The Lost Princess - A 'Selection' spinoff

CHAPTER 12

Aurora wearily trudged towards the third floor, to go to the painting room.

She had just spent hours with Adelaide and Kate, practicing hard, in the music room. They all played wonderfully alone - she on the violin, Kate on the piano, and Adelaide on the cello - but they sounded horrible together.

It had taken them a week of practice to realize that they had to work as a team, not as individual musicians if they wanted their gift to shine.

They were getting better, though.

But Aurora wasn't satisfied with that alone. She wanted to give a gift to the King and Queen.

Mostly the King, but she wanted the gift to be hers.

Just hers.

And so she had turned to the other skill she had - painting.

As she walked into the room, the first thing she noticed was the King in his pajamas, painting a scenery.

"Oh my God," she said, stifling her giggles. 

"Aurora!" the King said, looking surprised. 

He noticed her staring at his night attire which comprised of a shirt with a smiling marshmallow on it, and pants with dancing marshmallows on it.

He sighed.

"Try having two seven year old daughters you can't say no to," he said.

He looked much less intimidating than he did when he wore his formal suits throughout the day - his broad shoulders were slightly hunched, and he didn't seem to tower over her as usual.

She also noticed that he didn't look a lot like Eric, except for the hair. Eric seemed to have inherited his mother's features in every other aspect.

"I have no comments," Aurora said. "None at all".

The King sighed again. "It's been a long time since I saw you, Aurora".

"I've been bonding with my friends," she said.

"That's not what I heard," the King said, narrowing his eyes.

"You're the King," Aurora pointed out, her tone light. "You hear many things".

King Edward shook his head and asked her, "What brings you here, Lady Aurora?".

"Painting," she answered nonchalantly, despite knowing that for her to paint, he would have to leave.

"I can see that," the King replied. "Well, don't let me stop you. Pick an easel".

"No!" she blurted out.

"No?" he asked, furrowing his eyebrows.

"My... um, creative juices. They don't work if people are there around me," she said, her excuse sounding very feeble to her own ears.

"Right," the King said, looking very unconvinced.

"Will I be charged of treason if I kick you out of your own home?" she asked.

"What?".

"I'll take that as a no," Aurora said, pushing the King slowly.

"What are you doing?" he asked, laughing slightly.

"Kicking you out," she replied innocently.

"I'm the King!" he said, still laughing.

"I'm aware of that fact, thank you very much," Aurora said, using all her force to push him.

The King opened the door, and Aurora shoved him out, only to see him nearly topple over his wife who was passing by.

"Oops," Aurora muttered, before falling to a curtsy.