Meeting the Princess

"James! You have not earned the right to sleep in in this house! Your brothers' shirts need to be ironed and breakfast must be made within the next hour or you will be sorry!" James groaned, rolling out of bed to the sound of his step-mother's voice. He wiped the sleep from his eyes and made his bed before trudging down the stairs in his bare feet and pajamas. He noticed the clock on the wall as he made his way towards the kitchen. It was barely 5 A.M. The boys all went to school at 7, and his step-brothers, who were twins, were fully capable of doing these simple tasks on their own. However, Victoria, his psycho step-mom refused to have her precious baby boys, who were also seventeen, lift a finger.

The she-devil was nowhere to be found when he started chopping vegetables and cracking eggs for omelets. It was as if she disappeared the moment she summoned him, but he knew he was not so lucky. He took out some frozen fruit and yogurt for protein smoothies and set aside the bowl for the omelets. He quickly ironed the boys' shirts, put the supplies away and hung the shirts on the notch near the doorway, then continued on with breakfast. He blended smoothies and flipped omelets, then stored everything in their respective areas, making sure to clean up after himself. He sat and ate his omelet, knowing the twins, Ben and Abel, wouldn't be up until at least 6. He cleared his dishes and began sweeping and mopping the kitchen, things he knew he would be yelled at for if he didn't take care of it now.

He vacuumed the living room, and dusted the dining area, making sure to take the extra few minutes to shine all of Victoria's good china. After everything seemed clean enough, he went up to his room to shower. His room was the only one upstairs. The door began right at the end of the stairs, and led to an attic sized room. His bathroom had just enough room for him to stand in front of the sink, toilet, and in the shower. The entire area was only about three or four feet wide. He cleaned himself up and brushed his teeth and hair. His tried to take pride in his appearance, even though his clothes were old and stained from cleaning. Even his pajamas were frayed at the bottom of the legs. He'd cut his long sleeves into short ones because they came above his wrists. Any money that he made during his after school job, Victoria took. For a time, he would lie about how much he made so he could keep a little to buy things but she would always check to make sure he hadn't acquired any new clothes. He began stashing his extra money under a loose floorboard in his room, to save for a rainy day. His goal was to save up enough money to move into his own place. It seemed even more practical now that he had turned 18.

He got dressed in one of his most decent pairs of pants. Most of them were covered in rips and holes, but the tears in these almost appeared stylish. He put on a t-shirt that had a hole in the sleeve and covered it with a thick leather jacket. He put on some decent work boots— they were only dirty because he worked in them but they hadn't been stained by any cleaners or creased from long hours of house work. He grabbed his bag and went downstairs. Everyone was already eating, his step-mother opting to eat an apple for breakfast. She said something about the calories making her fat. His brothers ignored him.

"It's about time! You left some dust on one of the glass doors to my china cabinet and you didn't clean out the embers from the fire place! Do I have to leave you a detailed list or something?" James was overwhelmed with irritation. No matter how early he woke or how late he stayed up, no matter how much he scrubbed and swept and dusted, there was always something for his step-mother to complain about. And if there was nothing, she would have the twins create something. He was drained and just wanted to get to school.

"Okay," he simply replied, dusting the cabinets again and cleaning the fire place to appease her. He was careful not to make a mess on the floor or himself. He didn't want to stain his boots and he didn't want to hear her complaining about the floor. If he didn't handle it now, she would make him miss the bus to clean. Then, he would be forced to walk to school because she refused to take him. At moments like these, he remembered his father. They would wake up at five every morning to cook breakfast together so the early hours Victoria made him get up were no bother to him. But after breakfast, they would go out to the barn where his dad kept a few old motorcycles and they would work on them together. Then, after an hour or so of hard labor, he'd send James off to shower, get dressed, and drive him to school. It was weird to think he had started his freshman year with his father, and was now ending his senior year without either parent.

It was hard to remember his mother sometimes; he was only ten when she disappeared. His father thought she must have had an accident and passed away but there was no body. Victoria, however had been around ever since he could remember. She and her annoying sons would make his life hell when she came around trying to vie for his father's attention. She was there when his mother was, when his father was grieving, and eventually she married him. The whole situation seemed a bit messed up. He couldn't say for sure that she had planned it because he was so young when it began but he knew the entire scenario was corrupted.

"Come on, dork. The bus should be here." Ben pushed him, almost sending him into the pile of ash, but James steadied himself, then braced himself as Abel followed suit.

"Yeah, dork," Abel snorted.

"You know," James said as he gathered the bag of dust to throw away and his school bag, "I'm not even bothered by your insults anymore because every time I think I will be, I remember how stupid you both are and it makes me feel better."

"Yeah well..." Ben trailed off, obviously searching for a proper insult. "At least I have parents," was what he finally came up with. James rolled his eyes as this was Ben's go to whenever he didn't know what else to say. Abel just mimicked whatever Ben said. James was about to respond when Abel started talking.

"Well, yeah but our dad hasn't been around for years. James had a dad and a mom so—"

"Stop talking, stupid!" Ben exclaimed, cutting Abel off by smacking him in the chest. James stifled a laugh as he pushed past the boys through the front door. He could hear them following behind him, still arguing as he dropped the trash into the bin on the way to the bus stop. He was taller than both of them so it was easy to keep a good amount of distance between them as they walked.

The bus pulled up just as they made their last steps to the stop and James stomped his way to the back of the bus, with the twins stumbling behind him. They sat towards the middle and he went to his normal seat at the furthest corner of the back of the bus. No one paid him any mind so he took out Animal Farm and began reading. It was due the following week for his English Literature class but he was already close to ending the book. He lost himself in it's metaphors easily and enjoyed reading. He finished and marked his page as they pulled up to the school. The other kids fought to get off the bus but he stayed put until the bus was near empty. He took his time making his way to the front door when a kid from his homeroom approached him. He was a nice enough guy, named Rick Fancy, and they talked every now and then. You could almost call them friends.

"Did you hear they're having an assembly for that girl?" Rick nudged him.

"What girl? Did someone die?" James asked, suddenly in tune with the conversation.

"Nah, dude. The King is finally letting the Princess out. And she's here. We're all supposed to go to some assembly to meet her." Rick shrugged, "I'll catch you in the auditorium. I'll save you a seat in the back." And then he was gone. James was confused. He considered the situation while he unloaded things into his locker. The princess had never been seen. Her parents had saved the country though.

Astoria had gone through a long, tragic history. It was located in the Mediterranean and had very pliable soil. The country did not have big supermarkets, but a lot of farmers' markets. That made Astoria a huge target, especially during the twentieth century. The country had a series of young men trying to force themselves upon the monarchy, any way possible: through war, marriage, and threats. The actions if the young men pushed the country into a Depression and forced the Kings to hide their daughters from the outside world. The current King and Queen: King Alistair and Queen Celeste were something of a miracle. They had been married for a long time now, almost twenty years, but she was one of the last Astorian Princesses targeted. Her father, King Alger, and mother, Queen Cyrena, had promised her to young King Alistair when they were just children on the condition that they remained in contact their entire lives and were able to meet at least once a year, until their marriage. They didn't want to force marriage on their daughter, but the kingdom needed a strong ally. They wanted to give their daughter time to decide if she could love Alistair, and she did.

James' mother, Melia, used to tell him about the gossip of her childhood, when Princess Celeste and Prince Alistair would write each other longing love letters and sneak away to see each other, wishing they could spend every waking moment together. Queen Cyrena insisted they wait until Celeste was of age, and had turned 18 before they blessed the union. Though they had to fight off aggressive suitors and bloodthirsty Kings, they held strong and never questioned Celeste and Alistair's union. At 18, Celeste entered her happy marriage to King Alistair and theirs was a love like no other monarchy's. The King never took mistresses and the Queen refused to hire wet nurses or nannies. She insisted on raising her children herself. They had a large family, three girls and two boys. The eldest daughter always held the crown in Astorian history. James thought it was something about their mythological origins, because women had always been considered wise and strong leaders. After the union of Queen Celeste and King Alistair, the air and sea travel limitations became even more restricted. The citizens were not prisoners, but anyone who was not an Astorian citizen or part of a current treaty had to be granted entrance. James thought this was developed to prevent the past terrorism the country had in the past, but there was never an official reason given to the citizens. As a sort of superstition, the first born child of Celeste and Alistair was hidden from the country.

They were told she was a girl, but not much else. Her sisters, Dariyah and Fay, as well as her brothers, Kai and Marin had been all around the country, doing seminars and uniting the people. Kai, Marin, and Fay were all part of the Astorian military, while Dariyah floated between multiple occupations, trying to find her passion. But the eldest? They didn't even know her name. James wondered what she would look like, if she would be fairer skinned like her father, or copper skinned like her mother. Her siblings were a mix of both, with light brown eyes full of energy.

"Dude, let's go. We're going to be late." Rick broke James' haze by pulling his arm.

"I thought you were going to save me a seat?" James said, following behind Rick, once he'd released his arm.

"Yeah and I waited for five minutes and you never came so here I am. I don't want to miss anything. Supposedly, there's a big announcement coming up."

James rolled his eyes, because of course there was a big announcement coming up. He wasn't sure why his life felt so dramatic sometimes. The auditorium was full though, from back to front. There was only a few seats left in some of the middle rows, his least favorite place. "Now all the good seats are taken," he grumbled, irritated that Rick had left his post.

"Well, maybe move your feet next time," Rick grumbled right back. James scoffed but didn't say anything else. They made their way across the crowd of people, shuffling to get to their seats. James was just glad his step-brothers were nowhere in sight. They took their seats just as the house lights went down. People continued talking until King Alistair came on stage. The students were in awe. Of course they'd seen the King before, but they had never been so close to him. They had never been his only audience. When Queen Celeste joined him, you could hear a pin drop. She was as beautiful as they had thought. She and her husband were the perfect contrast, James thought. His light skin and green eyes coupled with her dark skin and brown eyes. He stood over her by almost a whole foot, and she looked dainty standing next to him. She began to speak.

"For many years, we have kept our daughter hidden from the world, while her siblings ran free, afraid that she would be victim to the same hardships we faced. But as her eighteenth birthday nears, we felt it was necessary to introduce her to her people. We felt it was best to start with her peers, young people who were also near her age." The Queen looked into the corridors of the stage. "Arista, it's time." And out she walked. Both the King and Queen reached for her as she made her way on stage. James couldn't look away. Her copper skin was a few shades lighter than his own and her hair hung in long, black curls. He couldn't quite make out the color of her eyes, only that they were much lighter than her mother's. Unlike her parents, Arista's crown was made of woven twigs and bright, healthy flowers. She was stunning. James leaned forward in his seat as she began to speak, hanging onto her every word.

"My parents spend a lot of time talking with the parents of all of you. It was about time I had the opportunity to reach out to my peers, as they have done. I would like to invite you all to my cotillion ball next week, and there will be invitations handed out as you all file out. Everyone is invited, and encouraged to come. You will all be granted entrance to the palace, and have an opportunity to get to know me, and my siblings, better. I hope to see you all there." She finished her announcement quickly; James was sure she was nervous, but she was so encapsulating, he wasn't sure why. He couldn't take his eyes off her, even as her parents regained control of the assembly and she stood silently between them.  She was perfect, and he was desperate to get to know her better. She smiled as they finished their announcement, the end of which he had completely missed, and he felt his heart clench in his chest. Her smile was perfect. Her teeth were perfectly even and white. They exited the stage and the students began to jump up out of their seats and pushed to the door. James wasn't sure what was going on, but if it had anything to do with the Princess, he would be the first one in line. He jolted from his seat, weaving through the horde of students and leaving Rick behind. He was sure he would see him later.

Once he finally got out of the auditorium, he saw a line forming. He had somehow ended up only a few people back. No one noticed him so he stayed in that place, pretending he had always been there. The Princess was doing introductions, and personally handing out her invitations. He tried to recite what he was going to say in his head, so he didn't mess it up when he was in front of her.

Hi, I'm James. It's really nice to meet you. I'd love to go to your cotillion.

Hi, I'm James. I'm happy to finally meet you. Of course I'll attend your cotillion.

Hi, I'm James. You have really pretty hair. And amazing skin, not even the tiniest bit of acne.

No, he'd thought. That last one was a little weird. Maybe even creepy. 

He was next. Wait, what was he going to say, again? Was he going to mention her hair or no? Probably no. That might freak her out.

"Hello, I'm Arista. What's your name?" It was his turn. She held her hand out but his palms were suddenly feeling prickly, like they would start sweating any minute.

"I—huh?" He managed to say, making her laugh. She lifted her hand, emphasizing that she was willing to still take his.

"Your name?" She asked again.

"Oh, um James? I think." He'd meant to whisper the last part but it came out surprisingly coherent. He fumbled for her hand and quickly shook it.

"Okay, James I think," she said, holding onto his hand as she reached for an invitation with the other. "I hope to see you at the cotillion." She smiled that brilliant smile again. Green.

He could see now her eyes were green. He felt a lump in his throat and suddenly felt unable to breathe. He settled for a nod and released her hand. She looked at him for a minute, not being rude or mean, just taking him in. After she had had enough, she moved onto the next person and he finally felt it was safe to breathe.