AN: I've realised that when I'm writing, I always picture the characters looking a certain way; Sky as Lily James, only with blue eyes instead of brown. Zed as Matt Lanter with brown eyes. Marcus as Chace Crawford, only green-eyed. Phillip as Brant Daugherty. What do you think?

I hardly slept that night and Zed was determined not to let me sleep. He was bouncing off the walls, claiming that his band had just been signed by Universal Records. He was in a band with Nate, I knew that, but part of me had started to wonder if I was hallucinating or even coming down with something. That's why I pretended to be sick the next day.

'Oh you poor thing. You do look quite pale.' Lucy said, sympathetically, putting a glass of water by my bed. 'I'll let your teachers know. Get some rest.'

'Lucy, did Nate's band get signed last night?'

'You heard?' Her lips curled up into a pride smile. 'It's wonderful news, isn't it?'

I felt more queasey and I pulled the covers up to cover my mouth as I winced. I had heard. One way or another.

'I'll see you later. Get well soon.' She closed the curtains again and disappeared, leaving me to my own devices. I promptly pulled out my laptop and looked up the term savant, trying to find out what on earth was going on.

Savant Syndrome

Savant syndrome is a condition in which a person with a mental disability, such as an autism spectrum disorder, demonstrates profound and prodigious capacities or abilities far in excess of what would be considered normal.

I blinked. I had a mental disability? It was seeming highly likely at this point. I was believing that Zed was talking to me in my head. That must have been something unusual, surely? I tried soulfinder next, but the term wasn't recognised. Anywhere. Yep, I definitely was imagining things. My stomach churned and I wondered if my lack of sleep and stress had actually made me sick or if it was just God's way of telling me I shouldn't be skiving school.

I must have fallen asleep because it was 12:00 when I next looked at the clock. My body was sticky with sweat and I felt revolting. I forced myself to shower and then I dressed in jeans and a baggy jumper before returning to my room.

I haven't seen you at lunch. Where are you? Zed again. Really?

It's all in my head. Please go away.

It's not in your head, Sky.

Please Zed, you're hurting my head. And he was. My head throbbed and I groaned, holding it. I almost missed the small trickle of blood coming from my nose. Just like that, everything went silent as I wiped my body nose and drifted out of consciousness.

'Sky, are you okay?' Lucy asked when she returned that evening with a birthday cake. I felt guilty. It was her birthday and I'd not wished her a happy birthday.

'Happy birthday.' I said, quietly and she frowned, sitting beside me.

'Should I call a doctor? Or Sally and Simon? You're awfully pale.' She said, concern etched on her face.

'I'll be okay.' I replied, sitting up.

'I think you still need another day off tomorrow.' She sighed and I nodded, not feeling well enough to disagree.

'What did you get for your birthday?' I asked. She'd unwrapped the bag the girls and I had bought together at her house the previous weekend. Her worried face changed and her mouth tilted upwards into a small smile as she reached into her bag, pulling out an envelope. She passed it to me and my eyes widened. 'You're going to see Taylor Swift next Friday? That's awesome!'

'No, darling,' she took the four tickets, spreading them out like a fan between her fingers, 'we are going to Taylor Swift next Friday. And it is going to be awesome.'

I returned to school on Friday and I'd spent the whole day avoiding Zed as much as possible. I was still confused and pretty certain that my mind was playing tricks on me. I was sure that it's because the pressure of everything going on had just gotten too much. I stretched out my legs under the piano as I moved on from playing the composed piece for my music assignment due the following Friday.

'There I was again tonight

Forcing laughter, faking smiles

Same old tired lonely place

Walls of insincerity,

Shifting eyes and vacancy

Vanished when I saw your face

All I can say is it was enchanting to meet you

Your eyes whispered, "Have we met?"

Across the room your silhouette

Starts to make its way to me

The playful conversation starts

Counter all your quick remarks

Like passing notes in secrecy

And it was enchanting to meet you.'

I froze when I realised I was no longer alone. Zed stood in the doorway with his cocky smile and folded arms, watching me with an intense expression that made me feel uneasy.

'You need to stop doing that.' I told him, closing the piano lid. 'I ran over my time again, sorry.' I stood up and brushed down my plaid uniform skirt.

'It's okay, maybe I like hearing you sing.' He grinned and I blushed, looking down at the black rider boots on my feet. 'You have a lovely voice.' I shifted awkwardly and he walked over to me. 'How are you feeling?'

'Okay.' I replied.

'Lucy said it was your head?' He looked concerned and I nodded, taking a step back so that he was not too close. He reached for my head but then changed his mind and let his hand fall to his side. 'Was it my fault? Did I use telepathy too much?'

I blinked as realisation sank in. 'Was it real?'

He nodded before frowning. 'You didn't believe me, did you?'

'It sounds completely crazy. It is completely crazy. Can you blame me for not believing it?' I frowned and walked away from him, running my hand across the top of the piano. 'If this is real, what of the other stories I have been told as a child? Superheroes? Dragons? Witches?'

'Princesses?' He gave a lopsided smile at that. 'I guess we are superheroes, in a way. I mean, I can see the future, as can my mother. Have you noticed anything unusual?'

'Everything seems unusual.' I sighed.

'Sky?' I glanced up to see Marcus stood in the doorway with a beautiful bouquet of wildflowers.

I smiled at him, a genuine, surprised smile. 'What are you doing here?'

'I wanted to surprise you.' He replied. His eyes flicked across to Zed and I noticed a green aura glimmering around him. My eyes widened. A green aura? That wasn't normal. Could I see emotions? Was this jealousy.

'Uhm, this is Zed, he's in my music and p.e class.' I managed to get out as my heart hammered against my chest. I could see emotions? There was silence and it felt awkward as Zed gave Marcus a dirty look and he frowned in response. I grabbed my bag and songbook, walking over to Marcus and holding out my hand for him. 'Shall we go?'

He smiled down at me and we both visibly relaxed as he locked his fingers around mine, softly. 'Let's.'

Marcus took me out for dinner that evening, somewhere away from anywhere else, somewhere expensive but relaxing and romantic. Like a true gentleman, he walked me to my door and kissed me goodnight before leaving, although I couldn't get mine and Zed's conversation out of my head; I was a savant. And what he didn't know yet was that I could see people's emotions. No one knew. And I couldn't tell anyone, could I?

'Well this is a surprise.' I said to Nina when I opened my door to her the following morning after breakfast.

She frowned at me. 'Well you clearly did not check your e-mails.'

'I check my e-mails every day.' I held up my phone and showed her my Hotmail account.

She rolled her eyes. 'Your palace e-mails. Remember, we gave you that e-mail address to use?' The one that was in the file on my bedside table that I had completely ignored all week? Whoops. 'Never mind, come on, we've got places to be.'

'Places to be' ended up being Kensington, just a five minute walk from Kensington Palace. I'd never actually been to Kensington. I'd been to London, of course, visiting the galleries with Sally and Simon and I'd seen the main sights like Big Ben and the London Eye. But Kensington had never been a place I'd felt the need to visit. Wilfred turned the car into a private car park behind a large, iron gate which was being guarded by two security guards in a little security house. I swallowed when I realised they were both armed. Wilfred parked in a space and moved around to open the door for me. By this point I was used to it, so I waited until he had opened the door and I thanked him as I got out. Then I saw my parents.

'Sally! Simon! What are you doing here?!' I called out, excitedly as Sally pulled me into a hug and then Simon.

'Are you not pleased to see us?' Simon chuckled, kissing the top of my head.

'We missed you.' Sally said, a sad smile on her face.

I felt guilty. I'd hardly spoken to them over the last few weeks because everything had been so busy. Busy and not to mention overwhelming. 'I'm sorry I've not been in contact more.' I apologised.

'Don't worry about it.' Sally hugged me again.

I glanced up at the large period red brick building in front of me. Whatever the building was, it wasn't cheap and neither were the two parked cars which made Sally and Simon's Fiat Punto looked ridiculous. I recognised one of them straight away and I turned to Nina. 'My brother is here?'

She nodded and passed me a set of keys. 'Your highness, welcome to Kensington State apartments. The apartments are owned by the Royal family and this is where your his Royal Highness Prince Phillip lives.'

I looked at the set of keys in my hand; one was a long silver key and the other was a small gold key. 'So these are keys to my brother's apartment?'

'No, your highness, these are keys to your apartment.'

I had to type a code in to get into the main building, through the grand door and I was hardly surprised to see that there was a desk in the lobby like it was a hotel. Two security guards stood as I walked in and bowed at me, as did the person I assumed to be a porter. 'Your highness, an honor.' The porter said with a smile as he took off his hat. 'Do you have any luggage today?'

'No I haven't...' I trailed off, not knowing his name.

'Chadwick.'

I tried not to act phased by his unusual name, but I did my princessy part perfectly. I held out my hand and shook his. 'It's a pleasure to meet you, Chadwick.'

'Your highness, if you ever need anything then don't hesitate to let me know. I'm here from 8am until 8pm daily.'

That was a long day of standing about. 'Thank you.'

The lift to the first floor was old but beautiful and there was thankfully no lame elevator music. We left the elevator and I followed Nina past a store cupboard until we reached two doors. 'This is the Prince and Princess wing.' She told us, cheerily. She signalled to the first door. 'This is your front door, number 8.' Then she signalled to the door next to us. 'And this is number 9, Prince Phillip's apartment. Of course, there are lots of other rooms along this wing but they're only really used by guests nowadays.' She signalled to the locks. 'Would you care to do the honors?'

I turned the silver key first and then the gold, pleased that it was extra secure. Then I walked in. 'Holy crap.' Nina frowned and Sally giggled at my unladylikeness. But I couldn't help it. We'd walked into a large hallway with polished wooden floors, white walls and marble pillars, reaching up to the ceiling with a Georgian ceiling trim. There were wooden stairs leading down and I could see a reception room at the end of the hallway. The reception room was light and spacious with a white carpet, white sofa and two white leather chairs. There was a beautiful fireplace with a flatscreen television just above it and a glorious chandelier on the ceiling. I walked over to the large window and could see the courtyard garden below with its fountain, flowers and benches.

'The garden can be accessed downstairs.' Nina told me from behind me. 'Isn't it lovely?'

I simply just nodded in response and continued around the rest of the apartment. The next room I came across was the Master bedroom or the suite. And it was everything a princess could possibly have wanted. The walls were a very light shade of blue and the floor wooden with a large, fluffy white rug next to the bed. The bed itself was a masterpiece; a white bedframe with spiralled roses and swirls with a plush light blue headboard and a white canopy cascading down the wall, spilling out over each side of the bed from the white metal crown on the wall. The bed itself was decorated with a blue floral duvet, similar to the one in my dorm room, and had cushions of blue and white scattered on it. At each side of the bed was an antique-looking white bedside table with a lamp and a drawer. One wall was completely covered by a giant white wardrobe, decorated with full-length mirrors and painted detail. Then there was the dressing table and dresser and finally the large bay window with its own window seat, over-looking the view.

'Is it to your liking, your highness? We are more than willing to redecorate if this is not what you imagined.' Nina told me and I gawped at her.

'It's beautiful.' I smiled, really meaning it.

'It's very you.' Sally squeezed my shoulder as I admired the large ensuite bathroom.

'Prince Phillip helped with the interior design. He made a lot of the decisions.' Nina said with a smile that told me she admired my brother as much as I did. The other rooms were just as beautiful; there was a guest room with twin beds, both in blue with their own little canopy similar to the one in my room. Then there was the double guest room with a double bed, cream carpet, cream sofa, wardrober, dresser and cream duvet with a grey blanket and grey cushions scattered on it. There were two other bathrooms giving the apartment three in total. They were all modern-looking with fancy 'rain' showers, although my tub was definitely the best of them all; it had jets and everything! Downstairs, where the double guest bedroom was, there was another reception room with a black corner sofa and walls filled with books (heaven), and then there was the kitchen-diner with its polished marble counter tops and grand wooden table with comfy seats for six guests. The beautiful patio doors led out onto my own private terrace with outdoor seating and a few potted plants and then it led out into the courtyard garden, which was completely surrounded by the other buildings.

'Is it to your taste, your highness?' Nina asked me and I wondered if she thought I was a diva. I'd have been happy with a cosy little studio apartment somewhere. It was my own apartment. I was sixteen and had my own apartment.

'It's absolutely perfect.'

'This is your apartment to use when you please but we do suggest calling the front desk to let them know you're planning on visiting so that they can ensure you have stocked cupboards and fridges and they'll always put the fire on for you so that the property is warm when you arrive.' She said, reading out from her iPad. 'They can call in a chef to cook for you too if you would prefer and they can sort out house-keeping at any time. Of course, it's your apartment so guests are welcome too. Is there anything else I can help you with today?' She looked at me with a false smile and I realised she was really hoping there wasn't. It was a lovely sunny day, despite being October, and she probably wanted to be off enjoying it.

'No that is all Nina, thank you.'

She curtsied. 'You're welcome, your highness.' And then she left me stood in my new kitchen, gawping. Something else which wasn't very ladylike.

Sally and Simon had lunch with me and we made the use of the fully stocked fridge. As we finished lunch and moved onto cups of tea in my upstairs living room, the doorbell rang. I glanced at my parents in surprise, knowing it was unlikely that anyone had got in. Apparently the security guards at the gate wouldn't let guests in until they had been confirmed with me. Then I put the pieces together; it had to be my brother.

Sure enough, I opened the door and Phillip was stood there looking polished despite wearing jeans and a loose-fitting shirt. Did he wear shirts all the time? Tina was going to be delighted. She definitely had her eye on him, that much was clear.

'Hello dear sister.' He grinned, pulling me into a bear hug. 'How do you like your apartment?'

'It's wonderful.' I smiled as he pulled back. 'Thank you for all of your help with the decorating.'

'I just gave the interior designer a few ideas.' He shrugged. 'I thought about your room at school.'

'It's perfect.' I could hear Sally and Simon laughing in the living room and I sucked in a deep breath before asking a brave question. 'Would you like to come in? My parents are here but I'm sure they'd like to meet you.'

He looked nervous for a moment, which surprised me. Phillip always seemed to calm, so collected, in every situation. It was part of his princely charm. 'Of course.' He said, his voice full of uncertainty. He stepped through the doorway and I carefully closed the door behind him.

I led Phillip across the landing and into the living room, where Sally and Simon were sat chatting on the white leather sofa. They glanced up when I entered, smiling at my brother. 'Sally, Simon, this is my brother Phillip. Phil, this is Sally and Simon, my parents.'

He walked over in prince-mode as they moved to bow and curtsy but he shook his head. 'Honestly, there's no need for formality.' He shook their hands, a shy smile on his face. 'It's lovely to meet you.'

'Would you like a cup of tea?' Simon offered before I could.

'That would be lovely, thank you.'

Phillip's nerves were soon settled by my parents as they reassured him with friendly smiled and they spoke to him about art, something I had no idea he was interested in. There was still a lot I didn't know about my brother and that disappointed me. There were twenty years of his life that I knew very little about and that was upsetting. When Sally and Simon asked if I needed to be driven back to the school, I declined, accepting Phillip's offer of ordering a takeaway pizza and having brother-sister time instead. I said my goodbyes to my parents and Phillip ordered us some food as I checked out my wardrobe and dresser, which already had clothes in it; underwear, some silk pyjama shirts and bottoms, a few pairs of formal trousers, a polo outfit, some jumpers, some blouses and some very pretty dresses and skirts, all designer. Then there were several pairs of shoes, everything from boots to court shoes to ballet pumps in different colours.

'All ordered. Chadwick will bring it up when it arrives.' Phillip said, appearing in my doorway with a smile. The doorbell rang and his grin widened.

'Are we expecting anybody else?' I asked him, curiously.

'That will be your housewarming present.'

'My housewarming present?' I followed him to the door and he opened it to two gentleman with a rather large housewarming present; a baby grand piano that must have been an antique. It was beautifully painted by hand with cream and green patterning . I turned to face Phillip. 'This is not a housewarming present. A candle or flowers, sure, but not a piano!'

'Don't you like it?' He asked, looking taken aback.

'Of course I do.' I blinked as the two men pushing the piano looked at me with uncertainty. 'But you shouldn't have.'

'Your home isn't complete without one.' He said with a small smile. 'Now please accept my gift dear sister or I'll be deeply offended.'

I sighed. 'Fine.'

'It will look wonderful in the living room.' Phillip directed the gentlemen and the piano and they wheeled it across the landing and into the corner of the living room, placing it by the window. He tipped them both and they left instantly, closing the front door behind us. I walked over to the piano and ran my fingers over the detailing and perfect woodwork. Then I lifted the lid and gasped at what I saw; on the inside of the lid was a beautiful painting of the Arc d'Triomphe.

'It's beautiful.' I whispered in awe.

'Test it out.' He signalled to the vintage stool that looked like it had been reupholstered.

'I can't.' I replied, quietly. I hated performing in front of people. I always had done. It was what was worrying me about our music assignment; I was expected to perform my own composition and that scared me.

Phillip reached past me, lifting the fall which covered the keys. He ran his fingers over a few notes. 'Well if you're not going to play the piano then I'm afraid you'll have to listen to me and I can tell you I'm not particularly gifted. In fact, Marcus says I'm quite the opposite.'

I smiled to myself at the mention of Marcus. 'I'm sure you're just fine.' He played a few keys and I winced at the incorrect notes and the lack of rhythm. Phillip laughed and looked over at me and I sighed, sitting myself down on the piano. I ran my fingers over the keys, playing the tune to my composition.

'Do you sing?' He asked and I nodded, but he didn't ask me to. He simply just watched as I ran my fingers over the keys and when I finished, he smiled. 'What a talented sister I have.'

I blushed. 'I'm really not that good.'

'You're too modest.'

Dinner arrived shortly after that and we logged into Phillip's Netflix account on the Wii U in my living room, watching funny films and chatting about the little things, things which shouldn't matter but were worth knowing. I wanted to get to know my brother, so even finding out that Thor was his favourite superhero was exciting for me. It felt strange when he left, heading back to his apartment and leaving me alone. I changed into silk pyjamas, enjoying the feeling of the silkiness on my freshly-shaved legs and I slipped under my plump duvet, sinking into my comfortable mattress. My phone buzzed beside me and I reached for it, checking the message.

We miss you! My mum is getting us outfits for Taylor's concert. We're wearing the cheerleading outfits like in her Shake it off video, just not crop tops. Will have arrived by Wednesday. L, Z and T xx

I smiled and slipped off into a deep, deep sleep.

The following week was a busy one, one I spent mostly either in the music room or rehearsing on the piano in my Kingston apartment, trying to perfect my composition. I returned Marcus' phonecalls and texts, but I told him I couldn't meet up until the weekend. I was determined to do well in my assignment, even though I was worried I would have a panic attack onstage. Before I knew it, it was Friday.

Our 'showcase' was on from 1.30pm until 3pm and then we were setting off for Taylor Swift, the one thing keeping me going. I'd invited the girls to stay at my apartment as it was far easier to get back there then to Kingston late at night. Phillip had said he'd either send a car or pick us up himself afterwards as he didn't want me risking the underground, which was fine by me. I watched as Savannah finished her composition on the violin and she bowed in her tight-fitted black Chanel dress. I sucked in a deep breath. Lucy was next and then it was my turn. The order had been chosen at random, we'd drawn names from a hat. I'd ended up near the end, which was a relief in some ways but a nightmare in others. Lucy walked out onto the stage, nervously, looking up at the audience, filled with fellow students and invited family members. I felt bad for her. Her parents weren't able to make it. I, on the other hand, had Sally and Simon supporting me in the audience.

Lucy hung her guitar around her neck and took a noticeable breath before starting to play the chords and I prayed that her nerves wouldn't get the better of her. She gave a small smile and started to sing,

'I'm losing myself

Trying to compete

With everyone else

Instead of just being me

Don't know where to turn

I've been stuck in this routine

I need to change my ways

Instead of always being weak

I don't wanna be afraid

I wanna wake up feeling beautiful..today

And know that I'm okay

Cause everyone's perfect in unusual ways

So you see, I just wanna believe in me.'

She got through the whole song without a melt down, even though her legs were visibly shaking, and I applauded her, proud of the girl quickly becoming my best friend. She walked off the stage and I pulled her into a hug, only having enough time for a whispered 'Good luck' before I was announced as the next performer. I ran my smoothed down the light blue lace dress I'd chosen for the performance, hoping it would stop the clamminess and I walked out onto the stage in silence. I sat down at the piano, thankful that my performance involved sitting down; it meant I wouldn't fall. Until I got up, at least.

The audience were so silent, I was sure they'd hear my deep breaths as I found the keys and started to play the notes, sending music flying through the air. I closed my eyes as I started to sing, determined not to look at the many faces watching me. I sang and I sang my heart out, putting all of my emotion into the song about fitting in and how sometimes you just needed to be yourself. I thought of all the times I'd been laughed at, bullied, called names. I thought of my awful childhood and the mean kids I'd come across in all of the years I'd spent at school. I sang for the girls that needed a voice.

'Don't lose who you are in the blur of the stars!

Seeing is deceiving, dreaming is believing,

It's okay not to be okay...

Sometimes it's hard to follow your heart.

Tears don't mean you're losing, everybody's bruising,

Just be true to who you are.'

I finished the song and opened my eyes, feeling anxious as I realised people were applauding me. Some people were even standing. I spotted Sally and Simon and I realised Sally was dabbing her eyes. Then I realised she was sat next to my brother. I'd had no idea he was coming. Adrenaline and butterflies swam through me as I stood up and shakily made my way off stage.

Lucy pulled me into a hug. 'That was amazing! I had no idea you could sing like that!' She cooed. 'You're so talented!'

'Not as much as you.' I replied, feeling shy due to the compliment.

'Oh please, that was a performance that wasn't even X-Factor worthy.'

Zed Benedict's name was announced and he passed us, locking eyes with me before walking onto the stage. Lucy watched the intense exchange and shot me a curious look, but I simply just shrugged. He walked out onto the stage, his guitar strapped over his shoulder. Into the microphone, he said, 'hey' in that husky voice of his and a few girls screamed somewhere in the theatre, making me roll my eyes.

He played an intro that I knew he probably was used to playing on an electric guitar and then he started to sing, making my knees weak. 'Everybody's got their demons

Even wide awake or dreaming

I'm the one who ends up leaving

Make it okay

See a war, I wanna fight it

See a match, I wanna strike it

Every fire I've ignited

Faded to grey

But now that I'm broken

Now that you know it

Caught up in a moment

Can you see inside?

'Cause I've got a jet black heart

And there's a hurricane underneath it

Trying to keep us apart

I write with a poison pen

But these chemicals moving between us

Are the reason to start again.'

I spent the song in a trance and didn't return to reality until the song was over, the final performance, and Zed was walking off the stage towards us. Lucy nudged me as our teacher passed us, walking onstage to thank everyone for coming. Just like that the show closed and my friend tugged my arm. 'We have to go!'

Zed appeared by us, his cocky smile on his face. 'So how was I?'

My bubble popped. Zed Benedict was an arrogant arsehole. 'I've heard better.' I said, trying to deflate his ego.

He frowned at me. 'I was going to invite you down the pub. There's this place that'll serve underage it's-'

'Sky, we have to go.' Lucy tugged at me again and, without, responding to Zed, we disappeared off to the front of the theatre. Sally and Simon praised me, as did Phillip, who was busy fending off girls when we found him.

'Ready to go?' He asked. 'I'll give you girls a lift to the apartment.'

We didn't waste any time. We headed back to the dorms, grabbing our weekend bags with Tina and Zoe and then we piled into my brother's car, much to the excitement of my friends. They admired the leather interior as we pulled away, a few of our classmates watching in envy as we drove off, closely followed by a security team.

'Holy shit!' Tina gasped when we walked into my apartment forty minutes later, after Phillip had dropped us off and headed to a meeting.

'Tina!' Lucy tutted. 'We're in Royal apartments.'

'It's okay, that was pretty much my reaction too.' I replied. 'Fancy a tour?'

The girls squealed and gawped as I showed them around the apartment that I was sure cost several million pound. Just the thought made my head spin. We placed our bags in my bedroom and made pasta in the kitchen for dinner. Once we'd finished eating, it was time for operation Taylor Swift concert. The doors to the arena opened at 7pm, but we wanted to get there early. We all changed into our custom-made cheerleader outfits, tied our hair back into ponytails decorated with blue and yellow ribbons and Tina did our make-up; winged eyeliner and red lippy.

I glanced in the mirror, looking at my tied back hair and white, yellow and blue Taylor Swift cheerleader uniform. It was just like the outfit Taylor had worn in her Shake it Off video, only it was a dress not a crop top and skirt. I sighed and the girls all turned to look at me. 'Do you think people will recognise me?'

Lucy looked thoughtful as she looked at me. 'Well you do look different to your official portraits and your outfit at the ball.'

'I don't want a security guard following me around the whole time.' I groaned. Ciara was bound to be returning later.

'Can't you just say you don't want one this evening?' Zoe suggested, changing her earrings to pearl ones. I reached down to roll down my socks and I slipped my feet into the white canvas trainers we'd all bought.

'It doesn't work that way.' Tina pointed out. 'They're there to protect you, Sky.'

'But I've gone sixteen years of my life without being protected.' I sighed, leaning back onto the bed and jumping as the buzzer sounded. 'That must be the car.'

Lucy held up a Taylor Swift t-shirt. 'Well if Ciara isn't going to be scarce, we could always make her fit in.'

'Are you commanding me to wear a Taylor Swift t-shirt, your highness?' Ciara frowned as Wilfred drove us to the venue in a blacked out SUV. I'd already told him I didn't want the doors opened for us when we arrived. I wanted to be inconspicuous.

'Yes,' I smiled, 'yes I am.'

Ciara sighed and grabbed the t-shirt from me, clearly irritated. 'I thought you weren't the commanding type.'

'I want a normal night out with my friends, so you need to look like a fan and I know you're sat in the front row with us so could you please at least look like you're having fun?'

We made it into the o2 arena safely and the place was already packed with girls, mainly teenagers, and the odd boyfriend, brother or guy who clearly fancied Miss Swift. We headed to the merchandise first, buying a few keepsakes, and I felt relieved that we hadn't been recognised as we grabbed a drink in Starbucks, sitting outside and people-watching. Some girls were dressed up, some as Alice in Wonderland characters and some as cats. Then there were the guys and girls wearing Taylor t-shirts or clothes with lyrics from her songs on them. a few glanced our way, acknowledging our outfit choices, but they just saw us as any old teenage girls in fancy dress. I surpressed a giggle as I looked over at my security guard, who usually wore black and an earpiece. Her hair was down, hiding the earpiece and she wore jeans and a t-shirt with Taylor's face on it. She looked less than impressed and I wondered if Dimitri would tease her for this later.

The doors to the venue soon opened and crowds made their ways to the gates which were scattered around the large arena. We followed the crowds to our gate, making our way through security and then into the arena. I gasped. I'd never been to a concert and I definitely had never been to the o2 arena in London. The former Millenium Dome had the capacity to seat 20,000 people and some of the top balcony seats could hardly be seen, they were so high up. I was glad we weren't up there. I didn't do heights. We found Row A straight away and we found out seats. Front, centre. By the main stage with a catwalk next to us and a smaller stage several rows behind us. Adrenaline pumped through me and I squealed with excitement.

'Excited?' Lucy laughed from beside me.

'I've never been to a concert before.' I admitted as Ciara sat down beside me, hiding from the selfies we were taking.

'You haven't?' Tina gasped. 'Oh, you'll love it.'

'Taylor's great.' Lucy smiled. 'Though I've never sat this close. I wish I could meet her. She's totally cool. Dad's worked with her a few times.'

I smiled. I loved Taylor's music. Most of it was feel-good and it was relatable too. 'Let's take some more pictures.' Ciara took a few photos of us posing in our matching cheerleader uniforms but I hestitated before uploading it to Instagram. My number of followers had gone up by a lot recently, since my username on every website had become hrhprincessksy. Twitter was the same; I had thousands of followers and very few of them I actually knew on a personal basis. It was scary and that was why I rarely posted something now. I'd Tweet about Taylor's show and I'd post some pictures on Instagram, but not until the show was over and I was leaving. I wanted to be just another teenage fan for just a few more hours.

The support act was James Bay and he was as awesome as I thought he would be. His music was chilled out, acoustic stuff but that hadn't stopped us dancing. We danced away and sang along to the songs we had recognised from the radio. Then, the lights went down and people walked out onto the stage in suits, carrying newspapers as the introduction to 'Welcome to New York' came blaring through the speakers. And then Taylor was there, in her skirt and crop top, a far cry away from the cowboy boots and dresses she'd worn when I'd first listened to her music. But she was still awesome and she knew how to work the crowd. We danced and sang along together and we squealed with delight when 'Shake it off' came on. Taylor sang to us, high-fiving us for our costume choice and we jumped up and down excitedly.

That was when I noticed two women approach us as a cameraman photographed us. I swallowed. They'd figured out who I was, hadn't they? I stiffened and the girls stopped dancing beside me as Ciara watched, cautiously, as the women reached us.

'Hello.' One said, a cheery smile on her face. 'Have you girls met Taylor before?'

'If only!' Lucy said, dramatically, and we giggled.

'Promise?'

Lucy glanced at all of us, with a puzzled expression. 'Yes, we promise.'

'Would you like to meet her after the show?' The other woman asked and my eyes widened.

'Are you serious?!' Lucy gawped.

'Here. All the details are in this envelope.' A pink envelope was passed to us and then they were gone. Lucy didn't hesitate to open it. Inside was a pink invite and four pink wristbands.

Taylor Swift

The 1989 World Tour

Loft '89

Your group has been selected for an opportunity to meet Taylor backstage after the show. Immediately following the show. Meet in section 49.

'Sweet baby Jesus!' Tina gasped as Lucy beamed with excitement.

'This birthday present just got even better!' Lucy grinned, nudging me. I gave a small smile, aware people were watching us, but I shrugged it off and enjoyed the rest of the show.

'I can't leave you, your highness.' Claudia said as we headed to section 49.

'Would you keep your voice down?' I whispered, hoping no one had heard her.

'Sorry.' She apologised. 'But I need to keep you safe.'

'We only have four wristbands.' I told her.

'I'm sure they'll let me in when I show them my ID badge.

I groaned. 'Please, Claudia, can't you just wait out here? They'll be security guards in there. It's very safe. It has to be for Taylor.' She frowned at me and I decided to make my second command as royalty, as it seemed that was the only way I would get what I wanted. 'I command you to wait outside the arena for us.'

She looked uncertain and sighed, knowing full well that she had to listen to my orders. 'Call me if you need me at all.' And then she was gone.

A few other girls and two boys with wristbands soon joined us and, before long, we were led backstage. 'Loft 89' was a small room decorated with draped cloths and a '1989' light-up sign. There were pizzas spread out on a table, as well as cupcakes, and there was another table filled with bottles of fizzy drinks and water. Lucy bounced in anticipation beside me and I tightened my ponytail, freezing when the other lucky fans glanced at me, their heads cocked to the side. Had they worked me out? It was possible. Other than security, there were only ten of us in the room.

'You look awful familiar.' One of the girls dressed in red said to me and I gave a small smile.

'I must have one of those faces.'

Thankfully, that was the moment Taylor walked in wearing a white dress, heels and a red jacket. She smiled cheerily and said, 'hey guys, it's great to meet you all.'

Lucy wobbled beside me and I grabbed her before she could go anywhere. Everyone was gawping. Two girls screamed. One guy cried. It really was a bizarre situation to be in. Taylor put on some music for us to listen to and she spent time meeting each of us, whilst the others ate food and spoke to her mum and her brother. She came to our group finally and I was sure my roommate was close to exploding.

'Hey girls, I love the outfits.' Taylor said in her Native twang.

'Thank you.' Tina said with a friendly smile, looking very relaxed in comparison with our brunette friend.

'It's great to meet you...' She glanced at us, waiting for our names.

Tina took the lead. 'I'm Tina and this is Zoe, Lucy and Sky.'

Taylor glanced at me and her eyes widened as she put the puzzle pieces together. 'Oh, erm, Princess Sky.' She moved to curtsy, but I shook my head.

'Please, there's no need for that. I'm just Sky this evening.' I gave a small smile and her blue eyes met mine.

'I know exactly what you mean.' She said, knowingly.

We were only allowed to stay for an hour before the venue wanted to start closing up for the night, so after spending the hour laughing, joking and taking photos with Taylor, it was time to leave, but not before Taylor asked for my number. I gave it willingly and then felt bad for Lucy. She looked disappointed, but then her nerves had got the better of her that evening. She'd been very quiet. We exited backstage and slipped on our coats as Ciara caught up with us. I was surprised she'd waited around for so long, but then I knew it was part of our job. We waited at the 'drop off' point in the cold for Phillip to pick us up, but I was surprised by the black Audi that pulled up instead.

Marcus climbed out, a cheerful smile on his face. 'Hello ladies.'

I glanced at the Audi RS4 that he didn't usually drive. 'What are you doing here?'

'Being your taxi service for this evening.' He replied, his eyes flickering over my outfit and then back up to meet my pools of blue.

'You have two cars?'

'A two-seater is useful when it's just me but this one is a bit more laidback, don't you think?'

'I'm not sure any Audis are laidback.' I laughed as he opened the door. I glanced at Ciara. She wasn't going to fit in the car. 'Ciara?'

'I'll be using the Underground. I'm only two stops away, your highness. Have a good evening.' And then she disappeared.

Marcus shot me a questioning look. 'Was Ciara wearing a Taylor Swift t-shirt?'