The Elite

The Prince's Absence

"At the end of the week, a magazine will come to the palace and interview each and every one of the elite for a new article. This will be followed by a photo shoot with Prince Cayden. To prepare you I have decided that today's session will be a mock interview. Would you all please pair up and collect a list of question from me please",  Julia's explains. An interview? Umm, I'm not sure if I'll even be able to get any words out with all my nerves. I guess on the bright side I have all week to try and settle my nerves. 

"Partners?", Elise takes the seat next to me, as she fixes her simple day dress. Lately everyone, yes even Alice, has opted for the more simple day dresses. The temperature has recently increased to scolding levels, and any more material and I would melt. At home it would never get this hot, I mean it would be pleasantly warm with a nice summer breeze, but nothing like this. At this particular moment, with the sun beating down on me from the open window, I can think of nothing else than sitting on my bedroom balcony trying to capture the tiniest whisper of a breeze. "Emily?".

"Oh, sorry", I apologize. 

"I'll go get the questions".

Two hours, and about two billion questions later and we are released from the stuffy woman's room. As I move down the corridor, I can feel the perspiration sticking my dress to my back. Ugh, this is truly disgusting. 

About halfway through our lesson, the chatter changed from questions to talk about how we would spend the rest of the day. I'd overheard that Alice and her friends are planning to go to the pool to sunbathe and hopefully see Cayden, 'oh I hope the prince is there, topless' I had heard one of them say. Another couple of girls decided the best way to stay cool is to avoid the sun entirely, so opted for the library, the theatre room or their bedrooms. Personally, I know I'm in dire need of a cold shower. Without a second thought, I say bye to Elise and make a b-line for my bedroom. By the time I'm outside my bedroom door I'm twice as sweaty as before and my hair has started to stick to the back of my neck. Eww!

opening up the door, and seeing no one inside, I throw my clothes off and start the shower. Normally I prefer a long relaxing soak in the huge bathtubs they have at the palace, but today seems like the perfect shower day. stepping under the ice cold flow of water allows me to finally relax for the first time today. Within a few minutes, my body temperature is back to normal and I feel less suffocated by the heat. My mind starts to wander back to this morning...

"Emily wake up you're going to be late", I hear Ann's voice puncture through my dreams. 

"Ugh, but you say that every morning and I'm never late", I mumble into the pillow. 

"Because we make you get up silly", Lucy laughs. When I stubbornly don't move I fell the pillow get snacked out from underneath me and then less than a second later I'm being attacked by none other than the same pillow that was stolen from me only moments ago. 

"This is so unfair!", I scream as I try to sit up and cover myself from the attack. suddenly everything stops.

"Well it works", I hear Lucy say with a smirk on her face as Anne runs the bath. 

"Just cause it works doesn't mean you have to do it every morning" I retaliate. 

"It does when you make that face", Lucy points at me and laughs. Huffing, I get out of bed and get ready for breakfast. 

stepping into the dining room, I noticed that distinct absence of the prince. deciding to ask about it later I served my self a bowl of fruit salad and started to eat.  halfway through breakfast, I realized a couple of the girls had not turned up either, they are probably sick or asleep. 

Turning the tap off and grabbing a towel I step out of the shower, try my best not to slip, and walk into my closet. What to wear, what to wear? Hmm? I could wear the socially acceptable evening dress, but there's no way I'm doing that! It's like a million degrees outside. Okay what's my next option? Umm.. day dress maybe? thumbing through my expanse of day dresses, I finally come across something suitable for the weather and something that won't get me kicked out. Perfect.

Seeing the orange sunset peak through my curtains, I know I don't have long until Lucy and Anne come to get me ready for dinner. Deciding upon a quick stroll in the gardens I put on some sandals and make my way through the palace and to the great glass sliding doors. As I open them, the air hits me. It's bearable now that the sun has started to set and is no longer beating directly on me. making my way down the path and towards the duck pond, I start to think about home. Maddie has joined the princess with her lessons, meaning I haven't seen her since breakfast, making me start to feel the absence of my family once more. I wonder what Poppy has gotten up to lately? In the last letter I received she wrote about a boy she had met and how his hair was "all fluffy like cotton candy" and they even shared an ice cream she had bought as a treat with some of the money I had sent home. Of course, there was the usual interrogation from my mother about my standing in the palace, and if I am being treated right. But it's not the same as being with them, sitting around our wobbly kitchen table savoring each bite of our rice and chicken dinner, talking about my latest work opportunity and helping mum clean up when we are finished and tucking Poppy into bed at the end of a long day. With Maddie around it allowed me to feel a bit of normality in this crazy place. Especially with Cayden not being around, I've felt alone. I can't really blame him for not being around today, I mean he is the prince. 

  I hadn't realized quite how long I had been outside until I mad my way back through the sliding doors and seen the time on the antique grandfather clock.

"Anne is going to kill me", and I wasn't wrong. As I only had 20 minutes to be ready and in the dining room, Anne had decided it was best to focus on my make-up, as I had sweated most of it off by now. 

This is how I came to be sitting in the dining room, slightly out of breath and waiting for the royal family's arrival.