His Majesty's Ballerina

PART VIII -- Royal Duty

“Hi, Mrs. Carson, do you miss me? I sure miss you very much,” said Kitty to Mrs. Carson’s tombstone.

She changed the withered flower that she knew Brad had placed probably days ago, with a fresh new bouquet of pink peonies and yellow poppies.

“Mrs. Carson, I just came back from a royal tour, can you believe it?” Kitty chuckled and then continued with her uncensored stories of the royal tour and how hurtful it was for her to be in it. But how she has to bear it all because the prince gave her everything she always wanted materialistically.

Somehow, the royal tour has made her realized how she has been regarded as mere prostitute by other people. She knew they judged her and funny thing was she has never cared before.

Back when she was a sugar baby she always turned a blind eyes and closed her ears tightly to other people’s opinion. But now all she could think was how cheap and low she was and the worst was of Brad’s opinion if he ever found out about it. Somehow, it hurt her to imagined what Brad must’ve thought if he knew of Kitty’s nickname among the entourage; The Prince’s Adult Entertainment.

“But enough about me,” said Kitty as she ended her story of the royal tour while wiping her tears away.

“Mrs. Carson, do you know that Brad is going back to school? I’m so proud of him. You wait and see, Mrs. Carson, our Brad would be a successful person in the future! I just know it. I miss him so much, you know. He’s been busy with his school,"

Meanwhile at the Buckingham Palace the news of Prince Robert’s involvement with a ballerina from the royal ballet company was heard of by the King and Queen. The royal couple have known about it ever since Prince Robert stayed with Kitty at the Prince of Wales suite at the Ritz on the first night.

At first they let their son had fun with the ballerina, after all the life of the next heir of the throne wasn’t at all joyful. It have so many burdens and responsibilities that sometimes could be stressful especially for someone like Robert whom for the first 17 years of his life had been a carefree child knowing that he would always be a prince and have no kingdom to be responsible to unlike his elder brother Edward.

Robert was desolated when Edward passed away at the age of 20--so young--leaving him with all the responsibilities and a burden of a Kingdom in his lap, it was the end of Robert’s carefree life.

The King and Queen merely wanted to ease the burden a little bit and if ballerina was the answer to it then so be it. But they didn’t want Robert to be buoyed by the relationship that he would take it seriously. They have to remind Robert that there was no future whatsoever for him and the ballerina.

“I heard a rumor about you and a ballerina from the royal ballet company,” begin the Queen, easing into the main topic. 

“A ballerina? Is it the one who played Cinderella? She’s sweet that one but the other one is prettier. You know the one who played the ugly step sister,” said Princess Charlotte excitedly. She loves ballet very much and Cinderella has always been her favorite performance.

“No, Charlotte, it’s not the Cinderella, it’s the ugly step sister, Drizella,” answered Robert.

He always took Charlotte seriously unlike his parents who think that Charlotte was a child who shouldn’t be involved in an adult conversation.

“Charlotte, I think this is an adult conversation you shouldn’t be listening. Would you mind leaving your brother and I to talk for a bit?” said the Queen.

“Yes, mama,” said Charlotte reluctantly but she knew whatever her mama said it was final and has to be followed.

“Now, Robert,” begun the Queen when the door of her office closed as Princess Charlotte left. “About the ballerina...”

“I know what you’re doing. You’re going to tell me to break it up with her, aren’t you?”

“No, I’m going to say that I’m glad that the ballerina has been making you happy and at ease these days. Don’t you think that I knew all about it at the very beginning? If I wanted you to break up with her I would’ve said so the first time but I’m just glad to see you so happy,” the Queen smiled to Robert.

“But Robert, I must remind you that being happy with the ballerina doesn’t mean that I approve of her or of your relationship with her. In my opinion she’s just a fling for you, a fling that would pass eventually. I must tell you that there is no future between you and the ballerina, at some point you must end things with her. But it won’t be difficult for you, will it, Robert? I know you’re not in love with her so it won’t be difficult.”

“How do you know I’m not in love with her? How can you be so sure?”

“Mother’s intuition,” answered the Queen shortly and smiled to herself.

It wasn’t a mother’s intuition, she just knew it because of what she heard the way Robert treated Kitty all the time. She knew exactly that Kitty was only Robert’s toy, a Prince’s Adult Entertainment or so they said. She thought, Kitty must’ve a million dollar hoo-ha that drove Robert insane but that would pass eventually, for sure.

“Robert, in the end of the day you must marry a woman that could support you in your duty, that would lift the burden of a kingdom with you and I know deep down inside you knew that a ballerina isn’t up for the job. You’re a sensible man, always is. I don’t mean now but sooner or later you have to break up with her and I rely on you to do it without me having to tell you the second time. Have we an understanding, Robert?”

“Yes, mama,” said Robert shortly.