Royalty's Series 1: Disguise

Chapter 1

I let out a deep breath as soon as I step out the house. The tension inside is too much.

The entire house is wrap with tension. Everyone is quite. They are all nervous for tomorrow. Well, who will not? It's not an ordinary event that I used to attend in disguised.

What my father want will put all of us in jeopardy. Deceiving the king is a sin with no pardon. Not only our family, but all of our relative will also got killed, even the innocent infant.

I don't know what my father is thinking that day. We all disagree of what he want, even my mother. Jerah, my sister, voluntered to attend the selection as it was not stated in the letter that only the eldest daughter can attend. As long as the lady is qualified in age, she can attend even if he is the youngest daughter. But my father disagree on what she wants. Instead, he said that it is my duty to participate the selection process since I am the twin of Nat.

Nat got furious. She argued with my father and end up receiving a slapped which add fuel to the burning fire.

Tension everyday get bigger and heavier. As the selection start date get nearer, the tension in the house get heavier. It suffocating to the point that I ended up sleeping outside. We are all scared and nervous, but my father decision remain as it is. I will participate the selection starting tommorow. I will enter the palace as Nathalie Solia Cardinal, the eldest daughter of the Cardinal family.

Disguising my sister is an easy job for me. I always do it every time there is an event that required the appearance of the eldest daughter of the family.

Nat and I, aside from the gender, has no difference. We have the same shape and color of eyes. We also have the same height, body built, skin color and even the hair color. If we both or if I disguise as a girl and we wear the same dress and had the same make up and hair style, no one will distinguished who is the real Nathalie Solia. That is why, disguising her is an easy thing for me.

But disguising and entering the selection process is a different thing. It is like entering a dangerous forest with only torch in your hand. It's too risky.

I know that my father want to have a better life. Participating the selection is the only way he can see. Well, even me, it is the only way for us to have a better life.

The palace offers a handsome amount of gold to every lady who will participate. Choosen or not, each lady who participated the process will receive 10 pieces of gold bars and a lot that will automatically be put under their name.

We are all aware that the process is just for formalization. We, the poor people, has no chance of being the choosen one. Of course, they will choose those who are from upper class. A prim and modest lady. Or maybe, there already had choosen a lady that is suit to be a queen and as I said, the selection is for a formalization only as it is a tradition of choosing a queen or crown princess.

I let out a deep breath again and inhale the cold night air. I close my eyes and look at the star. They are all shining brightly in the dark sky. Unfortunately, I can't appreciate their beauty right now.

"You can run if you want." I immediately look behind me. My twin Nat is standing behind me.

"Then what?" I asked her.

"We can deal of what will happen?" She confidently answered.

I laugh in a low voice and look down. I played the  stone with my bear foot. "How? Are you going to attend the selection?"

"Maybe?"

My head sprang up with my sister answer. I laugh out loud with her answer. That was unexpected and funny.

"You? You will attend and wear long dress and heels? Then what? You will embarass yourself?"

"I can endure that. After all no one will see my face. I can still get the gold bars and the lot even if i embarass myself."

I walk towards my sister and messed up her hair.

"I will be okay tomorrow. Besides, everyone in the palace know that the eldest daugther in our family is a lesbian. I will only last a week there. They will remove me to the list immediately."

"What if you got discover? Niel, one week is like a month. How can you survive that seven days hiding your real identity?"

"Nat, you already said. No one can see may face. I can perfectly hide everything under the viel. Moving as if I am you is so easy for me. I'm a guy after all. Well, showering is  not a problem at all also. We all have a private bathroom to use, so it will not be a problem. Even the room. So, you don't have to worry." I confidently said, but honestly, inside my heart is beating loud and fast. I'm nervous just by thinking all those things.

"Niel, why? Nat asked in a guilty tone.

"Why, what?" I looked at her curiously.

"You always disguised as me, but I never heard you blaming me."

I smile at her then flop myself on the grass.

"You are the one who is working for our family instead of me. Father is useless as he already gave up to the kind of life we have. I am the eldest son. I should be the one working instead of you. I should be the bread winner and not you. Father obligation is falls in to my hand. I should do it. But I can't. I have a weak body, not the mention that inside this weak body, their is a weird organ. Aside from my brain, I'm useless. Disguising as you is the only thing I can do for you and for our family." I explained while playing with the grass.

"But tomorrow...."

"Let us all think that tomorrow is just an ordinary event that those rich people made. I will just attend there as you, then I will be back right away. Its just that this time, when I came back I will bring gold and a land title in my hand."

"Easy to said but hard to do."

I breath deeply. I stand up and face Nat. "Then just pray for me that everything will go smoothly."

"What if..."

"Come on Nathalie Solia, dont think too much. No one in the royal family, even the royal servant will retain a boyish girl in the palace. They will immediately remove me in the list."

Nat suddenly hugged me tightly. "Take care and don't be careless. Promise, when you come back, I will do everything to make everything okay. I will make sure that we will have a big house and you will have your own room. I will make sure that you will have what you want."

"I just want a comfortable life for us Nat." I rested my chin in her shoulder and hugged her tightly also.

"We will, I promise that."

I nod as an answer and looked at the sky.

I hope everything will go as my expectation.