INTRODUCTION
“Runaway to a place that only you know, the place where you can truly be serene.”
Palace life used to be perfect. King, Queen, and Princess. Three rulers of a country called Santona. I am Princess Casandra. I am seventeen years of age, and I wish I was an only child.
Life used to be simple and plain but free and opportunities were wide. My favorite thing to do as a young child was put on super-fuzzy socks and go sliding all over our hallways. We have this one hall which my parents call the Hall Of Emptiness. The title is pretty much self-explanatory. There is nothing in the hall but a single chandelier that lights the entire way down. I and the head of security, Gary, would go sliding down the hallway. Back and forth, back and forth. Holding his hand going up and down and forward and backward. I was a figure skater with no ice.
I was happy. I had a very large room with many toys that I could play with and I would occupy myself for hours on end with my mother's old vanity and all of her out-of-season jewelery. My cat, Sir Licks-a-Lot (I got him when I was very VERY young so don't laugh at his name), was my closest companion. Because he couldn't speak 'human talk,' I would talk for him. Gary, Sir Licks-a-Lot, my make-believe friend Stella, and I would have marvelous tea parties that I imagined every maiden in the country envied.
I had the most beautiful gowns that I wore constantly. I couldn't very well walk around for the guards in any old thing. Ha, no. I wore my mother's gowns even though I would trip over the hem. My favorite was a mint green strapless with sequins around the collar that, when I chose to wear it for dress-up, I paired with a white fur shrug, a cherry red handbag, and my mother's most yellow high heels. They all smiled with humor, but I twirled like a ballerina anyway.
I was happy although I rarely saw my parents. Where would you find me on a regular basis? Either sliding down the hall with Gary, reading in my suite, or playing in one of the courtyards with Stella.
When my parents and I were being served dinner on the eve of my eighth birthday, which was one of the rare occasions when I actually got to see my parents, I received some very surprising news. “Cassie, sweetie?”
“Yes Mommy?”
“Your father and I have some very exciting news.”
“What?”
“It's sort of a birthday present...” my father jumped in.
“What? What is it? Is it more makeup?!” I loved putting on makeup and pretending I was a part of an undercover society and I was supposed to disguise myself. I had quite an imagination.
“No honey,” Mother laughed.
“Then what is it?” Remember, I was eight. I knew very little.
“Cass, your mother is pregnant.”
“What?”
“Pregnant, honey. You're going to have a new baby brother or sister!” Mother grinned.
Until that very moment, I had never once acted like a spoiled brat. Most people think that princesses are spoiled and selfish and obnoxious. They obviously don't know me.
I reacted differently than you might assume. I stood up on my chair and looked at my parents. I looked into their eyes. I studied their bemused faces for a few moments, and said just five simple words. “Say. Good-bye. To. My. Voice.” And I jumped down from the chair and ran as fast as I could out of the main dining room to the front door. I unlatched the heavy lock and ran out into the front courtyard. I made my way to the middle of the maze of plants and sat down. And cried. And screamed my head off. And cried some more.
Eventually, it got extremely dark. By that time, Sir Licks-a-Lot had made his way to me. I picked him up and held him very close to me. I inhaled his familiar feline scent. I wondered the hour, because I had no watch.
I soon heard calling. Person calling. Someone calling for my name. “Cassie!” It was Gary's voice. Still clutching Sir Licks-a-lot, I came out of the courtyard and into the viewing. He found me. He took my hand and led me back to the palace. He brought me up to my suite and got my ladies maids to assist me in undressing and then once I was all set, he tucked me into bed. “You must know that your mother and father are very excited and thought you would be too.”
“I don't care. I am not speaking to either of them. Goodnight,” and I closed my eyes with Sir Licks-a-Lot by my hand. I felt Gary get up and heard him walk over to the door. He shut off the light and closed the door. When I knew he was gone, I opened my eyes, sat up, and put Sir Licks-a-Lot on my knee. He was often one that I spoke to in times of need. “Sir Licks-a-Lot, what am I going to do? There is going to be a new princess in the palace. How am I supposed to be queen someday with a new baby?” Sir Licks-a-Lot just stared at me in the dark and mewed. “You're right. I'm still going to be the oldest. They'll still like me best. But I am not talking to them. They should have asked me before they decided to have a baby.” After a few more minutes of this bickering with myself, I fell asleep.
The next morning I woke, with a plan.
CHAPTER 1: NINE YEARS AGO TODAY
“One can only really be pleased when one is alone.”
Nine years ago today, I found out that I was receiving a new baby brother or sister. I resented him or her, and I hadn't even known him or her. He or she wasn't even the size of a blueberry yet. Not that I was aware of that at the time, but times changed.
“Nine years ago today, we acquired news that you would have a new little sister or brother. Who knew you'd end up getting two?” my mother toasted at my birthday ball. Yes, that's right, my mother had twins. Two little baby girls. “Gia and Helena were two very gorgeous baby girls. But they couldn't compare with my Casandra. Casandra, you were beautiful in a quiet way. You were a wonderful child. Always listened to what I told you, never fussy.”
“And we were?” Gia asked with a tinge of upset.
“We were good babies, Mother!” Helena, who we dubbed Lena soon after she could talk, added smugly.
“Please continue, Mother. For, I do love it when you speak of me being better than them,” I smiled.
“Of course, Casandra. As I was saying, you were a wonderful child. But nine years ago today, you swore that you would never speak to your father or myself ever again. Obviously you changed your mind.”
“Yes. And may I be frank, I was afraid you would actually go through with it. But thank good gracious you didn't. We love the sound of your voice. And more importantly, we love you, Casandra. To Casandra!” my father loudly announced as he raised his goblet high.
“To Casandra!” the crowd echoed him. All of the royal families from all around Europe and Asia.
After everyone – just my family – made their toasts, it was my responsibility to dance with all of the eligible bachelors. Because today was the day I turned seventeen years of age. One more year and I will be crowned queen. The only setback? I have to get married. An arranged marriage, as they say occasionally.
The first few guys I danced with didn't speak English. So I had a bit of difficulty trying to get to know them. There was only one person the entire night that actually caught my eye. He was from England. He had brown eyes and his face was covered with brown freckles. His eyes were chocolate brown, and his smile was like nothing else in the world. It was his face that caught my eye, boyish but mature. He wasn't royalty, but he was related to Prince Charles. Distant relation, but still a relation. He was the last person I danced with, so he was also the one who saved me from a Spaniard attempting to tango to a waltz.
“Thank you.”
“Anytime, your highness,” he smiled.
“And you are?” I asked flirtatiously.
“I am Logan.”
“Do you have a last name?”
“Do you really need to know?” he smirked.
“Mysterious and a decent dancer, my, my, my.”
“My full name is Logan Justin Gold. Far descendant of the Duke of Edinburgh. Prince Phillip is my father's fifth cousin, twice removed. Very complex.”
“Ah, I see.”
“Yes. Quite complicated. Not worth analyzing.”
I laughed softly. “You know, when a girl is told by a guy that something is unanalyzable, it just makes her what to figure him out.”
“Should we have lunch?” he chuckled because he knew he had me.
“Sure. Just know what you're in for. I have to take Gary EVERYWHERE,” I frowned.
“And Gary is...?” he raised his left eyebrow.
“My body guard. Head security. Royalty has its perks and its negatives,” I sighed.
“I see. Well is there any chance that I could get you alone?”
“Like right now?” I then realized that there was no more music, no more guests, and no more dancers. He pulled me closer. “There's still security cameras.”
He let go of me. “Okay. Well, then. Next time, my lady.” With that, he walked away. I watched him as he walked away through the ballroom exit and closed the heavy door. I looked to my left and saw my reflection in the mirror on the wall. It takes up the entire length and height of the wall. I looked small. I moved closer. I wore an ivory corset with spaghetti straps. The skirt was floor length and halfway between tight and puffy. The color tan with specks of darker browns mixed in. The entire dress was incredibly sparkled. I love sparkles.
My eyes were green and bright. My hair was still golden and bouncy like when I was younger. It was in a clipped to the side in an old-fashioned, bejeweled barrette-clip that held a ponytail with small braids through out my curly locks. My side bangs hung out and framed my face. My lips were painted firetruck red. My cheeks were rosy until a tear was cast from my right eye. I wiped it away and I saw my glistening French manicure. I looked down at my feet as though I was embarrassed. My shoes were cream-colored, open-toed ballet flats. I could see my blue toenails through the small opening at the toe of the shoes. The blue polish was the one thing my mother disapproved of in my attire for the evening.
I lifted the hem of my dress so I wouldn't trip and I walked out in the direction of my suite. Still the same room, just different furniture. When I arrived at my suite, I opened the door and walked inside. I went in my closet and stripped from dress. I kicked off my shoes and put on my most comfortable un-princess-y sweat pants and a big tee shirt. I unclipped my hair and took out the braids. I brushed my hair and then shoved it (yes, shoved it for my hair is quite thick) into a messy bun.
I slipped on my fuzzy socks and crept out of my room with book, flashlight, and iPad in hand. I tiptoed to the kitchen. I made sure no one was around before I turned on the light.
If you are wondering about the flashlight, I brought it because the light in the kitchen is terrible. There is one small lamp that Chef Geoffrey uses when it starts to get dark. After the sky turns navy, the kitchen staff goes to bed.
I went into the freezer and opened one of the drawer compartments and looked at the selection of different pints of ice cream. There was Rocky Road, Mint Chocolate Chip, Cookies 'n' Cream, and Dirt. I chose the pint of Dirt. Dirt is a mix of chocolate ice cream, Oreo cookies, chocolate chips, and brownie chunks. I grabbed a spoon from the drawer and opened the ice cream pint holder thing and took my spoon and ate it. I ate it and ate it while I read my book.
My iPad played my Mozart and Beethoven playlist quietly. I love listening to classical music while I read English literature.
Taming of the Shrew by William Shakespeare.
I was starving. I finished three-quarters of the pint while I read scenes two through six. I put the ice cream away and grabbed one of the ice cream cookie sandwiches. I turned off the lamp and turned on the flashlight so I could see. I took my iPad and ice cream sandwich and went upstairs. By the time I got back to my room it was nearly two o'clock in the morning. I got under the covers and devoured my ice cream sandwich. I then picked up the remote that controlled my room and pressed the button that turned out the lights and went to sleep.
By far, the worst birthday of my life. But also the best. I never met anyone like Logan before. He was special. One of those strange love-at-first-sight things. I know I didn't love him but there was definitely a connection. I only talked to him for about ten minutes but it was still something.
***
Gia and my maid woke me up the next morning. “Good morning sunshine!” Gia screamed in my ear.
“What the heck Gia?” I said quietly.
“Good morning your highness,” Simone, my maid, said with a curtsy.
“Hi Simone. And I told you about the curtsying and the 'your highness crap,'” I rolled my eyes.
“Oh. I'm sorry your high- I mean I'm sorry Miss Casandra.”
“It's okay.” She's new so she's still in training.
“Happy birthday, Casandra!” Lena yelled as she walked into my room.
“Ugh, I forgot. Thanks for reminding me.”
“Your welcome. We helped make you breakfast!”
They handed me the tray and then, thank goodness, left. I looked at the tray in front of me and saw that it consisted of scrambled eggs, two slices of French toast drenched in pure maple syrup (just the way I like it), three strips of bacon, a tall glass of milk, and a single carnation with a card. I opened the card suspiciously. My family never did anything like a flower so I was curious. It read: “Dear Princess, thanks for last night. Meet me at Janine's for lunch today at 11:30. Happy birthday, Logan.”
I smiled and smelled the yellow flower. I ate the meal. The eggs were cheesy and fluffy, the French toast was toasty, the bacon was crispy but fatty like the way I love it! But despite the delicious breakfast, all I could think about was what I was going to wear on my date with Logan.
After breakfast, I set the tray outside my door and went to my closet. I went to the 'casual' section on my enormous closet and searched through the semi-normal clothes that I own. Most of my stuff is super fancy and very princess-like. I did manage to purchase normal clothes during the two or three sleep away camps my parents sent me to as a kid. I am tiny, and I've been basically the same size since I was fifteen.
The final outfit I chose was a green and black dress. It's like a black shirt with a high-waisted stretchy belt thing with a green skirt. I paired it with a pair purple low-top Converses. I had silver hoop earrings and my favorite pearl necklace. I straightened my hair and pulled my bangs back in a clip.
I looked in a mirror and said to myself, “this is it. You're finally getting out so you can go on a real date.” I crept downstairs and out the back door in the servants quarters. I ran outside the palace and ran to Janine's. I was out and I still had my plan for staying out one of these days.
<3
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