The Christmas Princess (Princess Diaries Fanfic)

Chapter Seven

Monday, December 23

I don't understand why everyone is so angry.

I mean, Grandmere is furious. She has locked herself in her room leaving Rommel in the care of Vigo. She ordered enough ingredients for about a hundred Sidecars and she is making them HERSELF! Yes, I enraged Grandmere so much that she prefers making her own Sidecar to facing anyone!

Dad has locked himself in the sports quarters where he is playing squash or something since his doctor has told him it is a good stress reliever. Dad even sent Natalia to the spa because he cannot deal with her right now.

And looks like Pierre will be fired.

And René deported back to Italy or to any country that will want him.

Everyone is overreacting. I mean, it's not like I did it on purpose! It just ... happened!

Though I guess I can understand why the PR team will say that I have flu. It might not be a good idea to tell the whole world why I am unable to attend any formal events today.

Here's what happened -

7:55 pm yesterday: I am still in my room. Sebastiano is walking around me, saying I look too pale in the dress. Apparently, I am not as tanned as I was in the summer when he made the sketch of this dress.

7:56: Sebastiano has a freak-out, worrying about what Grandmere will say because apparently I look like a walking plague. Or at least that what I think comes out of his mouth.

7:57: makeup team tries out another color of the lipstick but ultimately decides for the fadest shade of red.

7:58: last minute change of shoes: Sebastiano decides that white Gucci shoes work better with the dress than those in the shade of beige.

7:59: dinner is supposed to start in a minute and I am still in my room, trying to balance myself in new shoes, which, by the way, are a size too small. Sebastiano keeps saying my feet must have grown and does not want to even consider that he might have ordered the wrong size.

8:01: Sebastiano decides that he is doomed anyway and lets me go. I run down the hall to the dining quarters and surprisingly I don't fall. But I can feel the blister on my foot forming.

8:02: I meet René in front of the entrance. There's a smell of cigarettes around him and he looks rather flushed.

8:03: I tell René that his shoelaces are undone. He leans forward to tie them when he loses balance and falls over. He hits a nearby table and knocks over a vase. His shirt is now soaked with water. One of the servants has seen what happened and runs to help him.

8:04: we enter the room. Grandmere doesn't even notice us nor René's wet shirt; she is chatting away with Arne and I don't think I have seen the golden bracelet on her wrist before.

8:07: we greet all of our guests. Grandmere totally wasn't kidding when she said she planned to use Arne's visit for Genovia's benefit. She invited all the Genovian finance experts – well, at least all of those that are older than 70.

8:10: Kjetil introduces me to his girlfriend – René was right, she is stunning. She has long blond, slightly wavy hair, striking blue eyes, and curves. My inferiority complex kicks in.

8:21: am stuck listening to war stories of a former finance minister.

8:23: the palace band starts playing traditional Norwegian music. Grandmere starts clapping and singing along.

8:26: Grandmere goes on stage and joins the band for a song.

8:29: Arne joins Grandmere and they sing the duet. It is in Norwegian and I don't understand a word (when did she have time to learn it? Daily visit of which famous fashion designer did she cancel in order to have more time to study Norwegian?) but I am rather sure it is a duet from hell.