Wouldn't It Be Lovely?

Disclaimer: I don't own Power Rangers or Choices.

A/N: It is waaaaaay past my bedtime as I finish this and I have work tomorrow! Good thing I work in a cafe and am surrounded by coffee...! XD

Chapter 3: Paper Faces on Parade

The flight to Cordonia was a little under eight hours long. Fran currently had her head buried in a book, having long since fallen down the rabbit hole of reading mere moments after take off. Beside her, Dom too had his head in a book, though he had peppered Fran with anecdotes and opinions when he'd succeeded in getting her to take a break and eat something.

Across from the pair, Casey was deeply asleep, his chair tilted all the way back. Though he'd firmly deny it, soft snores punctured the otherwise silent flight.

When the plane began its descent toward Cordonia, Dom gently tapped Fran on the shoulder. "Hey Fran," he said quietly. "You might want to take a look out the window."

Fran slipped a bookmark into her book and closed it before following Dom's suggestion.

Oh, was she glad she that she listened.

The countryside was picturesque, it like something out of a book of fairytales. Houses and other buildings were scattered along gorgeous rolling hills of emerald, the water was a clear, sparkling sapphire, and atop the largest hill was a magnificent palace glittering with gold and shining marble pillars. It was an architectural masterpiece both in the ancient glory of the past and the gleaming potential of the modern future.

"It's gorgeous," Fran breathed. "It's so beautiful, I can't take my eyes off of it."

"If you start crying over how pretty Cordonia is," Casey groused as he forced himself into wakefulness, "I'm throwing myself off this plane."

Fran rolled her eyes. "You do that then," she shot back. "I'm just taking in the work of art you all apparently live in."

Dominic grinned. "Keep talking like that and the king and queen are gonna love you. The press will too."

"You're definitely going to want to be on the good side of the press while you're here," Casey advised. "Or they'll throw you to the wolves without a second thought."

Fran slanted him a look. "Are you always so full of doom and gloom, Casey?"

"I'm just very much steeped in reality," Casey replied. "You think you're the first girl who's caught RJ's intrigue? Hardly. They've gone in and out of his life faster than it takes to dance the Cordonian Waltz. If you're not careful, you'll be just like them."

Dom scoffed at Casey's warning. "Ignore him," he told Fran. "Case is just a little overprotective of RJ, with the prince being his number one best friend and all that. You'll do great and I have no doubt you'll easily win over the Royal parents and the press."

Fran flashed him a thin smile. "Right," she murmured. She just needed to win over an entire kingdom, including its royal family and nobility while attempting to balance her life as a graduate student.

Easy peasy.

Casey smirked at Fran's sudden show of nerves. "You know," he began casually. "It's not too late to ask the pilot to turn this plane around and take you back to Ocean Bluff."

Fran shook her head before straightening her posture, locking eyes with him, resolute. "No," she replied firmly. "There will be no need for that. I'm going to survive this social season and I'm going to see that RJ survives it too."

Casey leaned in closer to her, a challenge in his dark brown eyes. "Even if he doesn't pick you?"

Fran lifted her chin. "Even then. RJ is someone who I care about; whether he is a prince or he isn't one."

That answer seemed to placate Casey. "Well, I guess you'll be one of the rare people who see RJ as someone other than the heir to the kingdom. And trust me when I say that's rare."

Fran said nothing as she recalled the previous night when RJ said he felt more like a puppet than a human being. It seemed like Casey actually had a point. Well then, she would have to do everything in her power to show RJ and Casey that she wasn't some stupid crown chaser; that she wanted to see RJ again. To see the kind and funny man she had met the previous night.

Little did Fran know that she had succeeded in her mission with at least one of the men on her mind.

Fran found herself having to use nearly every ounce of willpower to not gawk at her gorgeous surroundings and actually pay attention to the path to her room in the palace.

She still couldn't believe that she was going to be living at the palace for months!

It was just such a magnificent sight up close. She wished she could take the time to examine the architecture and learn about the palace's history. How old was the edifice, who built it, who helped decorate it... what the people were like who walked the halls, no matter their class.

Hopefully if RJ had the time, he wouldn't mind Fran pestering him with such questions.

In what felt like no time at all, Dominic and Fran arrived at the front door of her suite. Casey had ditched them both as soon as the trio had set foot inside the palace, muttering something about trying to find actual food before dealing with anyone from the court.

Fran twisted the ornate doorknob and couldn't quite suppress a gasp as she took in her room. There were various works of art hanging on the walls, a plush queen-sized bed gilded in gold and piled with soft, frilly pillows along with the thickest comforter Fran had ever seen. She shot Dom an appreciative grin when she took in a decent sized oak writing desk, shining with a fresh coat of lemon scented polish. It was sat next to a tall bookshelf, each row lined with tomes of various sizes and subjects.

The bathroom was made of smooth, pink marble. A bowl filled with potpourri that lightly scented the room was placed on the large sink, an enormous mirror taking up nearly half a wall.

Fran's favorite part of the whole room, despite the full bookshelf, was the balcony. Twin windows that reached from ceiling to floor opened out to a curved balcony that must have been at least ten feet long and ten feet wide. Small sculpted pillars provided the support to a stone banister. There was a chaise lounge and a small round glass table tucked into the corner.

Fran stepped out onto the balcony and took in the view. The water seemed even lovelier this close and the trees were so thick and lush. 'If only America could look this pretty year round.'

Dom came out onto the balcony and leaned against the banister, lightly nudging Fran out of her thoughts. "So?" He asked. "What do you think?"

"I think I'm going to have to make the effort to get up early in the mornings to watch the sunrise from here," Fran answered. "And if I have any time, watch the sunset." "You'll definitely have more chances to watch the sunrise rather than the sunset, if I'm going to be perfectly honest," Dominic admitted. "But I promise you the sky is going to be gorgeous either way."

"I can't wait," Fran said. "Watching the stars from up here too must be fantastic."

"From up here, sure," Dom agreed. "Or from the observatory."

Fran turned to him, eyes huge. "There's an observatory here?" She all but squeaked.

"I'll have to get RJ to take you," he laughed. "He loves going up there and it's not exactly far from here."

"He might not love going there when he learns that I have no plans of shutting up."

"I dunno," Dom mused with a shrug. "That place really has a way of even the most talkative fall silent."

"Well that should be a good thing for me," Fran snorted. "I've been told to shut up plenty of times before." She idly twirled the end of one of her pigtails around her finger, an air of insecurity clinging to her.

"I used to be called Toto for how much I talked...yapping, people called it. And Toto is a dog... originally from a book..." She drifted off and shrugged, keeping her gaze firmly on the water in the distance.

"Well, I for one, find your conversation interesting," Dom assured her as he gently placed a hand on her shoulder. "I know RJ does too. He definitely didn't tell us everything you guys talked about but when we met back up at the club, the walk back to the hotel and for practically the entire rest of the night, RJ talked about you. He lit up, came to life in such a way he hasn't been in months. So, whatever it was you said or did for him was some kind of magic because honestly? RJ hasn't really felt like the guy I know as my best friend in a really long time."

"Thank you, Fran."

Fran blushed at the praise, biting her lip to hold back a too-wide smile and the tears that threatened to appear due to the sincerity of Dom's voice.

She cleared her throat and gave a small smile, hiding partially behind her shoulder as she looked over to him. "You're welcome."

She blew out a long breath, averting her gaze back to the horizon. "Be honest with me, Dominic. Do you really think RJ will be happy that I'm here? Or is he...I don't know... is he going to think I'm some sort of creepy, psychotic stalker?"

Dominic tried and failed to stifle a snicker. "That's a descriptive way to talk about your nerves! And it's the completely wrong way. You should absolutely be here. Look, I've been friends with RJ since childhood. I know him pretty well, even if he never says a word. I'm like, ninety-five percent sure that if he wasn't the crown prince of a kingdom who had to go through protocol and the social season, he would have totally asked you out already."

Fran was silent for a moment, thinking. "We did exchange emails...I guess that counts for something?"

Dom was surprised. "So that's what he was adding to his phone all sneaky- like. He was giving you an official contact in his phone. AKA uh yeah, I think it's safe to say that RJ is going to be stoked to see you."

"Only one way to find out."

Dom glanced down at his watch and jolted at the time. "Well you'll be finding out sooner rather than later! We only have an hour until the masquerade starts!"

'Wow...I guess time flies when nerves get the best of you.' Fran thought to herself. Then she caught on to what Dom had said about tonight. "Masquerade?"

"Yeah, it's typically the opening event of the social season. An admittedly fun time where we get to dress up while keeping a sort of air of mystery when it comes to the ladies who are the season's eligible suitors."

Fran cocked a hip out and placed a hand on it. "A good way to sneak a commoner into the ranks of the nobility, eh?"

"Please," Dom snorted. "Plenty of commoners have been elevated into the nobility." He looked away for a second before looking back to her. "Even some royal family members. However, that's not my story to tell and you really need to get ready."

He walked back into Fran's room before turning back to look at her, nerves suddenly creeping onto his face. "You... wouldn't happen to have a ballgown of some sort in there would you? Or a mask?"

Fran laughed. "As a matter of fact, I do! I thought V was being silly but I guess she had really good foresight!" She looked at Dominic curiously. "I take it you didn't give her a heads up if you're asking me about my dress?"

Dom shook his head. "I didn't tell her anything."

"Good foresight it is then," Fran concluded as she began shooing Dom toward the door. "Now please scoot so I can get changed! You probably do too."

"I do," Dom agreed. "But if you need any sort of assistance, there's a boutique two floors down and on the left after you round a corner. Should be a few people there."

"Noted. Thank you!"

Fran closed the door behind Dom and dove for her luggage. She had less than an hour to look the part of a member of court and she wasn't going to give any of the other ladies room to doubt that.

She grabbed her makeup bag, hairbrush and curling iron first. Sure, her hair was naturally wavy, but she thought it might be fun to take things up a notch.

Slipping into the bathroom, Fran first plopped down her makeup bag and then she plugged in her curling iron. Placing that down a safe distance to warm up, she took her hairbrush and gently ran it through cold water under the tap. Then she quickly and carefully brushed her hair, straightening it a bit.

She then carefully removed her glasses before pulling out her contact lenses case. As she gingerly put the lenses in, Fran mentally grumbled about the necessity of using her contacts, wishing for what felt like the umpteenth time that costume masks could come with specialized lenses for glasses wearers. While Fran could usually handle wearing contact lenses, she didn't always like the fuss that came with wearing them and knew that some people couldn't wear contacts at all in the stead of glasses.

As her curling iron continued to warm, Fran turned her attention to her cosmetics. She fished out eyeshadow, mascara, blush and lipstick. Typically she would only wear lipstick and maybe blush if she felt like it; but thanks to the Rocca sisters' careful tutelage, she would be able to go all out tonight. The final item she dug out was a small bottle of hairspray to help set her curls.

"My apologies to the environment," Fran muttered. "It should only be for a night."

Once the curling iron was ready, Fran went about wrapping thick tendrils of her chestnut colored hair around the iron, holding it in place for nearly a minute before spraying it and letting fall around her face. Luckily for her, the entire process took less than twenty minutes.

Carefully pulling the curls back into a ponytail, Fran began to sweep blush onto the apples of her cheeks, making sure to make this a "Goldilocks situation" as Maddie had once likened it. Not too much and yet not too like little.

Her face a satisfactorily sparkly sheen of light pink, Fran then moved on to her eyes. A soft shade of lavender went onto her eyelids, a dash of smoky silver in the corners. Black mascara was painstakingly used to make her lashes look fuller.

I'm wearing a mask, Fran couldn't help but internally whine as she carefully worked on her right eye, the left one already done. Why am I worrying so much? Still, Fran carried on in her ministrations.

Finally, Fran reached for a tube of plum wine lipstick. A lovely shade of pink just dark enough it looked almost violet. It stood out against Fran's pale skin but also made her lips appear even fuller than they naturally were and brought the overall effect of her makeup together.

Exiting the bathroom, Fran pulled her dress out and froze. Shoot, she had completely forgotten about the corset style lace ties in the back of the dress. No way she could do them up alone! Well, at least she had the option of getting help from someone at the palace boutique.

Y'know... if she sprinted... and didn't get lost...

Dom's directions were rather vague.

Less than ten minutes later Fran discovered to her surprised delight that while Dom's directions did sound vague, they were accurate. Speed walking ten feet down the hallway she entered the boutique. Only to discover that it was empty.

"Great..." Fran groaned. "Guess I'll be doing this the hard way."

Genuinely figuring that the boutique would be empty, including the dressing rooms, Fran selected one at random and opened the door.

"Ahhh!"

A blonde woman shrieked and held her dress up in an attempt to cover herself. Horrified, Fran slammed the door shut and leaped backwards as if the handle had burned her. She whipped around to place even more distance between the changing room and herself.

"I am sooooooo sorry!" She squeaked. "I really didn't think anyone was in here!"

"Oh... it's alright," the woman assured her after a moment. She stepped out of the changing room, a friendly smile on her face. "I'm Lily Chilman."

"Fran Morelli."

"Would you mind helping me zip up my dress?" Lily asked a little shyly.

"Sure."

Lily turned around and Fran zipped her in. Lily then picked up a glittery yellow mask and fitted it over her face before turning back and striking a pose. "What do you think?"

Lily was garbed in a cheery yellow one-shoulder strap chiffon dress that was embroidered with small sparkly sapphire flowers. The dress had a slim A-line frame and fell to her ankles. Her voluminous golden waves fell over her shoulder, secured with a sapphire studded gold clasp.

"You look lovely," Fran told her. "You'll absolutely light up the ballroom."

"Thanks!" Lily beamed. She nodded to the dress draped over Fran's arms and the heels hanging from her hand. "Need any help with that?"

"Actually, I will," Fran replied. "With the back laces.""Ooh, that's going to be quite a look! I can totally help."

"Alright," Fran agreed as she moved into a different dressing room. "Be right back."

She carefully slipped into the dress, a creation of satin and organza. The deep violet bodice had a sweetheart neckline decorated with gold thread roses. The full violet skirt of a solid color flared at her waist and fell to her feet. Knowing that Lily would assist her with the golden laces on the back, she shod her feet with golden heels-the shoes being a gift from Clare years ago, one that Fran was never sure if she would actually use.

Fran picked up her dress, took a steadying breath and walked out of the room. "Do I look okay? This dress isn't too much...is it?"

"You look so regal!" Lily gasped. She darted behind Fran and began doing up her laces. "Did you get this dress made?

"Kinda," Fran answered. "This was originally my mom's prom dress. Er, well, the bodice is. The skirt is made from fabric I chose and actually I asked to have the back done corset-style when my mom offered to have it upcycled for me."

"Upcycled?" Lily asked with a tilt of her head as she finished off tying up Fran's dress with a tight bow at her waist.

"It's when you take old clothes, yours or clothes you've inherited or maybe even found and give them a makeover so to speak."

"Oh, that sounds like fun."

"Yeah, it can be," Fran agreed as she turned and flashed Lily a grateful smile. "Thank you for your help."

"My pleasure."

Fran placed her mask down on a cushioned bench in the middle of the small aisle of changing rooms before stepping over to a full-length mirror. She pulled her curls free from her hair tie; then carefully took twin curls and pulled them back. She secured them with her hair tie, keeping them from getting caught in her mask.

Fran had a mask made of delicate, lacy metal that was painted purple and edged in gold. The left side was structured to look like a large butterfly wing whereas the right side looked like a typical Venetian mask. She set the mask over her face and turned to look at Lily. "Think I'll make a good impression?" Fran asked her.

"You'll make a great impression," Lily assured her.

"Well then," Fran said as she held out her arm to Lily. "Shall we?"

Giggling, Lily hooked her arm into Fran's. "We shall."

Fran's breath was stolen away by the sight of the ballroom. The floor was made of a shining salmon marble with the walls painted a powder blue, adorned with gilded scrollwork. There were sculptures, tapestries and paintings that lined every wall. But what sent Fran's heart into double-time was the sudden view of three large thrones, ornately carved and padded with crushed crimson velvet. One throne for the King of Cordonia, one for the Queen and one for RJ. For Prince Robert James.

Fran felt like she couldn't quite forget that. No matter what.

"Wow," she breathed, suddenly grateful for Lily's arm still looped through her own as they waited just outside of the ballroom for the herald to announce them.

She was startled out of her awe when Dominic made his presence known. "Well!" He greeted her jovially. "Don't you clean up nice!"

It was on the tip of Fran's tongue to retort that he had basically said the same thing back in Ocean Bluff when she remembered that that particular bachelor party had been a secret and with Lily's presence, not an event that Fran could bring back. Instead she smiled brightly at her friend and thanked him. She took in his charcoal suit decorated with looping silver embroidery, complete with a matching half cape that fell to his waist and a silver half-mask so shiny it almost looked white. "You look very dashing!" Fran complimented Dom. "This might not be appropriate to say, but I'm getting definite 'Phantom of the Opera' vibes."

"That may or may not what I was going for," Dom confessed with a laugh.

"Ooh, I totally see it!" Lily agreed. "Also, don't worry Fran, court life isn't entirely stuffy as it seems."

"No, it's only stuffy like, ninety-eight percent of the time," Dom informed her, only a tiny bit serious. "Anyway, you guys are close to being announced by the herald. As you're being sponsored by my house Fran, you're entitled to use Lady as your title. You could also reference your home city as part of your announcement or just your last name."

"Got it," Fran acquiesced with a nod.

"Want me to go first?" Lily offered kindly. "To see how it can be done?"

"Sure," Fran agreed with a grateful grin. "Thanks."

Lily smiled and slipped her arm from Fran's before going up to the herald and having a quiet word. She walked up to the top of the stairs just as the herald announced her as Lady Lillian Chilman.

"See?" Dom noted as he escorted Fran over to the herald. "Simple."

"So it is." Fran looked at the herald and politely requested that her full first name along with her last name be attached to the title of "lady." The herald nodded and gave her a friendly smile as she moved to the top of the stairs.

"Lord Dominic of House Hargan and Lady Francesca Morelli!"

"Wow," Dom glanced at her in surprise as the pair descended the stairs. "Your name is much fancier than I thought."

"Precisely why I prefer going by Fran most of the time."

"Should the king and queen address you, which actually, the former will in a bit, there's a good chance that Francesca will be used over Fran."

Fran shrugged. "I'll live."

"I should hope so. RJ will be very sad if that were the case otherwise." Dom then released her arm. "We have a few minutes before you need to greet the king. Wanna get something to drink?"

"All right."

Once they reached one of the refreshment tables laden with different beverages, Dom swept out a hand and asked Fran, "See anything in particular you'd like?"

Fran scanned the options before nodding to what appeared to be fruit punch. While she could understand that either champange or wine would typically be the drink of choice for such an event, Fran thought it might be prudent to keep an entirely clear mind when meeting both nobility and royalty for the first time. She accepted the drink handed to her in a cut crystal glass and sipped it, pleasantly surprised by the delicious blend of floral and fruity flavors. "This is amazing!" She exclaimed. "What is it?"

"Cresent Falls Punch," Dom repsonded. "Made from the fruits native to Fydelia, a county within one of Cordonia's duchies."

Before Fran could ask about Fydelia, she found her arm suddenly grabbed in a possessive hold. Keeping a solid grip on her drink despite being startled, Fran turned to see a blonde woman made tall by the stilettos she wore giving Fran a smile that reminded the latter of every single bully she had ever crossed paths with. She was draped in a form fitting strapless gown made of vibrant pink satin. Her hair was swept into a shining gold bun with a few tendrils framing her masked face. Her mask was hot pink and gold, the ends curving sharply and reminding Fran of an owl on the hunt and apparently Fran was her prey.

"You must excuse me, dear Dominic," she exclaimed in a voice dripping with faux saccharine sweetness. "But I'm afraid I must steal your little friend away so we can get to know one another."

Dom's answering smile was merely gritted teeth as he answered the new woman. "Actually, Cassidy, Francesca and I need to-"

Cassidy gave an exaggerated pout. "It'll only be for just a moment."

Fran flashed Dom a reassuring smile. Well, she tried to be as reassuring as possible given the current situation. "It's alright, Dom. I should probably be meeting the other ladies anyway."

Cassidy waggled her fingers at the nervous young man. "Toodles."

She all but dragged Fran over to a spot that was clear across the ballroom from where Dominic stood. "So," Cassidy began in an appraising, gossipy tone that definitely reminded Fran of the popular girls from high school. "Lady Francesca Morelli was it? Can't say I've heard of your house before. Is it nouveau?" Not giving Fran a chance to respond, she properly introduced herself. "I'm Duchess Cassidy Elizabeth Cornell of Lythikos. I take it this is your first time here at court?"

Fran nodded.

"Well, I hope you're much tougher than the butterfly you've decorated yourself with," Cassidy commented as she lightly traced the metal wing of Fran's mask. "Court can be seen as a battlefield for even the most seasoned of nobles."

Fran drew herself up to her full height. "Thank you for the concern Your Grace," she told the young duchess politely, noting the hint of surprise at Fran's knowledge of court etiquette no matter how basic. "But I do believe I can comport myself just as well as any other lady."

"We shall see," Cassidy responded airly. "A word of advice? When meeting with the king, be sure to greet him by kissing his shoe."

Fran bit her tongue in an effort not to snort at that. "Of course."

"I'm merely looking out for you as a newbie. You would do well to follow my advice."

"And what advice would that be, Duchess Cassidy?" A familiar, sarcastic voice drawled from behind her.

Peering over Cassidy's shoulder, Fran was both surprised and relieved to see Casey staring the bossy woman down. "Shouldn't you be getting in line to greet the king?"

Huffing at the interruption but deciding to let it slide, Cassidy smoothed out the skirt of her gown and smirked at Casey. "Yes, I suppose I should prepare to greet my future father-in-law," she sniffed haughtily. "Ta."

Fran rolled her eyes before pasting on a grin. "Thanks for the save."

"From her?" Casey asked. "Anytime, my lady." He grimaced as he apparently realized something and quickly sketched a bow.

"So you do have manners," Fran couldn't help but comment, her smile becoming teasing.

Casey narrowed his eyes, trying to search past the mask. His eyes widened in surprise when he made the connection. "Fran?!"

"Lady Francesca Morelli if I'm supposed to be formal."

"That's quite a...you look..."

"I look...?" Fran prompted him.

"Like a real lady of the court," Casey finally said. "Here's hoping you can survive acting like one."

"As I told Cassidy," Fran began. "I can handle myself just fine."

"Just be careful," Casey advised her. "Remember that a lot of the ladies here wear masks all the time. And I'm not referring to the costume piece you have on now. Don't let yourself get lost in the grandeur and ambition of the noble life."

Fran allowed herself to soften. "I won't."

Casey nodded, though his unmasked face clearly held doubt. "Good." He bowed once more and walked away.

Sighing, Fran scanned the ballroom for either Dominic or Lily, hoping that she wouldn't have to approach the line to king alone. Thankfully Lily quickly found her. "There you are!" She greeted Fran. "How are you liking the masquerade so far?"

"It's all so enchanting," Fran replied. "Even if there's been a bit of drama here and there."

"I noticed you were talking to Duchess Cassidy," Lily said. "How'd that go?"

"Clearly she was trying to put me in my place, but I'm not going to let her push me around."

"As you shouldn't," Lily agreed as they reached the line to greet the king. "We must greet King Finnegan before we can say hello to Prince Robert," Lily explained. "Just be polite, honest, and you'll do just fine."

"Seems easy enough," Fran said as she firmly pushed Cassidy's ridiculous "advice" out of her mind.

The line before her dwindled quickly and she found herself next to greet the king as Lily prettily gave her salutations to the ruler.

Fran found herself grateful for her mask as she forced her nerves to not show on her face once Lily moved away from the king and walked over to RJ's greeting line. Fran swept a deep curtsey to King Finnegan. "Your Majesty," she greeted softly.

"Welcome to court, Lady Francesca," King Finnegan responded as he raised her from her curtsey. The king was a tall man who cut a regal and rather imposing figure with his silvery blonde hair was long and tied back for the evening, mustache and beard neatly trimmed. Though he wore no mask, the king was still dashing in a royal blue brocade suit embroidered in silver and scarlet stitching.

"I see you've been selected to represent House Hargan in this year's social season," the king noted. Might I ask how you are finding Cordonia?"

"It's a gorgeous and very welcoming place, Your Majesty," Fran answered promptly. "I look forward to both getting to know Prince Robert and this land better."

The king smiled cordially at Fran, though she could make out some warmth in his hazel eyes. Eyes that were just a shade darker than RJ's. "That's very good to hear, Lady Francesca. We look forward to seeing more of you in court."

Fran swept another curtsey. "Thank you, Your Majesty." She carefully manuevered herself out of line, not wanting to be disrespectful by turning her back on the king. She found herself standing behind another lady in RJ's line instead of Lily. Yet despite the sliver of disappointment of not waiting with her new friend, Fran took advantaqe of standing alone to take a breath and center herself as she waited to be reunited with the crown prince. What was perhaps no more than fifteen minutes that had passed felt like mere seconds to Fran for the next thing she knew, she was at the very front of the line.

RJ bade farewell to the lady in front of her before turning and greeting her with a friendly smile that caused Fran's heart to skip a beat. "My lady," he bowed.

"RJ," she whispered.

Oooh! How's RJ going to react when he realizes that Fran has arrived in Cordonia in time for the social season? Stay tuned for the next chapter to find out!