Royal Performer - Chapter 1

Princess Alexandria Alessi’s life has turned upside down in the blink of an eye. Only a few days ago, she was enjoying a clandestine summer shopping with her best friend at the local mall. Coming home, she was alarmed to discover her mom was there, and her secret of being transgender was suddenly no longer secret! Within a few short hours, her life became like a movie as she discovered that her long-lost father was the Crown Prince of Osané, a small, secluded island nation. Alexandria was immediately thrust into the spotlight in a whirlwind weekend that led to a Monday press conference to announce her royal lineage. Royal Performer is the second Tiffany Shar's 'Suddenly Royal' series.

Available for Preorder Now on Amazon Kindle Store Releases on August 16th!

In 2020 BigCloset ran a Princess Contest that led to my inspiration of a book, 'Suddenly Royal' that I enjoyed writing. I had every intention of coming back to it rapidly, but that was the year that kept on giving with stress! I plugged away every now and then at it over the past several years, and finally had a chance to focus on finishing it in the past couple of months. This work continues Allie's tale from the previous book, and I believe you should read Book 1 first. I'm a big proponent in sharing my work to all, but do offer versions for sale on the Amazon Kindle store of all of my completed novels. This completed book is on presale now, and will drop in full on Amazon next Friday, August 16th. Thank you to all who have already preordered it!

Chapter 1: Bienvenue!

I FELT BUTTERFLIES in my stomach as our plane came to a landing at the small airport. I watched through the window as our plane was pulled inside a hangar. “Come on, Allie,” my grandmother said. “You should get changed and freshen up before we leave.”

I turned and looked up at her, realizing she had changed and looked like she’d gotten ready herself. I found myself nodding. “Is there something specific I should wear?”

“Tyler put a dress in a garment bag for you. Geneva hung it back in the bathroom for you.”

I turned and walked back to the back of the insane private jet I was on. Less than a week ago, I had just started my summer break, and my only care in the world was to privately be myself with my best friend, Ellie… How swiftly things had changed!

I closed the door to the bathroom and opened the garment bag that was hanging inside. When I unzipped the bag, I found a light peach-colored dress that looked like it would fall just above my knees. They had thoughtfully included a fresh bra and panty set inside as well. I thought the dress wasn’t really a color I liked, but I knew I had no choice in my wardrobe right then. Having my house burn down and being completely limited to what had been purchased and packed overnight left me no personal freedom to choose!

I stripped off my outfit, used the restroom, and put on the fresh underwear. I ensured I was carefully tucked before pulling the dress over my head. I struggled momentarily with the back zip as I felt movement from the plane’s undercarriage, and they shifted us in and out of motion again. I smiled with pride as I managed not to fall over… barely! After a second more, I was able to pull it up without help. I stopped then and took a look at myself in the mirror.

Despite the color, I decided the dress was cute and had an almost vintage look. It had a pleated skirt by the high waist and then flowed outwards to the skirt. It was the casual look of someone of extraordinary wealth, and I felt more butterflies in my stomach as I understood somehow, I had found myself in that category. I looked at the dress’s square neck and ensured that my bra straps were in no danger of showing.

I quickly brushed my hair out into the simple style it naturally sat in after Demi’s attention before putting on some basic makeup, so I didn’t look like a ten-year-old. The makeup made me look a little closer to my fifteen in the face, even if my short height and undeveloped body seemed to have more in common with an elementary schooler!

I returned to the garment bag and found a simple set of one-inch white pumps inside. I slid them on my feet before hanging up my old outfit and everything inside the bag. As I opened the door to the plane’s main cabin, I looked at Geneva, my grandmother’s principal aide. “Where should I put my bag? I put my old outfit in there?”

“Just leave it; we’ll have someone take care of it,” Grandma said in French, coming around her. “You look very pretty, Alexandria. Are you ready?”

I shrugged, “Non?”

She had the nerve to laugh then, “Well, let’s go anyway. We’ll follow Giuseppe out to the car, and we’ll be off to the chateau.”

I grabbed my gift bag, but Geneva said, “I’ll make sure it gets to your room before the end of tonight.”

I looked longingly at the bear and tiger I’d been given before leaving the day before. I wanted to feel the safety of cuddling one. Still, I nodded and followed Giuseppe, carrying my purse, cell phone, and makeup inside. We had been parked inside the hangar with the main door closed almost completely, with just enough room for the waiting car to get through. I looked at the beautiful old classic car waiting for us. “What is that?” I asked Grandma.

Giuseppe answered instead, “It’s a 1934 Packard Coupe Roadster,” he smiled. “It works well if you want to make a good first impression, like bringing a lost princess coming home for the first time.”

The white body and chrome featured in many places along the body were beautiful, along with the leather back seat that I found myself awkwardly climbing into before Grandma joined Giuseppe in the front. The open top meant my hair began gently flying even as we drove slowly out of the hangar and into the bright daylight of morning.

I sat with a simple lap belt across my lap that I knew had to have been a recent addition. My grandparents had told me many times that seatbelts and child car seats didn’t become standard until my mom was born. The back area of the Packard wasn’t necessarily the biggest seat ever. However, I still felt tiny as we began driving off the tarmac and past a security gate arm that opened up for us to pass without stopping. A man in a military uniform saluted, and Grandma waved at him. I followed suit and found myself looking around at my first-ever foreign country in wonder!

A police car with blue flashing lights and a black SUV with hidden lights pulled in front of us, while another pulled in behind us – clearly, we had a security escort. ‘It’s like I’m with the president or something…’ I started thinking before blushing at the realization that was essentially the truth. ‘Will it be like this for the rest of my life…?’

I shook off that thought and looked to my left as we drove down a fairly wide road. On that side, I could see the Mediterranean glistening not far away, and old buildings began to appear in front of us. Giuseppe made a turn, and I felt my stomach drop!

Ahead of us in the morning sun were people lining the narrower street behind barricades! They saw the lead car and began cheering loudly as we slowed to about five miles an hour. Big signs had been hung and painted, ‘Bienvenue Princesse Alexandria!’ All around me, signs with my name or welcome were being held up in the air. I waved back and forth between the sides and smiled… while my face could have fried an egg from embarrassment!

I looked at hundreds of adorable little girls dressed up like princesses with tiaras on their heads and smiled at them. ‘They get tiaras before I do…’ I whined in my head a bit while waving at them. If we had stopped, I would probably have wanted to say ‘hi’ to them, but the procession kept moving slowly through the streets. It seemed to lead all the way up to our destination, the massive Chateau d’Hérisson that was the ancestral home of my dad’s family.

I couldn’t help but giggle again that it was the ‘Hedgehog Castle’ that we were approaching. Apparently, it had begun life as a medieval castle with the typical big blocky wall and parapet around the entirety of the grounds. The walls were massive, sixty feet tall in most places, and I had read twenty to thirty feet thick in places. I could just make out the palace rising above the protective outer wall that enclosed its grounds and a few other buildings and gardens.

We had to cross a small river on a large stone bridge, but a couple turns later, we turned into a massive gated opening in the wall. I was so grateful for the open car as I looked up and around the opening. My jaw dropped at the large iron gates, and wooden doors meant to keep invaders out. I could just make out murder holes above me as well!

The lines of people extended all the way along the route until we pulled in front of the main palace, which would likely become my main home in the future. The palace featured a beautiful grand exterior staircase leading up to the entrance from two sides. Less fortress and more like Louis XIV had in mind for Versailles; it was a vast six-story structure with the typical royal court, ballrooms, and such on the first floor and bedrooms above. From what I had read, the first floor acted as a museum area with marked-off areas for tourist access, but for special occasions, it was opened up and still used fully. Giuseppe pulled the car beside the steps, and a suited man with an earpiece helped me down from the vehicle. Genuine royal herald trumpets were blaring fanfare.

I continued to blush and feel terrified as Grandma led me to the top of the curved outdoor steps that overlooked a large gathering crowd.

A microphone and speakers had been set up, and I nervously stood beside her as she addressed the crowd in blazing-fast French.

“Thank you for coming and greeting my granddaughter, Princesse Alexandria Leonora Alessi!” The crowd cheered, and I blushed deeply. She spoke for a few more minutes, and my mind spaced off, looking at the crowd that seemed to fill the entire open court area from the walls to the palace with people. I looked at families with little girls, older couples curious, and probably hundreds of tourists all staring at me.

After a few minutes, she touched my hand. “Why don’t you say something?” she asked, motioning me to the microphone.

I didn’t know I could blush any redder, and I tried not to pass out or vomit right then as there was a gentle nudge on my shoulder. I looked at the crowds and decided to keep my remarks short and simple. In French, I said, “Thank you all so much for this warm welcome! I’m more than a bit overwhelmed by it!” I paused briefly before adding, “I look forward to learning more about Osané and meeting you. Thank you very much!”

I stepped away as a loud cheer broke out, and Grandma finished up before putting her arm over my shoulder and guiding me inside the Château.

Two men in fancy blue military dress uniforms opened two enormous doors for us as we passed through, closing them when our party had passed inside. “Well done, Alexandria,” Grandma told me.

“Huh? I didn’t know what to say?”

“You did well! Most of the time, when you have to address a crowd, I’ll make sure we have you prepared. I thought today would be more genuine if you did what you just did.”

I blushed, “Thank you.”

I looked around at a grand entrance with substantial red marble pillars leading up to a high-painted ceiling. The floor was white marble, and the walls were covered in absolutely exquisite details. Gothic styling was evident from the fifteenth-century design of this section.

“Beautiful, isn’t it?” she said to me.

I nodded, “Wow, doesn’t begin to cover it?”

She laughed, “I felt the same the first time my father brought me here to meet your grandfather.”

I wrinkled my nose, “Yours was the last arranged marriage, right?”

“Right!” She said to me with a smile, “Your grandfather and I eventually fell in love, but we both hated that stupid tradition. Then, of course, your father led some other reforms so you, as Princess, can take over without being required to hand the title to your husband.”

I shook my head, “This is all so unreal…”

She took my hand, “Would you like the grand tour?”

“Please?”

She squeezed my hand and then put her arm around my shoulder. “Most of the time, the ground floor is marked off so tourists can come through and visit.” She led me through the principal floor first. As we walked, I was shown one wonder after another. A colossal throne room was opened, revealing an elaborate throne in the middle and a smaller but prettier one beside it.

“One for the King and one for the Queen?” I asked curiously.

She shook her head. “This can be adjusted depending on traditional needs. We actually have a fireproof, secure storage vault just for thrones. It’s currently set up for myself as the queen and you as the Crown Princess.”

I found myself gently touching ‘my’ throne. “Mine doesn’t look comfortable?” I said, looking at the straight back.

She laughed lightly, “Intentionally so! Yours is a princess’s throne. Traditionally, you weren’t meant to rule and were just meant to be pretty and be married off for political gain.”

My stomach twisted, “Not to be rude, but that sounds awful…”

She shrugged, “I thought so when my time came. Though I will say, at least my life has been well-to-do. I’ve never had to worry about having a meal, a job, or a roof over my head. It was a small price to pay?”

I shrugged, “I guess… Pardon me, Grandma, but I’ve grown up in the United States, and other than fairy tales, our cultural memories of a monarchy aren’t positive?”

She nodded, “You are right, of course,” she smiled. “Come on, we’ll have more than enough time for you to sit bored in here while we listen to petitioners with their problems. Unless you want to sit down and try it out, of course?”

I turned and looked at her oversized chair, which I couldn’t accept would be mine one day. “That’s okay,” I told her with a forced smile.

She and I walked through a vast room named the Hall of Memory, which she told me was decorated in the style of the Hall of Mirrors at Versailles due to a jealous ancestor. The walls were adorned with countless frescoes, mirrors, and gold gilding everywhere! Adjacent to that room was a long corridor of art and tapestries that looked like a museum, and then we came to another large room. It wasn’t quite as large as the Memory Hall but was still quite large and featured a full-sized grand piano and a nearby harpsichord. Fabric rope barricades prevented visitors from accessing them, but I so wanted to try them. “What is this room?” I asked her.

“The music room,” she told me with a wide smile.

The walls were impossibly beautifully inlaid wood with intricate designs that made me want to trace the patterns with my fingers. The floor was also wooden, with patterns of smaller pieces joined to create a beautiful polished floor. Large carpets sat underneath some sitting room furniture, and my eyes again went to the piano and the harpsichord. “May I?” I asked.

She smiled, “Those barricades are for tourists, not for you. Just be careful with the antiques,” she told me.

I smiled and lifted it up so I could go under it. I sat at the piano and saw it was a classic Bösendorfer grand piano. I hesitantly played the first Beethoven sonata I remembered learning from piano lessons as a kid. The piece was nothing fancy, but I could tell the piano was fantastic with how the action responded and sounded. The room also had acoustics that lent itself to a concert hall with the reverb.

She smiled at me as I stood up. “Very nice!”

I shrugged, “I haven’t honestly played piano that much in the last few years. It’s a beautiful instrument! How old is it?”

She pointed to a placard, and I blushed as I read ‘1864 Piano-Forte pour Princesse Angélique.’ It told a brief story of how she was the last princess to ascend to the throne since her father had no other heir before he died. The piano was bought for her when she was about eight years old. I read further that she had been very accomplished, and her father even hired Clara Schumann to teach her for a time!

“That is amazing,” I said and approached the harpsichord. I noted it was from 1771 and felt my brain freeze thinking of the fact it was older than the revolution that founded the US. I hesitantly pressed a few of the keys down, and it sounded like the one I had heard perform with the symphony once. Not having the skill to do much with it, I moved back and said, “I wish my clarinet hadn’t burned up… I bet this room would be amazing to practice in…”

She gave me a sideways hug. “Someday we’ll take care of that…” she told me. Then, she showed me the large kitchen that was responsible for producing formal meals.

An older man in a chef’s jacket spotted us and bowed. “Your Majesty, Your Highness,” he smiled, “What may I do for you today?”

I bit back a smile as I couldn’t help but think of Lumiere from Beauty and the Beast. While everyone on Osané spoke French, he had the most over-the-top Parisienne accent I had heard.

“I’m just showing Princess Alexandria the castle. I decided we’d be thorough and show her the kitchen of our amazing chef. Alexandria, this is Chef Dufort,” There was a twinkle in Grandma’s eye there.

“But of course!” He gave me a quick tour, and I realized the renovated kitchen would have probably put many Las Vegas hotel kitchens to shame.

“Wow, I can’t wait to eat a meal prepared by you,” I told him with a smile.

“Your Highness, you are too kind,” he told me with a smile. “But of course, you will get your opportunity shortly. You are ready for breakfast, Your Majesty?” He asked Grandma.

“We will head for the dining room next,” she told him with a smile. “I figured we could also take a shortcut through here,” she told him.

“Of course, Your Majesty,” he said with a chuckle. Grandma led me through another door we hadn’t come through, and I found myself inside a massive formal dining hall. It looked like it could be reset for different-sized events up to over a couple hundred. Still, it currently had one long table with two places set at the head of the table and beside it on one side.

“I hadn’t even remembered breakfast…” I told her.

“Well, it probably feels more like a really late dinner right now,” she smiled. “It’ll take a while to get used to the time change.”

I nodded.

Not a moment later, I was asked what I wanted to drink. “Umm... coffee and Orange Juice?” I asked.

“Of course!” the young woman said.

Grandma already had a cup of coffee and a glass of water. She smiled at me and said, “They know me well.”

I nodded, “I guess they would…” I looked around at the exquisite paintings on the wall, gilded molding, and a massive fireplace with my face in disbelief. “Is this where you usually eat?”

She smiled, “Sometimes… usually I eat in the antechamber of the Queen’s rooms.”

“I’m going to need a map…” I said with a smile.

She laughed, “You’re not alone there! I must have gotten lost here once a week for a year or more!”

I giggled with her as the food came out to our table. Breakfast was some fruit, some fresh bread and jam, and, at my request, some scrambled eggs. The coffee I received helped wake me up once I put enough cream and sugar in it. I’d always heard European coffee was stronger – they weren’t joking! I learned that was at least true in the chateau!

“So, what else are we doing today?” I asked.

“Well, I want to finish giving you the grand tour and then let you settle down in your rooms.”

“Rooms?” I asked.

She smiled, “After my husband passed away, your father moved into the King’s Apartments since I was happy with my own. Since you will be taking over down the road, I believe it easier to just have you live there.”

“Okay… dumb question… you didn’t live in the same rooms as your husband?”

She laughed, “Remember the whole arranged marriage?”

I shook my head, “So, you didn’t have to be stuck with him?”

She gave me a smile, “Or him with me. Once the newness wears off of a marriage, it’s not that uncommon to want to sleep in different rooms so that you don’t have to listen to your husband’s constant snoring.”

I giggled a bit at that and then took a last bite of toast. Grandma had finished her light breakfast before that, and I followed her lead, standing, “Let’s go see the rest of this old place!”