Sophia's point of view
''This place was such a mess when I first arrived, I've been spending every free moment in it as I can,'' Grandma tells Mia and I. Ellie wasn't here because her mother had asked to see her. All she has known was that Ellie has been spending the week at the Firehouse. She doesn't know that Ellie moved in yet. Mia on the other hand. Even though she renounced her tittle Grandma had still asked that she came to the lessons. In her way it is a way for her and Mia to spend time with each other.
Grandma and I had a spray bottle in our hands and were treating the plants in the green house with some water. Grandma turns to face Mia and raises her eyebrows. ''Pick up one of these and make yourself useful,'' Grandma tells my younger sister who was just staring at the ground. Mia sighs and nods before getting one of the spray bottles and standing up. ''Spray everything,'' Grandma tells her.
''You're not mad at me for what happened?'' Mia asks her holding the spray bottle. ''Actually, I found it rather funny. Reminds me of my first royal dinner party,'' Grandma tells her. I just smile at Mia. ''See, I told you,'' I tell her before looking at Grandma. ''Ellie and I stayed up last night trying to comfort her. I told her that it was her first royal dinner and that something like that probably happened before,'' I tell her.
Grandma nods her head. ''Yes, I remember one royal dinner where someone accidentally tripped the waiter when he was carrying a desert that was lit on fire,'' Grandma smiles at the memory. ''Luckily, no one got hurt,'' she tells us. ''Where is Elianna?'' Grandma asks me. ''Her Mom called. Wanted to talk about why her daughter has been on the newspaper and why she hasn't been home all week!'' I tell her making her nod her head.
''Where is at my first dinner party I had knocked over a suit of Armor and the spear went right through the suckling pig,'' Grandma smiles turning around to face us smiling. All she was met with was Mia just spraying the plants with some water with a dejected look on her face. ''Girls, why don't we cancel lessons for today and just have some fun?'' Grandma asks us making Mia and I look at her shocked.
''Fun?'' Mia asks her shocked. ''You mean you're not to busy for something like that?'' I ask her hopefully. Just as she was about to say something Charlotte came in making Mia and I lower I heads dejected once again. ''Your Majesty, Lady Jerome, has just arrived, and I have the French Consulates assistance on hold,'' Charlotte tells her. ''He wants to confirm tonight's dinner,'' Charlotte tells her.
''Send my apologies, cancel everything for today,'' Grandma tells her making Mia and I look up at her. ''I am being shown San Francisco by two true San Franciscans,'' Grandma finishes while smiling at Mia and I. Mia and I share a smile before smiling back at Grandma. ''Tell Joseph, I'll need the car,'' Grandma tells Charlotte. ''Yes, Mam,'' Charlotte smiles at the three of us before turning to walk away but Mia stops her. ''Wait, I want to show you my baby,'' Mia tells her making me face palm at the shocked looks on Grandma's and Charlottes faces. ''She means her car,'' I tell them clearing up the confusion.
We were all driving in Mia's car on the bridge while music from the radio plays. ''I haven't sat in the front seat of a car in the longest time,'' Grandma tells us. I had told her to sit in the front with Mia while I sit in the back. ''By the way, thanks for the money for my car Grandma,'' Mia thanks her.
''So where are you two taking me?'' Grandma asks us. ''Do you have any change?'' I ask her smirking. While she was getting ready Mia and I talked about where we were going to take her. ''No, it's not appropriate for royalty to jingle,'' Grandma tells me. ''Okay we'll get the change,'' Mia tells her.
We were now in an arcade in front of an arm-wrestling machine. ''This one is my favourite. What you do is you put the quarter in and then you grab his hand,'' Mia tells her. ''I touch that?'' Grandma asks us pointing at the hand. ''Yes, you touch that?'' I nod at her. ''Then you press the button,'' Mia adds on. Grandma nods her head as she cleans the hand off. ''Then you just go,'' Mia and I tell her.
''Looks like Rupert's cousin,'' Grandma tells us. ''How do I know when it's ready?'' Grandma asks looking between the two of us. ''Oh, it will just go,'' I tell her taking a picture of both her and Mia. ''There you go,'' Mia tells her as the arm starts pinning Grandmas hand down. I laugh as Grandma loses the arm-wrestling contest. ''You two enjoy this humiliation?'' Grandma asks. ''Mia more so then me. Unlike her and Lilly, Ellie and I would go out somewhere eat and then go to the park,'' I tell Grandma.
''You can go again,'' Mia tells her. ''Hold this,'' Grandma tells me handing me her purse and getting ready. ''Come on Grandma, you can do it,'' I tell her. ''I'm ready for you this time,'' Grandma tells the machine making me smirk at Mia. Soon the arm starts to pin Grandma's again but with mine and Mia's support Grandma uses her second arm and pins the machines arm down. Mia and I yell and high five each other then high five Grandma.
We all wait outside the photo booth for our photos to be printed. We had printed off three copies. One for Grandma, one for Mia and one for me. ''Oh, I like these, just not this one,'' Grandma says taking the one picture off hers.
We were now outside walking on the board walk. Mia had gone to toilet and I was standing next to Grandma squirting some sauce on my corn dog. ''So did my father always want to be a prince?'' I ask her as I lean against the wall while Grandma stands straight looking at the telescope. ''Oh yes,'' Grandma smiles at me turning to face me. ''Except once about eighteen years ago,'' she smiles softly at me.
''He seriously considered renouncing his tittle like Amelia has done,'' Grandma nods her head. ''All because he met a lovely artist, who showed him wonderful things about how life could be. How he could be,'' Grandma tells me. ''But?'' I ask her interested in what happened. ''But he had a decision to make. The exact choice that you yourself must answer,'' Grandma tells me. ''Nobody could make it for him. Not I, but many people thought I did, or anybody else,'' Grandma tells me.
''Phillipe knew that my first born his brother Pierre, wanted to abdicate, which he did eventually to join the church. Your father realised that the love he could have for one person, or even two eventually leading to three. Could not make him forget the love he had felt for his country and its people. It was the hardest thing he ever had to do. Leaving you, your sister and your mother,'' Grandma tells me.
I look down at the corn dog in my hands not sure what to say. ''Um, do you want a bite of this?'' I ask her as I hold the corn dog out to her. ''Why not,'' she tells me talking the corn dog. ''Well, here it goes,'' she tells me smiling before taking a bite. ''Why, it's delicious,'' she tells me. ''Really?'' I ask her standing up straighter. ''Then let's go get another one,'' I tell her moving to start walking away when Mia walked up to us. ''You okay?'' she asks me.
''Yeah, why wouldn't I be?'' I ask her. ''You have a distant yet sad look on your face,'' she tells me. I just smile at her and turn away. The truth is, I couldn't get what Grandma had told me about dad. In a way it feels like I am in the exact same situation. The only difference was that I don't know anyone in Genovia or about the country. Unlike my father, I'm not torn between two things that I love.
Time Skip.
Mia was now driving up the hill to get back to the Consulate. ''I know this is the quickest way to get the Consulate, but I hate this hill,'' Mia tells us. Once again Grandma was in the front while I was in the back. ''I do believe I am beginning to feel that corn dog,'' Grandma mutters. ''Mia just stop panicking,'' I tell her. ''Breath,'' I tell her when she kept on making noises of panic and holding her breath.
Soon enough she seems to get the hang of it and just as we were going up the second hill, she seemed to lose control of the car once again. ''I haven't got it,'' Mia panics. ''Mia break,'' I tell her. ''Look out, break,'' Grandma tells her, but it was too late. We ended up hitting the tour bus.
Time Skip.
''Put down, destruction of public property,'' The tour bus worker tells the cop. Mia, Grandma and I were standing next to each other. ''I will, I will,'' the cop tells him before looking at Mia. ''and finally, driving with out a licence,'' the cop tells her.
''Accompanied by an adult who licence was expired forty-five years ago, while the only legal driver was in the back seat,'' the cop says looking at Grandma and I. ''I've been trying to tell you officer, licences don't expire in Genovia, not for the queen,'' Grandma tells him.
''Don't I have diplomatic immunity?'' Grandma asks him. ''You do,'' the officer tells her. ''But she doesn't,'' he says pointing to Mia. ''We have to take her downtown,'' the officer tells our Grandmother. ''What?'' Mia asks standing straight and walking over to stand next to Grandma. ''I'm sorry miss,'' the officer tells her.
''It's alright, officer and I understand, I understand perfectly,'' Grandma tells them. Mia and I share a look before looking back at Grandma. ''Grandma?'' Mia and I ask her. ''Girls, no town, no city and no country can function peacefully. Not without their officers and transport engineers don't follow the law,'' Grandma tells us. I nod my head understanding what she was doing.
''Why, I would be proud to have to such fine honourable gentlemen serving in Genovia,'' Grandma nods smiling at her. ''Aw shucks mam,'' the officer waves her off. ''Mam we aren't all that,'' owner of the transport bus tells her. ''Oh, but you most certainly are,'' Grandma nods at them. ''As a matter of a fact, I would like to bestow upon you the honour of the,'' Grandma looks around discreetly before I see her nod her head and turn back to the men. ''Genovian Order of the Rose,'' Grandma tells them.
Mia and I catching on to what she was doing make a big deal of what Grandma just made up making everyone else follow in suit. ''Would two please kneel?'' Grandma asks them. They both nod their heads and kneel. ''Does anyone have a sabre?'' Grandma asks looking around. When some lady on the bus offers her umbrella, Grandma shakes her head. ''Mia has an emergency break,'' I tell her taking the hand break. ''This will do fine thank you,'' Grandma tells me taking the hand break.
''With the power vested in me, by the royal crown of Genovia, I dub thee,'' Grandma begins before the officer supplies his name. ''Artie Washington, San Francisco, Mam,'' the officer tells her. ''Arthur Washington,'' Grandma smiles at him before turning to the owner of the transport bus. Mia and I share smiles awed at what Grandma was doing.
''And I dub thee,'' Grandma gestures for the man to tell her his name. ''Bruce Macintosh of San Leandro,'' he tells her. ''Bruce Macintosh, Masters of the Order of the Rose,'' Grandma smiles at them. All around us people begin to cheer and clap. I smile while clapping as the two get up and one of them tell the other about going home and telling the other about going home to tell their wife.
''Now Mia, I know you don't want to go all the way downtown, but'' Grandma starts telling Mia but was interrupted. ''That really won't be necessary,'' The officer tells Grandma. ''No one got hurt, did they?'' the officer asks turning to the passengers on the bus. ''We're insured,'' the owner tells the officer.
''Chivalry isn't dead you know, so,'' the officer was saying before Grandma smiled at him. ''Noble Arthur, how exceedingly kind,'' Grandma tells him. ''Do you three need a lift home?'' the Officer asks. ''That would be extremely helpful, thank you, come along girls,'' Grandma nods at him. The officer smiles at each of us before leading us to his car.
As Grandma says goodbye and Mia tells the towers where to take her car, we all went to the officer's car. ''Would you like to slide in first?'' I ask her. ''No, I don't slide,'' she tells me. I nod at her before Mia and I both slide in. Soon enough the officer got into the driver's seat and drove away.
Outfit that Sophie was wearing in this Chapter.