Darling Charming: Finally Extraordinary

5: For the First Time in Forever After

"Mom?" I shouted, gracefully zipping up to my mother, "can Bella, Ailie, and Annie sleepover?"

Before answering, my mom turned back to the Royal Round Table full of Kings and Queens and conversed something with my father, Bella's parents, a redheaded Royal couple I assumed were Ailie's parents, and platinum blond queen in a stunning shimmering blue dress and long, loose braid. She didn't really resemble any of the princesses all that much.

"Is that your mom?" Ailie whispered to Annie behind me. My new friends (and Bella) had followed me over here like a train.

"YEAH!" Annie whispered back. "My sister looks more like her than I do. I look like my aunt."

My mom turned back to us, and I heard Annie and Bella step back as if they were scared, but Ailie and I didn't move. "We think that would be a lovely idea," my mother announced proudly.

"Really? Thanks mom!" My friends and I turned to run away, but my mom found my hand and turned me back toward her.

"I think it's wonderful that you're making new princess friends," my mom whispered. She smiled proudly, then winked and turned back around to my father.

I dashed over the yards of healthy, green, freshly-mowed grass to catch up with my friends.

"This is so much fun! I've never had a sleepover before. Not even with my sister," Annie buzzed, pushing back a strand of hair not uniform with the others. It was white and wasn't something I noticed before it slipped out of the bun she was wearing.

"Really? I have sleepovers with Darling or my cousin Briar pretty often," Bella exclaimed.

"This is going to sound a little odd, but there aren't any other girls around my age back home. A lot of annoying, smelly boys who don't even know how to shoot a simple arrow," Ailie explained. I felt bad for her. I guess Bella and I are sort of lucky then.

My new friends and I wandered over to the large, clear saltwater pool and sat around the edge, taking off our shoes and dunking our feet in the water. A lot of the other princesses who'd come did the same on the other side of the pool, and they had their elegant, bejeweled heels lined up by the path's edge. My flats along with Ailie, Annie, and Bella's boots were arranged in a pile in the middle of the patio, where they could easily be tripped over.

For once, it felt as if everything was going right in the world at this very moment. I knew my friends could feel it too. Nobody really needed to say anything, we just knew.

I didn't have to know Annie and Ailie for a lifetime so far to know that this friendship would last. It was just an instant bond. For the first time in who knows how long, I was internally thanking my parents for this experience. Now if all four of us could attend EAH together...

"For the first time in forever, I'm getting what I'm dreaming of- a chance to change my lonely world..." Annie thought out loud, as if reciting a poem and reading my mind.

"What's that?" Ailie asked. She had a slight Scottish accent, but not as heavy as her mother's.

"Oh, just something my aunt used to sing. Sometimes it feels like I'm closer to my aunt than my mom. She's worried about my sister all the time. Luckily, my Aunt Anna and Uncle Kristoff are so nice. They practically raised me... But I don't blame my mom. I know that whatever the reason is she's always busy with my sister or with the kingdom, it's a good one. I don't know why I shared that, guys, I'm sorry. I'm too open to new people, too trusting. It's my fault. I just felt like sharing it with someone, and I guess I felt you'd understand," Annie explained. None of us cared if she spilled her life story. We just swished our feet in the cool water.

"No, we understand. Say anything you want," Bella encouraged.

We were silent for a while, and the other princesses began leaving.

I thought about everything Annie had just spilled, and then thought about what Bella said. These girls do understand... If I can share anything, and trust them, I can tell them what happened to me yesterday... And that my parents forbade me from ever telling anyone.

We began singing songs at some point. Anything we knew the words to, we just sang. Tailor Quick was something we had in common. Quickians just get each other, and we already had that down pat. Pretty soon a half hour had passed and all the other princesses and their parents left. Ailie, Annie, and Bella said goodbye to their parents, and my mom and dad went inside and told us not to stay out too late.

Once my parents were definitely back in the castle and out of earshot, I took a deep breath. "Yesterday I slayed a dragon," I stated. I winced, waiting for criticism.

"Woah," Ailie said.

"Wow, Dar," Rosabella sounded deep in thought.

"Cool!" Annie cheered, as if she had no idea what that exactly meant. She probably didn't. Considering Annie said her mother hadn't really raised her and her aunt had, you can assume her destiny is the same as her aunt's, and her sister's destiny her mom's. Neither Annie or her aunt had probably had much time to learn how to be a princess like Rosie, Ailie and I did. That was the beautiful part- the innocence I wish I had.

"How did you do it? I mean, killing a beast?" Bella asked. She's really an animal person, I should've expected it. She doesn't believe in taking the life of an animal unless totally necessary.

"Well, honestly, I didn't kill it because I wanted to. All I wanted to do was save the people and the kingdom. I'm sorry Bella," I apologized. Not for killing the dragon, for hurting Bella's feelings. Apologizing is best, since I can't afford to fight with the people who are so close to me, especially since they are so close to me.

"It's okay, I understand. What did your dad do?" Bella asked, knowing how my family works.

"Took my sword..." Bella and Ailie gasped, followed by a delayed Annie who wasn't there before when I basically said I was a swordmaster, so was confused. "Then he gave it to Daring."

"NO SCRIPT-FLIPPING WAY," Bella shouted.

"Ouch," Ailie said, frowning.

"Can't you just get another one?" Annie asked.

I shook my head. The sun had almost completely set, and was only an orange fadeout on the horizon. The grass around the pool area was an eerie midnight green, and only the dim back door light and pool lights were on. Our feet were probably shriveled like old raisins from keeping them in the pool for so long.

"My sword is special... And when my dad took it away, her hadn't planned on me ever getting it back until after I become i Queen," I explained.

"What do you mean 'hadn't'?" Bella questioned.

"I have it back already." I smirked, feeling all bad-girl for sneaking my sword back. In all honesty, the golden child let me have it. Though, even the golden child does has his issues...