The Royal

Chapter 7

She was still grabbing me lightly on my wrist and I got curious of where we were going after turning so many corners. Which I thought was slightly dizzy because everything looked the same. I mustered up enough courage to ask "Where are we going? Princess Erica?" While trying to take in everything I saw in the palace. From the giant portraits of Ethan to the giant portraits of his grandparents and then the decorations and closed doors. It might be the last time I'm stepping into here.

Without even stopping, she replied "To my room of course! And Erica will do, Ellie." She smile happily like a child that had won a prize doll and dragged me up a grand staircase. I did not had the time to be stunned by the elegant of the stairs. Just how big was this castle again?

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Finally, we arrived at her room. It was HUGE. Like seriously Gigantic. Erica room was like any typical teenage girls room but the difference was that she had a king size bed and a walk in wardrobe. Which was Freaking Cool. Gosh! Her room was so big, it could fit at least a hundred of us. I tried not to gape but it was difficult. After all, my bedroom was only 1/8 of her bedroom.

I think I stood at the door gaping for too long because the next minute, Erica had appeared and was shoving a dress onto my arms and saying "Put this on." She smiled brightly and nodding her head like she was a proud mother that her daughter was going prom. I just held the dress and smile awkwardly.

The dress was magnificent. It was a knee length dress with a ruffled collar like those 1980s scarf but less furry and the colour faded from turquoise to ocean blue. Not only that, it looks quite tight fit and it matches my eye colour. It not only would brought out my eye colour, but also my lean body shape. Imagine Ethan danced with me in the ballroom and he fell in love with me. Har! As if Ellie. As if.

It took me a while to register that I was in the castle at Erica's room. I started panicking and I knew I couldn't take it, much less wear it. The dress was too beautiful to be on me. What if I was clumsy enough to tore it or worst, I accidentally tripped and smashed into a bowl of tomato paste? It would costed me a fortune and I did not have the money. "I..... I can't....." I said and pushes the dress back to Erica.

She frowned and shook her head, just like a mother unhappy with her 3 year old daughter. Once again, pushes the dress to me. She pouted and said "Aww, come on! Wear it. I couldn't fit it Anyways. I shall find another one." and I took it reluctantly. But she was already halfway into the wardrobe and looking for more dresses.

I didn't even bother to go into the bathroom because we're both girls plus the bathroom is quite a distance so I stripped to my undergarments and the cold air hit me instantly making me shiver. I stepped into the dress and before I could pull up, Erica's bedroom door opened enough for a human to walk in. There stood Ethan, unmoving.

Recovering his senses after a few seconds, he backed out and said "Omg. I saw nothing." and closed the door hastily again. Erica was laughing and closed to bursting into tears once Ethan closed the door and saying I should have seen both of our faces. She said it was all too hilarious. I growled at her and pulling the dress on and she tried to hide another fit of laughter. It was awkward. So awkward. I felt my face heated up and I couldn't believed that Ethan just saw me half naked.

I quickly zipped the back of the dress and Erica said "Ethan, you may come in." All the while trying not to burst out laughing. The door opened slowly and Ethan poked his head in even slower before he stepped in, relief flooded his face. He turned to looked at me and gaped.

"Ellie.... You looked..... Nice." Ethan said after staring at me for so long. Erica had let down my hair and made it looked natural while I was slipping into the dress, with the dress, my eye colours stood out even more. I blushed a little when Ethan said that and Erica grinned widely.

"Let's go then." Erica said and she dragged the both of us out of her room. Seemly like she just dressed her doll up and now time to go shopping. I wondered where would she bring  us to this time round. Hopefully not to sell me off. Or have funny ideas like asking Ethan to dance with me because I sucks at dancing.

All we heard while walking down the corridor was the sound of our shoes and it clicked loudly against the marble polished flooring. So shiny that I could almost see my own reflection. "So Ellie" - she turned to me while walking- "How's school?" she asked.

I thought for a moment before answering with "It's fun. But tiring." as we made a right turn. It was half truth. The other half, well, I myself would not like to be reminded. School was indeed fun with Max and Maybel. But at the same time, nobody else would be my friend. They think that I am the weird girl with the weird eyes and behind my back, I was being labelled as "Bookworm". How I met Maybel and Max was miracle because they too, suffered the same fate as me but they were being labelled as "Twin Freaks".

"So my brother didn't bully you?" she said, amusement in her voice. It sounded like Ethan was the type of boys that would break any girls heart and ran off. This made me wondered just why did both Ethan's mom and sister asked me the same question. Was Ethan that bad? Hopefully he was not putting up an act for me.

Remembering all the things he did for me just before the shocking secret was sweet and thoughtful. Not only that, he could have ignored me like the rest of the school but he did not. "No, Eth... I mean Prince Ethan was nice to me. He cooked for me too." I said and smile at her.

She seems skeptical for a moment and raised her eyebrow. "Really Ethan? How come you didn't cook for your sister here?" Erica said with much sadness and both Ethan and I blushed slightly. Seems like I said something that made her sister want to gobble Ethan up. But Ethan made breakfast, not really cook.

"Ethan will do, Ellie, I'm not used to you calling me a prince." Ethan said before Erica could comment further about the relationship between Ethan and me. I nodded and grinned at him. Erica just gave Ethan a sly smile which Ethan tried hard to ignore.

There wasn't much to see, all walls and some paintings around. Plus they all looked the same. Very high class and Royal like. Curiosity had the best of me and I asked "Erica, are you older than us?" That earned me a look from her and I wasn't sure if it was sadness or pure shocked. Or maybe I offended her because they always warned about how not to ask a woman about her age. I winced a little and she let out a little laugh.

She paused a little and smile sadly. "Yours truly is 18 this year.' she replied, not sounding too happy. I wondered why. Maybe because being someone in the royal family takes a toll on their life? I longed to be 18, I could move out and be free of Daphane. Just 2 more years and I would be free of Daphane. Never to be heard or seen by her.

I nodded and remembered that princesses or Princes who turned 18 got to be the next in line to gained the throne. At least that was what drama always shows. I asked "So that means you can be the Queen of Gardina?" Just the thought of telling Maybel and Max that I knew our town's queen was exciting. They would surely scream.

"No. Only Ethan can take it because he is a boy." she said, sounding a little sad. I have always thought that the eldest gets the throne and the rest would wait. I glanced at her and she seems a little hurt at the thought that she would not be the queen of this town.

Silence descended after I asked that question while we walked and Ethan broke it with "Sis, you're going to be married soon". I turned to looked at Ethan with wide eyes. A little difficult when you're walking. Married?!

"That's right Ellie. I'm getting married. I'm gonna be someone's Princess and a kingdom Queen!" Erica said and smile. A smile she tried hard to make it perfect. But I sensed that her sadness came from having to leave Ethan.