Here is the next chapter.

I wake up to the sun streaming into my room from the vast window overlooking the royal gardens. I slide to the edge of my bed and stand up. I go over to my window and look out to the gardens.

The sunlight makes the dew on everything shine in the mornings. I couldn't have a better view in the castle. I check the time on the majestic looking grandfather clock in my room. It is seven in the morning.

Many people expect princesses to sleep in and be late to everything, but they couldn't be more wrong. My family and I are always up around seven every morning. There is always a lot of work to be done around the palace. I love to sketch the garden in the morning.My mother likes to help out in the kitchen. She has always been an amazing cook. My father is always off working with his advisors.

I grab my sketchbook and pencils and head out to the garden.
I try to find a new angle for my sketch this morning because I am always doing the same angle. After ten minutes of searching for the best spot, I find a beautiful place under the shade of a tall maple tree. I set up my supplies and start sketching.

As I go to pick up another colored pencil, I hear a voice behind me.

"Isn't it a bit early for a princess like yourself to be outside?"

I turn around to see Sean Black standing a few feet behind me.

"What do you want Sean? I'm busy."

"I just wanted to wish you a happy birthday, and wish you luck on your ranking."

"I don't need luck, and if I did I don't want it from you. Why don't you crawl back to the hole you came from."

"Oh, feisty, I like it. I am still here if you ever want to go on a date."

"Need I remind you that I am the princess and I can ruin your life, so leave me alone Sean."

"Okay, okay, no need to be mean."

Sean rolls his eyes and walks away.

I sigh and get back to drawing the garden.

It is almost eight when I get back inside. I decide it is time to get dressed and check my birthday schedule for today.

I go to my closet to pick my clothes for today.

I decide on a simple green knee length dress with lace at the bottom. It looks nice with my fiery red hair. I then find a pair of small heels that go with the dress.

Next, I go over to my vanity and I do my makeup. I keep it as simple as possible. I also put on my royalty symbol. It is a necklace with a simple crown on it. When I am finished, I grab my brush and run it through my hair.

I keep my hair down today.

When I am done getting ready, I check my schedule.

My schedule today is:

9:00-10:00 Breakfast

10:00-11:00 Online class

11:00-12:00 Lunch

12:00-2:00 Dance class

2:00-4:00 Shadowing

4:00-5:00 Online class

5:00-7:00 Family time

7:00-7:30 Ranking

7:30-10:00 Aletta news

10:00 Bed

Today I get to shadow my father while he works. I check the time. It is 8:45, so I head down to breakfast with my parents.

When I get to the formal dining room, I see the maids setting the table. I am settled at the table when I see my parents walk in.

"Good morning, Mom, Dad," I say

"Good morning Isabella. Happy birthday," my mom says.

"Thank you Mother."

After that, we all eat in silence. When I finish, I excuse myself so I can start my online classes.

I get to my room and turn on my holoprojector. I only have two classes with work today. I decide to do music this morning.

I spend the hour looking through music theory and different famous composers.

After I finish classes, I go to lunch.

I eat lunch in my room because then I can sketch while I eat.

I finish eating quickly, and I start coloring my sketch.

After I finish my sketch, I change into my dance clothes, and I go down to the studio.

My Ballet instructor is already in the studio.

I put on my pointe shoes and go over to the barre.

I start with treads to warm up my feet, so I don't hurt myself when I do work in center. I then start with my normal barre exercises.

I do pliés, tendus, degages, round de jambs, developpes, and battements.

After I finish everything at the barre, I go out to center to work on turns.

I start by balancing. Then I do quarter and half turns. After that, I do full pirouettes and double pirouettes.

To finish off I do some allegro.

When I am done, I take off my pointe shoes. My feet are killing me. If you think pointe is easy and painless you are so wrong. I am so happy to finally take my shoes off.

Next I get to shadow my father as he works, so I go up to find him.

I find him in his study working on something for the Aletta military.

He knows I shadow him today, so I just grab a chair and sit behind him without saying anything.

I follow him as he goes to his next meeting to talk about the country, and I sit there for an hour and a half before I go to finish my other online class.

I turn on my holoprojector to do my art class. Today I have to draw something and send it in. I decided to redraw one of my pictures from this morning.

I sketch out the flowers first, then I draw the clouds. I get bored of drawing in the same style, so I decide to change things up and make my drawing a cartoon. It takes a little while to change everything, but when I finish, I am proud of it. I take a picture of my drawing and send it in.

I sigh exhausted from everything I did today. I lie down on my bed for ten minutes before I get up to change into an evening gown for dinner.

I pick a bright red dress with red heels. I put my hair up in an elegant braided bun. I slide some jewel hair pins into my hair as well. I go to my vanity and redo my makeup to look a little fancier for tonight. I go down to the dining room, and when I get there, I see my parents already at the table. I go over and sit with them.

"Happy 16th birthday Isabella," my father says.

"Thank you father."

"Isabella, your father and I got you something for your birthday."

My mother hands me a small box that is delicately wrapped with a small bow on top. I carefully open the box, and inside is a beautiful necklace. It has a small dogwood branch in the middle of the chain. Hanging off the branch is a dogwood flower with a purple gemstone in the middle of it.

"Mother, I don't know what to say. It's beautiful. Thank you so much. I love it."

I have tears streaming down my face.

"Let me help you with that," my father says, taking the necklace from my hand and putting it around my neck.

"Thank you Father."

I touch my hand to my neck where the necklace lays.

The servants hand us our plates filled with food, and I immediately start eating.

After we finish, we all go to the palace's movie theatre.

My parents put on my favorite movie. We watch the movie for an hour before a servant comes up to me with a tray in her hands. There is a letter sitting on the tray. My ranking letter is sitting on the tray.

I take the letter off the tray and thank the young servant.

"What does it say, Isabella?" My mother asks.

I open the letter and read it aloud.

"Dear Miss Lynch,

Happy 16th birthday. We have looked at all of your work, and we have taken what you are good at into account for your ranking. We are glad to inform you that you have been placed in the musician rank. On Friday two officials will come to collect you for your new life. You will be trained in the musician province with the other new musicians. You are the first royal to ever be put in a rank other than their own. Congratulations on your ranking.

Sincerely,
The Government of Aletta."

I look up at my parents with tears in my eyes.

"I'm not a royal anymore."

My mother comes over and hugs me.

"Sweetheart, everything will be okay. I know you will be an amazing musician."

I am in shock. My mother never calls me by anything but my real name.

"Thank you Mom."

I hug her back, and she holds me as I cry. I am not upset because I am not a royal anymore. I am upset because I have to leave my parents. Even though our relationship seems stiff, they are the best parents I could ever ask for.

My father eventually, reluctantly, comes up and hugs me and my mother too. My parents hold me while I cry, and I just take in what will be one of our final moments together as a family. I stop crying after an hour, and my father carries me to bed with my mother following behind.

My father brings me to my room and lays me down on the bed. He goes to leave, but I grab his hand.

"Can you please tell me a story like you did when I was younger?"

"Of course sweetheart. What story would you like me to tell?"

"The one about the princess who eats the poisoned apple."

I hate how childish I sound, but I just need comfort from my father.

"Once upon a time, in a far away land there was a princess named Snow White. She lived with her evil step-mother. Her step-mother made her do all the cleaning and all the work because she was jealous of Snow White. Snow White was the fairest of them all and the Evil Queen didn't like that, so one day she sent a huntsman after Snow White to kill her, but the huntsman spared her life and told Snow White to run as far as possible. Snow White ran and ran until she came across a small house in the middle of the woods. The house was owned by seven dwarves who worked in a mine nearby. The dwarves let her stay after hearing her story, until one day when the Evil Queen came by disguised as an old woman. The Evil Queen offered Snow White an apple, and not wanting to hurt the old woman's feelings Snow White took the apple and took a bite. The poison from the apple put her under a sleeping curse until one day when her true love Prince Charming came by. He opened her glass coffin and kissed her. The kiss saved her. Prince Charming went off and defeated the Evil Queen and they lived happily ever after."

By the time my father finished the story I was almost asleep. I feel my father kiss me on my head. I hear him leave my room. After he leaves, I fall asleep instantly. My troubles no longer plaguing my mind.

I hope you guys like it. I am hoping to get the next two up by Tuesday, so I can enter this in an awards I found.

Sincerely,
Asya Esenia Romanova-Barnes