Fragile Desires (18+)

Twenty-Seven | Double Luck

The scratchy wool of the dress, an itchy reminder of its formality, prickled at my skin.

Ten years old, and I was already facing a room packed with flashing cameras and curious eyes.

Mother held my hand tightly, her grip a grounding force among the sea of unfamiliar faces.

My Father stood a step behind, his usual stoicism replaced by a worried crease in his brow.

The lights seemed impossibly bright, and the microphone felt enormous in my tiny hands.

The questions, though filtered by a kind-faced woman, came at me like a wave.

"What's it like being a princess?"

"Do you ever get to wear tiaras?"

"What's your favorite color?"

Each one felt loaded, a test I wasn't sure I could pass.

My rehearsed answers, practiced for hours with a stern-faced tutor, seemed to melt away.

Then, a child's voice piped up from the back.

"Do you have any pets?"

The tension in the room seemed to shift.

A smile, hesitant at first, bloomed on my face.

"Yes," I whispered, feeling a connection form. "I have a corgi named Ciel. He's the best, but his legs are too small to go up the stairs."

The room erupted in soft laughter, the harsh edges of the press conference momentarily dissolving.

In that shared moment of normalcy, the weight of the crown seemed a little lighter.

It wasn't just about being a princess, I realized, it was about being a person too.

- Azzy

♛Chapter Twenty-Seven: Double Luck♛

"Okay, you're all good to go, Your Royal Highness," the stylist told me as she pulled the lint roller away from my blouse.

As soon as Renata and I arrived to prepare for the press conference, our different stylists and makeup artists pulled us into separate private rooms—preparing us to be in front of numerous cameras and reporters.

I couldn't lie and say I wasn't a little bit nervous.

Or entirely nervous.

Especially with what this meeting involved.

I had read over the papers of our statements numerous times and rehearsed answers with my parents, but I still felt like my nerves were a mess.

But perhaps that was normal?

This was a really big deal, and I couldn't risk messing it up.

I suddenly glanced to the mirror in front of me, taking in the pink off-the-shoulder blouse and loose white dress pants that fell over my matching white stilettos.

Yes, they allowed me the liberty of choosing my outfit.

Although, my makeup was a little heavier than I preferred.