"Your tea, My Lady", her butler called out as an attendant wheeled in a tray laden with a freshly made spread of cakes and scones.

"Thank you, Alistair", Akira said. "God knows I need it after this frustrating ordeal". She thanked the attendant who nodded and promptly left the room.

"It was quite peculiar - the contents of the will", he commented as he straightened an already straight cushion.

"Peculiar does not cover it, Alistair. It was simply ludicrous", she sighed as she sipped on her Earl Grey. "I knew the contents of the will, there was no such clause in it before!"

Alistair frowned, massaging his beard with his gloved fingers. "You are right, I do not remember there being such a condition. Furthermore, the Lord and Lady would have made an appointment through me if they changed the will but I had received no such order".

"Do you suspect any foul play of sorts?"

"As dubious as that clause might be, the Lord specifically chose that company and trusted them".

"That is true", she mused. "Have you met my grandparents before?"

"Very rarely in person. I have received numerous letters from your grandmother demanding for her son to return to their country home but as the Lord ignored them, fewer had arrived until one day, they finally stopped coming".

Akira sipped her tea again, the hot liquid soothing away her anxiety.

"I suppose I have to go then. If I don't, I would lose everything. I just don't understand why Father would threaten me with my inheritance and why my Mother would agree. But I suppose that is a question that will never be answered".

Sighing, she stared out the window. "Call in Sergio and Bilal please".

Alistair nodded and came back moments later with the two aforementioned members of her security team in tow. Taking the hint from her raised eyebrow, Alistair left, shutting the door behind him.

"Bilal, I understand that you worked as a detective for Scotland Yard prior to this".

"Yes, Miss, I did". Her father had been adamant about getting the best for his only daughter so her security detail consisted of the finest protection one would get. Bilal had been headhunted for his quick thinking skills after a chance meeting and was contacted frequently until finally, he had agreed to join. He was a tall, imposing man whose sharp wit had saved her more than once from sticky situations.

"And Sergio, I am already aware of your physical talents. I have a little... side job for both of you", she stated, assessing them carefully. "The contents of my parents' will was almost unchanged apart from one clause which stated that to become eligible for my inheritance, I had to stay with my paternal grandparents for a year. As far as I know, my father hated his mother. He would never include such a clause and not at the expense of my future. You will both be taking a temporary leave from my security detail to investigate this. Bilal, I need you to inspect this company and see if you can find any evidence of tampering and Sergio, you shall act as his backup. When you find something conclusive, you are to find me in my grandmother county home up North. Do not let anyone else know because for the will to change, it could only mean that someone close to me had a hand to play in it. Take my private card from Harrison for any expenses and you're welcome to stay in my Central residence".

"Yes, Miss", they replied in unison.

"Good, I am placing my trust in you". Akira sighed and massaged her temples. "You may leave now and prepare whatever you might need".

As they bid farewell at her dismissal and as they left, Akira stayed seated, feeling mildly shocked. This was a turn of events. For her inheritance to be removed, it meant she would lose this house, the staff, properties and all assets in her name. Whilst she wasn't dependent on their money, she didn't want to lose her parent's hard work and legacy. She didn't want to lose this house and all of its memories.

She stood and made her way to Harrison's office along the winding staircase, her hand trailing along the wooden carved bannister. She knocked as she entered the vintage-styled room and sat on a cushioned chair feeling ruffled.

He glanced up at her from his large pile of paperwork and frowned. "What is the matter, Miss? You seemed rather troubled?"

"The reading of the will, Harrison", she grumbled "The reading of the will".

"Well, what about it?" He asked, quizzically.

"The will has been changed", Akira said in frustration as she explained what had just happened.

"Dear me, I did not see this coming. That is quite strange. What will you do?"

"I will have to comply for now or else I shall lose everything! And what to tell the press?!"

"Well, the press conference is to start soon. Instead of telling the reporters it is a clause in the will, we can say that you want to spend time with your estranged grandparents in memory of your passed father", he said, his eyes gleaming as the gears in his head swiftly turned to find a solution.

"I see. That is a rather sly way to style it out. I really wish I do not have to go in the first place, however".

"There is little you can do now, Miss. Take it as a holiday and relax a little. I'll ask one of my attendants to research the social season and present to you a guide on what to expect. Your grandmother is part of the old nobility and they tend to look down on others very easily so you must be well prepared".

She sighed. "Yes, I understand. I will leave within this week most likely as the time for me to reach my grandmother's house is a week as said in that frustrating clause. They really do not want to give me time to settle after my parent's passing at all".

"I'll arrange for your clothes to be packed and prepared. Is there anything specifically you require of me?"

"No, that was all. I shall take my leave now as I feel the headache blossoming under my temples. Oh, do send a message confirming my arrival to my grandmother's residence".

"You would have to use the seal", Harrison said, a crease on his brow. A tense silence followed as Akira stared down at him numbly.

"I wish you did not have to, but you must. You will be criticised for everything you do and the head must seal the letter. That position falls upon your shoulders now".

"Yes, I understand", she said with a tight smile. "Don't mind me. I'll seal the letter tomorrow. Send it to my father's office by noon".

The seal was on three items, a ring, a stamp and a necklace. All were heirlooms that her father had inherited when his parents were retiring from high society and he was training to become head of the house. When her father had left, eloping with her mother, he took those items with him to make a statement. Her grandmother surely must be sore about that. She had never seen the ring or the necklace, but she knew where the stamp was. It was in her father's office, kept in a locked draw that she had the key for. She frowned. She would have to locate the other two seals as soon as possible.

Akira stood and bid farewell as she left, heading towards her floor of the house. Her whole childhood revolved around this one place and fond memories clung to her every time she passed something achingly familiar.

I wish I spent more time with them. I wish I hadn't wasted so much time.

When she became of the legal age, she moved out. It was nice to live with her parents but she wanted to live without the constant attention and the paparazzi constantly trying to capture moments. She wanted to cross the street without being bombarded and crowded. To the unaware average citizen, she looked like an average 'rich child' walking through the streets. Not the heir of the Astley fortune.

Her parents had argued, saying that eighteen was far too young but she was determined to be freed of public scrutiny and live her life free of any consequences.

And now, all she felt was regret. The accident wasn't her fault, but there were so many opportunities that had been wasted. Her parents were perfect in her eyes despite the few irregular arguments they had.

She paused outside the door to her room, hesitating in anxiety. The handle was cooling to her skin, the shiny metal reflecting her worried face. Twisting, she pushed the door open and stepped in. It was like stepping into her memories. Her room had always been extravagant, with the best of the best. A plush carpet lay beneath her feet, every step sending her sinking into the ground. The drapes were pulled back to reveal a large plane of glass overlooking her favourite side of the east garden.

Her bed lay made but untouched against the wall. Despite the changing bedsheets and duvet, the frame remained the same; a finished gleaming oak that used to loom over her as a child. When she was younger, she had to use a footstool to climb onto the bed and her father often joked that if she rolled over, she might fall all night before she hit the floor.

Akira sat down on the bed and stroked the hand sewn pattern. Everything here was chosen by her mother. From the impressive glass chandelier to the Persian rug next to a large unlit fireplace, there was love and care in every decision. Her mother was one to hire an interior designer as she had done for the rest of the house, but for Akira, she had made the effort to give her daughter a room that radiated love.

This estate was not replaceable. Nothing came close to the sentimental value it held or how hard her parents worked for it without the support of her father's parents who had disowned him. The very same people she would have to live with for a year.

She would have to do it. Unless foul play was discovered, she would have to fulfil this clause to keep her inheritance. Taking out her phone, she sent a message to Inayah.

"Tea, tomorrow? I have some rather urgent news." - Akira.

Almost immediately, she received a reply confirming that Inayah would come and would pick her up at twelve.

"Shouldn't you be having a date with your fiance?" - Akira.

"I am but he has disappeared into Harrods. I have a sneaking suspicion that he will do something embarrassing and buy me that large Harrods bear. Ooh, I should ask him to get you one too!" - Inayah.

"No! Don't be silly!" - Akira.

"Too late. He sent a laughing emoji and said yes boss" - Inayah.

"You really do bully your fiance" - Akira.

"Only for you ;) He's coming now with two massive teddy bears. They look bigger than him! I'll see you tomorrow and we can spend the day being useless with our new bears :)" - Inayah.

A little smile wormed its way across her face as she placed her phone to her side at her best friend's antics. Inayah always found a way to cheer her up. Maybe she should stay here in this house until she left to meet her grandmother rather than staying in her flat. Treasure what she could with the people she loved and the house that she grew up in before she left.

There was so much unexpected planning to be done. It almost gave her a headache thinking about it. She would have to work on her business remotely and attend meetings digitally. Worst of all, she wouldn't be able to meet Inayah for a while because her grandmother's home was too far away.

She sighed as she thought of her grandmother. There were no good memories associated with her. None. Once, she overheard her father consoling her mother after a nasty call. Her grandmother apparently never liked her mother for not being English and would often call demanding her son back whilst demeaning her mother.

"She probably wouldn't like me either", Akira mused. "After all, I am only half English". Akira laughed out loud at that thought. She had inherited her mother's features from the hair to browned complexion of her skin. But she inherited her father's eyes. An emerald green, an eye colour that was prevalent in her father's side of the family. The Astley colour he had called it. Paired with her mother's almond-shaped eyes, it had drawn many looks when she was younger.

The notification sound rang out, drawing her attention to the phone. It was her press representative, alerting her that the conference was over and the public reaction was very positive and supportive. She straightened her back, intrigued. What was said to make everyone so supportive?

Clicking on a video of the conference, she realised why. Her press representative was certainly good at her job. An emotional tragic backstory was presented and the public was told that Akira wanted to reach out to meet the grandparents she had never met due to her fathers passing. Tweets were posted with strangers praising her for being so selfless and kind, considerate and sweet. She was almost being revered like a saint of sorts and there were hardly any negative comments. People hailed her as brave and painted a picture of a poor girl, too heartbroken to attend the conference.

A twisted smirk crossed her face. People were all too eager to adore and worship someone. When she was younger, she enjoyed the fame but now, it was all a farce. She wasn't a saint. Or a sweetheart. She was just as boring as any other girl. But the brand on her clothes to the price tag on her fortune made her seem elusive and desirable, an object of attention.

Akira slipped out of her clothes and into her silk pyjamas, the cool material making her shiver. Noting with nostalgia how the bed seemed so small now, she pulled the thick covers over her body and stared at the details in the ceiling. She felt empty - like there were no more tears left to cry. Taking her parents death, she boxed it and placed it in the corner of her mind. She wasn't going to think about it. If she did, she was sure to be overwhelmed with regret and wracked with guilt.

She cleared her mind and closed her eyes. Today's problems could be left for tomorrow.

I enjoyed writing this very much :)

What are your thoughts so far?

And the question for today:

Who is your favourite princess (fiction or non-fiction)?

Hope you enjoyed it :)

Xx