Island Princess

Proof

Chapter 2

By the time I get home from school, everyone is already eating the leftover spaghetti at Riley's house, so I go in through the back. "You won't believe what happened today!" I yell barging through the door.

"Well, you seem excited. What happened?" Mr. Andrews asks.

"Okay," I say as I sit down at the table, "ya know that 'duke' you were talking about? Yeah, well, he stopped me today and tried to convince ME that I was the Princess of the Marshall Islands," I say laughing. Mr. and Mrs. Andrews are laughing too, but I feel Riley's stare.

Riley clears his throat. "Um, Audrey, could I, uh, talk to you for a sec? Please?"

"Uh. Sure."

We walk into the foyer, and Riley closes the door to the dining room.

"Really, Audrey?!"

"What?"

"Isn't it obvious?"

"Isn't what obvious?"

"Seriously, can you not understand this? What did the Duke say when–" he's cut off by the doorbell and goes to answer it.

"No, I'll get it." I open the door to find myself standing face to face with none other than– the Duke. "Ugh! What do you want?!"

"Your Highness, I–"

"Don't call me that!"

"You said that when I had proof of something we would talk."

"Yeah, well, I'm not interested," I say as I begin to close the door.

"Wait! Please. May I please come in? Just for a moment?"

"No, you–"

"Yes. You may," Riley interrupts. "It's my house. Come on in."

I glare at Riley as the Duke walks in.

"Princess Audr–"

"Don't call me that either! My name is Audrey. Just Audrey."

"Surely," the Duke replies, "Here is part of your proof, Audrey," he says as he hands me a letter. "It is a letter that your mother wrote to you when the Marshall Islands were first attacked. She had this group from Russia hunting her. She knew she would probably get caught, so she wrote you this letter. If you're still not convinced after you read that, I have more."

I slowly open the letter and read:

'Dear my lovely Audrey,

I am so sorry we were never able to be reunited. My biggest regret is not being able to see you grow into the beautiful young lady I know you already are. I know you have probably had a difficult life and that you probably are not too happy with me for leaving you, but please know that it was only to protect you. Shortly after you were born, your father was killed by the same Russian group that is after me right now. To keep you safe, the whole kingdom agreed that we send you to a place where no one would ever expect a princess to be. I decided to send you to Ka'a'awa for many reasons. First of all, it's a very small town, and I personally would never imagine a princess being there. Second, I wanted you to be as close to home as possible. Ka'a'awa has beaches, it is in Hawaii, which is an island like the Marshall Islands, and it is not too far away either. Letting you go was the hardest thing I have ever had to do. I am currently being hunted by, like I said, the same Russian group that killed your father. I am in hiding with the Duke, and I have asked him to deliver this letter to you when you are of age to be queen, that is if I am killed by the Russians. On your sixteenth birthday if I am no longer alive, you shall be crowned the new queen of the Marshall Islands. Please listen to the Duke. I know it will not be easy for you to, but he will keep you safe. If you have received this letter, Audrey, it means that I have been killed and you are to take my place as queen. I love you, Sweet Audrey.

Love, Mom.'

"Anybody could've written that. This isn't proof," I say shoving the letter back at the Duke and start walking away.

"I have more," the Duke says.

"Listen up, Duke," I say getting up in his face. "There is nothing you will ever say, nothing you will ever do that will get me to go with you. Nothing. So you might as well go looking for yourself another queen, because she's not here," then I walk off.

"Let me talk to her," I hear Riley say. He walks onto the porch and puts his arm around me. "I know it's hard for you to believe."

"You really think I'm their princess," I say as more of a statement than a question.

"It sure does seem like it. I mean, you don't have parents. That letter from–"

"Anybody could've written that, Riley!"

"I know, but I think you should go talk to him. At least listen. It sounds like they need you."

"Fine..."

I walk back into the foyer. "Okay. What's your proof? Make it quick; my spaghetti's getting cold."

"Look at this picture. It's torn in half. Do you have a picture that's torn?"

"Yeah, of me when I was a baby." I pull the picture from my pocket. "I always keep it with me."

"Try putting them together," he says handing me his picture.

I put the pictures together on a table. "They– they fit?"

"Your picture is of you. The one I gave you was of your mother."

All I can manage to do is stand there in amazement. I'm a princess.

"Wow..."

"Do you believe me now?"

All I can manage to do is slowly nod my head.

"Well, we don't have all day! The private jet's waiting!"

This brings me back to reality. "Private jet? Where are we going?"

"You're our queen. You can't exactly rule from another country."

"So we're going? Now?"

"Yesss."

When I look over at Riley, I can tell he's just as surprised as I am. I guess I should've realized that I would have to leave though, but the only thing worse than living in a place where you only have one friend, is living in a place where you have no friends.

"Riley..." I have no idea what to say. It's not like he doesn't know what's going on. "I need to tell your parents everything now... Come with?"

"Yeah..."

We walk back into the dining room.

"Who was at the door? Mrs. Johnson was–" Mrs. Andrews begins.

"I need to talk to you," I interrupt. "Uh. Well... I... It's a really long story. I...I'm the princess..."

All they do is stare at me as if I'm joking. "No, really. I am. There's proof." Riley and I begin telling them about everything. From when I was left here to when the picture of my mother and me fit together.

"So since her sixteenth birthday is tomorrow..." Riley begins.

"I have to leave now..."

The look on Mr. and Mrs. Andrews's faces were identical to mine and Riley's. Shocked, amazed, unconvinced, and simply sad.

"Princess Audrey, we must leave now," the Duke says as he peeks his head through the door. "But of course there is an alternative. You could stay here and we could find another girl the be our queen, but there's no changing your mind!"

Riley's to my right, and the Duke is to my left.

"Whoever you walk towards is the life you choose. Which one will it be?" the Duke asks me when quite honestly I haven't asked myself the question.

I stand motionless for what seems like forever, and then slowly start walking to the left. To the Duke. To my new life. To being queen. I feel the eyes of the family who took me in staring at me in complete shock. They didn't think I would leave. I didn't even think I would leave. But here I am. Leaving the ones I loved and the ones that loved me for a place I don't have the slightest clue about except for that I'm their ruler. A rush of energy and fear comes over me as I walk out of the house and slide into the limo in the driveway. I have no idea what I'm doing, but I do know that the Marshall Islands will have one clueless queen.