The Princess Diaries

Chapter three

After I was told more about the history of Genovia and Genovian royalty I walked home. Clarisse or grandma, i'm still not sure, offered to have someone give me a lift home but I told her I wanted to walk so I could clear my head.

When I walk into my house I hear a door slam and my mom sigh.

"I suppose you hate me to?" she asks.

"No. I thought I would. I understand why Mia does right now. But I thought about it and I understand why you kept it from us. And I'm sure Mia will come around. Not to the idea of being a princess, just you not telling her."

Once I finish speaking my mom pulls me into a hug and apologises over and over.

"Mom you don't need to be sorry. I told you I understand. It'll still take me a while to fully wrap my head around it but it's ok"

"I love you hunny" she tells me quietly, stepping back from the hug.

"I love you too" and I walk to my room. I lie across my bed and dial Daniels number.

"Hey baby, how was tea?" he says jokingly.

"Interesting actually. I can't give you any details but I will when I can, yeah?"

"Ok, as long as your ok"

"I will be" I sigh. "I think I'm going to walk to school tomorrow. Figure some stuff out" We talk for the rest of the night until I fall asleep. When he notices I've stopped replying he realises I fell asleep and whispers, "goodnight baby" and hangs up.

***

"I have this photo of philippe. We had so much fun when we where in college. Always laughing and smiling"

"I remember. Helen if both Aurora and Amelia refuse to accept the throne then Genovia will cease to exist as we know it." I hear my mother and grandmother speaking downstairs. I stay at the top of the stairs, out of sight, listening. I know I shouldn't but I was curious.

"So the future of your county is in the hands of my 15 year olds?"

I hear shuffling before my mom says, "here it is"

"Philippe was ready to be king. Then the terrible accident."

"Even though things didn't work out between us. I loved your son very much"

"I know. Thank you"

As I hear their conversation come to an end I walk down the stairs. "You know i'm not gonna refuse the throne right? Genovia needs a leader. I don't want to let anyone down" I say to them.

I see my grandmother smile. My mom says, "you know you don't have to do this? I will support your decision no matter what"

"I know. I want to do this"

"Oh this is a nightmare" I hear Mia from the balcony overlooking the three of us in the kitchen, "I'm going back to bed"

"Mia come on the four of us need to talk"

"Oh, ok. Is there something else about me and my life I might want to know about? Are you two waiting to take me on a talk show to tell me that me and aurora have a triplet who's a duchess?"

"You have a cousin who's a contessa. Fondly known as Bartholomew. Actually we call him Pookie"

The three of them continue to talk while I drink my coffee and they come to an agreement that Mia has until the annual independence day ball to make her decision if she will be royal or not. We where both told not to tell anyone about this, which we both agreed to as we didn't even fully understand it all yet.

"We'll be 16 this year and my mom traded two paintings for a mustang. You do know what a mustang is right?" Mia tells Clarisse.

"I raise mustangs. This is not a sensible car for a princess" she tells her.

"Well it's not really acceptable for anyone. It doesn't run" I tell her.

"I suppose I could donate something to this vehicle"

"Good morning, Mr. Robutusen" Mia and I say to our neighbour.

"Who is this gentlemen?" Grandma asks.

"Oh he's out neighbour. You might not want to meet him, he doesn't have very nice manners" I tell her whispering the last part.

"Good morning" she says to him politely.

"There's a couple of people I want you both to meet"

"You have three limousines" I say shocked.

"You each have one"

"You raise limousines, too?" Mia jokes.

"No. Aurora, Amelia this is Joseph and Anthony"

Anthony leads me to one of the limos while Joseph leads Mia to another.

As I sit in the car I look around and see buttons on the roof. I mean how could I not press them?

"Princess, may I point out that no matter how many times you push it, it will go up and down the same way."

"Anthony, what are the flags for?" I ask.

"They allow me to park anywhere" he replies.

"So we can't put them down or something?"

"No"

"Got it, sorry Anthony"

"You can call me Ant"

"Ok Ant" I say smiling, looking out the window, "Hey Ant?"

"Yes princess"

"Could we park like a block away from school? I don't want to start riots" I ask.

***

"Good glove, Micheal. Way to go" the gym teacher says, "I'll let this one go, Mia. Try catching"

"Are you sure?"

"It's a slow pitch don't worry about it" she says, "now get it and throw it back to the pitcher"

I was stood near the teacher watching this go down. The class was broken into two games. I'd already played, and won, so we where chatting when she wasn't coaching the game. I knew it wouldn't end well but there wasn't anything I could think of to get her out of this.

I see Mia bring her arm back and throw the ball. Nope. I see it go the wrong direction. Towards me and the teacher. I put my hand out and catch the ball just before it hit the teachers nose. Mia immediately starts apologising but she says, "it's ok. No harm. Thanks Aurora"

The bell rings.