After parting with Prince Maxen, Elizabella began to eat her lunch and looked through her CD for any of the gossip that was circulating that made the Royal Court antsy. She assumed that it was just people talking about why they were getting married if no one has ever seen them in public together.
She assumed this because they were being urged to show off their affection in public. As she scrolled through the popular gossip sites, she froze and felt her eye twitch uncontrollably while she read through the hottest topic. Pregnant!?
Well, it seems that the Palace cannot really deny this without fully explaining why they are really getting married so fast.
"I need to ask that Prince what is going on. Why are we getting married so soon? I hope that it is not too serious," thought Elizabella as she looked through the gossip sites and felt her stomach growl.
She stopped reading through the gossip and resumed eating her lunch merrily. She thought that this much publicity will add more drama to her music video that she wants to do. All of her productions have a rebellious undertone that she can disguise well.
For example, her first production was a dancing ballerina with a violin in a snow globe, wanting to get out while the owner of the snow globe was singing her longing to break free. In the end, the snow globe falls and breaks, letting the ballerina flee into the bright world. As she escapes, the owner finishes her song as she looks out her balcony window. This is when the audience realizes that the singer lives in a dilapidated castle as her tower is the only thing standing while everything else has crumbled with a dark overcast. So in the end, was the singer singing the ballerina's longing to escape or her own?
If anyone were to seriously analyze this music video, they would realize that there are many things in it that seems to mock society. For example, the singer is seen singing in her room most of the time. Her room is opulent and her dress looks fancy, yet she is singing about escaping and in the end you see she lives in a rundown castle.
It is very clear that the dancing ballerina would want to escape, especially since at the beginning she was a doll being wound up to play when she seems to become sentient in the middle of her turning. It could be interpreted that the ballerina was performing all her life for the sake of others until she does not want to anymore. She would have been performing to a crumbling audience. The ballerina's audience could be interpreted as anyone who seems to be doing well, but it is obvious that that is not the case.
For her next music video, she thought that she should be more daring, more direct in her song then her subtle choices in the past. She frowned as she thought to herself.
"Only thing is, Walliams does all my recording and editing. He will not be back until this weekend. It will be too late then. I guess I will have to do that as well. Man. What a pain," thought Elizabella as she sighed to herself. "I am really starting to think that I should go really hard to let go of some of my frustrations. As I thought, I should not involve myself with any Royal drama. Now I am really stuck..."
Elizabella finished her food and went to class to finish her next exams.
**********
After the last exam was finished, there was still one more class period; however, during exam weeks, once the fourth exam of the day was completed, school would be let off. Meaning that school was out early in the exam week.
Elizabella and Prince Maxen had made plans to start their play after their last exam that day in front of the school gates. That way, everyone in school would see it and the reporters waiting outside the gates would get their story. Elizabella had walked towards the gates with Ganthony close behind her, where their ride would be waiting as well as the Prince.
Their vehicle was strategically parked where the reporters would be able to see and film them. They have been camping outside the school gates every time the royal couple are in class. Since the pregnancy rumors were running rampant, most of the students stood around watching Elizabella approaching her vehicle when they saw the Prince and his guard soon coming from the school and coming closer to Elizabella. The students stood there, whispering to each other as the reporters jumped at the opportunity to take pictures and record the couple while shouting at them to look their way for any comments. The two just ignored them and continued on.
"Lady Aphra, may I have a moment, please?" asked Prince Maxen when he was practically behind her, making her turn to look at him with a polite smile.
"Why, yes you may, dear Maxen," said Elizabella as she waited for what he would do.
"I know this is a little late, but here is the engagement ring I had promised you, earlier. I had it bought from 'Silver Raven'; I know that you had said that you liked their jewelry, so I found one that reminded me of you," said Prince Maxen as he remembered to speak clearly with a happy expression on his face and kneeling down on one knee. "I should make this more formal and proper by asking you, will you marry me?"
Prince Maxen had taken out a box from his pocket and presented Elizabella the ring inside. Everyone surrounding them gasped as the reporters were quiet but kept filming and taking their pictures. All eyes were on Elizabella at this point as she felt her eyes widen and her face appeared shocked before she brought her hands to cover her mouth. She was speechless as she saw a white gold ring with a pear shaped amethyst on a diamond halo in the middle. It had three smaller diamonds on each side of the band, making it look like wings.
The crowds were getting antsy as they both envied Elizabella and supported her for getting engaged to a prince. They watched on wondering how she would respond when they see her tears falling down her cheeks. Elizabella took a deep breath after remembering that people were watching and quickly tries to compose herself.
"...Yes, I will..." was all she could say clearly before she choked on her words as Prince Maxen got up and gently placed the new ring on her ring finger.
The crowds began to clap and cheer as they watched the couple. Prince Maxen was feeling great that their little play was successful when he noticed that Elizabella seemed lost in thought while looking at the new ring.
"Oh? Does she like it that much or is she still acting? No matter, we should go all the way while we are it," thought Prince Maxen as he kept his smile on at all times and approached Elizabella. "Here, my dear, let me take you home today."
The reporters were busy taking pictures and filming everything while some of them yelled over the gates of the school, "Congratulations, Your Royal Highness! She said yes!" They walked to his vehicle as the driver opened the door for them and Prince Maxen made sure to let her in first. Elizabella walked inside still in a daze when Prince Maxen was about to get inside after her and looked up at the crowds of students, making him stunned briefly.
"Margarette?" thought Prince Maxen as he quickly went inside the vehicle and the driver closed the door after him. "I have not been able to speak to her since that day and now she appears when I am placing an engagement ring on another girl..."
Prince Maxen felt like he swallowed something sour as Elizabella stayed quiet to herself. The vehicle slowly drove them to Elizabella's house, making the couple think that it has been a long day and sighed at the same time. This made the both of them look at each other as they both remembered that the other was with them.
Noticing the awkwardness in the vehicle, they both quickly looked away from each other and cleared their throats at the same time, amplifying the already awkward ride. Prince Maxen felt embarrassed as he had only thought of Margarette just now and did not even thank Elizabella for going along with his plan to showcase their "love" to everyone.
"Ahem! You did well, Lady Aphra. Your tears really sold it to them, I believe," said Prince Maxen as he looked ahead of him and praised Elizabella as she too looked ahead of her, not daring to look at him.
"Thank you. I pride myself to be a fabulous actress," said Elizabella as she tried to calm her mood when she caught a glance of her ring.
"Out of all the rings in my store, why did they sell you the one that was not on sale?" thought Elizabella as they traveled to her home.