Royal Obligations

Chapter 7: Predictable Behavior

My maids had made me a beautiful dress. It was a soft light blue that fanned out toward the bottom. It had flowing short sleeves and little patterns. It was simple, and I loved it. 

"You three are awfully kind." I say as Elise styles my hair with a french braid. 

"It's our job, miss." Elise says while Athena touches up my makeup. 

"I said you could call me Cordelia. I would prefer you did actually." I say. 

I glance over at Daisy, who was still silent since yesterday. I haven't heard her speak yet   and I wonder if she's mute. She makes my bed soundlessly like a ghost, her platinum blond hair reminding me of one too.

"This morning is the morning you meet the princes." Athena says curtly. "Make sure to be polite and formal. Show them that just because you're not as fortunate as the other girls doesn't mean you can't be just as civil."

"Thank you Athena," I say sincerely. "But I already met both of the princes." 

Elise stops braiding my hair and I see her eyes widen in the mirror. Athena finishes my eyeliner before throwing down the pencil into a makeup box. 

"Were you out wandering last night? Was that you?" Athena narrows her eyes. 

"There are many people who wander around the palace, Athena." I tell her.

Athena sighs and runs a hand through her hair. "You do not want to be seen as the unstable girl who has to take breathers in the middle of the night because she can't handle herself. I understand this is a lot to take in, it's very understandable. But we have safety precautions-"

"Athena, I'm fine. I just couldn't sleep so I ran into the prince on my way out to the gardens."

"Michael said you plowed through him and the other guard," Elise says in a singsong voice. I see her reflection in the mirror and she has a smirk on her face. "You are one step ahead, miss- I mean Cordelia."

I smile. "That's right. See Athena, it wasn't all bad." I say to her and I hear a faint snicker from the back of the room.

I look over to see Daisy staring at us with a smile of amusement on her face. I wonder if I will ever hear her voice, or will I just have to deal with the ghost floating around my room.

***

The girls here were nervous. Some were either wearing too much makeup or wearing not enough makeup. Their dresses were extravagant. What a waste of a beautiful dress just for a meeting. 

A girl walks up beside me and taps my shoulder. "Cordelia, right?"

I look over to see Felicity. Of course she looked perfect, and I doubted she was even wearing any makeup. 

"Yeah," I say with a smile. "Felicity. The talker on the plane." I try to joke. 

She laughs lightly, "Yes, yes. I'm the talker."

"Ladies!" Victoria snaps as she enters the room and we all stop talking at once. "Both princes will be coming to meet you all today. As you can imagine, this can be very stressful and overwhelming for them. Do not all attack the princes like vultures." She gives each of us a firm look. "This is how it's going to go," Her heels click on the stone floor as she walks from one end of the room to the other while talking. "Both Prince Harlan and Prince Forrest have schedules of who to talk to in a specific order, and for how long. The princes must come up to you. Understand? If you don't understand I suggest you go home. Simple orders and instructions like these are just the beginning." 

We are all silent as she smiles. "Wonderful!" Victoria spins around on her heels and clicks out of the room. Not a moment later both princes walk in. Everyone curtsies except me. I was the last one to curtsy and I spot Prince Harlan smiling at me. Seems like I made an impression.