The Runaway Royal - Chapter 2
I couldn't tear my eyes away from the one person who could make my life heaven or hell. I watched as she got up and spoke into the microphone.
I winced as she started speaking.
"Hello, and thank you all for attending this surprise assembly." She acted all sweet and nice on the outside, but she had horns. I could tell what my mom meant behind those words. 'Look peasants, I don't care if you are all part of the richest families in California. I'm the princess of Tecelly and I'm more powerful and richer than all of you put together.'
"My husband and I are honored to be here." she continued. I scoffed. Yeah right, mom. More like: You should feel honored that we are even allowing you to be in our presence.
"My daughter, as you all know, attends this wonderful school and she speaks highly of the faculty, the campus, and of course the students."
I stifled a laugh. Lies. Translation? My spoiled brat, as you all don't know, attends this rat trap you call a school and I don't know what she says about it because I don't talk to her. But I'm sure that she speaks about as highly of the campus, faculty, and students as I would a Prada knock-off.
"I would like my daughter to join me on stage. Charlotte?"
Oh. No. She. Didn't. If she thinks I'm getting up there as her "daughter" she is sadly mistaken! I'm not a princess, and am definitely not her daughter! I have spent the last five years of my life trying to run away from the crown and being normal. Not going to happen. I glared up at my mom, who smiled challenging down at me.
"I'm coming, Mother!" What the hell? I didn't say that. My mom looked confused. Suddenly, I was pushed aside, almost falling over. Thank god Katie was there to catch me or I would've fallen on my face. Long blonde hair whipped my face. Taylor. She smiled devilishly at me.
"Oh I'm ever so sorry. My mother is waiting for me. Move peasant." she said snarling. If only she knew. I smiled at the thought.
" Oh no, Your Highness. It was all my fault." I said, feigning innocence. Taylor looked confused for a millisecond before smiling evilly.
"That's how you were supposed to treat me all year." She smirked. "Glad you finally figured it out."
She turned on her heel and walked towards the stage.
"Hello mother. Father." she said curtsying to each one in turn. My mother looked at her, like she was a piece of gum on her heeled Gucci boots. Katie and I tried not to laugh.
"Who are you?" she asked rudely. I knew I liked her.
"Your daughter. Duh." Taylor sassed back.
"No you're not. Charlotte can you please come up here and show this sad excuse of an imposter what a real princess looks like." I wouldn't go up there if you paid me- normally. I hated being the center of attention and loathed, with a passion, being royal. Also I had spent the entire year building my identity. But- this wasn't a normal thing. I would never get a chance to upstage Taylor again.
I stood up, ignoring Katie's- "What are you doing?" I walked towards the stage, disregarding the gasps and wide-eyed stares. I smiled sweetly at my mother and evilly at Taylor, who glared back in response.
"Hey mom. Dad, how's the new add-in on the country going?" He smiled at me. I had always liked my dad. He was pretty cool, and heartbroken. My mom, as our entire family suspected, only married him to become Queen. He actually loved me and when I was forced to visit, I always hung out with him and my grandma. She was pretty awesome, for an old queen.
"I am proud to have my darling daughter attend this wonderful school." Translation: I can't believe that my spoiled brat attends this garbage dump you call a school.
"So to show our appreciation, my husband and I, have decided to donate laptops to the entire school." Whoa, no translation is currently available at the moment. She turned towards Taylor, ignoring the yells of gratitude And happiness.
"You-" she pointed at Taylor, who suddenly didn't look so menacing. "You will not receive a laptop. No matter what." She said, glaring at the principle when he tried to interfere. "She tried to impersonate a royal. In Tecelly that is an immediate death sentence." Taylor backed up clutching her throat and looking terrified. Wow mom. You are telling her a bunch of crap. Thats not a law. I don't even know why i cared. I mean, I hated her but telling her that she could be sentenced to death? That wasn't right.
"Fortunately, for you, this isn't Tecelly." I saw Taylor exhale. "But you won't be welcome if you ever try to visit, you will be kicked out of the country." Taylor gulped. "Understand?" she nodded looking scared. "Charlotte?" Oh god.
"Yes?" I asked tentatively.
"We're leaving!" She stormed out of the gym. I looked over at my dad, who shrugged and beckoned for me to come with him. As we walked out together, I noticed that his eyes were brimmed with red.
"Why are you here,dad?" I asked. He smiled sadly at me.
"I'll tell you in the car, Char." I looked up at him wide-eyed, annoyed that he won't tell me what the hell was going on.
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I couldn't move. Couldn't cry. Couldn't even breathe. I was aware of my dad sitting rigid to the left of me, silent tears sliding slowly down his cheeks. I wanted to hug him, comfort him. But I couldn't. I didn't know this man sitting besides me. Or my mother for that fact. Even though I couldn't see her, I knew that she was daintily dabbing at her eyes, while trying to suppress a smile. Are you happy now Mom? Grandma's dead. You've won. The only person I actually liked in this screwed-up family, and she was dead. My grandfather was no help. He was sitting on my right and acting very un-princely. He was blubbering like a baby.
"We have asked Queen Victoria's only granddaughter to speak a few words about her." What the hell?! I stared at the minister, with my mouth opened. I hardly knew the lady. I had met her four times and two of those times was when I was a baby. The other timeswas when I was with my parents, instead of with my guardians, But that was before we had changed the conditions. My mother, always the loving one, reached over and hit me on the leg, breaking me out of my trance.
"Go," she whispered, glaring at me. "Or I'll make the rest of your stay here miserable." Oh yeah. Can't you just feel the love?
I glared at her as I stood up and walked towards the podium. I stared out at the crowd before waving weakly.
"Hey, I'm Charlotte." My mother glowered at me and motioned toward her head. I reached up and felt my tiara. "Oh right. Princess Charlotte. And yeah, my grandma is-I mean was- Queen Victoria."
Oh god, just kill me now before I commit public suicide.
"I didn't really know her that well." I saw my mom close her eyes briefly and tilt her head back in a "kill me" gesture. I tried and failed miserably to hold back a smile.
"But when I did see her, she was the bomb,- I mean she was the greatest." Don't panic Charlie, it's not like your on National Television. As I thought that my eyes rested on a big black camera. You hqve got to be joking. Who freaking has a funeral videotaped?! As I continued to scan the room I noticed almost twenty cameras were in the crowd- all trained on me. Screw my life and screw T.V.
"The last time I was here, it was five years ago and I had just turned eleven. I remember everyone being stiff and formal except for Grandma. She loved to have fun and she did so every day of her life- or so she told me. She said that she was so glad I was here because I could go skydiving with her. I remember being amazed that this queen who looked so regal on T.V liked to skydive." I continued warming to the subject, reminiscing. We had so much fun that day. After it was over, we had gone for ice cream, just me and her. I had enjoyed it so much because it was something that a normal kid would do with their grandparent.
"She loved Tecelly and everyone in it. She called Tecelly her 'Paradise of Heaven.'" Ok so it wasn't entirely true, but how much do you wanna bet that most people making speeches lie through their teeth about way more major stuff than that.
"So yeah, that's pretty much all I can say except that she will be missed." I finished lamely, mad and surprised with myself to find that I was crying. I quickly walked back to my pew, where I was met by a small smile, a glare and a crying man. Want to guess who each one of those came from? For the rest of the service, I sat there dreading what was about to happen to me.
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A/N-Next chapter is going to be a lot more exciting! I'm going to ask for 5 votes/comments before I continue. Also, srry about the short chapters, they will get longer!!!! Thanks guys!!!!