I couldn't sleep that night. I'd had dinner with the other girls and then we'd all retired to our rooms, most of the girls giggling whilst they explained that they needed their beauty sleep for the following day. But the following day was making me nervous.

I'd dismissed my maids after getting to bed and now I lay alone, staring up at the décor on the ceiling. It was incredibly quiet considering so many people lived in the palace. I closed my eyes again but my brain couldn't switch off. The following day I was going to meeting the Royal family, the reason I was there. I knew my maids were bringing breakfast to my room about eight and we had until eleven to get me ready. It was a big and exciting day, they'd said, but I just felt nauseous. I threw back my covers and stood up, smoothing down my silk nightgown. I'd go for a walk, I decided. Maybe a walk would help me sleep. I was supposed to be in my room at this time, but I wondered if it was still okay to go to the kitchen and get myself a drink and a snack.

I slipped my feet into my new fluffy slippers and put on my silk robe, the one which had my name embroidered in silver letters on the back. And then I slipped out into the corridor.

The corridor was empty but it was lit as if it was still the middle of the day. I walked along it slowly, praying I wouldn't run into any guards. My heart thudded in my chest as I reached the stairs. I paused at footsteps and I ducked around the corner until the guard was out of sight. Cautiously, I crept down the polished stairs, glad not to be in echoing heels, and I turned to the left towards the kitchen. But something made me stop en-route.

A door was slightly ajar and inside I could see a beautiful grand piano. I pushed the door open carefully and gasped. There were guitars, drums and some brass instruments too. So there was a music room in the palace.

I glanced around but there were no guards and technically I hadn't walked into another wing… I walked into the room and closed the door behind me. The piano called to me and I didn't hesitate to sit on the stool and lift the lid. I'd played the piano at school before, but this was a proper piano. The keys were newly polished and they were perfectly in-tune as I ran my fingers over them. I relaxed in the stool and smiled as I played a little melody and sang softly. 'How does a moment last forever?
How can a story never die?
It is love we must hold onto
Never easy, but we try.'

I closed my eyes and my mind slipped to Sally and Simon as I continued to play. I wondered if they'd watched the live footage of my arrival of the palace and if they'd watch the footage of the makeover and my meeting with the Royal family the following day. I wasn't sure how they felt about me being here. Sally seemed pleased, but Simon was hard to read.

'Sometimes our happiness is captured
Somehow, our time and place stand still
Love lives on inside our hearts and always will.'

When would I next see my parents? And Ellen, who I was sure would probably never speak to me again? Would we see each other again when I was kicked out of the competition? Because it seemed highly unlikely I'd stay for long when most of the girls were beautiful and had been raised to be ladies.

'Minutes turn to hours, days to years and gone
But when all else has been forgotten
Still our song lives on.'

A sound of creaky floorboard caught my attention and I tensed; I'd been caught. I turned around quickly and didn't see a guard, as I'd expected. Instead I saw Prince Zed stood in trousers and a shirt, the top few buttons undone and not a tie in sight. What I did spot was the glass in his hand, filled with a brown liquid that I was sure was alcohol. His eyes were intense, dark rings under them. I suddenly remembered that I was only wearing my nightgown and a robe and I cringed.

'You shouldn't be in here.' He said, simply, as I struggled to stand. I grabbed the stool before I could trip over it and balanced myself out.

'Er sorry…. Your er… majesty.' I apologised, doing my best curtsy.

'Your highness.' He corrected and I could feel my cheeks burning.

'Sorry.' I apologised again and headed for the door, desperate to escape.

'Lady Sky, yes?'

I paused in my tracks and held back the curse my mouth wanted to form. 'Erm yes, your highness?'

'Why on earth are you out of bed at this hour?' His jaw looked tense but his tired eyes showed curiosity.

'I couldn't sleep.'

'Nerves?' A lopsided grin crept onto his face and I gathered he was taking it as a compliment. I decided not to answer his question.

'Goodnight your highness.' I said, before leaving him standing alone in the music room. How frustrating; not only had I met the prince before we were supposed to, but I'd been in my nightwear and he'd turned out to be slightly arrogant but also ridiculously good-looking.

It felt too early to be awake the following morning when Abby and Chloe drew back the curtains. I groaned, trying to bury myself under the silk sheets, but Abby laughed and pulled them back as Chloe went into the bathroom to run me a bath.

'Did you sleep well, miss?' Abby asked.

'Please don't call me miss.' I laughed. 'Sky is fine. Just Sky.' I swung my legs around and pushed myself out of bed reluctantly. 'And I slept okay.'

She raised an eyebrow as she inspected my face. 'We're going to have to get rid of those dark circles. Nerves?'

'Something like that.' I murmured, not wanting to mention my run-in with Prince Zed.

'You'll be great.' She smiled. 'There's no need to worry. We've picked out a perfect outfit and hairstyle.'

And they weren't kidding. I'd bathed and then my hair had been styled- smooth, loose curls with braids pinned back and with tiny flowers tucked into the braids whilst I'd sat in my robe eating a delicious breakfast of waffles with raspberries and blueberries. They'd given me the same make-up treatment as the previous day and then I'd been dressed in a perfect dress; a light blue floor-length dress with a tight bodice and straps covered with little blue flowers. The blue flowers cascaded down the dress and onto the flared blue, netted skirt. The look was topped off with silver court shoes. It was a similar, girly style to the dress I'd worn the previous day and I knew that was probably on purpose.

'Told you that you'd look perfect.' Abby said with a proud smile. 'We'll be right back here if you need us.'

We were all heading to one of the reception rooms on the ground floor and I ran into the other girls as we all made our way there. They whispered to each other and I didn't miss the looks some of the girls gave one-another either; we were competition and for some girls that meant shooting daggers at the others. I noticed I was the only girl in blue as I reached the reception room. The other girls milled about, most chatting and others checking their dresses and makeup in the mirror tucked away in the corner. Most girls wore fitted white and or pink dresses, their hair either down or in elegant updos. I spotted Tina in a lovely yellow dress and Zoe was in a lilac one, looking every bit the perfect princess.

'Okay girls, can I have your attention please.' An unfamiliar woman in a red velvet gown with embroidered bust and skirt walked into the room, her voice projecting and bouncing off the walls. She sounded posh, well-spoken, and that was clear from the jewellery she was wearing. I found her somewhat intimidating, especially when she looked each of us up and down, checking we looked smart enough. In her formalwear and with her white blonde hair in an elegant updo, she looked sophisticated but equally scary. 'My name is Lady Evelyn Darnville and you will be seeing a lot of me over the next few months. I am in charge of training each of you to be perfect Ladies with the highest standard of etiquette. I have worked with the royal family for thirty years now and Her Majesty the Queen is one of my dearest friends.' She walked in front of us. 'Today is going to be the most important day of this process. You will be meeting the Royal family and as I am sure you are aware, first impressions matter. Those deemed unsuitable may be removed tomorrow or at any point in the next week.' Her eyes met mine and she gave me a once-over. I tensed slightly. Was I in trouble for being in the music room after hours? And for walking away from Prince Zed? Did anyone know about that? 'You may have been given Lady as a title, but none of you are yet Ladies. Now, we only have several minutes to look at greetings for Royals and nobility.'

Ten minutes later and we were all in one long line, curtsying and rehearsing greetings for royals. Some of the girls were naturals, but I simply felt uncomfortable and my breakfast was threatening to make a comeback. My curtsy the night before would not have passed Lady Evelyn's standards and I hoped this time I wasn't about to mess up. I couldn't afford to be sent home straight away. I was aiming for the Top 10. A guard came over and whispered to Lady Evelyn and she stood up straighter than before, if that was even possible.

'Showtime, girls.' She said with a smile and the cameras started recording. My hands felt clammy.

'His Majesty, King Saul, Her Majesty, Queen Karla, His Royal Highness Crown Prince Trace, His Royal Highness Prince Xavier, His Royal Highness Prince Yves and His Royal Highness Prince Zed.' The guard announced and I felt sorry for him having to announce such a mouthful- what happened when all of the Princes were home?

The Royal family walked into the room and I held my breath as they started to make their way down the line. Tina was first and curtsied with perfection, before greeting each Royal with a handshake and a friendly smile. They moved along the line and it felt like I'd been waiting forever by the time they finally reached me.

'Your Majesties.' I curtsied for the King and Queen as they reached me and then shook both of their hands. 'It's an honour to meet you.'

'And you, Lady Sky.' King Saul smiled at me warmly.

'We look forward to getting to know you better.' Queen Karla said and then they moved onto Zoe, who was stood beside me. Heir to the throne, Prince Trace, greeted me next in the same format and then Prince Xavier and Prince Yves. They looked just as good-looking in person as they did on the television and I knew this was nature's way of being unfair for the whole entire female population.

Prince Zed reached me and I curtsied again as his hand reached for mine.

'Your Highness.' I said in greeting, trying my best to keep my voice even as a lopsided grin crept onto his face.

'Lady Sky.' His eyes locked onto mine. 'You look awfully familiar, have we met?'

He was teasing me. Or trying to get the other girls to slaughter me on his behalf. His blue eyes twinkled with mischief and I hated him for it. 'I don't believe we have.' I replied but it didn't wipe the smile away.

'Very well.' He said. 'I look forward to seeing more of you.'

'Was it exciting?' Chloe asked when I was back in my room that afternoon. I kicked off my heels, the balls of my feet aching, and collapsed into the chaise longue.

'You look exhausted.' Abby commented before I could reply.

'It's been a busy day.' I said. 'And they're going to be having dinner with us every day from now on.'

'The pressure is on.' Chloe replied. She started fixing up a cup of tea and I was grateful for that.

'It is.' I replied. 'What time is it?'

'Four.'

Of course it was. We'd been introduced to the Royal Family and then Lady Evelyn had given us our first etiquette class after we'd eaten lunch just us girls; today we'd learnt which pieces of cutlery to use and basic table manners ready for our first dinner with the Royal family that evening. We'd also had history, where we'd learnt about the six courts the country was divided into. Each court had its own territories. I'd spent my life in Ascot Court, where the King and Queen ruled, and had never stepped outside of it. To the South was the court of Oceana, to the North was Wricken and then Aldheim was the most Northern court. Then there was the Eastern court, Iliana, and Western court of Cordillera. For the last one hundred years, the Royal family had ran the courts, taking over from noble blood, and currently the Princes were each in charge of a territory, making the role of Princess even more important than it was in other countries. My head was spinning at the thought.

'You have time for a nap.' Chloe replied.

'I think a nap would be perfect.' I reached for the back of my dress to change into something that I could crease, but my fingers couldn't work the tied corset-style back.

'Let me help.' Abby said and her fingers got to work straight away. I wasn't comfortable with two strangers seeing me getting changed, but I guessed that was going to be the case from now on. At least they were girls and they were about my age. They didn't comment on my skinny figure from an unhealthy diet. They knew what it was like out there.

I climbed into bed in my pyjamas as they shut the curtains and somehow I found myself drifting off to sleep almost instantly.

It only seemed like five minutes later when I was woken up again and my body still felt exhausted, my feet still aching from wearing heels they weren't used to. Abby and Chloe got to work in silence, fixing up my hair and makeup once again as I picked up the new schedule that had been left out for me.

Sunday

09:00 Breakfast

10:00- 12:30 Free time

12:30 Lunch

13:30- 15:30 Free time

15:30 Afternoon tea in the Women's Room

16:00 – 19:00 Free time

19: 00 Dinner

So Sunday's were free days? Probably because they were classed as the day of rest, I supposed.

Monday

08:00 Breakfast

09:00 Etiquette class in Reception Room 1

11:00 Preparation for Garden Party

13:30 Garden Party in Palace Gardens

19:00 Dinner on the patio

22:00 Fireworks

'Monday will be busy.' Abby commented as she finished with my hair. 'The Garden Party is the Palace's biggest party every year.'

I remembered seeing photographs in the papers over the last few years. The palace would be filled with celebrities and Royalty from all over the world. Our Southern territories in our country had the perfect warm, and mostly dry, climate for a Garden party and it was one of the key events of the year. I wondered if they'd timed the competition so that we could all be in attendance.

'We have some lovely ballgowns for you to choose from.' Chloe said, catching my eyes in the reflection in the mirror. I wondered if she was hoping to reassure me.

There was a tense atmosphere in the dining room that evening and I knew the other girls were feeling anxious about the Royal Family's attendance. From this point onwards, they would be eating with us every evening and that meant putting our dinner etiquette to best use, as we'd been taught that afternoon. The tables had been reorganised today, I noticed; there was one table clearly laid out for the Royal family as the chairs were slightly comfier, than two tables attached to it forming a U-shape, laid out for 10 of us on each side.

'Over here, Sky.' Tina called out and I felt somewhat surprised that she had saved me a seat beside her and opposite Zoe. I sat down beside her and she smiled at me in greeting. 'I didn't say earlier, but your dress is gorgeous. Your maids have good taste.'

I smiled and nodded, 'thank you.'

'We're thinking of watching a movie in the Women's Room after this. Would you like to join us? I'll ask my maids to make us some tea.'

'That sounds nice.' And it did. I wondered if all the girls would accept their invitation. I very much doubted it.

'Please stand for the Royal Family.' The guards announced and we all stood on cue as they entered. Queen Karla glided across the floor with elegance in her perfect navy ballgown and King Saul was at her side in a smart suit. Their sons followed behind them and they all took their seats at their table.

'Good evening ladies.' King Saul smiled. 'Please sit.'

We all sat down and then, immediately, food was brought out for us and put onto the tables. My mouth watered and my stomach growled and it took everything in me to remember my etiquette. The food the previous evening, a 3-course dinner, had been nice but this was something else. Roast turkeys, roast potatoes, vegetables and more were put onto the tables and we all tucked in, careful not to start eating until the Royal family had started theirs. It was quiet at first, until a few people broke the silence and soon the atmosphere was more relaxed. I looked around as I tucked into the delicious food; this was going to be my life for the next few months. If I stayed of course.

'We have Breakfast at Tiffany's or The Great Gatsby or Romeo and Juliet.' Tina said when we were in the Women's Room just over an hour later. I was completely stuffed with food and it was making me sleepy, but it had been worth it. The cheesecake I'd eaten for dessert had been absolutely incredible and I'd never eaten anything like it. Mine and Tina's maids had moved some of the sofas and armchairs so that they faced the large television, which would have cost an absolute fortune, and they'd put out extra blankets and cushions for us. Tina had asked all of the girls to join, but there were only eight of us in total; Tina and I, Zoe, Phoenix from Lowscroft, Lila, Jacey and Lucie from Belham, and Amelie from Goldlyn. It just went to show who was not here to make friends and that thought made me anxious. What would some of these girls do to win a Prince's heart? And who was here for the wealth, the crown and the fame?

'Romeo and Juliet.' Amelie replied. 'Romeo looks better in this, gorgeous with a capital G.'

We all giggled at that and Tina handed the film reel to one of her maids as I wrapped a blanket across my knees. Tina sat down beside me and shared my blanket, something which caught me off-guard but I didn't mind. What use was being stuck in a palace if you were only going to lock yourselves in your bedroom? The maids excused themselves and part of me wanted to invite them to stay, to eat the chocolates and drink the soft drinks and tea they'd made us, but part of me said that they'd end up in trouble so I kept my mouth shut.

'You're right, he is gorgeous!' Zoe beamed about half-way through the film. I'd never seen the movie before, but I'd read the play. The film wasn't on the same level, but I didn't mind. Being able to watch a film whenever I wanted was a luxury I'd never had and eating macarons whilst talking to the other girls made it a perfect evening. 'What do you think, Sky?' Eyes were on me this time.

'He's good-looking, sure, but I'm not sure he's who I pictured playing Romeo.' I replied.

'Who did you picture?' Amelie shot me a confused look.

'Well when I read the play, I just imagined someone different.'

'You've read the play?' Lila looked surprised as she flicked her long, white hair over her shoulder.

I blushed and bit my lip. 'A few times. It's one of my favourites.'

'It's a marvellous piece of writing.' The voice caught us all off-guard and we leapt to our feet before curtsying. 'Oh my dears, there's no need for that.' The Queen laughed softly as she walked in. 'There are no such formalities in the Women's Room.'

'Sorry your Majesty.' Tina said. 'We thought we would watch a movie before bed.'

'There is no need to stop on my account.' She said with a warm smile. 'How lovely to see you all spending time together.' And she looked like she genuinely meant it. I wondered if this changed her opinion of some of the other girls. 'Mind if I join you?'

'Not at all.' I replied, signalling to her seat. She sat down in it comfortably as we offered her food and drink, but she politely declined.

'My bounty is as boundless as the sea,
My love as deep; the more I give to thee,
The more I have, for both are infinite..' Queen Karla murmured in time with the actor's voiceover and I found myself smiling as I saw another side to the Queen; an old romantic and a reader.