To Be A Princess (ON HIATUS)

CHAPTER 8 - I Get Lost in an A-maze-ing Maze

AFTER MY MEETING WITH Xavier, I rushed back to Izzy's room to get a crash course on proper etiquette for tonight's dinner. Izzy was quite surprised at my request but complied. A few minutes into our lesson, Addie and Cecily joined us. They were there as Izzy's "assistants" but didn't offer much help.

"Now, dinner will be served in five courses," Izzy explained. "Make sure to go from the outside to the inside with the silverware. And don't eat fast. Eat slowly and cleanly. Sit straight, no slouching is allowed."

"Got it," I said. "Five courses, silverware outside to inside, don't eat fast, be clean, and sit straight."

"Right, there's your five minute crash course on basic etiquette," Izzy said. "Now, let's get ready."

Two hours later, we were dressed. Only Izzy and I were going since it was a private dinner between the debutantes and the Royal Family. We met up with Jackie and made our way down to the dining hall.

We were the a little late so we were the last ones to enter. Everyone looked at us when we came in and Queen Lilian looked at us disapprovingly. Catherine gave me a triumphant smirk when she saw Queen Lilian glare at me. I just rolled my eyes and sat down.

We were all seated at a long rectangular table. King Charles sat at the head with Queen Lilian on his left and Xavier on his right. Izzy sat down between her mother and Catherine. She scowled and sent me a pleading look. I was placed at the way end between Cadence Mercer and Emilia Dawson. While they weren't as horrid as Catherine and Eleanor, they were still huge gossips.

"So, Lady Skylar, I heard you went to Cauvicourt with Prince Xavier yesterday," Cadence said with jealously lacing her voice.

"Wow, new travels fast around here," I muttered before vaguely saying, "Yes, we were just running some personal errands."

"Together?" Emilia asked with a raised eyebrow.

"We were both going to Cauvicourt at the same time and happened to run into each other," I said uncomfortably. I wasn't the best liar.

"Oh," Cadence said. "Just don't think that you're any better than us because you have the Prince's favor."

"Don't worry," I said. "I couldn't care less if I had the Prince's favor or not."

"Why not? Don't you want to marry him?" Cadence asked.

"No," I said. "We don't like each other. Never have, never will."

"Well, I guess that means less competition for us then," Emilia said cheerfully.

"Yeah, I guess so," I said.

Time progressed slowly. I tuned out the mindless chatter of the other debutantes. Xavier and I made eye contact a few times. He would look at me with a look that said 'help me' while I just rolled my eyes. I was just as annoyed as he was.

Finally, the first course of our five course meal was served. It was a watery vegetable soup. Everyone else seemed to be enjoying it, but I thought it was too bland and tasteless. I grabbed a salt shaker and began putting salt in my soup when Emilia bumped into me and I ended up pouring half of the salt in it.

"Oh, sorry," she said condescendingly. I could tell that her apology was as fake as her eyelashes.

I kept my mouth shut in fear of saying something offensive. It wasn't like I didn't want to insult her. If we were in any other situation, I would be calling her out, but even I knew I had to be on my best behavior tonight.