Choosing Home

Chapter Twenty Nine

"Donkeys?" Alexandria asked, her eyes lighting up in interest.

"Oh Gods, stay focused Alex," Lucy said, shaking her head in slight amusement at her sister before looking over at Ginny. "Ginny, that doesn't matter. Okay? You really think Chad cares about whether or not you're royal? Think about who our mom and dad are for a second. Chad would be a hypocrite if he cared about something like that."

Ginny bit her lip. "Lucy...you don't get it...the things I had to do to survive on the Isle. Chad's heir to your throne...he needs a Princess."

"Look Ginny, Chad went after a Princess when he dated Audrey. That didn't work out. At all," Lucy told her. "With you...with you, he's the brother we recognize again. We don't give a hoot that you're a VK or what you had to do. You have a past? So what? Everyone does, we don't care and more importantly neither does Chad."

Ginny sighed. "Lucy, Alex...you don't understand. I...On the Isle, girls who weren't in gangs had to be...creative on how they got food. Chad's not going to want someone...tainted like me. And neither are your parents for that matter! Friends with their son and daughters? Fine. But in a relationship with him? Becoming the possible future Queen of their kingdom? Everything they worked for and built? They'll want someone...pure."

"Okay looks like it's time for me to step in," Kitty sighed. "Ginny, mom and dad aren't going to care about that. They're not trapped in the 1400's like Leah was. All they're going to care about is a: do you make Chad happy and b: are you going to potentially shove him into a closet if you two get into an argument?"

"Of course I'm not going to do that!" Ginny exclaimed.

"Then they're not going to have a problem with you," Kitty said. "Everything else doesn't matter, treat Chad right and that's all they'll care about. Look Ginny, forget everything else. Forget royal status, forget you're a VK, forget about opinions and think simply like a girl. Do you want Chad to like you like that?"

Ginny thought for a moment, thought about how she enjoyed the feeling of Chad's arms around her as he taught her how to ride a horse. Thought about how his eyes lit up as he talked about Tourney or his friends or family, thought about how he'd gently tease his sisters or drop everything to help Kitty with sword work or Lucy with her homework or Alexandria with anything she asked. She...she wanted to keep those eyes in her life.

"I...more than anything," she whispered. "But Chad deserves a girl who won't be an embarrassment to him or the kingdom. I'm not Mal, I can't just jump into royal life."

"Gin, no one would expect you to 'jump straight into royal life'," Alexandria said gently. "Most of the royal couples are of a former commoner/royal pairing anyway. Our own mother wasn't a born Princess, even she had to learn. There are people to teach you what you would need to know."

"Yeah and besides what matters most is your happiness anyway," Kitty said. "Does being with Chad make you happy? Because I'll let you in on a secret Gin. You make him happy. Probably the happiest I've ever seen him."

Ginny bit her lip as she looked at the three girls. "I'm happier with him than I've ever been," she whispered, looking down at her feet.

"Then be with him," Kitty told her. "Seriously Ginny, that's all that matters. You being happy with him and him being happy with you."

"Girls...this is all speculation...Chad's never said or done anything that might indicate..."

"He bough you a horse!" Lucy exclaimed. "We know our brother, trust us he likes you Ginny! He probably just hasn't acted on it for some stupid reason."