* * * *
Friday comes way sooner than expected. All day in school I am too excited to pay attention in class or work on any of the homework that is given. Miss Settles has us take a vocabulary quiz in her class. After everyone is done, we have to read a dialogue by ourselves in front of the entire class. When I get up to read mine, my classmates are smiling at me in encouragement and continue to do so as I read my lines. On the way back to my seat, everyone is clapping as I sit down and turn toward Lauren.
"What did you think? Was I terrible," I ask.
"No, it was really good. You sound like you are from Spain actually."
"Thank you."
"Ella muy bonita. Yo te quiero."
Lauren and I quickly turn to see who is giving their dialogue speech to the class.
'It does not surprise me to see Alex standing in front of the classroom. He sounds like he has spoken Spanish his entire life, then again he did say he is fluent in the language.'
His eyes meet mine as he continues.
"Ella lo es todo para mi. Ella es el sol, la luna y las estrellas. La amo con todo mi corazón."
"Wow, he is really good," Lauren whispers.
"No, he is amazing."
When Alexander finishes and sits back down, I look over at him.
"You were great and I absolutely love how your accent came out while you were reading"
"So were you and thank you," he replies.
My face reddens at his compliment as I try to turn back around and pay attention. The bell rings before everyone gets done with their speeches so we have to finish the others on Monday. During second period, Miss Swan has me organize all the books back onto the shelves so I do not have time to do my homework at all. By the time I get to third period, I am in a completely bad mood. Mr Heights starts passing out papers when I suddenly stop zoning out.
"Today we will be watching a movie you all have probably already watched as children. I would like you to write down any stereotypes or anything relating to the government and us."
Instead of doing what he says and writing down the stereotypes on my paper, I just watch the movie until he lets us leave for our next class. Fourth period seems to drag on with how boring the class is. Once again Mr. Matthews is making us take notes the whole class time. When it is finally time for fifth period to come around for lunch, I am very relieved. Everyone is already sitting at the table when I arrive from the lunch line.
"Are you ready for tomorrow?"
I look over at Josh, "what is tomorrow?"
"Adam's party at his house, of course. All of us are bringing a date. Who are you going with?"
'Who am I going to take to the party with me? Damon is still upset with me because I told him I do not want a boyfriend right now. I would like to ask Alexander to go with me but I feel like it would send the wrong message to Damon and hurt Lauren's feelings. Plus it is not like he would say yes to going with me anyways. Wait, why am I thinking of asking Alexander to go with me? Can I really like him that much already in such a short time? What is it that attracts me to him so much? What am I going to do?'
"You do not have to take a date. Lauren is actually going by herself," Stephanie implies.
"Yeah, I think I might just go by myself too then."
"There is nothing wrong with that."
"So who are you all taking to the party then?"
Lauren smiles as she names everyone off.
"Adam is taking Stephanie, Daniel is going with Michelle, and Josh is taking Mia."
"What about Damon," Stephanie asks.
"What about him?"
"Who is he going with? You could always have him go with you since you two are together."
I sigh, "actually we are not together. I told him I do not want a boyfriend right now and that we should just be friends. He seemed pretty upset but I think it will be okay."
"Wait, why do you not want a boyfriend?"
"I need to focus on my studies right now."
'I cannot tell them the real reason, they would all judge me so much. It is terrible to be with someone when all you do is think of another all the time.'
"So what are you doing tonight," Stephanie asks, trying to change the subject.
"Yeah we were thinking about having a sleep over at my house."
I look up at Lauren and smile, "I would love to come over and hangout with you guys but I promised my parents I would go with them to this event they are holding tonight. I would invite you guys to come but I do not think they would like that very much."
"Wait, your parents are back in town?"
"Yeah, you could say that. It is not for a long time though. Tonight is just a special occasion."
"Oh I see, well that is okay then. At least you get to spend some time with them while they are here. How about you guys," Lauren ask the boys.
"Are you kidding, a girls sleepover? I would not miss it for anything."
I join in and laugh with everyone at Adam's excitement.
"Well, we all know what Adam is thinking about."
The bell rings to interrupt our conversation so we all disperse and go our separate ways to our classrooms. In pre-calculus, Mr. West passes out new packets to take notes with. We are now on the subject of Matrix Addition and Scalar Multiplication. Going through the notes, it seems sort of easy until we get to the very end. The hardest part is the word problems that go with the rest of it. After finally completing the worksheet he handed out to us, I start to think about tonight as my mind begins to wander off on its own.
'Is it going to be anything like my dream from last night? What are people going to say about me when I get there? Will they even like me?'
I gather my things and make my way to American Literature as soon as the bell rings for the end of class. Miss Taylor moves to the front of the classroom as we all take our seats in English.
"I would like you all to write a speech over someone you admire. You will have about fifteen minutes to work on this and then you will present them in front of the class. My advice to you is to choose wisely and to write from the heart. Please go ahead and start right away."
I grab my notebook and begin writing the first thing that comes to my mind. I decide to write about my parents and all the new things that I have learned about myself recently, although I think it is best to leave out the whole princess stuff. Even though I have not been with my parents my whole life I still love and admire them enough to write about how caring they are in my life.
"Okay class, who would like to volunteer to go first and read their speech to the class first," Miss Taylor asks as her eyes scan the room.
"Alexander, how about you come on up and give your speech?"
I watch as Alexander gets up to go to the podium and begins to read what he wrote down on his paper.
"There is this place that I visit often that feels like home to me. It is a quiet kept secret between us that fills my heart with joy everytime I visit. The sun is always brighter and seems to melt my sorrows away. A soft voice whispers in the winds to caress my skin and shivers down my back. Her voice is heaven to me as I wish she were here in this best kept secret place with me. I know we will be together soon but I guess I will wait here for her standing under the stars and moon."
I am mesmerized as he continues on in his speech.
'The place he is talking about reminds me so much of Andalucia since the first time I have visited it. It is a nice quiet place that is very serene in a way.'
Alexander continues to talk about meeting two people in his life that have treated him like family, but actually are not. When he is finished we all clap as Miss Taylor calls on the next person to go. Four more people have their turns of reading their speeches before the bell rings, relieving me of having to do mine. Unfortunately that means that I will have to go on Monday. I grab my things quickly and make my way out to my car without bothering to say goodbye to anyone. I hurriedly drive home within ten minutes, beating my record time for driving. Immediately, I throw my school stuff in my room and make my way to the attic to meet my parents for tonight.
* * * *
"Hello Miss Dragomir, are you ready for tonight?"
I jump a little when Charles' voice echoes around me as I step into my other bedroom in Andalucia.
"I do not know Charles. What if no one likes me? What if they think I will not be good enough to be their princess?"
"I doubt that is going to happen, you are very nice and sweet. Everyone is just going to love and adore you as soon as they meet you."
"Thanks, that makes me feel a little better about tonight."
"Good, now everyone will be arriving real soon so you need to get ready. Your gown is in the closet and your tiara is in the jewelry box by the tall mirror along with other things you might want to wear tonight."
"Wait, did you say a tiara?"
"Yes, you are a princess after all. Princesses wear tiaras for special public occasions."
I walk over to the closet and grab the long black dress bag out to lay it on the bed.
"I will send in your maiden ladies to help you get dressed."
"Oh no, do not worry. I can get dressed by myself."
He laughs, "it is not a matter of if you can, it is a matter of you will not. You are a princess now Miss Celeste and you need to learn to accept some things that may be different to you, that includes having maids to help dress you."
I sigh, "ok fine, I really hate that you all use my birth name when you are serious, but go ahead and send them in then so I can get ready before my parents get mad about me being late to their party tonight."
I reach out and slowly unzip the black bag containing my dress for the night. A dark crimson red color shines from the bag as I pull the dress out and lay it gently back down on the bed. My eyes scan over the flared bottom that gives off a definite princess vibe to the ballgown dress itself. I admire the ruffles at the bottom as well as the pearls and crystals along the waistline. An abrupt knock grabs my attention as I turn around to see two girls I have never seen before, walk into my room.
"Hello Miss Dragomir, we are here to help you get ready for the ball."
"Yes, come on in."
The two women bow then make their way into the room to immediately help me put on my dress for tonight. As the one is lacing it up, the other woman walks over to the big jewelry box in the corner of the room and pulls out a pair of diamond earrings with a dazzling diamond necklace.
"Wow, I do not think I have ever seen something so pretty in my life."
"Wait until you see the tiara you will be wearing tonight."
"Charles, did mention something about a tiara."
"May I see it?"
"Actually, I can do that for you."
I turn slowly at the sound of my mother's voice to see her standing in the doorway with a smile on her face.
"You two may be excused, thank you for helping her to get ready but I can take it from here."
I watch as the two women bow to my mother then abruptly leave the room.
"You look so beautiful my dear, but you are definitely missing something very important."
"The tiara," I ask with certainty that I am right.
"Yes, I had one specially made for when you would be introduced to the people of Andalucia. This is a special occasion and will be remembered for all the time to come. Here, let me help you with it."
My mother walks over to the jewelry box and pulls out the most sparkling thing I have ever seen in my life. I admire the intricate 3-tiered design as well as the glistening diamonds as she walks over to place the tiara on top of my head.
"There, now you are ready."
I walk over to the floor length mirror to look at my reflection and realize that I actually look beautiful for once in my life. Of course, my gown and the jewelry are a huge part of it in my new look. I find my new look to be alluring and cannot help but continue to stare at my reflection.
"Are you okay dear," my mother asks, knocking me out of the trance.
"Yeah, I am just a little nervous about tonight."
She walks over to wrap her arms around me in a hug.
"Your father and I will be here for you every step of the way. We are so pleased to have you with us."
"It is good to be back," I admit as I hug her back.
We stay like this for a few minutes before she pulls away.
"Well, I guess we better go before your father wonders where we are. It is time to introduce you to everyone. I will see you downstairs."
I turn to admire my reflection once more as she turns to leave.
"Oh and Celeste?"
"Yes mother?"
"Welcome home sweetie," she says with a grin, before disappearing through the doorway and out into the hall.
Seconds later, there is a knock before Charles walks in my room.
"Are you ready?"
I take one more look at myself in the mirror and nod.
"Yes, I am ready. I hope this goes well tonight," I say before following him out of my bedroom.
The first thing I notice walking through the halls are the gold and silver decorative cloth hanging everywhere from the ground to the ceiling. It is hard not to look and admire the beauty of the decorations all around me. We come to the grand staircase and I look out to see the decorative cloth forming a silhouette on the ceiling as it hangs from the chandelier and flows to every corner of the room. I try to keep my head up with confidence as Charles leads me slowly down the staircase. We stop at the very bottom of the stairs to meet my parents as they come right up to us.
"We are so glad you could join us tonight for such a special occasion," my mother says as she hugs me once more.
My father turns toward the crowd to make a sudden announcement to everyone.
"Excuse me, but can I get everyone's attention please?"
I watch as the music instantly stops and everyone looks over toward us to see what my father is going to say.
"I would like to introduce to you my daughter, Celeste Audriana Dragomir. She is next in line for the throne and I would like you all to show her your respect for this country that we all love. Thank you very much and enjoy the rest of the festivities of this evening."
Everyone raises their glasses to my father in acknowledgment before turning around and going back to their dancing and talking to one another. My father takes my hand and leads me out to the middle of the dance floor. He twirls me around before pulling me into his arms to start swaying back and forth.
"It is so great to have you with us once again."
"I am very glad that I am back home with you guys, where I belong."
"I actually have a surprise for you tonight."
"Really, what is it," I ask with curiosity.
"Your future husband, the person you have been waiting to meet has finally arrived and is here. I told him to wait upstairs until you are actually ready to meet him in person."
"Look dad about the wedding, I honestly thought you and mom were just joking around about the whole matter."
He frowns, "I can assure you that we are being very serious about this whole thing. You need a man to rule by your side when your mother and I step down from the throne. You cannot take our place until you are married, it is a rule that has gone on for generations now."
"I really have to disagree with this decision. To make me marry someone just to rule is crazy and I will not do it."
"Celeste, you have no choice in this matter. You will marry him and eventually you may fall for him like I did with your mother."
Now that stunned me for a second, "wait, you and mom were an arranged marriage?"
"Yes we did not know each other and both were very stubborn when it came to getting married to complete strangers, but we knew it was what was best for our countries. After marrying and actually spending time together, we became close and grew to love one another."
"That may be you and mom, but what about me? What if I do not like him or cannot get along with him?"
"Sweetheart, I think you will change your mind once you meet him. He is a very nice and sweet boy."
"But what if I cannot learn to love him? What if I already have someone in my life that I care for?"
"Really? Who would this man be that you care for exactly?"
I look down at the floor away from my father's gaze. The image of Alexander pops into my mind as I think about how kind he has been to me.
'The moment I spotted him at my party I knew there was something about him that attracted me to him. Is it possible to already care for him even though we have not known each other for long? Would it be worth it to take a chance on him or just do what is expected of me and get married to a complete stranger?'
"Celeste, I know you think you love another but that is just silly. You cannot love someone so soon in your life. You are still young and need to experience life as it happens and not be so naive to the idea of true love. I know it seems harsh for me to say these things but you need to do what is expected of you."
I sigh, "am I really to follow ancient rules instead of following my heart?"
"I am afraid so my dear. It has been this way for a very long time and until you realize what is at stake here, you will never understand."
Not sure what I can say to change my father's mind, I just nod my head in agreement. We continue to dance the next two songs in silence before my mother interrupts us. She takes my hand in hers and leads me over to the drink and snack area.
"I know you are very nervous, but you need to try to relax and have a good time tonight. This party is to celebrate your return after all."
"I am sorry mother, I have just been thinking about this whole arranged marriage thing. You know I do not agree with it yet you and father continue to lecture me on the subject every chance you get."
"I am sorry if we have upset you but it is what has to be done."
"What if I have feelings for someone? How am I to tell him that I can never be with him because I have to get married to another? How am I supposed to move on from him?"
She looks at me with a sadness in her eyes.
"I am sorry dear but you will have to just let him go. Unfortunately this is how our life is and sometimes we have to make sacrifices that we do not want to make."
My heart aches as I think of never telling Alexander how I feel for him.
'For the first time I know that I really like him and now we cannot be together. What am I going to do when I see him at school on Monday? Will he even understand when I tell him that we cannot be together no matter what? What am I going to do?'
"Honey, I am sorry to have upset you. Maybe it will help you to meet your fiance. Your father and I were talking to him earlier. He is super sweet and cannot wait to talk to you. I can promise you will like him. He is actually right upstairs if you want to go ahead and meet him. I believe your father asked him to just wait in your room until you were ready."
'Wait, did she just say my room?'
"Why in the world is he in my room?"
"That is where your father asked him to wait. If you would rather him wait somewhere else, I can let him know."
"No, that is fine. I will go on up and meet him now."
She kisses my forehead.
"Good luck."
I watch as she walks away to join my father on the dance floor before turning away from everyone else around me. Taking a deep breath, I walk up the grand staircase and make my way down the hallway to my bedroom. Slowly opening the door, I peek inside and see a tall dark-haired man standing in front of my floor length mirror with his back toward me. I walk in and turn to close the door behind me.
"Hi, my name is…"
Before I can even finish my sentence, he cuts me off.
"Hello Celeste, I have been hoping you would come up to see me soon."
He turns around to face me and I gasp out of utter shock. I am now face to face with the one person I swore I never could be with.
"What are you doing here," I ask, stunned in place.
"Is it not obvious? Your father told me to wait in your room until you were ready to meet me, but of course we have already met. I spoke with your parents and we agreed that going to school would be a great idea in getting to know more about you before we officially met as future husband and wife."
I hold my hand up as he tries to take a step toward me.
"Wait a second, are you trying to tell me that you are the guy I am supposed to get married to?"
"That is completely right," Alexander replies with a huge grin on his face.
I blink once and then suddenly everything goes black. It feels like I am falling and will never stop until I hit something hard before my body goes numb.