The Princess's Handbook

Rule #2: Be Polite

Rule #2: Be Polite

I led him to a cafe that I frequently visited, well as frequently as I could. I pushed open the door and the smell of hot chocolate and coffee wafted through the air. I inhaled deeply before speaking.

"Hey, Angie." I smiled at the owner. She returned my smile. "Hello, Princess. Take a seat, I see you've brought a friend. What do you two want to drink and eat?"

We sat down in a corner near the back. Angie walked over with a notepad. The cafe was vacant at the time.

"I highly recommend the ice blended mocha, it's to die for." I said to him and in that moment, I realised I still didn't know his name.

"I'll have that then." He replied.

Angie said. "Two ice blended mochas coming up." Then she walked away to prepare our drinks. We fell silent. I finally broke the ice.

"Hey, what's your name?" I asked.

He answered. "Dante Williams."

"Nice, I'm Julianna Anne Mary Elizabeth. You can call me Jules."

"Long name. Do you have a last name?" He questioned. I shrugged.

"Not really, all royals don't have a last name but if absolutely necessary, my family uses Lockhart-Farrington."

"Julianna Lockhart-Farrington. That's quite a mouthful." He said.

"Try Julianna Anne Mary Elizabeth Lockhart-Farrington." I shot back. He chuckled in reply.

"My apologies, your royal highness."

"Jules. I don't really do all the royal highness stuff especially when with friends." I corrected.

"Jules it is." He said.

We fell silent for a moment when Angie brought us our drinks. I watched as he took a sip. Then smiled as his eyes widened. "Wow, this tastes amazing. It's probably the best mocha drink I've had in a while."

"I knew no one can resist Angie's amazeball mochas. " I said smugly. We didn't talked for a while as we drank our ice cold coffee.

"So what brings you out of the palace grounds? I'm pretty sure it was on the news that Odivalon's princess rarely leaves the palace unless she has royal duties to fulfil." Dante said.

"I just don't like being cooped up in there all day learning rules and regulations and royal protocol. Being a princess isn't all sparkles and glitter like the movies make it seem like, in fact I don't even have a tiara. I'm not likely to get one until I'm married." I leaned back in my seat as I spoke.

"You don't like being a princess?" He questioned.

I shook my head. "It's not that. I like being a princess of Odivalon, I just don't like the too many strings that come with the title of being one. I want my people to love me and respect me for who I am, not some front that the palace makes me put up."

"It's tiring isn't it?" He said. I nodded. "Extremely. Especially when the paparazzi follows you everywhere. They scrutinise your every move. It's funny, they don't even know much about royal protocol but they somehow have a lot to say about everything we do."

"That's the media all right, even back home they follow all the celebrities everywhere. They're like stalkers just with a prettier name." Dante said. It suddenly occurred to me that Dante wasn't from Odivalon. He speaks with a different accent and he just said 'back home'.

"Enough about me and my problems. I want to get to know you better. It's not every day I get to meet someone that doesn't freak out when they see me. I would like to get to know you better." I said leaning forward.

"What do you want to know?" He asked casually.

"Where are you from?"

"The one and only United States of America. "

"How old are you?"

"Just turned 18."

"So you're a year older than me. Favourite colour?"

"Dark gray, navy blue."

"And what brings you here to the grand kingdom of Odivalon?" I asked with a mock posh attitude.

He laughed before answering. "My parents got offered a new job here. It pays pretty well so we moved here."

"I see. How long have you been here?"

"A few weeks. I haven't start school yet since it's the holidays so I'm not sure how I'll like the new learning place."

"Well on behalf of the people of Odivalon, welcome to our humble kingdom." I smiled.

"Thank you." He said with a smile.

"Where do you go to school?" He asked me. I answered. "The palace. I'm home-schooled."

"So I gather you don't go out much then?"

I laughed. "Quite the contrary, I sneak out a lot. I just don't have many friends."

"Well fear no more, you just became friends with the most amazing guy in the universe." He joked. I laughed. "I am absolutely honoured."

"Anyway, won't you get into trouble for sneaking out? I mean royal protocol and all." He asked.

"Oh I will. I get into a ton of trouble but it never stops me from getting out of the palace. I would do anything for one day of absolute freedom." I said wistfully.

It's hard being a princess. Not just the media scrutinises your every move but your own people too. One small step out of line and you get bombarded with questions that you can't answer.

The people expect us, the royal family to be regal and aristocratic but they complain about us being cold and distant. It's just so contradicting. You are the ones who don't want us to be close with the people to uphold some sort of 'royal image' yet you complain about us being stand-offish.

As the kingdom's only princess, I'm pressured into being the perfect lady. Not a hair out of place even if I'm in bed. It's crazy. My brother, the crown prince has it just as bad. One time he got photographed with a female friend from his university and by the next day, it made the front page of all the gossip magazines and sites.

"The glamour is all just a front?" Dante asked with a questioning look in his eyes. I nodded. "We're just like everyone else. Minus the extraordinarily big house and staff, we're human. Pity in the eyes of everyone else our species seems to be king, queen, princess or prince rather than human."

"Hey, not everyone." Dante said with a reassuring smile. I met his warm gaze and smiled. He's right, not everyone, at least not him.