Fifth Destiny // Ever After High as Fifth Harmony Fanfiction

Chapter Twenty-Five: Princess First

{Chapter 25 POV: Lizzie Hearts}

"I need to go to Wonderland. Now."

Kitty sighed in exhaustion, but her signature smile remained present. She sat at one of those swirly chairs at the dark wooden desk in our rented hotel room, examining our schedule for the week. She was not going to like working out the adjustments I was prepared to demand until they were made.

Her eyes dragged over to meet mine, and I could clearly tell she was not in the mood. But, then, neither was I.

Her smile shrunk. "Lizzie..."

"No, no. You cannot tell me no. I am not asking as a member of Fifth Destiny. That was an order, as your Princess. I am still Princess of Wonderland, you know. You might be my manager but you were my loyal subject first and foremost."

"I didn't say no, Lizzie. I just... don't know how I'm going to make it happen. It's too late to cancel our events planned for the next few days. You guys were supposed to appear on the Ellen DeGenieres Show in the morning, and the Tonight Show with Jimmy Faellon the next night.  Those things aren't easy to reschedule, Lizzie. And they're important for you guys," Kitty explained, spinning around in her chair twice and scrolling a bit on her mirrorpad in the process.

I frowned, contemplating how to throw a Princess-sized tantrum in a band member's position. Stomping my foot and slamming my hands on the desk seemed childish. Kitty already knew all those tactics anyway. 

Deciding it was no use throwing a tantrum to the loyalest and perhaps only person who'd ever been anywhere near understanding me, I threw myself down on the bed closest to the desk and began to shove my high heels off my aching feet. In the aftermath of today's horror story of a therapy session, everything in me ached. "You can't tell them it's an emergency?" I tried, even knowing it was likely no use. I didn't want to give the band any more bad press than we'd already gotten. Flaunting my executive power as the Wonderlandian princess to get my way in a "silly Hollywood misunderstanding", as the therapist had assured me it was, would only make me look more like the guilty wrongdoer here.

But Austin had threatened my country. My heart and soul had always belonged to Wonderland, and every move I'd ever tried to make was with its best interests in mind. No, it had not been in Wonderland's best interest to join a girl group... It also wasn't in its best interest for its Princess to abandon her band members the further they progressed in the Hex Factor competition, or so fresh on the music industry scene. I was not a quitter. I was a compromiser, a considerer. I did not abandon those who needed me. And I couldn't abandon them now, even if everything in me screamed at me (literally, my whole body was in so much pain with no other explanation but the stress of this) to go home and secure Wonderland right now.

Kitty shook her head. "I'm sorry, Lizzie, you know I can't do that."

A moment later, her smile grew. "In two days, after your talk show performances, you do, though, have a little under a week off before your mall tour continues."

I grinned right along with my friend, my oldest friend. "You'll come with me, won't you?"

"You could extend the offer to the rest of the girls, if you want. I'd have to book the transportation for us, but-"

"I'll ask them first thing in the morning," I promised eagerly. Wonderland awaited me. It called to me. It needed me. 

Elated yet nervous energy flowed through me as I pulled my gloves and crown off and set them gently in my luggage. "Thank you, Kitty. I know the band and I aren't the easiest to deal with, and I've been especially troubling lately. Just... thank you for doing this for me. For us."