The Prince & The Pauper || z.m. [Book 1]

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"Our son is finally returning home today." his royal highness, King Yaser Malik said.

"After fifteen long years." Queen Trisha sighed.

They stood out on the balcony overlooking their kingdom of the city Genovia. Houses, buildings and many trees stood in the vast area. Currently the townspeople were bustling around getting ready for the prince's long awaited arrival.

A few miles away from the castle, was a small house where a woman by the name of Matilda, and her young daughter, Genevieve lived.

"Genevieve! Darling wake up!" Matilda knocked on her bedroom door.

Genevieve grumbled in response.

"Genevieve? You must wake up! Today's the big day!"

"Five more minutes." she mumbled as she brought the blanket closer to herself.

"Those five minutes will get you late! What will their highness think of you?"

Hearing the word 'highness', Genevieve jolted from her bed. "Oh my god today is the day!" she gasped.

"Finally you remember." Matilda walked into the room smiling. She wore a brown dress with the sleeves rolled up halfway and a navy blue bandana covering her head.

"Mother, you didn't have to wake me up. You should rest."

"Then who would've woken you up? Besides, don't worry about me. I'm so thrilled about you finally going to the castle today!" she cupped Genevieve's face with her hands.

"I'm really excited. After all these years of you telling me the stories of the castle and the king and queen, I get to experience it myself." Genevieve grinned.

"Well you won't be able to experience anything if you stay in bed."

Genevieve threw the blankets off of her and rushed to the bathroom.

Today was a big day for Genevieve. After listening to her mother's stories for many years about her days at the castle being the queen's right hand, it was finally her chance to be in the castle and have her own stories. Even though Matilda was a maid, she was very important to the king and queen. The queen in fact considered her as a friend. Ever since the birth of the prince up until his departure for his schooling, Matilda took care of him. She was also very close to the prince.

Then few years ago, Matilda fell ill and became very weak. She decided to quit her job and stay at home with Genevieve. She had promised the queen that Genevieve would take her place on the day the prince was to return.

Genevieve grew up listening to fairy tales along with her mother's stories. As nervous as she was for her first day at the castle, she couldn't help but feel excited to walk into an actual one. For some odd reason, Matilda never took Genevieve to the castle. She asked many times why she hadn't but Matilda always changed the topic or asked her to stop pestering her with the same question. Now at the age of twenty, her time had finally come.

"Ok, how do I look?" Genevieve walked out of the washroom wearing a peach coloured blazer on top of a creme chiffon dress with black pumps. Her brown wavy hair rested on her shoulders and draped her back midway.

"Absolutely beautiful!"

"No Mother! I can't look beautiful. I have to look professional." Genevieve groaned sitting on her bed wondering what would be the proper attire to wear to introduce herself to the king and queen.

"Darling, you look perfect. They will like you instantly. Trust me. You look fine." Matilda rested her hand on Genevieve's shoulder. Her eyes crinkled as she smiled.

"You think so?" Genevieve looked at her mother with hope.

"I know so."

Genevieve's gaze fell on the clock. "Oh my God! I'm gonna be late!" she quickly stood up and grabbed her black purse.

"What about breakfast?" Matilda called out as she watched her daughter run around her room gathering her things.

"I'll grab something at the coffee shop. Love you!" she kissed Matilda's cheek and ran down the stairs and out the front door.

The city was noisier than usual. People were smiling and chatting away talking about only one thing: the prince's arrival. Everyone was getting ready in their best clothes, cleaning the insides and outsides of their houses and making all kinds of sweets in order to celebrate.

Genevieve's favourite coffee shop, Ben's Cafe was only a five minute walk away. As she approached the small building, the aroma of coffee and baked goods surrounded her. Her stomach grumbled which made her quicken her pace. Once she got inside, she sat near the window. Even here people were all excitedly speaking of the prince.

"Genevieve! Good to see you my love." Ben, a rotund man with a thick brown moustache wearing an apron greeted her.

"Ben!" Genevieve got up to hug him.

"What could I get for one of my favourite customer?" he grinned while clasping his hands together. "Wait let me guess. The usual?"

"Yes." Genevieve chuckled.

"Coffee with a shot of caramel topped with whipped cream and an everything bagel toasted with butter and cream cheese?" Ben recited.

"That memory of yours sure baffles me."

"I believe my cranium is the best in memorizing in all of Genovia!" he said proudly.

"I'm sure it is."

"I'll be right back with your food love."

Genevieve's attention caught the television hung on the wall paying the news. A reporter went on about the big arrival.

"Citizens of Genovia are in the preparation for the royal prince's long awaited arrival. Prince Zayn Malik who had left the city of Genovia back fifteen years ago for schooling, is expected to arrive in the afternoon. As everyone is waiting for his return, there is only one question on all our minds: how does the prince look?"

Genevieve wondered herself. How did the prince look? She thought he would obviously look handsome. She had only seen his picture as a tiny infant wrapped in a heavy embroidered blue blanket in the newspaper.

After quickly eating her bagel and sipping down her coffee, Genevieve hailed a taxi and was on her way to the castle. Once she arrived at the front gate, she paid the driver and got out of the vehicle. She walked up to the gate and a voice came from the intercom.

"May I ask who you are?"

"Um I'm Genevieve Bell. The king and queen are expecting me."

"Matilda's daughter? Welcome!" and on cue the gate opened.

Genevieve was surprised the voice knew who she was just from her name. She took a deep breath and stepped towards the gate. After walking down a wide brick path, her mouth fell open as she had reached the end and the one and only grand ivory structure in all of Genovia stood in front of her.

The Malik castle.