Royal Academy Diaries I

Between The Lines ⚜ Ch. 4

The first auditions of the year had arrived, where chair numbers would be assigned according to how well they performed. First chair is always the most coveted.

But Gia was overwhelmed with sadness and anger. As the others were wrestling with nerves, she was wrestling with demons.

She half heartedly tried to remember what Princess Altina had taught her the last few days, but nothing seemed to stick. By the time her name was called, she was an emotional wreck.

She carried her cello onto the stage, where Professor Lee and his assistant director were waiting to judge her. She'd memorized her part for one of the songs they'd be performing, and began playing. She cringed as she made mistakes, her anger only increasing.

When she finished, the Professor's face said everything she needed to know. "Yes, well, thank you Princess. Um, the positions will be posted tomorrow morning."

She stood and bowed, carrying out her instrument into the hall, where she sank down to the floor. Tears slipped over her cheeks as she sobbed. If she couldn't get her life together, what was she going to do? The last thing she wanted was to be trapped back home in the castle with private tutors for the next three years.

She heard footsteps approach, but she couldn't stop the tears.

"Gia?" Altina looked down at her a bit disdainfully. "Put yourself together, Princess. Failing an audition isn't the end of the world."

She practically snarled. "Just because I'm the pretty popular girl doesn't mean I don't have real problems."

She just raised a brow as if to say, don't we all? "Oh?"

The wave of sadness flooded over her again. "My own father despises me, and my sister. He wanted a son, but mother died before she could have another child. Now he's left with two children he doesn't want or care about. He can't wait to marry us off so he can rule in peace." Her voice was trembling with emotion. "Even though he doesn't want us, he still expects perfection. I used magic once to cheat in one of my classes, hoping to please him. He punished me for a year. And if I get anything but first chair, I'll be punished. Then, just a few nights ago the prince I'd hoped to marry and form an alliance with... he betrayed me. Minutes later, my best friend admitted she never even liked me..."

The princess stared at her for a moment before helping her up. She was silent as she took Gia's cello and laid it on a sofa across the hall. Then she pulled her into her arms. "You know, for a pretty popular girl, you have a lot of problems."

She leaned into her embrace and half laughed, then continued sobbing. "Please don't let go," she pleaded.

"I won't," she promised.