I was sitting at the big marble island in our large 1920's styled kitchen that was in the basement. My parents never actually used it. I did though (note: I love baking, especially brownies), along with the world class chefs. Next to me was Leo who worked in the gardens. I always thought that he looked like Leo DiCaprio but he shot it down every time I brought it up. Leo was a few years older than me, but don't get any ideas. This isn't a story of some scandalous affair between a princess and garden boy. We were like brother and sister and we've been that way our entire lives. I could tell him anything and know that it was safe with him. He was my only normal friend seeing as I was private tutored in the palace.
So today was my sixteenth birthday and there was going to be a grand ball later tonight to celebrate. However, right now I was all but grand looking. My hair was in a scruffy bun from sleeping in it. I had a tank top on with pyjama shorts that I had slept in and to top it all off, my bunny slippers. But me looking like this didn't change anything, I was still the girliest princess worldwide. I may look like the living dead but who cares. It's not like Leo hasn't seen me like this before.
After a few moments of silence, I felt like I was about to pass out from lack of sleep. Falling asleep at half one in the morning and waking up at half seven is not an easy thing to do. But hey, a princess has to do what she has to do, right. So I felt horrible, that is until Leo jumped up, scaring the shit out of me, and told me to follow him.
I did and had to switch out my slippers for my famed heeled pink wellies. It seemed every time I wore these out in public, the tabloids had pictures. Weird. Anyways, I opened my giant, and I mean giant, tartan umbrella and ran across the lawns behind him. Oh what a sight this must be for the other gardeners.
Leo pulled me into my garden that was in a decent sized greenhouse and covered my eyes after I put down my umbrella.
"Keep your eyes closed so I can lead you." He said as he removed his hands and took mine in his.
He led me for a moment before dropping my hands and telling me to open my eyes. I let out a small screech and covered my mouth with both hands as it erupted into a huge smile. I was stood in front of a cute little topiary that read 'NICELY'. It was my favourite line to say. I learned it from being a fan of The Wanted. Those five boys changed my life and have kept me sane. Bless them. I spun around and attacked Leo in a life threatening hug.
"Leo, I absolutely love it! It's amazing!" I said as I released him and bent down a bit to look more closely at it.
"I'm glad you like it!" he said happily.
"I don't like it, I love it!" I corrected him as I picked it up and looked at the tiny, delicate leaves.
"Well, I'm glad. Now come on. You and I both know that Marissa will have a harry if you don't get your little princess arse back to that palace and start getting ready." he told me while I set the small pot back on the white wooden table and he pulled me back to the door.
I opened my umbrella and this time we both stood under it while talking about who was coming to tonight's ball.
Mum and Daddy told me that all my relations were coming and that some of the most elite people in the monarchy were also going to be there. That was just a fancy way to say more relations. This was followed by them telling me to behave myself. I mean really, when have I, Sophia Lorenza, ever misbehaved.
Alright, maybe a few times when I just felt rebellious, but those were little things like not picking up a piece of clothing and not putting the toothpaste back in the cabinet. So that doesn't exactly count. But it's not like I didn't do my share of stupid things behind their backs. I snuck out of my room to hang out with Leo a few times and I don't really listen to my mother when she says 'Lights out!', but who does right? So I guess there was a reason, but I'm still choosing not to listen, because I'm just me.
The two of us walked into the back door to the mud room laughing and took our shoes off. I stuffed my bunny slippers back on and went into the kitchen to see Marissa sitting at the island staring at me.
"Come on your highness. You must get ready for tonight." She said monotonously as she stood and dragged me along.
Marissa was the only one to call me 'Her Royal Highness'. She knew that I hated it and that I'd much rather be called Sophia. Thankfully, she only called me that when she was ticked at me about something. So putting two and two together, she was obviously ticked at me about something.
She prodded me up the stairs, into my room, and into my large en-suite before barking at me to get ready. I locked the door that went out to my room and turned on the shower before going through the other door that connected to my dressing room (read: closet). Walking over to my stereo, I started humming 'I Found You' and decided to play it for the time that I was showering.
Putting it on full blast to drown out any of Marissa's possibly annoying comments, I went back into the en-suite and got into the warm shower. After a good half hour, I supposed that it would be a good time to get out. Wrapping myself in a fluffy towel and putting my hair up into a swirling bun, I walked into my dressing room to turn down the music and slipped on a dressing gown before going to see what Marissa wanted me to do next.
She was sat on a chaise looking through a magazine until she caught sight of me.
"Took you long enough." She stated bluntly.
"Oh please Marissa. It was half an hour." I replied while walking over to the other side of my sitting room and picking up the ringing princess phone.
"Sophia, I just wanted to give you a heads up. You have three hours until guests are due to arrive." Jerry said down the line.
Jerry was our head chef. He was so great with everything and taught me most of what I know in the kitchen, which is a lot. I told him alright before asking how everyone in the kitchen was coping and he said fine.
After a moment we hung up and I turned back to Marissa and her magazine.
"Paolo should be here any moment now." she said without removing her eyes from the pages.
Just as she told me this little piece of information, Paolo burst through the doors scaring both of us out of our skins. Paolo was my very eccentric Spanish stylist. For every large event, he would come in and do my hair and makeup.
"Sophia!" he practically shouted as he walked in with his arms spread and his assistants following him.
After suffocating me with a hug, he literally picked me up and set me at my vanity in my dressing room. It took a good hour and a half to do my hair then my makeup was an agonizing forty five minutes. Finally I was shown what I looked like.
When I saw myself in the mirror, it looked like a fairytale. My hair was in soft tousled waves and fell around my shoulders perfectly and my makeup was natural. Paolo was smiling like there was no tomorrow behind me, so he was obviously happy with the results.
I gave him a hug before he left and wished me a happy birthday. Marissa brought me my dress and left me in my dressing room to get ready. Just staring at it, I admired the floor length ball gown. It was pink silk with a sheer over the top that had silver polka dots. Under the skirt was four crinolines that made it huge. The natural waist had jewels on it and the top had vertical ruching. In my eyes, it was gorgeous.
I slipped it on before calling Marissa to get the back of my gown.
"Marissa, could you please tie me up." I asked from my dressing room.
She came in and did up the corset back of my pink gown before helping me fix my tiara. I never understood why that thing has to be so heavy or why I have to wear it but whatever. The doorbell went as I was fixing the finishing touches and I heard Martin, our head butler, answer it. Well they must have been the first of the guests to arrive.
I wished that it was my mother and father, but that wouldn't happen because they were on an important trip in France, or the homeland as Mum called it.
I heard some playful banter from downstairs as footsteps made their way into the ballroom. It sounded like multiple males who were British and Irish. I grabbed my shoes quickly and ran over to the banister at the side of the staircase. The only thing I saw was a persons shoe, that looked like a Nike trainer, walking into the ballroom. As I heard Martin coming back to the main hall, I hopped onto the banister holding my shoes and slid down.
"Martin!" I exclaimed happily after he caught me by the waist to prevent me from crashing into him. He smiled at me with a look that said 'You know your parents said not to do that, but I'll let it fly.'
"Happy birthday Princess!" He said while giving me a big hug and spinning me so I was in the middle of the spacious foyer.
"Thank you!" I replied as I lifted my skirt and slid on my platform heels.
They weren't that tall, two inches at most, but I had to have a platform or else I would be kicking them off after an hour of dancing. But now that I think about it, I'll be kicking them off anyways since no one can see under my ball gown.
Martin walked off to what I supposed was the kitchen and I stood there struggling to get the edge of my shoe around my heel. Once I did, I started singing 'Walking On The Moon' by Karmin that was playing from the speakers, while grabbing a few chocolate candies that were in a bowl by the door. I had met them when we went to the states and I fell in love with their music.
I spun myself into the ballroom expecting to greet some family members but instead it was empty. Not even the DJ was at the booth. I just shrugged it off and started spinning myself around the marble floors. All that was heard was the music playing and the rustling of my dress crinolines.
All of a sudden 'Heart Vacancy' came on and I smiled as I waltzed myself around the room. I had my eyes closed as I listened to the five voices singing. Suddenly someone swept me off my feet and started waltzing with me.
I kept my eyes closed thinking that it was Martin because he taught me how to waltz and nobody did a more proper waltz than him. It was when the person started singing along to 'Heart Vacancy' that I jumped back in complete surprise because I knew that voice anywhere.