Royal Performer - Chapter 2

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 8: Family

“PLEASE BUCKLE UP,” the driver in front said even as he began driving off.

“Where are we going first?” I asked the car.

“Madame Lavigne wanted you both to get a chance to see some of the better shopping areas that tourists and visitors frequent. So, we’re heading to Rue due Chat-qui-Pêche for you two to have a walk around.”

Madame Lavigne and I both burst out laughing at the same time.

“I am translating that right, The Fishing Cat Street?” I asked incredulously in English.

Giuseppe chuckled lightly, “That would be correct, Your Highness.”

“Why on Earth…?” Madame Lavigne asked, still filled with her own giggles.

“It’s actually a very sacred street for our people, Your Highness,” The driver chimed in a serious voice.

“Oh?” I asked. “I didn’t mean offense then.”

“Well, more it’s become our mascot.”

“Will you tell me the story, please?” I asked the driver.

“Of course, but we may not finish before we arrive!”

“I can wait to get out of the car!” I told him with a smile.

“Well then… It begins long ago, sometime around sixteen-eighty-four, I believe… The village fishermen were having a harder time bringing in enough fish to feed the people on the island. I don’t know if they had overfished the waters or something else had gone on. Still, it was becoming pretty serious for many of the fishermen. One day, one of the struggling fishermen took his boat out onto the water and discovered that a stowaway cat had joined him. The cat hissed at him as he prepared bait for his nets. He just laughed it off until the cat followed the nets off the boat!”

“Oh no,” I said, even as I marveled at the view of the ancient looking rows of closely built buildings that we passed by. “Cats definitely don’t like water… can they even swim?”

“Some can… This one struggled for several minutes before the fisherman decided to be kind and jumped in after him. Once he and the cat were back on the boat, full of claw marks as the story goes, he was ready to throw the cat right back into the water! His small crew wouldn’t stop laughing at him over it. That was until he pulled in his nets and discovered an even greater haul of fish than they’d ever had, even before things had gotten hard. That day, when he pulled into the harbor with his boat full of his catch, he bragged to all of his buddies that it was his fishing cat that he had taken out with him.”

I laughed, “So there’s a street named after the cat?”

“Not just a street. The mall is called the Galerie de Chats Jouant!” He smiled back at me as he parked the SUV. “The cat’s name is said to be Gaston Leurre, and he has his own statue at the docks and an animated children’s series on TV.”

“I’ll have to check it out,” I giggled. “Thank you for telling me the story. I missed your name, though, sir?”

“Kenny Jones,” he said.

“An English name?” I asked, puzzled.

“My parents immigrated here just before I was born. They were from the US.”

“Ahh… That would explain it, Monsieur Jones.”

“Come along, Your Highness, let’s check out the shops!” Madame Lavigne said, “And thank you very much for your entertaining history lesson, Monsieur Jones!”

“My pleasure,” he said.

We followed Giuseppe and another security member down the street while two others followed behind us. Looking around, I saw a beautiful view, with the long road descending a cobblestone road leading to the bay. I guessed about a mile down. Along the side were stores, shops, and other businesses we walked by. I noted a few people across the street staring at us.

Next to them was a little girl with her mouth open who waved at me. I smiled at her and waved back as Madame Lavigne pulled me into our first store.

“Bonjour! Comment ça va?” I heard brightly from a lady near a cash register.

I answered politely, and we began looking around the store. It was a quaint clothing shop that seemed more in line with Madame Lavigne’s age than mine. I glanced through racks of tops and dresses that weren’t meant for my age or style. Madame Lavigne did find a blouse she liked. While she was trying it on, the storekeeper approached me. “My pardon, Your Highness, my store is much more for your escort’s age?”

I smiled, “No worries. She’s entitled to find things she likes on this shopping trip. You have a charming shop. I’m certain my mother would love many things in here.”

“You flatter me, Your Highness.”

“May I ask, am I that recognizable already?”

She nodded, “The local television and international news have covered you extensively since your press conference. How is your maman?”

“She is doing better,” I told her, “Thank you for asking.”

Right then, Madame Lavigne came out and went to the counter to pay. I deftly slipped my own card into the shopkeeper’s hand before she could pay.

“Your Highness, you ca…”

“Madame Lavigne, if there is one thing I will do, it is to take care of those who help me. You’ve clearly come to do so, and I do appreciate it.”

She smiled and said, “Well, thank you.”

We left that store and wandered through several more before coming to an art gallery named Galerie de Chats Heureux. “Ooh,” I said, looking at a beautiful castle painting, “let’s go inside here.”

“Sure,” Madame Lavigne replied. Giuseppe followed us inside, leaving the others to watch the door. I walked beside some fantastic photos, paintings, and sculptures before finding myself at a loss for words.

“That’s…”

“You’re her!” A voice said suddenly.

I turned to face a woman with frizzy hair and skin stained with paint. “Pardon?” I said.

“You’re the princess!” She said. “Oh my, in my gallery!” She said as she curtsied to me. “It’s an honor, Your Highness.”

I was dumbstruck at her awe. “I’m just a regular girl, madame,” I told her.

She laughed, “Not even close to the truth. Do you like it?” She asked me, pointing to the painting I had spotted.

I looked back at a large painting of myself standing before the castle, giving my speech when I arrived. This talented artist made me look much less tired, and I was amazed that this was here. “How did you…?” I asked.

She smiled, “An inspiration you were! I left as soon as I saw you and headed straight back to my studio. Didn’t sleep until early this morning for a couple of hours. Do you like it?” She asked again.

“It’s amazing,” I answered honestly. “I can’t believe anyone would paint a picture of me, let alone as quickly as you did.”

“I’m hoping it’ll bring in some tourists, and I already have some prints in the works to sell to them.”

“How much for it?” Giuseppe asked.

“Well…” she started, “I just planned to keep this one.”

“Her Majesty would love it,” he told her.

I put my hand on his arm, “I’m sure she might part with it someday, but I can understand her wanting to have the traffic through her amazing gallery. Though why they’d come to see me, I don’t understand!” I giggled nervously. “Madame, how about first refusal to purchase it when you decide to sell? My mother would love it too.”

She looked relieved right then, and I could tell she wasn’t ready to part with her new creation. “I believe I can go along with that, Your Highness.” She smiled brightly at me as she replied.

“Great! Now, how about this one of the castle…?” I asked.

Before we left the store, I had purchased a few paintings as gifts for Ellie’s family, my other grandparents, and Mom’s law firm for their kindness. As she took down the shipping information, I could tell I had made her day completely! I walked out of the store with a smile.

“Nicely handled,” Madame Lavigne told me as she walked beside me down the street.

We were in and out of shops for another hour before we finally came to one that catered to a younger clientele! It was still more upscale than a mall clothing store. Still, something different from the fashion-crazy stores that I had been surprised to find could make money in a small country like this.

‘And I didn’t need any more luxury fashion clothes!’ I had griped as I perused the stores. In several, I had purchased some skirts or tops just to seem gracious to the owners…

Seeing a store that contained leggings, yoga pants, shorts, and even jeans made my heart leap with hope! I had just finished trying on a dozen outfits I was taking to the front to purchase when I heard a girl’s voice sneer, “That’s the princess?!?”

I turned to see a tall, dark-haired girl who was probably about my age, with a girl who looked like she could be her little sister, another taller blonde girl, and a brown-haired girl with a face covered in gaudy makeup. ‘Great, more bullies…’ I groaned in my head.

“Can I help you?” I asked.

“Yeah, seriously, are you that girl?” the original girl pushed.

I forced a smile, “Which girl?”

“The wannabe princess of our country?” the blonde asked.

“I don’t think I wanted any of that, to be honest,” I told her with a firm smile plastered on my face. “I was perfectly happy with my own life back home.”

“Aren’t you supposed to be fifteen?” The brown-haired girl asked. Without waiting for a response, “Anise, I don’t think she looks older than you, and you’re only eleven!”

“Anise definitely has more up top than her,” The blonde smirked at me.

I felt my color rising, and I debated replying when I felt a hand on my shoulder.

“Only because she’s not stuffing or getting enhancements like you, Lola,” the new voice said beside me.

I jumped in the air and looked in shock at a girl I had noticed working on hanging up clothes near me.

“Mélanie, we didn’t ask you for your thoughts.” The original taller girl spoke up again.

“Because you couldn’t understand them, Lola?” She paused, “Or just because now the odds of you having your own tiara are zero?”

“Just wait until I tell my…”

“What is going on here?” Giuseppe suddenly appeared. “Lady Montalvo, what an interesting coincidence to run into you here?”

“Quite,” she replied to him.

“Is there an issue here?” He asked me.

I looked at him and said, “I believe Lady Montalvo was just leaving?”

She glared at me and beckoned her little gaggle to follow her in a huff out of the store.

“Who was that?” I asked Giuseppe.

“She’s the daughter of your second cousin, Mikael Montalvo.”

“I’m related to that…?”

“Princess Alexandria…” Madame Lavigne corrected me from my side.

“…delightful set of sisters…?” I batted my eyes, and the other girl laughed.

“You’re going to be lots of fun to be around.” The girl said, “I’m Mélanie Lemieux; it’s a pleasure to meet you, Your Highness.”

I sighed, “I wish it could have been in better circumstances. That being said, where do I check out with these?” I pointed to the items I still held.

“We’ll get you right over here,” she told me.

“Thanks for that,” I told her as she rang me up.

“My pleasure, I can’t stand Lola. Léna didn’t used to be so bad; that was the blonde girl, but she and Lilou seem to gravitate toward Lola’s constant picking on people.”

“That’s a shame, I really hate girls like that,” I told her. “And I really appreciate people like you who stand up for others.”

“Well, it wouldn’t do for the first time a Princess comes into our shop for her to get into a catfight, would it?” She smiled, and her shoulder-length brown hair shifted as she tilted her head.

“No, it wouldn’t.” We chatted briefly, and I traded contact info before walking out.

“I do believe I’m about shopped out,” Madame Lavigne said as we stepped out. Right before I agreed, I saw a shop with pajamas next door.

“One more store!!!!!” I told her and quickly ran inside.

After taking a quick look to ensure my tormentors weren’t present, I grabbed several sets of shorts, T-shirt pajamas, pant versions, and even a footed onesie on clearance. I just eyeballed the sizes and hoped they were right. I rang them up and was out the door before the clerk realized who I was.

“Now I’m good!” I told them with a smile.

“Why can’t women shop like that all the time?” Giuseppe muttered.

I really wanted to stick my tongue out at him, but knowing my luck, someone would take a picture, and I’d be on the evening news for it!