Mia pulled the egg out of her teacup and clinked her spoon on her cup multiple times. It was annoying.
Basically everyone was flinching as this was like nails on a chalkboard.
Trixie put her middle finger against her ear to muffle the sound. She even lifted her chair to move away from the offensive noise. Even if it meant getting closer to her grandmother.
Mia stuck the spoon in her mouth to rid it of excess.
Trixie didn't touch her tea. She had never liked it before and she had no reason to like it now.
"Girls, have you ever heard of Edward Christof Philippe Gérard Renaldi?" Clarisse asked.
'Learning to spell that growing up must've been a bitch,' Trixie thought to herself.
"No," Mia answered.
They both turned to Trixie. "Philippe was dad's name. And since your last name is Renaldi, I'm assuming his was too," she deduced, but didn't pronounce the name with the accent Clarisse did.
Clarisse held up a finger. "I'll get to that in a moment," she stated. "He was the Crown Prince of Genovia," she continued to lecture.
Trixie's face fell into shock and awe as her mind made the connection and thank God she wasn't holding anything.
"What about him?" Mia asked.
"Dad," Trixie whimpered.
Clarisse nodded. "Edward Christof Philippe Gérard Renaldi... was your father."
Trixie held a shaky hand over her mouth.
Mia let out a pft. "Yeah, sure. My father was the Prince of Genovia."
Clarisse was nodding, expecting a different reaction. Much like the one her younger granddaughter was giving.
"Sarcasm," Trixie murmured, her voice shaking.
Clarisse went to put a hand on her back, but the girl flinched away. She lowered her hand to put on the table alongside its partner.
"You're joking," Mia stated, taking a sip.
"Why would I joke about something like that?"
"No, no! Because if he's really a prince, then I'm-"
"Exactly," Clarisse nodded, smiling. "You're not just Amelia Thermopolis; you are Amelia Minunet Thermopolis Renaldi, Princess of Genovia." She turned to the other girl who had calmed down. "And you, my dear, are Bellatrix Amiranda Courtier Thermopolis Renaldi, Second Princess of Genovia."
"Me? A-a princess?" Mia reiterated. "Shut up!" she exclaimed in awe.
Clarisse all but slammed her teacup down. "I beg your pardon? Shut up?"
Trixie put a hand on her forearm. "It's an expression of shock." Her mind was reeling. She had a hard enough time leading the group she already did lead. She couldn't handle a country. Royalty meant fame. Fame meant paparazzi and cameras. Cameras and press risked exposure. She remembered what happened the last time they had been exposed. She had been shot. Her heart had stopped.
"Oh, I understand. Thank you." She turned to refer to both girls. "Nevertheless, you are the Princesses. And I am Queen Clarisse Renaldi."
Trixie decided it was her turn to speak. "Why on earth would you pick us to be your princesses?" she demanded.
Since your father died, you are the natural heirs to the throne of Genovia. That's our law. I'm royal by marriage. You... are royal by blood. You can rule."
Both girls' eyes bulged. "Rule? Oh, no."
"No, no, no," Trixie cut her sister off. "Now, we know you really have the wrong girls."
"I never lead anybody! Not at- not at Brownies, not at Campfire Girls-"
Clarisse smiled, shaking her head at the ridiculousness of them. Royalty was in their blood. They were merely raised improperly and that could be remedied. However, she needed to discover which, if either or both, knew of what came hand-in-hand with being her direct descendant.
"Miss Renaldi, Queen Clarisse, our expectations in life are to be invisible. I know for a fact that's the only thing I'm good at."
Mia nodded, agreeing with her younger sister.
"Girls, I had other expectation, also. One of you matches my mental image perfectly and the other could not be farther from it. And you both have such low self-images. In my wildest dreams, I'd never expected this to happen, but you are the legal heirs- the only heirs to the Genovian throne. Amelia will receive the crown first, then - should anything happen to her - it will be passed to Bellatrix. We will accept the challenge of helping you become the princesses are truly are!" She tsk-ed. "Oh! I can give you books. You will study languages, history, art, political science. I can teach you to walk, talk, sit, stand, eat, dress like a princess. Given time, I think you'll find the palace and Genovia are a pleasant place to live."
"Live in Genovia?" Mia demanded.
"It's a magical country, girls, really," Clarisse continued talking.
"Wait a moment. Just... rewind and... freeze!"
Clarisse winced as she realized the girls weren't taking to the idea and were responding how she was describe as aggressively.
"We're no princesses! We're still waiting for normal body parts to arrive. I refuse to move to, and rule a country, and do you want another reason?" Mia leaned forward. "I don't want to be a princess!"
Trixie shot up from her seat and ran quicker than Mia even though she was wearing heels. She ignored the woman who was calling her name. Her heels slammed against the cement and she jumped over the velvet rope inside to leave the premises. As she ran from the responsibility-filled reality, she shot her mother an offended text.
*
"For 15 years, you couldn't tell us that we were royalty?" Trixie demanded.
"I thought I was doing the right thing," Helen stated.
"For WHO?!?!" Bellatrix yelled.
Helen kept an even voice. "For all of us! If we secretly divorced, he would be able to find a woman who'd stay by his side and produce heirs. And I would be free to live my life with you two. I mean, please, we met in college. I was young. I-I wanted to paint! I mean, can you see me walking one step behind someone for the rest of my life? I mean, with rules, regulations? And the waving and the bowing and scraping? I was scared!"
"Well, living with a mother who lied to me for 15 years scares me!" Mia interjected.
"So, you were scared and didn't want the rules and regulations so you decided to sentence you two daughters to that very fate?" Trixie grabbed her laptop back and walked to the door.
"Where are you going?" Helen demanded.
"I've got a project with Melinda!" Trixie was still yelling.
*
Trixie knocked on Melinda's door.
Melinda was the one who opened it. "Trix- what's the matter?"
"You know you sometimes want your parents to have lied to you?" she asked.
"Yeah?"
"Don't," Trixie sobbed.
Melinda hugged her as she started breaking down into tears.