"You've been invited to the Prince's coronation at the palace. Tonight, the Prince will choose his bride!"
Accept the invitation!
Cordonia - Now:
I glance at the invitation as I am preparing for Liam's coronation. I brush my long black hair and pull my bangs into a side braid. As I slip on my 'perfect princess' dress, white with gold embroidery, I think of all the moments I've shared with Liam and I can't help but smile and think about the wonders that lay ahead of us now. I guess you could say I'm confident that tonight will go well for the two of us.
As I arrive at Cordonia's palace I can't help but have a skip in my step with all the happiness in my heart. The doors to the grand ballroom of the palace are thrown open, and I make my entrance. "Here we go...", I say trying to reassure myself that I can do this. The whole place was spectacular looking, with a huge golden chandelier hanging from the ceiling and a big dance floor just waiting to be waltzed on. The band was playing Claire de lune while the guests mingled.
I walk over to meet Hana, one of the friends I made through this whole experience.
"You look so beautiful, Riley. The Prince won't be able to keep his eyes off you."
She glances down at her ruffled pink flowery dress with a sadness in her eyes. Olivia walks over confidently in her grey sparkling dress and a smirk on her face.
"Hah. He might like the way she looks, but when it comes to choosing his future queen, he knows who'll be able to handle ruling at his side".
"Olivia..." There was so much I wanted to say to her at this moment but I needed to be better. "May the best woman win."
"I'm sure I will." She says staring down at me as I try and keep myself composed.
Just then, a trumpet sounds! The herald announces the Prince's arrival. My heart almost leaps out of my chest at the thought of me and him being together again.
"He's headed this way..." Hana says as she nervously tries to fix her hair and dress. I pat her shoulder, letting her know it would be okay. She looks up at me with a thankful smile and we prepare ourselves for this moment.
Liam strolls in, his blonde hair neatly styled and perfect blue eyes ready to take on the night. He is wearing a black tux with a red sash around his upper body. Below his bow tie sits a medallion with his family crest on it. He looks so handsome, I could melt.
He walks right up to me, hand reaching out, "Riley ... may I have this dance?"
"You want to dance with me?... I'd love to." I can't seem to stop myself from smiling.
"I was hoping you'd say that."
He pulls me close to him as we dance to 'La Vie En Rose'. He leads me in a waltz around the room, my gown swirling as I glide through the steps. My heart pounds the entire time wanting it to always be like this.
"To think, a few months ago, I didn't even know the first steps to a waltz."
"And now, no one would ever know that you weren't born into this life," Liam says as he twirls me around, then back into his arms. " I hope you never have cause to regret coming here" his face falls to a faint frown.
"Why would you say that?"
"Well, so much has happened, and..."
The song begins to wind down, and Liam's hands linger on my waist, his eyes searching mine.
"I need to talk to you"
"Is something wrong?"
"It's been impossible to get even a moment alone with you these last few days. But I need to know--"
Before he could finish his sentence, Olivia walks up to us and puts a hand on Liam's shoulder to pull us apart.
"Ahem! Prince Liam, may I be so bold as to cut in?" she looks over at me with a smirk, daring me to say something.
"Oh, of course." He states, startled.
I let go of him and try to understand he has others that he must attend to. I give him a compassionate stare and say "We'll... talk later?"
"Yes." He says with a smile that sends butterflies soaring through my stomach.
As Olivia and Liam glide away, I find my way off the dance floor... and spot a familiar face, Drake. He is dressed in a suit and tie with his hair messy, as usual.
"Riley," Drake says as he looks me up and down with amazement.
"Drake. I didn't know you'd be here tonight." I say, surprised by his presence.
"Liam insisted. I guess I should congratulate you."
"Oh?"
"You look exactly like one of them. I guess you are one of them now. This time tomorrow, you might even be the future queen. And then our lives are going to go in very different directions." He looks down at his shoes then back up at me with the saddest eyes.
"Drake, if I'm chosen to be the Prince's bride... I'll still be me."
"Looking at you now... it's hard to believe that. This place has a way of changing people... and some of us liked the girl you used to be. You know that, right?"
" I promise, I'm still the same Riley, even under this fancy ballgown. If I get too cocky, just remind me that the first time we met, I was taking out the garbage and waiting tables."
"Feels like so long ago now. I can't believe it's only been a few months."
"Yeah. But after everything that's happened, it feels more like once upon a time..."
New York City - Once Upon A Time:
"Just another glamorous New York Saturday night of hauling trash to the dumpster..." I walk outside to the restaurant alley to throw away the lunch rush trash. My coworker Daniel hurls the bags into the bins as I hand him the other ones.
"It could be worse. There could be--" and before he could finish his sentence a giant sewer rat ran across his foot as another sat in front of his face on the trash bins. "RATS! Riley, help!"
"Don't tell me you're afraid of this adorable little mouse family. They're trying to get by, just like us..."
"Hey! Riley, Daniel, quit slacking off over there!" Our Manager yells, as we quickly hurry to get the rest of the bags in. He always has a mean look on his face or one that says he's always disappointed in you for something.
"You told us to take out the garbage," I say, annoyed with his attitude and ready to tell him off.
"And now I'm telling you to wait on the bachelor party that just rolled in. Chop chop!"
As he turns to walk back inside I flip him my middle finger and yell f*ck you in my head. I would say it out loud, but I need this job to support myself. Maybe this bachelor party won't be too obnoxious. Hell, maybe there is a cute guy I could flirt with, that would make my manager go crazy.
I walk back into the restaurant to find the bachelor party full of sophisticated well-dressed men.
"Waitress, there you are. We need your best table!" One yells as I guide them to the only booth without a rip or mark (mostly lipstick) on it.
"Forget the table. Just bring us whiskey and lots of it." Another man yells.
"Riley, can you please take this one. I have a date tonight, you know I wouldn't ask if it wasn't important." Daniel says, already untying his bow tie and apron.
"You really want me to take the bachelor party?... I'm on it. The tip will be insane! I'll have those guys eating out of my hand in no time."
"You're the best!" and with that Daniel patted me on the back and left the restaurant.
"Are you still talking? I've seated them already. Now get over there before I dock your pay!" The Manager yells as I grab my pen and paper and sulk over to the table. Three guys are seated waiting for me to take their order.
"Hello gentlemen, I'll be taking care of you this evening."
"Waitress, steaks for the table." A man with brown hair and a fun-loving smile slams his hand on the table as if stating that was all they needed. Another put his hand up, his dark eyes and sophisticated stature a bit intimidating, "How about some filet mignon, medium-rare and prepared with a bearnaise sauce?"
"The closest thing we have to filet mignon is the deluxe burger," I say biting the end of my pencil while he looked up at me disgusted.
"Dare I ask for your wine list?"
"We've got an excellent vintage house red..."
"House red?" He states, almost enraged.
"It also comes in white"
"We'll be fine with a bottle of whiskey... and four deluxe burgers." The other man chimed in, black messy hair and half-smile half-laugh on his face.
"Four?"
He nods behind me, and I turn to see the last man at the party. He had a dazzling way about him. His blonde hair and blue eyes would make any woman swoon. Not to mention his body build. I could see his muscles practically through his shirt. He was in a casual shirt and blazer with a beautiful smile across his face. 'whoa. He's really cute!' I say to myself as I slightly blush after staring too long.
"Sorry, I'm late. Thank you for your patience, Miss..?"
"Uh, Riley."
"Charmed to make our acquaintance, Riley. I'm Liam."
"Trust me... the pleasures all mine. It's nice to meet you. Now let me go put your order in. Be right back!"
I scurry to the kitchen where I put my head between my legs. Handsome and polite -- I might be in trouble here. Tread lightly, Riley.
Later that evening, a little after the bar has closed, I'm finishing cleaning the tables and putting the bar stools up. Suddenly someone taps me on the shoulder. I turn to see it was the beautiful blue-eyed man, Liam.
"I think we're about to head out. I just wanted to thank you... and apologize" he scratches the back of his neck as if in an awkward position. "I know my friends kept you late, and they can be... demanding."
"Demanding? Nothing I couldn't handle."
"I got the feeling that you could take care of yourself," He says as he lets out a smile and a chuckle. Even his laugh is enough to make me want to put my arms around him. "If you don't have any other plans tonight, maybe I can make it up to you by buying you a drink. We're about to go to a club"
"Oh? Which one?"
"We were hoping you might have some advice about that. We're not from around here."
"I recommend going... " Then I remember that all the clubs around here are a waste of time and energy. But there is a place on the beach that I love to go to where it's quiet and unknown which would be perfect for hanging out. "... to a gorgeous secret cove. Forget the club!"
"You know... that actually sounds perfect. To be honest, I'm getting a little tired of the usual bachelor party antics. Lead the way!"
"Sure! Let me finish up here, and I'll meet you out front..."
My heart starts pumping thinking about spending time with this hot guy at my secret getaway. I quickly finish my work and head to the back to change, I catch a glance at myself in the break room mirror and am so ready to get out of this uniform. I throw on a basic black tank top and a pair of jeans, leaving my long black hair flowing with bouncy curls. 'Okay... I'm ready to go...'.
As I step outside I see the whole bachelor party waiting for me.
"Hang on, the waitress is coming with us?"
"Actually Drake, we're going with her. She's picking our next destination." Liam says as he pats the man with the messy hair on the back, encouraging him to be more polite.
"So she's our tour guide now?" Drake continues.
Liam puts his arms around Drake and one of the other guys, "Riley was kind enough to agree to show us around. She's doing us a favor, so play nice."
I give Liam a smile as he stares into me with a smirk and a nod.
A short time later... we all pile out of the limo at the beach, and the guys head off towards the ocean.
"We should build a bonfire," Drake says as he searches for nearby wood.
"I'm not doing manual labor," Says Tariq, the sophisticated wine snob.
"Sorry I forgot who I was talking too. What I meant was, I'll go build a bonfire." Drake walks away from the group.
"This place is awesome! Skinny dipping!" Maxwell, the carefree fun-loving man starts to remove his shirt and unbutton his pants.
"Keep your pants on, Maxwell!" Tariq shouts as Maxwell continues to strip and run towards the ocean.
Liam turns towards me and puts a hand on my arm making my skin shiver with delight. "Thank you for bringing us here. I can tell the guys are enjoying themselves already."
"I bet you're used to putting everyone else first"
"And why would you say that"
"I can tell. I'm good at reading people..." I look up at him and just smile as his eyes meet mine. "Now, forget about your friends. What about you? Do you like it here?"
"I love it," He says looking out into the ocean, watching Maxwell splash around and Tariq yells at him to stop.
"It's my secret spot, so I'm really trusting you."
"I'll do my best to be worthy of that trust. Though there's just one problem... How am I supposed to buy you that drink?"
I look down at my feet in the sand, trying to hide my blush. "You'll think of something. Or maybe you'll just keep owing me."
"Fair enough. So what should we do?"
"We should... jump in the ocean!"
"Won't we get soaked?"
"You're not afraid of a little water, are you?"
Suddenly I stand and start running off into the water. Liam quickly scrambles to get up and runs after me. "Wait up!" He exclaims as I run into the surf, the cool waves drenching my legs.
"Cold!" Liam yells catching up to me.
"But worth it, right?"
"I've never felt more alive..." For a moment we stand together, the waves lapping at our feet as the moonlight plays over the water. I start to shiver from the cold. Liam starts to rub my shoulder, "You cold?"
"Maybe just a little..."
"I see that the guys got the bonfire going. Let's head back and warm up..."
We walk back over to the bonfire. Liam's friends play by the water nearby while the two of us sit together by the fire, appreciating the crackling flames as I warm my hands.
"Tonight has been quite the adventure... I never thought my night out on the town would end up like this. You're really something else, aren't you?"
"I'm going to take that as a compliment," I say smiling and looking up at him and the sparkling moon.
"Believe me, it is. Spending time with you tonight has been the most fun I've had this entire vacation."
"I guess that means you haven't really been enjoying yourself very much." I scoot closer to him and our thighs and hands touch sending pulses through my body.
"It's been wonderful, but there's something missing. I really wanted to do one thing in particular while I was here..."
"And what's that?"
"It's.... well... you're probably going to think it's silly, but I've always wanted to see the Statue of Liberty... It wasn't really the guys' plan so we just never got around to it. And now it's my last day here...I don't mean to sound ungrateful. It was thoughtful of my friends to throw me this bachelor party. They've done their best, but I'm not in the mood to celebrate."
"Wait for a second, it's YOUR bachelor party?... Congratulations." I look down in the sand and start to move my hand away from his. I feel so stupid, not thinking to even ask who's bachelor party I was now apart of.
"If you knew the whole story, you might not congratulate me so quickly."
"Oh?" I look up and find him with a sad look on his face looking down at me.
"I actually don't know who I'm going to marry yet... only that I'll have to pick my fiance by the end of the year."
"What's that supposed to mean?"
"The truth is Riley... I'm the Crown Prince of Cordonia"
This entire time I have been talking to a prince and didn't even know it. I dragged him into freezing cold water (is that illegal?). Am I even allowed to touch him? (Even though we have many times and that's all I want to do). Is this how Aladdin felt when he realized Jasmine was the Princess?
"You're a prince? why didn't you tell me?"
"Perhaps I should've been more upfront with you... But I'm not normally allowed to go around without the Royal Guard, and I was only allowed out on the condition: that I kept my identity a secret. Just for one day, I wanted to be free. But I'm very aware that I have a duty to the monarchy. I've never known anything else. But what about you? You could be anything, do anything. What drives you, Riley?"
"What I really want is to live every day to the fullest. Sure I'm only waiting tables now, but... I like to make every day an adventure. You only get one chance at life, I want to make mine mean something."
He starts to inch towards me and put his hand near mine, waiting for me to scoot closer. "That's beautiful, Riley"
Looking out at the surf, I see Maxwell, Drake, and Tariq splashing in the water.
"Got ya, Tariq!" Maxwell exclaims.
"I told you, these shoes are LEATHER!" Tariq shouts back, throwing sand at Maxwell.
"Aw, lighten up Tariq. You've got, what, a hundred pair," Drake states as Maxwell moves behind him seeking shelter from Tariq.
"Looks like your friends are having fun..." I chuckle, watching them go around in circles chasing each other.
"Good. I'm happy for them. They deserve to have fun... Tomorrow it's back to Cordonia for the start of the social season."
"But it's not tomorrow yet..."
"What are you suggesting, Riley?"
"You said you wanted to see the Statue of Liberty. Let's do it! I know a place where we can catch a boat tour. Best view in town."
"Right now? But it's way past midnight, Won't all the tours be closed?"
"Oh... right. I forgot how late it's gotten. In that case, you're lucky I can call in a favor."
"A favor? And just like that, you can get us on a tour boat after midnight to see the Statue of Liberty?"
"Well, maybe a few favors, actually, but I have some friends who owe me."I start dialing a couple of phone numbers of friends who could arrange a boat for the two of us. "It won't be easy, but I know this is important to you, so... let's go!"
"Right now?"
"It's only getting later every minute we wait. It looks like the guys are busy enough. I bet they won't even notice you've gone."
"You're not going to take no for an answer, are you?"
I look up from my phone and see the hope and wonder flickering in his eyes, "Nope."
"Then I happily surrender your demands." I smile and take his hand in mine as we walk off the beach and towards our adventure.
A short while later, Liam and I are at the docks overlooking the city skyline. All the lights of the city twinkle in the moonlight as we sit on the bench awaiting our boat to arrive.
"...And here we wait."
"For?"
"A magical boat I've summoned just for you." I say, smiling and pushing my hair back behind my ear. He looks up at me with an enchanting smile that melts right through to my heart. I have to look away to get my heart to start beating again.
"Not a bad view..." He says as he begins to move a little closer to me, touching his leg to mine.
We gaze up at the stars and lights all around us. I've been here many times before, but at this moment it seems to be different. More magical than ever. Everything seems to sparkle brighter and sound quieter. I didn't think anything could silence this city. I snap myself out of the trance and turn towards Liam.
"Now, I'm dying to know why you're so eager to see the Statue of Liberty."
"Can't you guess?"
"You want to see the Statue because..." Many thoughts run through my head: Is it because she's famous? Would it be your one chance to see it because you're not coming back? But I know the true answer. "She symbolizes freedom."
"Freedom is something that I've always wanted. But I've always known that my role would require me to give up much of what I desire."
"You're the prince. Can't you do what you want, at least some of the time?"
"As a member of the royal family, my actions reflect on my house and all of Cordonia. It's something I've never been allowed to forget. No matter how badly I might want to."
He stares up at me for one long moment... then looks away. I reach for his hand and glance at him.
"Liam..."
Before I could finish my sentence I hear the blast of a horn. Looking out across the water, I spot our tour boat pulling up. The adventure has arrived! Liam stands up with excitement roaring across his face like a kid in a candy store.
"There's our ride!" I say standing up to meet him.
A short time later, Liam and I are on our own private boat tour heading to the Statue of Liberty.
"Part of me didn't think you'd pull this off," He says, leaning on the railing.
"You didn't think I could pull it off? ... You just don't know me very well." Smiling I lean down with him so we are at the same level again. I gently nudge his shoulder and he laughs looking at me with a sparkle in his eyes.
"You're right. But I'd like to fix that. You're fascinating, Riley. Why are you doing this for me?"
"I'm doing this because... I love a good adventure. And this is going to be an amazing story to tell all my friends about."
"To be honest, no one's ever done anything like this for me before."
He grabs my hand and starts to fiddle with my fingers.
"Really? Come on, you're a prince. I bet people do things for you all the time."
I pull my hand away realizing my place again. I'm no royal, and I'm certainly not fit for royalty. I start to feel uneasy, but on another level, I am beginning to have feelings for this lovely prince. He inches closer to me when he sees the worried expression on my face.
"I do get all the perks of being royalty, but no one's ever seen me as just... me. No one's ever listened to me the way you do. No one's ever come up with a spur-of-the-moment plan to make my dreams come true."
I start to get that warm fuzzy feeling again. He is so wonderful, I just want to curl up into his arms and never leave. He takes both of my hands as we stare into each other.
"Liam... I'm glad I could help."
"You're an amazing person."
Suddenly, the boat slows and the mists of the harbor part. In the distance, we see the Statue of Liberty appear. He leads me toward the edge of the boat as we marvel at the statue's greatness. Liam looks up at her then down at me with amazement.
"So, what do you think?"
"Magnificent. I've heard that art has meaning because of what it makes the viewer feel. Whether it's ink splatters on a canvas or the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel, it only matters if it moves you."
"And?"
"And right now, looking at this view with you, I feel like anything is possible."
At this moment it feels as though all time has stopped. It is just him and me floating into the air.
"Thank you for this moment, Riley. This feeling... this means more to me than you could ever know."
"Liam..."
"I want you to know that I admire you. Your adventurous spirit. The way you follow your heart"
"You can live that way too."
"If only. My whole life I've prepared myself to do what's best for Cordonia."
"Well, we're not in Cordonia now..."
I look up into his eyes as he draws closer to me. I feel the heat of his body on mine. I pull Liam in and kiss him deeply. He leans into it, running his hand through my hair. I pull away, and he leans his forehead against mine.
"You're full of surprises, aren't you?" He smiles and caresses my cheek as I gaze into his eyes.
"I try," I say as I chuckle and intertwine our hands.
"I'm glad to have met you, Riley. I'll never forget this night."
The next morning, I begin getting ready for work. Suddenly being pulled back into reality became harsh. Last night was fun, but now it is time to face the world. Not everything can be a Cinderella story I suppose.
I pull my hair into a ponytail and slip on my shirt, skirt, and apron ready to start the new day. I grab my keys and head out of my apartment. The restaurant is only 3 blocks from my building, so I walk there. As I walk up to the doors I hear a familiar voice calling me. I stop and turn to see Maxwell.
"Riley! Glad I caught you. We're heading back to Cordonia so Liam can find someone to marry and all that jazz. But before I go, I wanted to officially extend to you an invitation to join us for the festivities in Cordonia."
"Huh?" Is this a dream? Someone pinch me.
"You wouldn't usually be allowed to join... but I wanted to sponsor you!"
"Sponsor me?"
"I'm from a noble house, but I don't have any sisters, so we don't have anyone in contention to marry the Prince. Instead, we can sponsor any girl we choose. And you're my pick."
"You want to sponsor me? Why?"
"I'm not just doing it for you. I saw how Liam looked at you last night. I've never seen him so happy. Honestly? I don't want him to lose that. We're kinda crunched for time, though. I've got a plane leaving within the hour..."
"Whoa. You're moving a little fast, don't you think?"
"No time to waste. The opening Masquerade is tonight! It's the start of the... uh, I guess I could say, it's the start of the competition."
"What do you mean?"
"There's a whole horde of gorgeous, rich, noblewomen vying to become Cordonia's next queen. And it's not just about winning the Prince's hand. You've also got to prove to the council that you can rule Cordonia with him. But I think you've got what it takes. You're witty and charming"
"Uh, thanks." There are about a million different things going around in my mind. Am I enough to please a council? Or even Cordonia? What if I'm not even good enough to be with Liam. Liam... just thinking about him gets my heart pumping. "So... a fancy Masquerade... and what else am I getting myself into?"
"Fun stuff I promise! You'll get to go yachting in the Mediterranean, skiing in the Alps, and dancing in the Royal Palace... Or, you know, you can stay here. Go back to your waitress gig with your crappy boss. That's probably about as good."
I glance up at the restaurant and take a second to play out a scenario where I don't go. I see myself lonely, unadventurous, with at least 10 cats. Then I think about Liam and everything that happened last night. I can't seem to wipe the smile off my face.
"I'm in."
"Yeah! Go pack your bags. This is going to be the adventure of a lifetime!"
~Will you win the Prince's heart in Cordonia? Or will you fall for someone else at court? Keep reading to find out!~