His Majesty's Ballerina

PART XIII -- Ghost of the Past

Kitty read the report and her heart sank. It was like reading her book of life where all of her sins were written in it. She had never told Robert about her colorful past out of fear that Robert would lose interest in her but she never thought that her past would be digged up by some nosey royalty.

Kitty sighed after finishing all 20 pages of the report. She looked at Robert while searching, concocting plans to explain to him without ruining her engagement. She knew that playing damsel in distress always wins man like Robert.

"Robert, I'm sorry that I failed to tell you all about my past but can you blame me? I just want to forget all about it," Kitty's voice was trembling. She sounded like she was about to cry.

"You have no idea how to live out there. You were born in a palace, your parents are royalty! You never have to work all your life, everything is handed to you but some of us didn't have the privileged. You have no idea how did it feel to be surrounded with poverty, to be so little with a grand dream of being a ballerina. My parents were hardworking people, despite their shortcoming, they still tried hard to support me achieving my dreams. Ballet is an expensive activity, do you know that? And people like me could never be, had my parents didn't work hard. But unfortunately my parents died when I was a teenager, you could read all about it in your report. I had to do what I had to do to survive. I had a dream of being a ballerina at the royal ballet and my parents had worked hard for it, I wouldn't want to give up just yet, so I did what I did to pursue my dream. You couldn't expect me to work in a coffee shop or mending a store somewhere because the salary wouldn't even cover my weekly expenses on pointe shoes let alone funded all of my ballet needs. Yes, Robert, I worked as a stripper and then as a sugar baby to earned my living and I'm ashamed of it, I do! But I can't change my past, it's already happened. Had I known that I would be engaged to a prince I might've done things differently, but I didn't and here we are,"

Kitty looked at Robert with her big, green eyes. He looked unsure about himself and Kitty knew that she has played the damsel in distress card very well. It sadden Kitty that she had to use tricks to tell Robert, her fiancé, about her past, different than when she was telling Brad back then. She had told him with a matter of facts tone, no tricks to gain Brad's sympathy and she had thought that Brad would be disgusted by her in the end but the unexpected had happened that night, Brad admired her even more and he was so understanding that Kitty was moved by his angelic heart.

Oh, Brad, how Kitty missed him so much.

"Kitty, I'm sorry. I'm sorry that you have to go through all that," Robert appeared to have finally made his choice. The damsel in distress had worked beautifully.

"Oh, Robert, it's all in the past. Don't we have future to pursue now?"

Robert held Kitty in his arms and caressed her hair softly. "Yes, we do. Tell you what," Robert cupped Kitty's face and kiss her before continued, "You buy yourself some jewelries from Garrard, put the bill on me. It is a token of my apologies to have brought the painful memories that you are trying to forget,"

"Robert, you're an absolute darling!" exclaimed Kitty with joy.

"Anything for my Kitty cat,"

"What were you thinking, Robert?" said the Queen when she found out about Robert continuing his engagement with Kitty. She confronted him yet again that night.

"Have you not read the report? Have you no self-respect? She was practically a prostitute and you still want to invite her into our family? This will ruin our family, this will wrecked monarchy!"

"Mama, you're exaggerating! The people will love her," said Robert calmly.

"That was what your great-uncle David told your great grandmother about Wallis Simpson. Looked what happen to him, he was forced to abdicate and Wallis Simpson was just a divorcee with living ex-husband. Imagine what would happen with that girl once people learn about her past as a prostitute. Robert, you'll ruin us!"