A/N: WOOP WOOP CHAPTA SEVEEEN

My Red Princess Chapter 7

"Do you have any idea what you've done?!" Strawberry Quartz shouted as the carriage raced back to the Crystal Palace. "Oh, when we get back, you don't even know, the queen is going to be absolutely furious with you... you... you dyke!"

Sapphire winced and hid her face, horrified of what her mother was going to do to her when they got home.

"We cannot let the kingdom know! Sure, it's legal thanks to Rose, but the princess?! Oh, this is absolutely unacceptable!"

Strawberry Quartz suddenly gasped. "That's it!" She began to smile. "You're going to get married, whether you like it or not."

Sapphire had no time to ponder what she meant, as the carriage had slowed to a stop outside the castle. She was dragged in by the duchess.

"Did you find h- Oh!" Corundum started to speak, taken by shock as Strawberry Quartz threw Sapphire to the ground. "Duchess, what is the meaning of this?!"

"There is no Granite!" She said with absolute loath.

"I...Sapphire, is it true?!"

Sapphire was on her hands and knees, trembling.

"Why?" Corundum asked, hands over her heart.

"It was a cover-up. She fell in love with someone else at the ball!"

"Really?! Who is he?!"

The duchess smirked. "She!"

Corundum stared at Sapphire.

"Don't worry, I know someone she can marry. My son."

"That's a good idea, duchess, but there's somewhere she needs to make a return to: etiquette school."

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There was a knock on the door.

Pearl stopped dusting.

Amethyst almost burned herself on the crockpot.

Ruby dropped the dish she was holding and it shattered on the ground.

"Carnelian, would you go get that?" Green Tourmaline asked.

The orange gem walked over nervously to the door and opened it.

"Aunt Andesite, how great to-" Carnelian was cut off by a giant hug.

"Oh, look at you! You're so grown up! Pyrite! How glad I am to see you!"

"Hello, Andesite." Ruby's stepfather said.

"Oh, you don't have to be such a Meen Green Been, c'mere, lil bro!" She pulled him and Pyrite in for a bone-crushing hug. "Oh, this is such a nice break from my husband. Here's a piece of advice for you: never marry a doctor. Your Uncle Diorite sure does drive me crazy!"

"I really wish we could stay, but me and my father really need to get going. Right, Dad?" Pyrite lied like the weasel he is.

"Of course. Nice to see you, Andesite. I left a list of chores for the girls. Thank you for coming over to supervise them and Carnelian while I celebrate with Pyrite." Green Tourmaline looked out the window. "Our carriage has arrived. Goodbye." He said swiftly and exited, shutting the door with a slam.

It echoed in the foyer. Ruby and Amethyst were silent in the kitchen, looking at each other.

"Weeeeeell, Carnelian, are you up for a fun game of Jenga with your Aunt Andie?!"

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Ruby, Pearl, and Amethyst sat on Amethyst's bed, staring at the rickety ceiling fan, watching a single blade as it was spinning around in a circle. The air was broken.

The doorbell rang.

"Hey! You! Go get that!" Andesite shouted.

"I did it last time." Amethyst said. "Pearl?"

She shook her head and checked her tally sheet. "Ruby."

The gem groaned and walked downstairs to the door, opening it. "Sapphire?!"

The princess stood on the porch, holding a duffel bag and a pillow. She wiped under her bangs. Steven popped out. "We need a place to stay."

Ruby hugged her. "What's wrong?" She said gently, concerned.

"M-my mom...she knows...about me..." Sapphire sniffled. "The duchess told her...about you...Ruby, they're sending me back there...to etiquette school...I had to get out..."

"Oh, Sapphire." Ruby said.

"Who is it?" Andesite shouted.

"Crap, we need to hide you. Come on." Ruby grabbed Sapphire's hand and they went up the stairs and into Amethyst's room, Steven trailing behind.

"Uh, no one. Just a door-to-door salesman!" Ruby shouted and closed the door.

Sapphire set her stuff down on the floor.

They sat in an awkward silence until Amethyst had to leave and make dinner and call them down.

Andesite, Carnelian, Ruby, Amethyst, and Pearl ate the meal. Andesite was talking to Carnelian about the pigs on her farm.

"Anyway, I'd like to let you know the sleeping arrangements." Andesite piped. "I'll be sleeping in Pearl's room!"

"What? Why?" Pearl asked. "Green Tourmaline's room is bigger."

"Well, that's a boy's room! I don't know what I'd find in there!"

"Uh, okay." Pearl said.

After dinner, Amethyst stayed down to clean up while Ruby and Pearl went up to Pearl's room. Right as they were at the door, Pearl pulled the smaller gem aside. "We need to talk."

"What's up?"

"It's Amethyst! When we were at the ball, Jasper -before I knew she was Jasper- said something...mean to me and I kinda wanted Amethyst to fight her. But she just calmly led me away. That's why we were bickering when you took us out to go home. I see her get angry all the time and fight, but not for me. Even when we were eating dinner tonight, I kinda wante" Pearl looked down, blushing.

"Do you...like her?"

Pearl nodded sheepishly, then shook her head. "It's stupid, though. That hot-headed behavior only gets you in trouble."

Steven peeked his head out. "Oh, there you guys are!"

"Wassup." Amethyst said, coming up behind them.

The five sat on Amethyst's bed in a circle.

"I've come up with sleeping arrangements!" Steven said happily. "Sapphire, you'll be in...Ruby's room! Pearl will be in...Amethyst's room! And I'll be in...Amethyst's room also!"

Pearl cringed.

"I'm fine with that." Sapphire said calmly.

"Yeah, c'mon, P!" Amethyst said.

There was a knock on the door.

"Hide!" Ruby hissed.

Sapphire and Steven scrambled. Ruby, Pearl, and Amethyst had to act natural. Ruby did a paint-me-like-one-of-your-French-girls pose, Amethyst did a handstand, and Pearl pretended to be examining a lamp. Sapphire squeezed under the bed while Steven ran around, then settled behind the door hinges.

Andesite opened the door and stared at them. They all had plastic smiles on their faces while Steven was shaking with a constipated look on his face.

"It's bedtime!" She snapped, glaring at them.

Ruby nodded frantically. "Yes, ma'am!"

Andesite narrowed her eyes and closed the door, footsteps echoing as she got farther away.

Steven let out a huge sigh and collapsed on the floor and Sapphire wiggled out from under the bed with a pokerface.

Ruby exited as a lookout, eyes darting around the hallway and she made an all clear sign for Sapphire. The princess quietly emerged and they snuck over to the stairs.

"Andesite will be suspicious if she hears two pairs of footsteps, so get on my back." Ruby said and Sapphire complied. As Ruby gave her a piggyback up the stairs, Sapphire didn't even consider telling her she could just float.

Ruby and Sapphire changed into their pajamas and got into Ruby's bed. They were almost asleep when Ruby spoke up.

"Hey, um, Sapphire? Why...why do you put up with all the dumb shit your mom puts you through?"

"Well, she's my mom. I still love her."

"Love her?! All she's done is manipulate you!"

"Ruby, that's not all she's done. She raised me. She cares about me."

"But she-"

"Ruby." Sapphire said sternly. "Drop it."

Ruby rolled over, feeling like crap. She fell asleep on the thought.