if i can't have you || rini au

45. explainations

nini felt glued to her spot, speechless at the sight of a bewildered and wide-eyed gina.

"g-gina!" she exclaimed nervously "u-um...i-i was just...i was-how much did you-"

"queen?!"

nini widened her eyes and quickly rushed closer to the girl "oh dear...let me just explain-"

"you're royalty?" gina asked again, breathless as nini ran her hands over her face

"please keep your voice down!" nini whispered desperately

"then please explain???"

"okay!" nini sighed, fiddling with the feather charm of her necklace "um...yes, i-i'm a princess...of a small secluded country called autonia and it's on the other side of the world...it's not really on many maps - you know that reminds me they should really make maps that are up to date and-"

"nini." gina said with a look, nini stopping mid-sentence and letting out another nervous laugh

"right! not the time, nina..." she mumbled

"nina?"

"that's my real name-well, nini is too, but that's just a nickname that aunt erica always used for me ever since i was little..." nini explained "anyway...um-where were we?"

"you were telling me about autumnia?"

"autonia," nini corrected kindly "yes...that's where i'm from...my mother is the queen, and my father was the king before he passed away and my eighteenth birthday is a week before my coronation to become queen...but before that i made a deal with my mother to be able to come and live as a normal teenage girl for the last few months before my real responsibilities begin..."

gina knit her eyebrows together and folded her arms "and how come we never figured it out? how come we haven't ever heard of a princess in autonia?"

"...my identity is kept hidden...i-i was always locked up in the palace either doing my lessons or activities or just alone in my bedroom or the garden..."

gina looked around the space wearily, nini knitting her eyebrows together in confusion

"sorry...what are you looking for?"

"hidden cameras?! you can't expect me to believe that you're a princess-"

"i know it's hard to believe-"

"it's impossible! is erica even your aunt-?"

"yes! she is-"

"so she's royalty??" gina questioned

nini hesitated "well-she left the royal line when i was fifteen to have her own life seeing as she wasn't set to take over."

gina looked at nini, still unconvinced and hesitant to what she was saying before the brunette girl sighed

"if you don't believe me, ask ricky-"

"ricky knows?!" gina exclaimed loudly, nini hushing her again as she looked at the staircase in a  frightened state

when she didn't sense movement, she sighed quietly "yes." nini whispered "yes, he knows. he's been helping me be a normal girl...i didn't even know who harry styles was or how to work a credit card before him..."

"so you're telling me..." gina breathed slowly, trying to comprehend what was happening and get some perspective "...that you're name is nina, you're a princess - soon to be queen; and that you're here until then?"

nini nodded in response, waiting for gina to speak again

"why didn't you tell us before?" gina asked

"because i didn't want any of you to treat me like a princess...i wanted to be my own person and have a normal teenage girl life." she explained "plus, i haven't ever had friends before, so i really wanted to make some who would like me for me, not my status."

"i was coming downstairs to help you with the glasses of milk, but this is much more intense..." gina mumbled as she ran her hands over her face she exhaled, looking at the brunette girl "...i believe you...but i-i don't think i can keep this from-"

"gina!" nini whispered "you have to-"

"we're all friends with you nini! we all love you as part of our group, knowing a small piece of information won't make us stop being friends with you."

"this isn't small! it's my life." nini replied "and it will change things! you'll all treat me differently!"

"not a bad different," gina tried to convince her

"gina please you have to promise me-"

but the brunette girl got cut off by the sound of footsteps from the stairs, seeing ashlyn, kourtney and seb all enter the kitchen one by one as gina and nini both stood there awkwardly and nervously

"are y'all okay?" kourtney asked wearily, raising an eyebrow as she eyed the girls

"of course we are!" nini exclaimed with a laugh before gina could say anything "gina was just-"

"i was going to help her get the milk..." gina finished, nini feeling a sense of relief...that most probably meant she was going to keep the secret "but we got lost in..."

"...um...winter formal dress ideas!"

"yes!" gina nodded in agreement, pointing at her "exactly that..."

"okay...?" ashlyn said in confusion, making her way to pour a glass of milk for her and the others before handing them to everyone as she lead them back upstairs

nini looked at gina, who had glanced back at her to see the brunette mouth a 'thank you.' to which she just replied with a nod and a small smile...

one more person knowing couldn't be so bad.