Darling Charming: Finally Extraordinary

6: Incoming, Dad Mode to Princess Commander

"Come on!" I whisper-shouted, leading my friends to my room to see my sword. I am a bit of a show off, I must admit, but it felt great to have friends to actually show off to for once.

When we passed the living room, I could hear my father on the phone.

"Shhh!" I hissed. My friends stayed super quiet.

"What is it, son? Why are you calling so soon? Normally we don't hear for you for at least two weeks after you return to school," my dad was talking to one of my brothers over the phone.

"Go, go!" I motioned my friends to keep going, though I really wanted to hear the rest of the conversation.

Once we reached my room, I slammed the door shut behind me.

"Who were they talking to?" Annie asked, unwinding her hair from its high, neat bun.

"My brother," I answered, sliding down against the door and landing on my bottom at the foot.

"Which?" Said Bella, sitting on my bed. Ailie flopped onto the baby pink beanbag chair near my closet door, and Annie just claimed some space on the light colored fuzzy carpet mid-floor.

"I'm not sure. Knowing both of my brothers, neither of them seem like the type to call at all when they're away," I thought out loud. Dexter was more family oriented than Daring, but Dexter feared my dad more than Daring did. Plus, my dad teaches a few classes at Ever After High, which as you could assume, being perfect training for their destinies following in father's footsteps, my brothers take.

"Maybe it was Daring. He could be keeping his word about suggesting you go to EAH!" Bella buzzed, always having a positive outlook on life.

"Yeah right," I laughed. Daring might be uncharacteristically nice lately, but I couldn't be won over that easily. I'm not as soft as I appear on the outside.

Just then, someone knocked on the door somewhat heavily, vibrating the white painted wood that my back slumped against still. I lifted myself from the floor and opened the door to my dad.

"Darling, I need to speak to you for a moment," he said, always sounding kingly and professional even when speaking to his teenage daughter, who he already knows could care less about acting like a perfect Royal.

"Okay," I stepped through the doorway and then closed it behind me.

"Your brother just called. Daring, that is. He wants you to attend Ever After High, and thinks it would be a great experience for you," my dad continued. He wouldn't meet my gaze, as if he knew I already knew all this and also knew that he had been wrong, but would never admit to it.

I smiled widely, but straightened out my lips and cleared my throat once I realized. "So I have heard."

"So it is official. I will make arrangements for you to start boarding school at Ever After High for the new semester." My dad announced confidently as if it was totally his idea this entire time.

"Thank you so much dad!" I cried, unable to hold back the urge to hug my dad. I'm not sure I've ever really done that before.

My dad hugged back uncomfortably, it clearly noticeable that he also couldn't remember the last time we'd daddy-daughter hugged. It seemed as if he'd forgotten how to simply hug. Is that what being Royal does to you?

A thought suddenly popped into my head. "Oh um... Can I ask a... Favor?" I wasn't sure, necessarily, if favors were something kings and queens asked for. I know they give orders, but being a princess, I can't give orders. I also didn't know if it was socially acceptable for a princess to ask a favor of a king, but I was hoping with all my heart this one would slide. This wasn't a princess-to-King favor, it was a daughter-to-daddy favor.

My dad raised an eyebrow, probably noting what I'd noted in my second thought. Then he softened, as if Daring's request had weakened him, like a cracker in warm soup.

Being me, I also wondered if Kings ever got so tired they just wouldn't care if their daughters went around slaying dragons and if I'd picked the wrong day to do so, but in an afterthought, it's one I shouldn't share out loud.

"What is it, sweetie?" He asked, sounding not nearly as overbearing and strong as I'd remembered.

I was so shocked, I almost forgot to answer. The last time he called me "sweetie" was maybe... Maybe when I was three.

"I was thinking that... Maybe if I had some- um- acquaintances that I already knew to accompany me at Ever After High, it would be easier for me to become comfortable and I can begin learning to follow my destiny faster," I expressed my idea in the most sophisticated way I knew how. I had this indescribable echo in my head that kept telling me to remember to be the best princess I could be, although, I was really questioning where it had been my whole life, and why it had decided to show up at the one moment that my dad didn't seem to care about queenly manner.

"Are you asking me to suggest to your friends' parents that they enroll their daughters at Ever After High with you?" My dad asked sincerely.

I really wasn't sure where this was going and whether or not I should lie but that sudden princessmannereminder switched on and ordered me to just spit out the truth. I hesitated anyway. "Uh.... Yes."

"I will try my best."

Wait, did my dad just say that?

King Charming just told ME he'd try his best? For ME? BUT I'M HIS DAUGHTER AND I SLAYED A DRAGON YESTERDAY! I'M SUPPOSED TO BE A PRINCESS! WHO IS THIS AND WHAT DID THEY DO TO MY DAD?

My conscience internally slapped me, saying, say thank you, you idiot.

"Oh, right. Thank you so much dad!" I hugged him again, and this time when he hugged back it wasn't awkward. It was a normal Daddy-daughter hug. King Charming's Daddy Mode had just been reactivated for the first time in who knows how long.

Why did Daddy Mode have to make an appearance right when Princess Command decided to take control of my brain?