To Be A Princess (ON HIATUS)

CHAPTER 7 - I Like My Coffee How I Like Myself, Strong and Too Hot For You

THE NEXT DAY I am awakened by the sound of someone bustling around in my room. I blearily opened my eyes and saw a young girl carefully laying out a tray full of breakfast food on the table. She had chocolate brown hair pulled back into a braid and light blue eyes. She looked to be slightly younger than me, probably around 15 or 16.

"Who are you?" I asked and sat up. I didn't need a mirror to know that my hair looked like a disaster. Luckily, the girl didn't comment on it.

"My name is Elspeth Dupont, Lady Skylar," the girl said. "I was sent by Madame Firmin to be your personal maid."

"Personal maid?" I asked in surprise. "Why would she send me a personal maid?"

"All of the debutantes have been given a personal maid if they didn't have one already, Lady Skylar," she replied.

"Oh," I said. "And please call me Sky. I don't like all these titles. They're too formal for my taste. Can I call you Ellie?"

"Of course, La— Sky," she replied. "Your presence has been requested in the Queen's sitting room after you finish breakfast."

"Why?" I asked as I got out of bed. To my slight embarrassment, I realized that I hadn't changed out of my riding clothes from the previous day.

"I do not know, I was only instructed to bring you down there," Ellie said.

While I was eating my breakfast, Ellie laid out a cream colored day dress embroidered with a pattern of emerald green leaves and soft pink roses. The dress was stunning, but I didn't remember owning something so pretty yet alone expensive.

"Where did this dress come from?" I asked. "I've never seen it before."

"The Queen ordered some dresses for you since you didn't have any," she said.

"Queen Lilian?" I asked in surprise. "I wasn't expecting that."

I reluctantly allowed Ellie to brush the tangles out of my golden hair, groaning in pain every time she hit a particularly large knot. Finally, she had managed to tame it into a braid crown. She even wove a pink silk ribbon into it.

However, no matter how much she insisted, I was adamant about wearing my riding boots underneath the dress. It was floor length anyway so no one would see my feet. I refused to wear those flimsy sandals and slippers the other women wear. My boots were much more comfortable. And reliable.

By the time I had gotten to the Queen's sitting room, a couple of the other debutantes were already there and seated. Queen Lilian and Madame Firmin were also there. They were drinking tea and talking in hushed whispers.

I sat down next to a girl with light blond hair. Her watery blue eyes darted around the room nervously almost like she was scared someone would attack her. She reminded me of a rabbit, ready to bolt at the slightest sign of danger.

"Hello, my name is Skylar, but you can call me Sky," I said. "What's your name?"

"Jacqueline," she replied timidly. She looked at me with wide eyes like she was shocked I was even bothering to talk to her.

"Can I call you Jackie?" I asked. "Jacqueline is a bit of a mouthful."

"Sure," she replied quietly.

"So, where are you from, Jackie?" I asked. Engaging her in a conversation was proving to be quite difficult since she was only responding with one word answers.