"You girls ready?" Adelaide asked, walking into their room, wearing a light blue day dress.
She stopped in her tracks as she saw what Aurora was wearing.
She whistled. "Damn girl. Where were you hiding these curves?".
Aurora blushed.
"Oh stop it," she said, pulling her pink dress self consciously.
The dress stopped just below her knees, and had short butterfly sleeves. This was the first time she had worn a dress in the palace.
Her bruises did show at places, but she didn't see a point in hiding them any longer.
"I look weird," she mumbled.
"You look spectacular," Andrea corrected, taking a pearl chain and placing it near her neck, before taking it away, deeming it no suitable.
"Wait," Adelaide said. "I have the perfect jewelry".
She hurried out of the room, just as Kate walked in, wearing a blue checked dress and high heels.
"You look amazing!" she gushed.
Aurora now tugged her straightened hair self consciously.
"Oh stop it!" Andrea chided, swatting her hand from her hair. "If only you truly, actively competed, I'm sure the Prince would have fallen in love with you if ever you dressed like this before".
Adelaide hurried back in, a small wooden box in her hand. She opened it to reveal a simple gold chain with a large pink diamond pendant on it.
"Adelaide. I can't accept this," she said.
"Yes you can," Adelaide insisted.
"It looks too expensive, Addy," Aurora said.
"Consider it as my formal apology for being an ass," Adelaide said, carefully clasping it around Aurora's neck.
"Apology accepted," Kate said, grinning widely.
"It was for Aurora, you dork," Adelaide said, though she was smiling.
Julia walked into the room and stopped. "You look like a princess".
Aurora was getting uncomfortable with all the sudden praise.
"Come on," she said. "Let's go".
This was the first time Aurora was attending breakfast with the royal family since the fiasco with Elora. She was nervous - would she still have her place next to one of the twins, or would she be made to sit insultingly far away?
"Have a nice time, girls. Be polite. Don't chew with your mouths open. Don't spit your food," Andrea called out.
Adelaide choked. "Is she normally like this?".
"Always," Kate and Aurora chorused.
The three of them linked their hands together as they walked to the next wing and descended the stairs to reach the dining hall.
The royal families of Illea and Italy were already seated - though the arrangements were quite different. No longer was there only one single, long table, but now there were a few circular ones distributed evenly around the hall.
They sat around one such table, and glanced at them as they approached.
The girls sunk into curtsies, and went to sit in one of the empty tables when they heard Elanor call out, "Aurora! Come here!".
Aurora turned awkwardly and said, "It's alright, Princess. We'll sit here".
"Nonsense," Queen Elena now spoke. "We have empty seats. Come, join us".
The three girls glanced at each other, before making their way to the table.
"Aurora! Here!" Elodie said, patting to the empty chair near her.
"I wanted Aurora to sit near me," Elanor pouted.
"Wow I don't think you girls have even acted this possessive with me," Elena said. "And I brought you gifts!".
Everyone laughed, the ice broken.
Aurora walked to sit near Elodie, before realizing that it meant that Queen Elora would be seated on her other side. She froze for a moment, before sitting down on her chair.
"Happy Anniversary, Your Majesties," she said, looking at King Edward.
"Thank you," he said, smiling at her.
"You look different," Eric said from across her, as he buttered a piece of bread.
Aurora rolled her eyes at him.
"She's looks like a girl," Adelaide corrected.
Aurora sighed, resisting the urge to slap her forehead.
"You do look rather nice," Elora said quietly.
"Thank you, Your Majesty," Aurora replied, her eyes on her plate.
"What's this on your arm, Aurora?" Elodie asked, poking at a still purple bruise high on her arm.
Aurora bit her lower lip and said, "Makeup malfunction, Elodie".
The rest of the royals looked at her arm, and furrowed their eyebrows.
They realized that it was a bruise.
Aurora quickly pulled down her sleeve, and looked around to see what she wished to eat.
"Bacon, Aurora?" Queen Elena offered, passing a bowl towards her.
Aurora wrinkled her nose. "No thank you, Your Majesty".
"She doesn't like the smell of bacon," Eric clarified, as his aunt looked around, confused.
"Wait," Elena said suddenly. "Who's the one sitting next to you - Elena or Elora?".
Aurora sighed. "Queen Elora".
"She's psychic," Elena announced, falling back on her chair. "She's literally the only one who can tell us apart".
Queen Elora rolled her eyes and looked at her sister. "Elena. You're sitting next to King Vincenzo. I'm sitting next to Edward. Isn't that an indication enough as to whom is whom?".
Aurora smiled.
"She looks a lot like Aunty Elena," Elanor suddenly said.
King Vincenzo truly looked at Aurora for the first time, and tilted his head.
"It's probably because she's wearing pink," Kate said, laughing.
"Yes, perhaps," King Edward said dismissively.
Everyone resumed their eating their food, but Elena continued to stare at Aurora long enough to make her feel uncomfortable.
A servant passed by, and Eric said, "Can we please have a bowl of fruit here? I fear Lady Aurora may starve herself otherwise".
"How considerate of you, Prince Eric," Aurora joked.
"Anything for our resident gif-content-maker," he replied with a cheeky grin on his face.
"I'm this close to throwing this scone on your face, Eric," Aurora said, pointing to the scone on Elodie's plate.
Eric looked pained. "Please. Not the scones. Cook's scones are harder than rocks!".
Aurora laughed loudly, and stared at the Queen seated besides her, almost daring her to criticize her.
But she didn't.
Queen Elora looked at the curious King Vincenzo and said, "Those two bicker worse than Elanor and Elodie".
"We do not!" Aurora, Eric and the twins said in unison.
"Sorry, kids, but that just makes us believe what Elora said even more," Elena said, laughing.
A servant placed a bowl of freshly cut fruits in front of Aurora.
"Thank you," she muttered.
"You need to eat more, Rora," Kate said.
"I'm fine," Aurora replied sharply.
"You're not. You're too thin, Aurora. Your bones are practically sticking out. It's not healthy," Adelaide said.
"Fine. I'll try eating more, okay?".
"That's what you've been saying since the day we met," Kate pointed out.
"Let's not have this conversation in front of the royals, shall we?" Aurora whisper shouted, as she saw the royals try to listen to their conversation.
A small hand nudged Aurora.
She turned and saw Elodie looking at her, concerned.
"Here you go, Aurora," she said, her chubby fingers dropping the scone on the bowl of fruit. "Eat this. Don't throw it on Eric, though".
Aurora laughed. "I won't".
"So, Aurora," King Edward said loudly, commanding her attention. "When will you give me your present?".
"Not now, for sure, Your Majesty," Aurora said mischievously.
"I think I've waited enough," the King countered.
"And so you can wait for some more time too," she said smoothly.
"What are we talking about?" King Vincenzo asked.
"The present. She's been super secretive about it," Eric said.
"She hasn't even shown it to us," Kate said.
"She stopped Daddy from seeing it by starting a tickle war," Elanor said, dimples showing as she smiled sweetly.
"Tickle war?" the King of Italy asked, staring at the young girl as though she had sprouted an extra head.
"It's a long and very embarrassing story," King Edward said, shaking his head.
"Now that's definitely on that I've got to hear," Queen Elena said enthusiastically.
"I only know a part of it, and the others aren't telling me the full story either. It's like they're sworn to secrecy," Queen Elora said from beside her.
"We don't know it either," Kate piped in.
"Come on, Aurora. Tell us," Queen Elena nearly pleaded.
"No can do. Firstly, I pinky swore with the twins that we wouldn't reveal the story, and also..." Aurora trailed off.
"Also what?" Elena asked.
"Please don't," King Edward begged.
"Sorry, Your Majesty. My King's word trumps yours," Aurora said jovially to the Queen of Italy.
"Oh thank God," King Edward said before announcing. "I'm leaving now before my dignity is dragged to the ground".
He stood up, offering a hand to Queen Elora who took it gracefully.
"Well, I guess that's our cue to leave as well. We have quite a bit of work to do," Adelaide said.
The three of them stood up, and curtsied.
Aurora knelt near the twins and said, "I'll see you two in the evening, alright?"
They nodded, and the three Selected girls walked away.
Okay hi guys.
Writer here.
Yes, I'm still alive, and yes, I'm sorry for updating so irregularly.
I've finished writing the entire bok, or rather, I finished writing the entire book a long time back.
But I need some sort of motivation to post these chapters, some sort of sign that there are people who are actually reading my creation.
So please.
Vote or view, or share.
Anything.
Thanks guys :D