Island Princess

Wyatt

Chapter 5

I wake up to the annoying voice of Miss Nancy bickering at me about a ton of things, but I don't think she realizes I'm not paying attention. "Well, are you going to get up or not?!"

"Okay, okay. Sorry."

"Now, like I said yesterday, we should start with manners. Get ready, and meet me in the dining hall. We'll start with table manners."

"It's four a.m.!"

"Well, why else did you think the Duke told you to go to bed so early?"

"Eleven isn't early to me!"

"Well, it is here, so get used to it. Chop chop! We've got a busy day ahead of us!"

"Ugh," I moan into my pillow as she walks out. I don't know how much more of this I can take. I thought my life back in Kaaawa was hard, which it was, but at least I had some privacy, freedom, and a family that cared about me. They weren't my real family, but now that I think about it, they kinda were. Not genetically, but in every other way they were always there for me. And here, I don't have any of that. I still think they're not telling me something. That never happened with Riley's family. I guess I've been lying here longer than I thought, because Miss Nancy is back in my room yelling at me.

"I thought I told you to get up!!"

"Okay, I'm sorry. I'll be down in a bit."

"You've got five minutes, Princess," she says in a way that obviously isn't meant to be taken as politeness. She walks out, and I hurry to get ready, not even paying attention to see if what I put on to wear looks presentable. I rush down to the elevator, hit a couple walls, but to my surprise, make no wrong turns. When I get in the elevator, Wyatt is there.

"What are you doing here?" I ask instantly annoyed at his presence.

"Well, I do live here, Your Majesty."

I moan. I don't talk to him the rest of the way down. When we reach the floor of the dining hall, Wyatt gets off as well.

"Ya know, Audrey, I know you probably feel like everyone here is against you, but I'm not. Okay?"

I just glare at him, not knowing how to take what he just said. He finally walks off, and I make my way down the hallway and to the dining hall. When I walk in, Miss Nancy immediately lets out the most disgusted gasp I've heard in my life and stares at me in total shock.

"What on earth are you wearing!?! Did you even look at yourself before you came down here!?!"

Great. Now she's ticked off again– oh wait, she always is. She drags me to a tall mirror in the corner of the dining hall. I honestly have a hard time keeping myself from gasping at the sight of myself. "Well... I..."

"Just forget it! We will try this again tomorrow, but you better not mess up again. Meet the Duke for lunch. He wants to see how training went today, so he's not going to be pleased, Miss Hurst."

"I know, and I'm sorry. But we can still train! I mean c'mon I don't think what I'm wearing is going to change anything."

"Alright. Whatever."

The next hour has got to be the longest hour of my life. I knew there was going to be rules on how to sit and stuff like that, but I really don't see how using a certain sized fork or spoon for a certain meal does anything for anybody other than confuse them. But according to Miss Nancy, you are "frowned upon" if you don't do it correctly. After that's over, I make my way to the elevator where I find– well never mind you know who I find.

"Ya know, for such a big kingdom, you would think I wouldn't see you so much, but it seems like you're there every time I go around the corner," I tell Wyatt.

"Well, maybe I'm just trying to protect you."

I give a faint laugh that let's him know that I'm annoyed once again.

"I'm sixteen today, so I really don't think I need you following me around. K? How old are you anyway? Twenty? Twenty-five?"

"I'm twenty-three which means I've lived here a lot longer than you have. I know what these people are like."

"And what is it that makes you think you're any different? You did act pretty weird when I first met you."

"Audrey–"

"That's Princess Audrey to you!"

"My mistake, Your Majesty," he says and then bows. "Just be careful, alright?"

"Okay. Fine. Whatever."

"So, where are you headed to now?"

"Why? So you can follow me again?"

"Okay. I'm done following you. Promise. Just promise me you'll be careful and be smart?"

"Alright!"

"See ya around, Princess Audrey," he says in a way that is extra annoying even for him, and gets off the elevator onto a floor I've not yet discovered.

"You do realize that's not any better!"

"Yea, I got that, Honey," he calls back in the same annoying tone.