Raspberries

Chapter One

Raspberries
It was a regular Tuesday for me. I woke up at dawn, got up put on a silk robe, and walked out to my balcony. My Tuesday breakfast was waiting for me. An orange purée and kiwi slices on square plates  facing out to the nation. My home is a historic building they used to call the "White house." But now it's much bigger. I sat waiting for Gabriel, my  personal assistant, to come to me. I could smell his cologne as he walked through the door. He looked dashing as always. He dressed as any 19 year old guy would. His black skinny jeans with a tear over one knee, a white tee shirt and converse. I envied his casual appearance.
"Good Morning, your highness." He said, softly smiling at me.
"Gabriel, please. I asked you to call me by my first name." I pat the seat across from me. "Sit, let's talk about the day." The truth about him was that I actually just picked him off of the street. He's only a year older than me and I needed someone young, someone who would understand what I was dealing with. Even if my mother and father had insisted on a female assistant, I liked his company.
"Oh god! I'm sorry Ella." He sighed. "I'm just not used to being so formal with you, princess." I smiled at him.
"So what've we got planned for America today?"
"Well." He laid down his tablet. "You chose where we start." Staring at the older technology I had to try my best to hold back my laughter.
"I haven't seen one of these since 2023." I started chuckling as Gabriel's cheeks turned a bright pink.
"I am so sorry mam! It was what my parents had given me."
"Well, Christ. Here," I pulled out a platinum card. "This account has about $2,000 on it. Buy you, and your parents holopads this afternoon."
"Yes, mam. Thank you." I smirked at him teasingly.
"Gabe, first name basis. We're friends."
"Of course, Ella." I looked at the tablet once more scanning my day: 7:05- Put on mint green dress and have hair and makeup done. 8:00- Meet with King and Queen. 8:20- Speak to courtiers #1-17. 9:00- Meet with parents again. 10:00- Walk in Garden. 11:00- Tea with friends. 12:00- Speech to public. 1:00 - etiquette classes. 2:00- brunch. 3:00- Acupuncture. 5:00- change into evening wear. 5:30- meet with Gabriel for evening plans. 6:00/7:00- free time. 8/9/10/11/12- out with friends. I squinted at the screen.
"I abhor the girls my parents force me to speak to." I looked at Michael and frowned. His sympathetic smile brightened up my mood. "Change all of the meeting with "friends" to
meet with Gabriel."
"Are you sure? Won't your parents be angry?"
"Aren't they always with me?" He chuckled.
"I know how that feels." He sighed.
"And I don't know why they insist on having me talk to these dumb men. I will never fall in love."
"Never?" He teased.
"No. I will rule my country by myself." He chuckled then got up.
"Would you like me to get your mint dress?" I walked to my dress closet and looked in. I pulled a hot pink dress and held it up.
"Doesn't this one look better?" Gabriel raised his eyebrows at me.
"Your mother said exactly mint green, Ella."
"Turn around."
"Okay." He sighed as he turned and I quickly slipped into the pink dress.
"Okay. There. See, the color pink makes everything look prettier." He looked back, smiled, and shook his head.
"Doesn't look bad." I smiled and walked to my shoe closet. Tapping on the holopads on the wall I selected the pink stiletto heels and said,
"See. She can't be that mad if it "doesn't look bad."
"She won't be happy but you will look nice." I walked towards the door.
"Okay Gabriel. Please call in my hair and makeup artist. And I will see you at 11!"
"Yes Ella." He said leaving. I had my hair and makeup done for an hour. These women never know how to deal with my hair. As soon as they left I pulled it all down and put it up into two messy buns on either side of my head. When I walked to meet my parents in our downstairs meeting room I could already hear my step mother's soft passive aggressive voice saying,
"Elizabeth Marie Contra! I said mint." I mimicked her as I walked to the door.
"Elizabeth. Are you wearing pink?"
"Yes Lidia, I am." I sat down across the table from them. Seating six on both sides of the table I was a safe enough distance from them, but not a safe enough distance from the smell of the rotten grapes from my mother's wine. "Mother it's not even nine and you're drinking?"
"I wouldn't drink if I had a daughter that listened." She hissed. "You are the future leader of this nation Elizabeth and you can't even listen to a simple dress choi-" my father cleared his throat.
"That's enough Lidia." He said not taking his eyes off of his holopad.
"She's uglier than mother that's why she has no fashion sense." I mumbled.
"Ella. Please. That's enough." He said softly.
"Yes father." I took a deep breath, forced a smile, and said, "So, what did you want?"
"As you know, you'll be meeting with our courtier choices numbers one through seventeen today."
"God no. Please. I'd rather spend a day with her."
"That can be arranged Elizabeth." My father's eyes were stern.
"I'm sorry. Please continue." I say looking down.
"I want you to be polite. These men are princes from neighboring nations, Governors, and some from our law enforcement officers."
"Yes father."
"You may go. They are in the east wing courtyard."
"Yes father. Good morning." I say walking out towards the courtyard.