The Tale of a Princess and Her Journey to Love

Chapter One

It has been two weeks since Aurora was reunited with her family and returned home. It has been a joyous yet overwhelming time for her, as she went from having zero family members to fourteen in the space of a few hours, and that is not including all her aunts, uncles, cousins and more distant relatives! She is a little embarrassed to admit she had to draw herself a family tree just to remind herself of everyone's names.

She feels thoroughly spoilt and sometimes rather undeserving of the riches she has inherited. Her living space was now an entire suite with lavish furniture and high painted ceilings, which she was sure was bigger then the whole maid's quarters back in Kustrington. Alongside a whole closet full of the finest, most elegant gowns, a private chef and dress maid, Aurora has two ladies-in-waiting at her service, ready to fulfil every wish and whim. Lilly and Kiara were sweet girls, eager to compliment and offer help, yet sometimes Ro wishes she could just be alone. She has gone from no one caring whether she was alive or dead to sometimes pretending she needs the lavatory just to have a moment to herself.

Aurora decided not to tell her mother how she felt – she did not want to seem ungrateful or unloving - she just needed time to adjust. Every waking moment had been spent with her family, which she honestly loved for the most part, reminiscing over the past and getting to know them all once again. She was just not used to a doting mother fussing over her from the moment she awoke to the moment she tucked her into bed. Of course, she understood as they had already missed out on nine years together, and she did love all of her family dearly, but it just felt a bit unnatural that her mother was always hovering around her, as she had gotten used to being overlooked and alone.

Being an auntie was a title Aurora loved. She had six delightful nieces and nephews, with two more on the way. However, the title of Princess she was not so fond of. She had not told anyone, but she felt a little bit like an imposter. On the outside she certainly looked like a Princess with precious jewels, soft silk gowns and a grand castle, but on the inside she was still simply Ro, a lowly maid.

According to her mother and the staff of the palace, the Kingdom of Alluvia had been rejoicing her return with praises of song and dance, and there were talks within parliament to make the day she arrived home an annual public holiday. Aurora was quite flattered and found it hard to believe that so many people were thrilled for her return. The news reached even the farthest corners of Alluvia, and many people took to queueing outside the palace gates, desperate for even a glimpse of the Princess whose disappearance was a dark cloud over Alluvia. It was a miracle, and some people thought that she was an angel resurrected from the dead. Aurora had not been out to meet any of her people yet – her parents decided to keep it to strictly family only whilst she settled in, but she did peek behind a curtain at the people surrounding the gates, and was shocked by the unfathomable amount, even though it was snowing.

For the time being, her six siblings had come to stay in the castle with their families to spend time with Aurora. They were all so welcoming, kind and loving, and she was pleased to be developing a relationship with each of them. Rosilabeth was arguably her closest sister as she was unmarried and did not have children, unlike the eldest daughter Sapphira. Although Aurora certainly felt like part of the family, nine years is a long time to be separated for, and she had not been a part of so many memories and family events. It was easy to feel alone sometimes as the second-hand accounts of the weddings, births and milestones she had missed out on made her feel a little like a stranger peering in on her family's lives. If only she had not of been kidnapped. She was sure that if she had lived her whole life as a Princess she would fulfil the role of one expertly and not be facing the difficulties she had today.

Ro was incredibly grateful to Theodosius.

He had been her rock during her transition from pauper to princess, always there for her and calming her when she became too stressed or unnerved. She had not spent as much time with him as she wanted to as she had a duty to be with her family, but she knew he would drop everything if she needed him, which warmed her heart. Princess Annalise had also been an amazing friend, helping Ro with her 'Lessons on Becoming a Lady'. In order for Aurora to be introduced to the dignitaries of society, she had to learn how to walk, speak and act like a Princess. In other words, Ro and her lowly ways had to be eradicated.