New York Royalty

By: PrinceOfNewYork

Chapter Five: Did My Father Hire You?

Summary: In the world people are viewed in several different ways. Some are leaders, some are followers, some are somewhere in the middle, and some just get power through possessions. The concept of royalty can take on more than just one form.

Disclaimer: Most of these guys are mine, except for the few that ain't. And, if ya don't know which ones those are then you better go watch Newsies again.

A/N: Alright, this is my first shot at a Newsie fic, but I've been messin' with this character for over a year now, and it's about time she had her story put down (before I completely forget it all!) Thanks a bunch to all of ya who read this!

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The next day was Sunday, which meant the entire Snyder family would go to church. However, Julia woke the Princess up this morning. "Miss Snyder… Miss Snyder, time to get up."

The Princess responded by getting up obediently, but it was not until then that she realized it had not been her mother. "Julia… where is my mother? What's happening?"

"Miss Snyder, you've slept through church, you should go down stairs. There's a note on the table that you need to read."

The Princess listened to her elder, even though she was the cook of the house hold, she still got her respect. The young girl put on her robe and ran down the stairs into the living room. Sure enough, as Julia had said, there sat a hand written letter on the table. She picked up and read it.

Nigel,

I feel as though you are leaving me, and I will not allow that to happen. I apologize, but I can not live with you lying to me. I'm leaving for good, and I'm sorry that I didn't take the time to come and say good bye to you. I wish you the best in all you do. Good bye.

Amanda.

She read the letter over and over. Her mother was gone? It couldn't be. She looked all over the front, and all over the back, but there was no more explanation. "Mama!" she called as she ran towards her mother and father's room. She threw open the drawers, only to find most of her mother's clothes were gone. She ran then to the front closet, and threw it open as well. Her coat was gone too, as was her hand bag. She ran up stairs and looked in the library; some of her mother's books were gone as was most of her piano music.

Her mother was gone.

What was she going to do? She was twelve, and she had no mother, and practically no father… what was she going to do? She ran back down the stairs, tears streaming down her face and picked up the letter, she read it over again. There wasn't even mention of her. Her mother had forgotten of her completely.

"What am I supposed to do!" she yelled at the letter. "What do I do!"

Julia had watched the young Princess run though the entire house, and felt sorry for the young girl, virtually no parents, and practically on her own. She sat down to her on the couch and put her arm around the girl. "It's going to be alright, I'm here."

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Miss Snyder hated her father, more than anything in the world she hated him. This was all his fault. Had he kept coming home like he used to they wouldn't be in this mess. She continued to refuse to come out of her room on Saturdays and she let her father be all evening. She went to church with him in the morning, but she didn't speak a word to him the entire time.

Later that July, on a Saturday evening Mr. Snyder knocked on Miss Snyder's door. "Princess?" he called.

"Go away," was her only reply as she did not look up from her book. She'd gotten a hard edge since her mother left.

"There's someone I want you to meet," he said. Her first instinct was that her father had found some new potential wife, and that was the last thing that she wanted. Fortunately, she was wrong.

The door opened slowly, and a girl only two years older then Miss Snyder herself stood in the door. "Princess, this is Millie O'Connor. She's fourteen years old, and she has come to spend time with you."

Miss Snyder set her book down and examined the girl wary of making new connections, but the girl only smiled. She had red curls that fell down her back, most defiantly Irish. She seemed nice enough, so Miss Snyder stood up. "My name is Mary Ann," she said without smiling.

"But you'll call her Miss Snyder," Nigel said, and Millie nodded. Miss Snyder glared at her father with hatred still. It was not his decision what she wanted to be called.

"I'll leave you two be for now," he said bowing out gracefully, and closing the door behind him.

Miss Snyder sat back down on her bed and picked up the book she had been reading. "What're you readin' miss?" she asked in a thick Irish accent.

"Oliver Twist," she said in monotone.

"Ah, I see," she said nodding.

"Did my father hire you?" she asked.

"Aye, that he did miss."

"You know, you can call me Mary, or Mary Ann if you like."

"I would, but if 'e 'eard me miss I fear I'd lose m' job."

Still, she was glad it wasn't Princess, so it could be worse. Miss Snyder sighed. "Alright."

The room got silent.

"Might I ask… miss… why don't ye like ye fathur?"

"My mother left because of him. He only came home once a week, and my mother thought he was lying to her, and she got angry, and left."

The room got silent again.

"Would ye… tell me about 'er?"

Miss Snyder looked at the girl. She tried to figure out why she was prying. Then she realized she wasn't, she was just trying to get to know her. She felt a little silly. She wasn't even giving the girl a chance. "Well, she was very pretty, and she used to play the piano…"

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Alright, now we got a friend on the scene. Neat huh? Well, you'll see another update come this friday as always. Thanks to all my reveiwers in advance. See you friday!