I opened the carriage door and stepped out of it. Once both feet were safely on the ground I helped Gabrielle out. Victoria pushed Gabrielle aside and walked out of the carriage. The second carriage pulled up, and out walked Elisabeth. She reached into the carriage and pulled out Michelle, who was holding onto her doll.
I walked over to the other carriage and helped out Margret, Michelle, Gabrielle, Margret, and Elisabeth. We walked towards the golden palace door. Victoria, of course, was ahead of us talking long strides. Elisabeth waved towards the palace guard who opened the doors for us.
“Alexis, do you think that daddy will realize that we are the princesses of France? I mean...we look a lot different after 2 years of being in Spain. I still don’t get why we had to go there. Mommy got kidnapped and we got sent away. That is so unfair. I mean, you are turning 19 tomorrow, Elizabeth turned 22 two months ago, Gabrielle is going to turn 5 in a month, Margret will be 7 in 3 weeks, Victoria is turning 24 in 4 and a half weeks, and I am turning 8 in a month. We have changed so much maybe dad will not even realize that we are his daughters.” said Michelle curling her hair with her finger.
“I don’t know, Michelle. We will find out soon enough.” I said walking up the steps to the big door. We walked inside, smiling. We were home, real home- our home. Daddy walked out behind the hallway door.
Michelle, Margret, ran up to him and hugged him. He picked them up and twirled them around in his arms. Elizabeth, Victoria,and I ran over and hugged him. He walked us all over to the window and said, “Girls, I am so happy to see you, please go to your rooms and get dressed for dinner.” Everyone left, but me
“Dad...Who lives in that house over there?” I asked, pointing to a brown brick little house with red roses in the front.
“That is the Langers house. The stable boy, my substitute lawyer and gardener, and Mrs. Langer.” he said "I think the boy's name is Theodore."
“Dad I might be a few minutes late to dinner” I said as I walked to the door that led outside. I followed the path to the house and I knocked on the door.
Theodore’s father answered the door.
“Hello Miss what can I do for you?” He asked me.
“I am here to see Teddy.” I said.
“Teddy.... There is no Teddy here, there is only a Theodore. Would you like to see him?” He asked.
“Please!” I said, trying to hold my emotions down.
“Theodore, someone is here to see you!” He called into the back of the house.
>“Are you from his school? Theodore has never had visitors since the princesses left.” He said a little confused.
“You really don’t recognize who it is, do you? It’s me, Princess Alexis.” I said smiling.
“Princess.. I um...” He knelt down on one knee. "I am so sorry please don’t tell your father” He said, looking pitiful. He got up and screamed once again Theodore- Teddy Walked out of a door left to the washroom. He took one glance at me and he said, “Alex!” while smiling a mile a minute.
>“Teddy!” I said smiling so hard I thought my jaw would break.
He ran up to me and picked me up and twirled me in two circles before he let me down. He pulled me out the house and led me down the path towards the stable. I pulled away from him.
“Do you still have that rope ladder?” I said, still smiling.
“Yeah!” he said squeezing my arm.
“At 8:30, hang it on my window. I will meet you at the stable at 9:15 or earlier. I have to go now, I have so much to tell you! Bye!” I said.
I ran back to the palace and opened the door to my room.
When I got there Mirabell (Or Mira) my maid (and Bff for life) was holding my pink lace dinner dress.
“I saw you with Theodore, and I knew it would take a while, so I got your dress ready. Victoria and Elisabeth are already down there.” Mira said, holding out my dress. I got out of my now muddy purple silk dress, and pulled on the pink lace dress. I wrapped my hair up in an elegant bun. I slid on my flats and opened the door but Mira held on to my arm and said holding up two dresses.
“This one is for dancing at the ball tomorrow” she said holding up a blue one made of silk “And this one is for the marriage deciding!” she holding up a bright purple one.
“I’m sorry I don’t know what you are talking about but i have a feeling I will soon. Anyway though they are fabulous dresses and I can’t wait to wear them.” I said.
I opened the door and hurried down the stairs. I sat down on the chair third closest to my father. We ate our first 3 courses in complete silence. Then father broke the silence.
“Tomorrow morning, Alexis, you will be joining me in the court. In the afternoon at 8:15 we will be having a ball to hand you off. Three men will propose and we will decide together... sort of who will marry you. Mirabell has hand sewn 2 dresses. Girls you must go get a good night sleep now. Goodnight.” Father said standing up.
I ran up to the stairs and checked the clock 8:50. I slammed my door shut and. looked out the window. Sure enough the rope ladder was hanging there. I very carefully climbed down the ladder and ran to the stable. When I got there Teddy was grooming Black Jack my horse. He was singing the song he made up for my 15th birthday.
“Hi” I said.
“Hi” he said.
>“I have to ask you something- why did you never respond to my letters? I invited you over there so many times, but you never came.” I said.
“Letters? I never got any letters EVER! Someone must have kept them and not given them to me!” Teddy said down right angrily.
“It’s okay Teddy, I love you” I said. He stared at me for a minute and then he learned over and kissed me.
“I love you too” he said.
He hopped on Sarge, my fathers horse, and motioned me to climb on as well. I climbed on and Sarge trotted out of the stable.
“Where are we going” I asked him. Secretly though I didn’t want to know.
“Somewhere!” he said, grinning.
Sarge picked up speed and sped towards an open gate on the far side of the lawn. Teddy held the reins tightly and guided Sarge over to a much smaller gate hidden from the naked eye. He hopped of Sarge and lifted me off the saddle. He tied Sarge’s reins to the post and opened the gate. I walked inside.
It was beautiful. There were roses everywhere I looked (Roses are my favorite flower). Then, by the biggest tree sat a bench with my name covering it. I ran over to Teddy and gave him a big hug. He sat down with me on the bench and we talked about everything that had happened since I had left. Then we heard someone calling.“Theodore, THEODORE!, Where are you?!?” Theodore’s mom called.
Come on, I’ve got to get you home.” He grabbed my hand and led me out of the gate. He hopped and Sarge and gently lifted me on as well. He hit Sarge’s side and Sarge sped towards the palace.
Mirabell was waving her hands wildly from the window in my room. That meant dad was outside my door. I kissed Teddy and hopped off the horse. I climbed up the rope ladder and then pushed it out the window and Teddy caught it. I threw off my dress and pulled on my nightdress. I jumped on my bed and pulled the covers over me. I then realized that my shoes had been covered in mud and now my floor was as well. Mirabell pulled the ribbon from my hair. My father came bursting at that exact moment.
“Where has all this mud come from Alexis?” He said with his face beginning to flush red.
“It was me, your majesty. I went to get her a flower for her hair and my shoes were covered in mud. I am deeply sorry” Mirabell said looking at her feet.
“WELL, don’t let it happen again!” He said. “Good night Alexis! I will see you at 9:30, sharp, in the court room.” Father shouted and slammed the door shut on me.
“Why did you cover for me?” I asked Mirabell as soon as father was out of earshot.'
“Because that is what friends do!” She said smiling. I smiled back at her and closed my eyes. Soon after, I was sound asleep.
I arose to the aroma of soap and perfume. I hopped out of bed and picked up the dress that Mirabell had so carefully laid out for me. I walked down the hall to my bathroom and saw Mirabell finish drawing my morning.
I hopped in and quickly scrubbed myself, then let the cold water tingle through my body. I hopped out of the bath and Mirabell toweled me off. She slipped on my dress and combed my hair quickly. She then wrapped it up in a small bun and dabbed some powder on my face. She slipped my gold slippers on me and ushered me out the door to the court room.
On our way there we passed a clock it read 9:10. She opened the court room doors for me and let me walk inside first. I sat on the chair next to my father. I looked around for 15 minutes and then Theodore and his father walked in and sat with the man that was accused of kidnapping my mother. Behind my father sat Prince Edward’s his defendant. My father smacked the table. Everyone got really quiet.
“Thomas Rosen Benelt Samuel Riven Boner III, hailed from England, you are accused of Kidnapping my wife, Queen Alice Margret Alexis Bonnet the II.” My father said in his loudest, most serious voice. “Jefferson Langer, I have assigned you as the lawyer for Thomas; your son Theodore will be assisting you today. Prince Edward Samual Albert Devon Earle the V is my wife’s lawyer. BUT UNFORTUNATELY SHE IS NOT HERE BECAUSE OF YOU!!” My father screamed. His face got really red and he took a deep breath. His face got back to it’s normal color and he started the court.
I must of dozed off because I fell off my chair and I woke up to a scream. I climbed back on to my chair anD saw Thomas being dragged out of the court room screaming "I DIDN’T DO IT!!!"
Edward smirked and then when he saw me watching he smiled at me and winked. I hate him. I don’t even know why he is here he is such a jerk. My father tapped his gavel and his butler pulled his chair out. He walked out of the room, Prince Edward following. Why was he going with him?
Teddy smiled at me I smiled back. He lipped, "see you tonight." I smiled again. Mirabell ushered me out of the room and I went to go get to Victoria for lunch Margret, Michele, Elisha, Gabrielle were already downstairs waiting. I ran upstairs to her room and opened the door as soon as she saw me she stuffed what she was holding into the tiara box that mom gave her for her 18 birthday.
“What’s that?” I asked her.
“Nothing I was just going down to lunch.” Victoria said. Being Victoria, of course, she had to be ahead of me.
Once she was safely out of sight, I reached into the tiara box and looked inside of it. All my letters that I wrote to Teddy were inside of the box. That makes sense because I gave all my letters to Teddy to Victoria to put them in the carriage mail bag. I guess she never did. That brat. Conniving thief.
"Ugh, I hate her!" I thought to myself.
I stormed down stairs. I opened the door to the dining room. Sure enough Victoria was sitting talking to Lillian about her hair. I walked over to her.
>“VICTORIA! HOW COULD YOU! YOU ARE MY SISTER. I TRUSTED YOU. WHAT DID I EVER DO TO YOU. I AM IN LOVE, CAN’T YOU JUST RESPECT THAT. I HATE YOU!” I screamed. I walked out of the room letting the door slam behind me. I heard Elicia screaming at Victoria. I started up the stairs when I saw the door close again. I ran up to my room and lay on my bed crying.
Elicia opened the door to my room and closed it again once she was inside. She sat on my bed and waited for me to stop crying. I stopped. She started to comfort me. Mirabell walked in and handed me a towel to clean off my face. I told them about Teddy and everything that had happened since we got here. They nodded all throughout my story. When I was done Elicia said, “Come on now don’t sit there like a lump. Come on the ball is in 2 hours let’s get you fancy and pretty. Should I help you or should Mirabell?” said Elicia.
>“No.” said Mirabell firmly “I will, Princess Elicia. It will be my honor.” she said.
Elicia winked and Mirabell grabbed the dresses off of my chair and led me towards the bathroom. Mirabell plopped me down on the chair in the bathroom. She pulled out my bun and splashed water on my face. She dipped my hair in the water and started to wrap it very tightly around my head. I winced.
“Trust me, it won’t stay like this forever, it’s just to give it a little more bounce when I take it out.” Mirabell reassured me.
She wiped off my face and applied more powder. She reached into the cubbard behind the bath tub and pulled out a bottle of my mom’s perfume. She handed it to me.
“I’ll be right back I have to get something from the safe.” Mirabell said. She had a mysterious look in her eyes.
I looked at the bottle of perfume. It had 7 words scratched into it.
Prince Edward dad, England, Kidnapped, help!
Mom
Mom. My mom? No! Wait! Edwards Dad!? Edward!!!!! He’s here!!!! Why is it red!!!!?????Red...BLO....!!!!!????? Wait what did my dad say a few days ago. Oh, I remember now he said “We are going to England to see my friend King Richard Solomon Brenard Graeme Herbert VI."
Mirabell walked in holding a large, rusty, old red box she set the box down and started working on my hair again. She pulled my hair out of the tight tight bun. It fell perfectly behind my back she spritzed some water on it to make it gleam, the clock read 7:45. She made me stand up and pulled out a dress from the box it wasn’t the one she had sewn it was my mom’s.
“This is the one you are going to wear- I asked your father.” Mirabell said.
I smiled at her and gave her a great big hug. I pulled off my clothing and I pulled on my mom’s dress. it was blue and gleamed with sparkles. It had 3 layers the first was silk and a corset that made it stick out. Then it had on the sides a piece of soft fabric that looked very rough. It was light bluish. I slipped on the high heels that she laid out for me.
I turned around and admired my self in the mirror. Mom wore this dress once too. I turned around and I saw Mirabell reach into the big box and pulled out something covered in silk. Two things actually. She opened the first one up. She took out a tiara. My mom’s tiara. The one she wore on the night that she married Dad. She set it on my head, and it gleamed with the diamonds on it. Then she opened the second. In it were two pearl earrings and a pearl necklace. She put them on me.
“Thanks Mirabell. You are the best friend I could ever have.” I ran up to hug her.
“Thanks. OHH...look at the time it’s 8:15. Run” She said.
I opened the door and ran to the ballroom the music had already started they were doing a waltz. I heard my father laugh and Prince Edward say something about me. I pushed open the door. The music stopped everyone looked at me. I walked down the steps to the ballroom floor.
“Princess Alexis! My daughter, who is now old enough to marry. Let the dance begin!” My father shouted.
The music started again and Teddy made his way towards me.... but Edward beat him to it. Edward bowed. Teddy elbowed him aside and bowed. Edward kicked him.
“May I have this dance?” Edward asked me.
I shook my head side to side. "No!"
“Too bad.” he said waving to the band. A slow song started. No! He started dancing with me. He dipped me. He leaned over to kiss me I twisted out of his grip. I fell on the ground. Edward snarled. He picked me up and said in a stage whisper,
“Princess Alexis I love you too, but there are other people who want to marry you- your father must decide.” He said smiling at me.
The 3rd bell rang signaling that dinner would be served we made out way over to the grand dinning room. We had eaten for 1 hour or so when my father said,
“Please come over to the stage if you wish to be Princess Alexis’s husband, the prince of France.” he yelled across the table.
Prince Edward and Teddy stepped up on the stage.
“Alexis, I have decided. You will love him. I know you do- we all do. I know you try to hide it but you can’t.” My father said in a whisper.