Day 5 - Dinner at the royal palaceAs the fifth day dawned, Maya woke up after a well slept night. She stretched and yawned, looking out of the bedroom window. It was still quite early in the morning; but the summer sun was bright and warm. Living as a princess truly had its advantages!
Feels like I'm taking advantage of the royal couple's situation... I'm a princess now, right? So I don't need to worry 'bout it so much, do I?
It appeared Maya was not the only one already up and awake. As she entered the dining hall, she saw Gwendolen waiting for her plateful of scrambled eggs to cool off. Though Gwyneth had said Gwendolen had already forgave her, Maya was a bit hesitant to sit beside Gwendolen. The two girls sat in silence, both glancing at each other, not knowing what to say. It was Maya who broke the tension by telling a funny story.
"...and then this huge hippo crashed on the dinosaur!"
Maya was a bit surprised to see Gwendolen giggling. She stared at her, wide-eyed.
Gwendolen winced, "What is it?"
Maya shook her head. "It's nothing. Nice t' see ya smilin' for a bit!"
For a moment, Gwendolen became her old self - Maya just giggled, which made her companion even more frustrated.
Gwendolen had to admit to herself that she enjoyed Maya's presence.
At times. Some days. Definitely not always.Slowly, the two began to get to know each other. What had first seemed to be the first feud of the household had now turned to something heartwarmigly affable.
By the time the other candidates found their way to the dining hall, Maya and Gwendolen had already made friends. Gwendolen was full on a roll, telling a dramatic story to the girls sitting near her. Maya and Ariana exchanged amused looks. The Sheridan sisters surely were suprisingly bubbly when they dropped their facades.
"It was a big 'ka-pow' and a loud 'screeeeech'! The limousine driver put the break on just in time before it crashed into the bus! The passengers in both cars were shocked but unscathed!"
Aftre everyone had finished breakfast, Tabatha raised her hand up, looking unusually serious. Everyone turned from Gwendolen to her. The Queen must have contacted them! And they were right.
"Ahem, fellow candidates! Thank you for your attention!"
"You sure seem to like it", Ariana cut in. Tabatha scowled at her, failing to look irritated.
"As I was about to say - "
" - the Queen has sent us a letter?!"
Tabatha took a deep breath before she continued.
"In the letter it says that today - "
Everyone looked at each other, excited. This could only mean one thing!
"
Eeeeek! The prince's comin' over!"
"What shall I wear?!"
"I need to check my makeup!"
"I'm not too sure about this, everyone..."
"WILL YOU SHUT UP!!!"
Silence.
"Thank you!"
Tabatha read the letter to everyone,
"
Dear ladies,
Thank you for the lovely party! I must say I really enjoyed it. Let me add that the dishes offered suited my taste.
I have a request for you. My son is avidly waiting to see you; please prepare for this special occasion! My request is as follows, practice this poem very dear for the prince himself. You will be reciting it to him personally. Please be thorough in your practice. This is the very first time my beloved son will be seeing you. The limousine will arrive at 7 o'clock PM. Please be prepared!
Yours sincerely,
Queen Gabrielle IV of Simland."
Tabatha put the letter back in the envelope to notice that inside it there was a note written in the Queen's ornate handwriting. "For Lady Maya A., it says in this note", Tabatha said blankly and offered the note to Maya who looked surprised. Hastily Maya opened the note. Everyone's eyes were locked on her.
Dear Miss Maya,
I have a special proposal to you. Would you like to have a little flower garden? I am waiting for your response tonight.
Yours,
Queen Gabrielle IV of SimlandGwendolen groaned. "Why did I not receive a note?"
Emilie missed all of this commotion, as she had retired to her bedroom to read a book ("How To Not Tell Lame Jokes", written by Guy Gaggings).
~*~
Later on that day, the princesses gathered in the livingroom. The butler had dragged six elegant mirrors there, one for each princess. They were to practice reciting the poem in front of the mirrors. They all agreed to start practicing right then. Maya felt excitement rise inside her.
"Gaily bedight, / a gallant night, oh what a sight... No, no, I've got it all wrong!"
Maya could hardly concentrate on the poem; she was giggling at her silly mistakes. She used her arms and expressions well, nearly smacked the others beside her. When she got to the last line of the poem ("If you seek for Eldorado!"), she read it with a grandiloquent tone. In her opinion, she sounded like an old man trying to share his wisdom with some uncultured youngsters.
Though she seemed to just be fooling around, inside she was determined to outdo all the other candidates - by the means of comedy. The poem was just too funny in its archaicness.
I just hafta roll my eyes at this part, 'kay? I'm sure the princey will laugh his butt off! Gotta be myself in any situation, as ol' good Grandma says!
"Over the Mountains / of the Moon, / down the Valley of the Shadow, / ride, boldly ride... ride... what was it again...? Ah, so it is... The Shadow replied..."
Ariana put all of her might to reciting the stanzas. She took a sublime stance and looked at her audience - the mirror - straight. She barely moved around, just carefully shifted her gaze from one of her invisible listeners to another. She had a hard time remembering the lines, but else her performance was graceful. She made a mental note to not fidget so much in front of the prince, and fill the gaps in with quiet sighs and oh's.
"And, as his strenght / failed him at length, / he met a pilgrim shadow..."
Gwyneth looked surprisingly charismatic and self-confident when immersing in her practice. The only thing she heard was the poem flowing out of her mouth; and the only thing she saw was her reflection in the mirror. Gwyneth moved around, relaxed, as if in her own element. She used her palms and eyebrows to draw attention, and to emphasize certain lines in the poem. Any of the girls had never seen Gwyneth so content. The thought of the prince's cold eyes lit a flame in Gwyneth's heart. She would give this her everything!
"Shadow," said he, / 'Where can it be— / This land of Eldorado?' "
Tabatha looked like a stiff, long-bearded old politician. She took the stance of the Statue of Liberty. She closed her eyes, felt the words line up in her mind, and finally she let them out. Her voice was monotonous and gallant. She recited the poem as if a priest performing a sacred ritual. She was usually so bubbly -
Now it is time for me to finally calm down and get serious! I will so impress the Queen - not to speak of the prince!
"Had journeyed long, / singing a song, / in search of Eldorado."
Emilie was in her element. She was so in the world of the poem she didn't see anything else. She imagined herself as the persona of the poem; she would bend down as if she was tired, and whisper eeriely as the Shadow. Emilie was a bookworm after all. She was determined to be able to recite the poem perfectly, yes, but most of all, she wanted to honor the author with her performance. In the very end, poetry was art, and art was close to Emilie's heart.
"But he grew old— / This knight so bold— / And o'er his heart a shadow... Man, what is this text about?"
Gwendolen almost lost it. She had no idea what the poem wa about; the language was archaic, and she had never been a fan of literature. Visual arts, oh yes, but not literature. It took her a lot of effort not to burst out cursing. She had to maintain her cool character, else she would lose her face. Everyone else seemed to be enjoying themselves except her.
Oh Carl almighty, I should probably have been listening in literature lessons... Man, the prince is all mine! So she hid her frustration and managed to keep it cool.
Surprisingly, the last ones standing were Maya and Emilie. Everyone else had either given up or satisfied with their performance. Maya was full on roll, she was self-assured and happy as always. Instead, Emilie was exhausted. She trailed off in her thoughts, her head dropped occasionally, and her eyes were fluttering shut.
After and hour or so, she finally gave up. A glance to the still energetic Maya was enough.
When Maya saw Emilie leaving, she considered herself as the winner. Granted, this did not mean she would be the one to occupy the prince's interest, but at least she could say she had stayed up practicing the longest. A glance to the clock told her it was nearly the time for the limo's arrival. She had half an hour to get ready -
Her thoughts were interrupted with a loud honk from outside.
It is not even 7 PM! What's the driver thinkin'? I'll be busted if I look like this! Nevertheless, she had to make a run for it. So had everyone else. The girls packed in the limo, and after some ten minutes, they hopped off to find themselves standing in front of the royal palace.
~*~
Maya was flaming with excitement. She had been here twice before, and both times she had been so excited she could have collapsed!
Ba-thump. Ba-thump. This time it's different! The prince will be there! Curse it, am I looking alright? Maya had gladly forgotten about her first encounter with the prince. Maybe it was for the better. Else she would have been unnerved to the point that her legs would have melted.
The tension broke when the princesses heard the main door clank open. Ariana went rigid. She looked fiercely at poor Gwendolen, who was an image of astonishment.
"Gwendolen! I hereby declare you as my worst enemy in this competition! You will see that I am the one who shines this night!"
Gwendolen was about to shoot back, but Tabatha cut in, a bit tense, planting a firm hand on Ariana's shoulder.
"Now, now, girls! Remember that nobody of us hasn't seen the prince yet! So we are all equal. Let's just enjoy this rare occurrence!"
Maya was about to remind that she had already seen the handsome, but knew better to just keep quiet about it.
Nobody noticed Gwyneth looking depressed.
"Nobody of us has not yet seen the prince?" Are you joking? Oh, how I wish that was true...
Everyone was alarmed as they heard the Queen giggling. She was standing by the stairs that led to the entrance hall.
"Oh my, you must be excited! I apologise for the short notice. There is a reason behind it. But why don't we go in and find it out? Be welcome, dear bride candidates!"
Only a wave of her palm was needed, and everyone obediently followed her.
The group of prosperous ladies gathered around a long table in the dining hall. The prince was already seated, looking sullen as ever. Her mother tried to imply that he should brighten up, but he did not take the clue. Soon, excited chatter echoed in the hall. Everyone tried to make a last moment's check on their makeup. Maya was glad to notice that she hadn't been the only one caught by surprise: Tabatha was wearing her sportswear. She didn't seem to mind the fact, though.
Steel nerves. I have steel nerves. Maya's concentration chant was soon interrupted by the queen clapping her hands.
"Fine, fine, dear ladies! I have a few words to say. First off, let me introduce you my beloved son, prince Claudio! He has been looking forward to seeing you all. Claudio dear, why don't you stand up and say a word?"
The crown prince stood up for a second, glanced at the girls quickly, nodded and sat down again. The queen hid her amusement and continued:
"I am very sorry to let you know that all of your practice was in vain. Unfortunately, the auditorium of the royal palace was damaged this afternoon when one of the chandeliers crashed down for a reason unknown. Thereby I will compensate for your hard work by offering you a delicious dinner and giving you a chance to get to know my son. This is all. Let us begin with the main event, the dinner itself! Waiters, may I have you notify the kitchen staff that the dinner is to start now?"
As the waiters left, everyone wound down to chat with the people sitting near them.
The motherly Emilie told everyone to mind their manners; they were in the presence of two members of the royal family! Soon after that, Emilie shifted to her dreamy thoughts about the prince and his golden hair. A glance at the prince made her heart beat fast. She tried her best to draw as little attention as possible.
Ariana was extremely worried that she was sat beside the prince. She had decided to go for it, but now all of her self-confidence had disappeared. She turned to Tabatha for help.
"I - um - eh - what am I going to do now?"
"Just go for it, girl! Didn't you say that you will be the one shining tonight?"
"Yeah, I did, but - "
"There is no place for buts. Shine, or else someone else will!"
Ariana muttered a thank you, composed herself and turned to the prince.
"Your Highness, may I present myself to you - I am Ariana Fitzgerald, daughter of Sinead and..."
Unfortunately, the prince seemed to be immersed in a conversation with his mother. Ariana dropped her head. She couldn't force herself to draw the prince's attention if she was wavering inside. Tabatha noticed her friend's distress and came to her comfort.
"Now, Ariana, you did your best! It's not your fault his Highness is... well, I better not say... But better luck next time, yeah?"
Ariana sniffed. "Yeah. Better luck next time."
In the other end of the table, discussion was bubbling. Emilie, Gwendolen and Maya were exchanging thoughts about the prince's looks. Gwendolen was enjoying herself.
"I noticed you were dreamily staring at the prince, Emilie, no kidding! Isn't he a hunk?"
Emilie was stunned to hear Gwnedolen use such an unrefined word. Maya's presence was truly a blessing for them all.
"He is quite handsome, yeah", said Maya, and Emilie was stunned again. Maybe Gwendolen's presence did some good for them, too.
Maya was finally able to relax in the presence of royalty. She paid little attention to what was going on in the prince's end of the table...
The prince was looking like the night was trying his patience. Gwyneth, who was sat opposite him, tried to avoid eyecontact with him. Occasionally, their gazes would meet, lock in each other for a few seconds, and then quickly part again. The queen tried to stir up a conversation between the two, all in vain. If someone had glanced at them, they would have pondered if there was something going on between Gwyneth and prince Claudio.
With a butler standing right behind her, Gwyneth was ready to burst into tears.
This is no good. I can't face him. He must hate me for what happened back then...
As of the prince, he seemed to now be interested in what was going on in the other end of the table. He shyly glanced at the girls sitting there, seeming to be less uptight than before. Maybe he was finally becoming interested of his fate.
The night went on without bigger commotion. Everyone enjoyed themselves, got to know each other, and by the command of the queen, finally got to present themselves to the prince. Claudio looked overwhelmed by the number of girls giggling nervously around him. He became even more shy, finally dropping his facade, which the girls noticed with blushing cheeks.
As the night came to its end, queen Gabrielle stood up.
"Dear bride candidates, dear son! I have really been enjoying your company! I am glad to see that you ladies get along well. I strongly suggest you would keep it like that. Now it is time for us to end this feast. Thank you, everyone, for gathering here. I will now let you ladies return to your residence and enjoy the upcoming weekend!"
Gabrielle IV escorted them to the limousine. Before Maya hopped in, she called her by name.
"Maya dear, what do you think of the flower garden? Would it not be a wonderful addition to the mansion's garden?"
Maya was perplexed. "If you don't mind me asking, your Highness, why me? Why not... Emilie, for example? She's all good with stuff like this..."
The queen just smiled warmly at her discomfort.
"I know your grandmother. She is a really gifted gardener. That is why", she said.
Suddenly Maya felt all dizzy. She had never heard any of this. How could a
queen have know her Grandma? Her old Grandma had raised her in the countryside... And she had suddenly got this letter telling her to travel to Willow Creek, and Grandma had almost forced her to leave... Now she was here, and a
queen was telling her was acquainted with Grandma... Nothing made sense anymore.
As Maya finally got back to the mansion, she was depressed. She had accepted to create a little flower garden. After that, everything went blurry. To be so suddenly reminded of one's past was dissipating, especially if one knew nothing about it.
The gentle night washed all of Maya's worries away. There were a lot of fun days to come, a lot to discover. Her life had just begun.
Points gained:+300 points for reaching level 4 in Charisma
Total gain:1200 points
1 schemer point
Author's Notes:I'm especially proud of this chapter! It builds the story for the chapters to come!
The poem in question is
Eldorado by Edgar Allan Poe. Only found it today, it's a really good poem! #poemcritic
xxx Sparrow
