Elizabella headed home in her own car today from the Academy. She had explained to Olivia earlier that she had an important appointment after school ended, but she needed to leave earlier then that. As they traveled home, Elizabella thought of the conversation she had with the Prince during lunchtime as well as what happened before coming to Glear.
"Humph! Does he honestly think that he is the only prince around that has not married yet? My problem is that I have dealt with enough princes and their royal drama to last me a lifetime. Getting involved with the royals means an uneasy life ahead.
"Sigh... I came to this kingdom to get away from it all. Who would have thought that running away to here would seal my fate?"
She stared out the tinted window as she contemplated if she should help the prince, or pack up and leave again.
"Ah... what if I leave here and instead am forced into another political marriage? At least we can both agree that we do not like each other and will eventually part ways. I do not believe that it would be hard to be a princess since I practically grew up in the Palace and took classes alongside the two princes of Edalelia. I could even boldly say that I grew up at the feet of a Queen, nestled with two other princes.
"Being a Princess is no problem for me. Being a fake wife? I am not sure..." thought Elizabella as they drove into her driveway.
A servant waiting outside approached the moving vehicle until it stopped and opened the door for Elizabella. She gracefully got out as two lines of servants appeared outside and greeted her as she made her way inside.
Normally, she will accept their greeting then dismiss them. Today she passed them as she was deep in thought and stopped in front of the door that led inside the house. She turned around to look at them. The servants remained bowing as she gave them a sweep with her eyes.
She still wondered what she should do as she looked at her loyal servants who did not leave her side even after tragedy had befallen on her family. She saw their hopes and dreams that laid on her decisions. Suddenly, the task at hand seemed to feel even heavier then before. She took a deep breath in and closed her eyes. When she opened again, her eyes shone with a radiance as every fear seemed to have disappeared. The servants immediately felt the oppression leave, making them sigh in relief.
"You may be dismissed to your normal chores. I will only be here long enough to become presentable to the Palace," said Elizabella as she left her servants to change.
**********
It did not take long for a Palace car to come and pick up Elizabella. The driver was surprised to see that she had dressed accordingly to the occasion. Normally, when someone has never been to the Palace before, they will try to dress to impress; however, they tend to go overboard.
Like they may wear a flamboyant formal gown when it is just to greet the Royals over tea. For every occasion, there is a dress code. If they have never been to the Palace, this dress code is normally waived for first timers. Afterwards, they are not allowed in if they are repeat offenders. Another thing they may do is over accessorize and with caked on make-up.
Elizabella, due to owning her own jewelry business, has plenty of jewelry and knows how to do professional make-up; yet she did not wear any jewelry except for her necklace under her clothes and she had on light make-up. Her hair was straightened and hung freely. She wore a new blush colored tea party dress with emerald green pumps. Very presentable for the occasion. Only thing that seemed wrong was her large, thick glasses on her face.
That is how the Queen saw her for the first time as Elizabella gave her a polite curtsy.
"You may rise, Lady Aphra," said the Queen in an authoritative tone. "Come closer so We may look at you better."
"Yes, Your Majesty," replied Elizabella as she stood up and took a few steps closer, not daring to come no more than six steps closer.
"My dear, you really do not look like your elders... We wonder who you came out to look like..."
"Your Majesty, I have been told that I look more like my great-grandmother. She was not from the Kingdom of Glear..." said Elizabella in an even tone while the Queen studied her with an expressionless face.
"Sit, my dear."
"Thank you, Your Majesty," said Elizabella as she gracefully sat on the available chair in front of the Queen.
The two ladies were sitting on two chairs with a table in between them. The room was opulent, yet both seemed unfazed as if both were used to such an environment. The servants quickly served tea and light snacks. Elizabella waited for the Queen to either dig in first or gave her permission to begin herself.
The servants were quick and nimble as they quietly served the two ladies. As they did, they couldn't resist to steal glances at the future Crown Princess. They all concluded that she at least knew to conduct herself properly and seemed to understand protocol.
"You may be dismissed," said the Queen as the servants bowed and left the room with only the two of them. "Lady Aphra, you could have brought your mother along, if you felt the need."
"Thank you, Your Majesty, but mother does not bode well in this type of environment," said Elizabella as she sipped her tea after the Queen had brought hers to her lips.
"Oh? And are you saying you are?"
"More so than mother. I go to school with, not only the Crown Prince, but all my peers are young lords and ladies."
"Speaking of school, may We ask, how is it that you were able to get in with a scholarship?" said the Queen casually while trying to hide a glint in her eyes.
"Of course, one would be curious as to how someone with no powerful background could answer such questions. I did think that some of those questions were intended for young lords and ladies. Then before I may answer, may we talk more over the late Baron's family?" asked Elizabella smoothly while the Queen gave a disinterested look before signaling for her to proceed. "As Your Majesty may be aware, the late Baron traveled in and out the Kingdom of Glear. By the time he settled down here, he already had two grownup twin daughters. When he received his title, his daughters were not in the kingdom. They had both fallen in love and soon married outside the kingdom. The eldest twin had married a Marquess where as the younger twin married a commoner.
"The two couples remained close to each other for a few years outside the Kingdom of Glear. I am sure that everyone is aware that most influential families would rather train their own blood to run business. Thus, I stayed in the care of the Marquess' household, being taught from early childhood what it means to be a lady and was even tasked to manage a separate company. I have brought last quarter's financial report over my personal earnings, as the company itself is under the Marquess' family."