though. I would have needed some time to get used to it. But really, there's no one I'd rather see you with more."
"You don't know how much that means for me to hear you say that, Lil," said Mia, smiling.
The days passed by quickly. Kenny stayed away from Michael and Mia, often opting to stay in his guest room and play video games rather than spending time with the others. When he did spend time with them, his hours were spent sitting away from the group, scowling at Michael and Mia, who were trying not to rub it in Kenny's face too much that they were together now.
The rest of the group was having a great time. They played huge games of extreme hide and seek in the castle, hung out in each others' rooms until the wee hours of the morning talking and laughing and playing juvenile games of truth or dare, went swimming in the castle's swimming pool, had picnics in the royal Genovian castle gardens... Though it had gotten off to a rocky start, it had truly been a wonderful vacation. A vacation Mia would never forget, she thought as she smiled into her mirror on their last afternoon in Genovia.
The important ball was tonight and the group was going back home to New York the next morning. For once in her life, Mia was actually excited about going to a ball. She never had been back when she lived here. But then, she hadn't had tons of awesome friends who'd be going with her. No, she had been forced to socialize with other young royals and children of diplomats.
For this ball, she had the prettiest dress she'd ever owned in her life to wear. Actually, the prettiest dress she'd ever seen. It was a gorgeous shade of deep blue like the ocean that reflected a dark, jade green when she moved. It was long, all the way down to the floor, and strapless at the top. A long straight line of small pearl buttons ran down the back of the dress. Simple, but very elegant. Beautiful.
As she sat staring into the mirror thinking about the upcoming night, Paolo, Mia's personal stylist, burst in her bathroom door and immediately called in his assistants. "Amelia!" he exclaimed, fawning over her. "It has been much too long, much too long, princess!" Tsking audibly, he continued. "Just like your hair is much too long. Do they have no stylists in New York, Amelia?"
He turned to his assistants, leaving Mia no time to respond. A small smile crept across her face. He hadn't changed in the least. "Gretchen! Helga! Prepare some blonde dye!" He weaved his fingers through her hair, concentrating hard.
After what seemed like hours, Paolo finally finished with Mia. "You can look now, Princess. And thank me later," he said dramatically, as he gathered up his assistants and made his exit. "I am on to work on your friends, as the dowager princess has asked me to attend to them as well for tonight."
Mia walked back into the bathroom and was surprised to see her reflection. Paolo hadn't cut very much length from her hair, but he'd dyed it back to its glimmering, pretty blonde shade and curled it in wide sections, leaving it falling down on her shoulders. Her face had been bronzed, eyebrows plucked, lips glosses, eyes shadowed and lined, cheeks blushed..
Michael was going to die when he saw her.
Seriously. He was going to die. Mia had never seen herself looking as pretty. "Thanks, Paolo," she murmured to herself, fingering a loose curl.
Mia went back into her bedroom and changed into her dress. She walked over to her dresser to find some jewelry to match the gorgeous dress and the simple silver sandals she wore and found an unfamiliar, ornately decorated box sitting on top of it. She opened it and gasped. A beautiful, white gold necklace made of an intricate design of sapphires and diamonds along with matching earrings gleamed up at her.
The family jewels, of course. Mia had worn them before, to her many balls and important affairs before she'd left the country last year. But never these. Grandmere had always told her she was saving them for a special occasion. Mia had assumed that meant she would never get to wear them.
A note fluttered out from the box and Mia caught it before it hit the floor.
Unfolding the stiff, clean beige-coloured paper, Mia read the note inside.
"Amelia,
It's time for you to have these. You have made me proud.
Love, Grandmere."
It was enough to bring tears to her eyes. These were possibly the kindest words she had ever heard from Grandmere. Though there was no time for crying now. The ball would be starting. Mia could hear the guests arriving and the gentle harp music playing below and she took one last look at herself in the mirror, admiring the jewels Grandmere had given her and the beautiful dress she wore. Sighing in content, she walked slowly out of her room and down the hallway towards the main staircase, where the important guests were given their introductions.
Mia stood at the balcony for a moment, looking down at the people below. She spotted a few of her friends. Kenny, sulking in the corner holding a glass of champagne. She had no idea who had given him that. From the looks of it, that one glass probably wasn't going to be his last of the night. Tina, talking to some cute prince Mia vaguely recognized as Lilly stood beside, looking bored, although pretty. Paolo had done a good job on both of them.
She didn't see Michael anywhere, so she sighed and began to walk down the stairs. "Her Royal Highness, Amelia Mignonette Grimaldi Thermopolis Renaldo, Princess of Genovia," the man announced as she walked down the stairs and into the ballroom below. Mia smiled graciously as the majority of the guests turned and looked up at her.
Immediately upon her entrance of the ballroom, Lilly and Tina descended upon her, both exclaiming and talking very fast at the same time. "You look so gorgeous, Mia," Tina gushed. "Your hair! And the dress! That dress is the most beautiful dress I've ever seen," she trailed off, awestruck.
"Please," Mia said, laughing. "You guys look great too!"
Tina's shiny black hair was in a beautiful updo and she wore a pretty pink ball gown with a fluffy skirt covered in beads. Lilly was wearing a green dress that went straight all the way down to her ankles and was held up by thin straps at the shoulders. "Your stylist, Paolo? He's a miracle worker," Lilly said, laughing. "I didn't even mind getting my makeup done by him!"
"Yeah, and you look fabulous," Mia laughed.
"Just wait until Michael sees you..." Tina said, smiling.
Mia blushed. "Where is he?"
Tina shrugged.
"He's around here somewhere," Lilly answered. "I'm going to go get a drink. I'll see you guys around later," she said, walking in the direction of the refreshments.
The prince Mia had a vague recollection of meeting previously came up to Tina at that moment and whispered something in her ear. Tina giggled, and turned to Mia. "Hey, Mia, I'm going to go off and dance with Henry," she said, already walking away.
Mia sighed. This was great. Where the heck was her boyfriend?
As her friends were gone off and having a great time, Mia took a seat by herself off the dance floor and talked to the random people that passed by every few minutes to initiate some small talk with the princess. Grandmere came by, and Mia thanked her by grabbing her and giving her a great big hug, which surprised Grandmere to a great extent. But no Michael. He was nowhere to be found.
When her cousin Rene came up and asked her to dance moments after Grandmere had left her side, she reluctantly agreed. She had been hoping to share the first dance of the night with Michael. Rene whisked Mia off on to the dance floor. At least he was a good dancer, Mia thought as she whirled around the floor in Rene's arms.
Towards the end of the song, Mia felt a slight tap on her shoulder and stopped dancing. She turned around and there he was. Michael, in all his shining glory. Brown hair shining under the candlelit dance floor, chocolate eyes twinkling, his face in his adorable half-smile. And in a gorgeous tuxedo that he just looked born to wear.
Rene got the clue very quickly when Mia's face burst out into a smile upon seeing Michael and walked away.
The half-smile Michael had been wearing turned into a much, much larger smile when he took Mia's whole appearance in. He stared at her, unable to speak. She'd never looked so gorgeous.
"I think I just saw your jaw drop, Moscovitz," Mia whispered playfully, taking one of Michael's hands and drawing him in closer to her.
"I don't think it's the first time it's happened around you, Thermopolis," Michael whispered back, in an equally playful tone. He took her other hand and placed her hands around his shoulders, then placing his own around her waist. Slowly, they began to dance in time with the slow music.
Nothing was said for a long moment, but then Michael spoke, his voice barely audible in Mia's ear. "You look beautiful."
Mia blushed, and she was thankful that her face was buried into Michael's neck so he couldn't tell how much such a simple statement affected her.
They danced and danced. The guests started leaving, the candles were dying down, but a few couples still scattered the dance floor and the hallways of the Genovian castle. Mia and Michael left the ballroom and walked upstairs, then out into the night on the large balcony at the front of the palace.
Mia went to the edge of the balcony and sat down on the cold stone, being careful of her dress. Michael came over and sat right beside her, putting an arm gently around her shoulders and pulling her in closer to him. She rested her head on his shoulder, looking out at the night sky and all the twinkling stars that dotted the black night.
"This trip has been unforgettable," Michael said, breaking a long silence with a soft statement.
"I know," said Mia, and laughed a little, quietly. "It was never this great to be here back when I actually lived here."
Michael turned around, still seated, so that he was facing Mia. He took both her hands in his and then leaned forward, resting his forehead gently against hers. He looked down at their hands, joined together. Mia's fingers weaved through his own. And he knew, he'd never had anything so special before in his entire life.
Sighing deeply, she moved in closer and brought her lips to his in a sweet, short kiss. She pulled away first, breathless.
He remained still, glued to his spot. Eyes shut, lips eagerly awaiting more. Mia smiled to herself and moved closer to him, seating herself daintily in his lap and wrapping her arms around his neck, placing her lips back on his. She lifted her hands from his and ran her fingers through his hair. His own hands were on her cheeks, her arms, her knees. In her hair. Pulling her in, desperately.
And then they both had to pull away, for lack of oxygen. Mia rested her head on Michael's chest and rotated her face so that her blue eyes met Michael's brown eyes. She could see them twinkling in the night and she saw herself, smiling blissfully, reflected in them. She never wanted to look away.
Michael leaned down and kissed her again, briefly. When he pulled away, he didn't pull away very far and Mia could feel his cool breath on her cheeks. He stopped smiling and his face took on a serious expression.
"Mia," he said, slowly.
She smiled, and he smiled back, his eyes remaining serious. That familiar half-smile she loved so much...
"I love you," he said softly, unexpectedly.
Mia's heart nearly stopped. Nearly. She recovered just enough to respond. Lifting her hand to his head, she twirled a piece of his shiny brown hair around her finger. She knew what to say, and the words just flowed out. "I love you too, Michael," she answered, and the smile she recieved back from him was nearly enough to make her forget about anything and everything that existed outside of Michael and herself.
One smile from Michael and Mia's stomach got butterflies. One kiss, her mind became a mess. One 'I love you' from Michael's lips and Mia's world was turned upside down. And she didn't mind it at all.
