Royal Performer - Chapter 3

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.

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Chapter 3: Exploring

I MUST HAVE lay there long enough to go to sleep, as the next thing I knew, I felt the bed lower next to me. A hand gently ran through my hair, “Mom…?” I said sleepily.

I heard a sigh, and the past week came back at me with full force. I started and sat upright to find Madame Lavigne looking at me. “Sorry, it’s just me,” she said in English, to my surprise.

I sighed and found myself grabbing a pillow in place of a teddy bear that had yet to make its way to my room. Looking around the room, I realized there wasn’t a clock in sight, “What time is it?”

“Just after three o’clock,” she replied.

“Am I in trouble?”

She laughed, “My dear princess, why on Earth would you be in trouble?”

“Anna…” I started.

“Anna?”

“She threatened to spank me earlier…”

“And why would she do that?”

“She thought a word I said was a bad word…”

“What word would that be?”

“I don’t want to get in trouble…” I said nervously.

“I’ll excuse it for now; I want to know what was so bad?”

“Sucks…”

“C’est nul?” She had the good graces to laugh. “I’ll speak with her… She’s not used to some of the Americanisms that will not be easily vanquished from your vocabulary!”

“I’m not in trouble?”

“Well… I would probably avoid that word around her nonetheless if you can?”

I nodded. “She threatened to spank me… My own mother doesn’t do that…”

“Well, you must remember Miss Anna comes from a different culture and time than you. I’ll have a word with her about leaving those kinds of punishments to me.”

‘She didn’t say she wouldn’t do them…’ I thought nervously.

I sighed, “Umm… Thank you.”

“You’re welcome. Now, I must say I came to see if you, as another newcomer, might like to accompany me on a tour of this beautiful castle?”

“I saw some of it earlier…”

“But not all…?”

I giggled, “I doubt I could see all of it in a year. A place this large is bound to have all sorts of secrets.”

“I bet you’re right. Why don’t you brush your hair out, maybe switch to another dress, and we’ll be off?”

“You said it’s just after three?”

“That’s correct.”

“At five, I need to call my mom,” I told her, “To make sure she’s doing okay…”

“Of course! Bring your cell phone, and we can call right at five wherever we are?”

I smiled, “Okay.”

She stood, “I’ll wait for you in the sitting room.”

“I won’t be too long!” I reassured her.

Standing up, I walked to the enormous closet and found that much of the space was now occupied with outfits similar to those we had picked out the other day. I really just wanted a pair of shortalls or something, but even the most casual of clothes were skirts. I loved dresses, but right then, I really just wanted something comfy…

Sighing, I grabbed an aqua-colored dress that looked to be the most casual thing in the closet. It featured puffy sleeves, a smocked bodice, and a flared skirt. I wondered if it would make me look younger but decided I didn’t care. I removed my current dress from my head and replaced it with the new one. An extensive set of mirrors reflected a cute girl with an astonishing case of bedhead! I folded the other dress neatly and wondered if there was a hamper or somewhere for me to leave it in.

As I left the closet, I heard in gentle French, “I’ll take that, Your Highness.”

I squealed, not expecting someone else, and turned to see Anna. I blushed and felt more than a bit nervous. “Umm… Thank you, Miss Anna.”

“Just Anna, Your Highness.”

“Can you just call me Allie then?”

She shook her head, “Your Highness, that wouldn’t be proper.”

I sighed, “That’s going to get really old.”

She looked at me momentarily but sighed, “I do apologize for sending you over the edge earlier… I forgot myself and the fact that you’ve been through a lot these past few days.”

I looked at a face that seemed genuinely apologetic. “Thanks, I appreciate the apology… I apologize if I seemed rude running off.”

“Would you like a hand with your hair?” She asked.

I looked at her and caught a glimpse of my head in the mirror again. “As long as you can be quick?” I added, “Madame Lavigne is waiting to take a tour with me?”

“Of course, Your Highness! Have a seat at your vanity.”

I followed her directed hand and sat down. She was soon swiftly pulling a brush through my hair. Her touch was gentle, and she was quite adept with quickly styling my hair to the loose new style I had been given just a few days before.

“Does that work for you, Princess?”

I nodded, “Thank you… I appreciate it.”

I looked at the girl in the mirror and hated how sad she looked. ‘At least my hair looks okay…’

“Would you like some jewelry?” She asked me.

I shrugged, “We’re just going to see the rest of the castle grounds… Do I always have to be dressed up like I’m going to a ball?”

Looking at her, I saw a smile, “No, Your Highness, you do not always have to look like you’re going to a ball. I would recommend a necklace, at least?”

I nodded, “I guess you’re right…” I told her.

“Let’s see what’s in the cabinet?” she suggested gently.

“Cabinet?”

“I keep forgetting how new this is for you. Perhaps we should schedule a tour of your bedroom and personal spaces so you’ll feel more at home,” she half said to herself.

I stood and followed her back into the closet to an area I had somehow overlooked. The section of the closet had a series of small flat drawers with another set of cabinet doors above it. She pressed a combination into a small touch-screen display and pulled it open. I felt my breath catch as I realized it was a jewelry box filled with what I guessed were real jewels.

“How about this pendant?” She suggested, handing me what I guessed was a white-gold or silver chain necklace that held a large blue stone.

“Tanzanite?” I asked.

“Yes,” she smiled, “It should look good with that dress.”

I nodded, and she motioned for me to turn around. The chain was fastened around my neck, and I found myself looking in the mirror again. I sighed, “Thank you, Anna. Do you know where my purse and my phone went? And maybe when the rest of my stuff will be delivered?”

“You’ll have everything else put away in your chambers here when you return from dinner. We wanted to ensure your clothes were clean and pressed and everything is just right for you, Your Highness.”

I grimaced, “Thanks…”

“I’m sure Madame Lavigne is waiting?” She suggested. “Your purse is right over there,” she said, guiding me out of my room and back to the sitting room.

“Thank you,” I told her. She led me back down the hallway where Madame Lavigne waited.

I took just a second to be sure my phone had a signal and battery, and I was relieved it did!

“Ready to explore?” she asked me.

I nodded, “Sure,” I told her. “Let’s avoid getting lost…?”

She laughed at that.

I generally had a pretty good sense of direction, and the two of us found our way down the halls to leave the private residence. As we reached the door, a security guard said, “One moment, please, Your Highness. We need to get an escort for you.”

I looked at him, “Is that necessary?”

He looked nervous, “Umm…”

“Yes, it is, Your Highness; it wouldn’t be proper for you to be unescorted where you may encounter others.” Madame Lavigne told me.

I sighed and stood patiently for just a moment until two tall men in their twenties joined us. They were dressed in suits like Secret Service members, and I couldn’t help but shake my head. “May we go now?” Madame Lavigne asked.

“Yes, Ma’am. Is there someplace, in particular, you two would like to go explore?”

She looked at me, “Your Highness?”

I shrugged, “I saw the ground floor earlier… is there anything else on this level or the others I should see?” I looked at one of the men.

He looked a little taken aback at being asked the question. The man stationed in the hallway cleared his throat. “Well, this wing has the theater, bowling alley, and arcade upstairs.”

“Theater?” I asked.

“Yes, Your Highness. Just after your family moved back into the castle at the end of World War II, they added the theater and the bowling alley. Your grandfather added the arcade when your father was a boy.”

“Would you be willing to join us on this tour?” I asked the man. “May I have your name, please?”

He smiled, “I am Fernando Teresi, Your Highness. I would be happy to join you all, but please give me a moment to get someone to relieve me here.”

“Of course, Monsieur Teresi,” I said.

It was a few more minutes of awkwardly standing there before another gentleman appeared, and we were soon led down the corridor toward the main staircase. “So originally, the upstairs area of this part of the castle would have been for servants’ quarters. When they moved the King and Queen’s quarters to this part of the castle, these new leisure facilities were added. It was done secretly at the time as they didn’t want to have a lot of negative press about it.” He explained as we climbed a new staircase. Another door marked ‘no entry,’ and he led us past a few security officers standing guard.

We walked down a long hallway before turning and going through another door. My eyes widened at the sight of the enormous room before me! Three bowling lanes took up the most significant amount of space. Still, one of the walls was entirely covered with one arcade machine after another. There were even a couple of ski ball units, foosball, table hockey, and table tennis tables nearby. A full bar with multiple TV screens occupied an area nearest the door.

“This is like a personal Dave and Busters,” I couldn’t help but exclaim.

Monsieur Teresi laughed, “Yes, it is. Your father was gracious enough to allow staff members to use the space, so don’t be surprised if you come in and occasionally see some families here.”

“That makes sense; why waste all of this on a couple of people…?”

He looked at me as if he agreed. “Do you want to bowl for a bit?”

I shook my head, “No, thank you unless you want to, Madame Lavigne?”

She smiled wryly, “I’ve never been good at it, and I don’t feel like throwing my back out today!”

“Well then, would you keep leading us on?” I asked him

“Of course, Your Highness,” he said to me.

At my sigh, Madame Lavigne placed her hand on my back and squeezed gently. He led us through the rest of the ‘leisure’ area in the same wing. A large dance studio with walls of mirrors and a barre bar made it clear that some of the past inhabitants had been dancers. Acoustically, the room seemed like it might also be a good practice spot for me if I could ever get another clarinet. Further down the hall was a small theater that looked like some of the nicer dinner theater options that had opened up back home recently. A couple dozen comfortably padded recliners sat beneath a giant screen. I was informed that both film and newer digital projectors, along with a large vault of films from the thirties to the present, were available. At the mention of an archive of old film reels, Madame Lavigne seemed intrigued and was promised an introduction to the man responsible for the archives so she could visit the vault.

Eventually, he walked us through the next level, which was guest rooms, before showing us an anachronistic elevator. We went down to the ground floor on it. A briefer tour for Madame Lavigne was given there before we were led out the back to the vast gardens behind the chateau.

It was hard to believe for me that this was a scene from real life. A considerable gravity-fed fountain sprayed water right behind the castle. I was told it dated back to the late 1700s. Beyond it was a grid of walks and grassy areas. Apparently, due to my arrival, they had closed the grounds to visitors that day. Still, I was told it was usually filled with tourists and visiting locals eating picnic lunches. It was peaceful, and I soon found myself walking ahead of our security detail with Madame Lavigne next to an area with carefully pruned and shaped shrubs.

“So, we’ve seen the chateau and learned about it some… how about you tell me something about you?” She said in a calm voice.

I shrugged, “Besides the instant princess thing? Father died before I ever met him? My Mom is in the hospital after an assassination attempt? My life has suddenly gotten pretty complicated.”

I looked in my purse suddenly and saw I still had twenty minutes until I could call Mom.

“I’ll remind you,” she told me soothingly. “Yes, I mean besides those very traumatic things. If I’m going to be working with you, I want to know more about you as a person. Who are your friends back home?”

I felt a tear trying to climb from my eye, but I forced myself to not bawl like a baby for a second time that day. “My best friend is Ellie… She’s like the greatest person in the world. She has always stood by me; we’ve been BFFs since we were little. I have some other friends, but she’s really the main person I did things with. She knew the… real me… for years.” I said cryptically.

“Dating?”

I laughed, “No, more like sisters. I’m not ready to date yet,” I told her.

She raised her eyebrow at that, “I’m sure your grandmother and mom will appreciate that as long as it lasts!”

I giggled, “I’m sure they will.”

“So, what do you do for fun?”

I shrugged, “I like swimming at Ellie’s house in the summer. We usually go shopping or hang out most summer days while our parents are at work.”

“Hobbies?”

“I like playing music. I learned piano from when I was little, and a few years ago, I started on clarinet in band.”

“I’d love to hear you play sometime!”

“Me too…” I said sadly. “Unfortunately, my clarinet was burned up in the fire…”

She gave me a gentle sideways hug. Although I usually don’t get along with strangers, this amiable and motherly woman made me feel comfortable with her.

“How about you?” I asked her. “Married? Kids?”

She smiled down at me, “I was, but Winston passed away about ten years ago. I never had kids of my own though due to some problems as a teenager…”

“I’m sorry,” I told her.

She smiled, “Well, in any case, my students became my kids, so to speak. Your father was one of those I looked after and considered my own son.”

“What was he like?” I asked.

“Well… I guess he was a typical boy in a lot of ways. He loved playing football - soccer to you Americans - he studied fencing well enough he could probably have done well in the Olympics, and he was the most well-read student I ever had.”

“He sounds like someone I would have gotten along with if he liked books…”

“I’m sure you would have. It’s a shame you never met him.”

I was about to ask her another question when she said, “Why don’t we head inside and find a room where you can talk to your mother?” Looking at the time, I agreed. When I told our escort what I needed to do, our he led me back upstairs to my rooms, with Madame Lavigne promising to meet me for dinner. I sat on the couch in our shared receiving room and dialed Mom’s phone.

“Hello?” I heard Mom’s tired voice.

“Mommy?”

“Allie!” I could hear the smile in her voice. “You made it okay?”

I found myself nodding, “Uh-huh… this place is crazy though!”

“Tell me about it?”

Mom and I talked for a half hour before I could tell she was getting tired. “Mom, you sound tired…?”

“Surgery takes energy right out of you,” she told me. “And this wasn’t an everyday surgery. They told me it’ll probably be a few weeks before I begin having real energy again.”

“Well, why don’t you get some sleep then?” I suggested. “I’ll call again before bed tonight if I can. I love you, Mommy.”

“I love you too, sweetie! In case I don’t talk to you later, good night.”

I pressed the red button to end the call and felt more tears down my face. Then I realized I had an audience, my grandmother had entered the room. “Sorry, Grandma, I didn’t see you there…” I stood up and tried to hide the tears.

She magically produced a tissue as she walked over and put her arms around me. “It’s okay…” she reassured me. She just held me quietly for several minutes. Several hours later, we had dinner in her small personal dining room, joined by Madame Lavigne. Some staff served us, but we were mostly left to talk alone. Madame Lavigne and my grandmother led the conversation for most of the meal. I was too tired and depressed to really engage much. Eventually, I excused myself from the table and went to my room.

I found the maids had been at work, and my computer and iPad were waiting on the counter of my vanity. On my bed, I saw that the bear mom had given me before we left and the tiger Ellie had given me was cuddled up to my replacement doll, which I had named Jenny. I was just about to crawl into the bed to cuddle them when Anna appeared.

“Your Highness, would you like to take a bath tonight?”

I looked at the clock and realized it was nine in the evening. “Maybe tomorrow? I’ll just shower in the morning?” I suggested to her. “I’m so tired I just want to crawl into bed.”

“I can understand that completely; you must be exhausted even with your earlier nap.”

I nodded. “Where are my pajamas?”

She led me to the huge closet, which now contained all of the clothes the staff had assembled after the fire, along with more everyday essentials. A selection of nightgowns was presently hanging in one section of the closet. “Do I have any actual pajamas?”

“Begging your pardon, Your Highness, but a nightgown is normal?”

I shook my head, “I don’t mind them… but I really like real pajamas… maybe a shorts and cami set?”

“You’re going to have to do some more shopping for clothes, I’m afraid…” she told me.

I sighed, “Okay… I’ll talk with Grandma about it tomorrow, I guess.” I picked a purple nightgown randomly and quickly realized it was almost too long for me as I pulled it on. Anna seemed to be controlling a giggle as I walked out.

“I thought they had my measurements…?”

“I think they forgot to hem it…”

I sighed and moved towards the vanity, where my hairbrush was sitting. “Your Highness, may I?” she asked while motioning to the seat.

I sighed but nodded. Anna took the brush from me and began brushing out my hair before putting it into a loose sleep braid. “Face, teeth, and bed?” she suggested.

I tried not to bite her head off, “I know.”

I walked to the bathroom, where I washed my face, brushed my teeth, and used the bathroom one last time before remembering the necklace I was wearing. I carefully removed it and walked back out, intending to put it away myself. “I can take care of that,” Giselle said, suddenly appearing.

I sighed, “I can put my own things away?”

“It’s our job, Your Highness,” she said gently. I passed it over to her and saw Anna beside the turned-down bed. She moved my doll to a nearby nightstand while leaving the bear and the tiger beside my pillow.

“Come on, Your Highness, it’s definitely time for you to get some sleep. You need to take these first,” Anna said.

I sighed and walked over to where she handed me two pills. One was my allergy medicine, and the other was the blocker the doctor had prescribed. I smiled as I took them and set the glass down on the nightstand next to Jenny. I climbed onto the tall bed and allowed her to tuck me in. I thought about something I had told my mom a few days before. “My mom was acting kind of like this the other day. I’m going to tell you the same thing, if you’re going to treat me this much like a little girl, I should at least get a bedtime story…” I tried to make light of my feelings, even as I just wanted to burst into tears thinking of her still in the hospital.

Anna smiled gracefully, then said, “Well, I’ll see what we can do about that. I’ll be in to wake you up in the morning, Your Highness. Good night.”

I read 9:45 on a digital clock, rolled onto my stomach, and cuddled the tiger Ellie had given me. “Guess I should name you, huh?”

I didn’t think much of it, though, as I fell off to sleep quickly in the comfortable bed.