Puppet in Love - HIATUS

reality's slap

Olivia Grace Arcane

It's been around two weeks since I have started attending the academy and I am still adjusting to the changes.

You must understand, it's my first time being in such an environment without my usual entourage. Since it is a school, it's not like the knights and bodyguards will follow me everywhere I go.

Actually, my stepmother wanted that, but for once my father stood up for me. I kept my head low as they discussed it in front of me as if I was not there.

After the whole discussion, my stepmother looked at me with disdain. Hating me more, I bet.

I was currently walking down the hallway to get to the bathroom after my first class. Cara, my lady-in-waiting who also grew up with me, decided to wait right outside and I went in first.

As I went in one of the cubicles, another place I am not too used to are these small cubes with a toilet inside, but this is common everywhere.

I heard a few footsteps coming in and came into a conclusion that a group of girls were outside. It always made me anxious when I saw a group of girls. I am not sure which part of it made me nervous, maybe it was because I've never been part of one.

Maybe it's the way they looked at me at the balls and parties, as if they were observing each and every part of me, from head to toe.

"Oh really? Has the princess seen them yet?" a girl said which piqued my curiosity. I could discern that the princess they were pertaining to was obviously me.

"No, well, all she does is stay in her own circle so I doubt she'd see anything." another girl answered.

What are they talking about?

"Nancy is quite the girl though, going for the prince knowing that he's fully taken." another girl said and laughed.

Nancy.

"Our class is starting soon, you know how furious Ms. Howards will be if we're late again."

With those, they all hurried out of the bathroom and as soon as I got out of the cubicle, Cara came to me with a worried look on her face.

"Princess, are you alright? Did those girls do anything to you? Why I ought to--"

I smiled at her and shook my head. "I am fine, I simply heard them mention me while I was doing my business so I let them go first before going out. They may get embarrassed if I went out." I said and started washing my hands.

"They were gossiping about you?! That's even worse! They have no respect for their princess."

"Haha, Cara will you hush down. They did not say anything mean about me."

"Oh really? Then what did they say?"

Cara asked interrogatively and crossed her arms against her chest, she always knew whenever I was hiding something from her.

Cara was about two years older than me, she has been by my side from when I was thirteen years old and so she knows more about me than anybody else.

She is m lady-in-waiting, but I considered her more of a friend.

"Well... they were concerned about me... and the prince." I said simply to satisfy her curiosity. With that, I saw her expression soften.

She sighed and shook her head. Cara understood as well that there wasn't anything we could do about the things going on about me and prince Calian.

Ever since the Nicolene Event, more and more speculations about the truth of my relationship with Cal came out. For the past two years, we tried our best to portray being a happy, normal couple.