Riveria's POV

I slowly blink my eyes as Marcus, our butler gently rang the special bell meant to wake me from my slumber.

Once he realized that I had woken up he tenderly placed the small golden, shiny and expensive looking bell on the royal purple velvet plush cushion with gold embroidery.

I sat up and leaned on the soft headboard and said groggily with a small smile, "Good Morning, Mr. Dube."

"How many times have I told you, Princess Riveria, that you must call me Marcus, after all I am your butler.", he said feigning a reprimanding tone while releasing a small chuckle at the end.

I just smile in reciprocation.

"Well, it's about time for you to freshen up and get ready for breakfast you know your father is a stickler for punctuality. Oh, and happy birthday Princess Riveria."

With that being said I got out of bed as Marcus left the room with the cushion and golden bell in hand. He gently closed my mahogany double doors and left me alone with my thoughts and my recent horrific realization...

I walk slowly to walk the ensuite bathroom that has a modern touch and feel, fit for royalty if I do say so myself.

I stripped out of my black silk personalized pajamas and entered the shower.  

Today is my birthday, the day I have been dreading since I was 15 and was notified that I would have to marry, through an arranged marriage like every other Princess before me. I know it's stupid to try and stop decades of the use of this Royal Law, especially since my parents failed in numerous occasions, but ever since then I've a been praying to God that he stops this harrowing tradition, but the day has come, and fate has caught up with me...

I stay longer than necessary in the shower, just to gather my thoughts and feel the hot drops of water hit my pale skin, it's therapeutic to me.

........

Once all my business in the bathroom is complete, I dress up in a white and red rose themed sundress and pretty angel white sandals. I put my hair in a ponytail and check myself in the floor length mirror.

I then make my way out of my prodigious quarters and make haste to the Dining hall, where we all meet every day, there's actually two places where meet to eat, one for breakfast and the other for dinner. We don't get together for lunch though because we are usually all busy with our duties or at school.

I walk on and pass a few maids as they bow their heads in respect and I nod and smile in acknowledgement. On my way I meet with Maria, she is my maid-in-waiting and she has been my friend since forever, but I consider her a mother figure in my life.

I smile at her, and she just grins and embraces my in a warm hug.

"Look at you, you look so grown up and mature.", she said in the brink of tears.

"I'm still the same old me from yesterday, Maria."

"Of course not, you are 18 now, a young adult, not a teenager. Well enough of that you must go right away to the Dining hall, your family is waiting." she said as she gently pushed me in the direction of my destination.

I continued walking the corridors of the Royal Castle of Crystilion until I reach the Mahogany double doors with gold hinges and handles. I stop and take a moment to gather my thought and compose myself. I take in a deep breath and open the door and walk into the hall.

I quickly scan the room and observe that everyone is seated in their usual places.
My father, Alexander, at the head of the table directly facing me, my mother, Katherine, on his right and Nakia, my dear younger sister next to her. My older brother Victor is on my father's left and Jonathan, my younger brother, is next to Victor.

I take my seat next to Nakia and then I greet everyone in the room good morning, and everyone greets back with a good morning as well.

Father then snaps his fingers twice and the maids enter the room with food in their hands and I cannot help but smell the magnificent aroma waft in with them into my eager nostrils. It makes me want to slouch in my chair and drool, but I fight the urge and maintain my composure.

Food is finally placed in front of everyone and then I notice just how hungry I am as well as we wait for my father, the king, to give us permission to eat. He first dismisses the maids waiting behind our chairs and waits until the last leaves the room.

He stays still and scans the room until his eyes meet mine and he opens his mouth to speak, "Riveria I know I don't say this to you as often I as ought to but, I am proud of you, and you have grown to be a fine young lady. I hope you continue to make me proud, to make us proud." he said with the first genuine smile I have seen to grace his lips in years.

I looked down at my lap, then looked up, smiled at him and said, "I am happy and honored to be a source of your pride father."

Right then I saw a multitude of emotions swirl in his eye, happiness, pride... And regret?

As quickly as the emotions were released, they were sealed, and I saw no emotion when looking into father's beautiful blue orbs.

He then subtly nodded in approval to everyone's requests and granted us our long-awaited permission to dig in.

We silently ate our breakfast as Victor and father occasionally spoke to each other about what I, only assume, are  matters of the Kingdom's well-being. Mother at times would give an idea or suggestion.

Jonathan and Nakia would just glare at each other for God knows what. I just sat there alone with my ravenous thoughts of my near future unable to come to terms of the fact that I would have to eventually marry someone I most probably don't know and will have to spend the rest of my life with.

"Yeah, Kia, come with me to school today. I will tell your driver and mine that they are relieved, I am going to drive you to school today." I whispered to her while distracting her from her and Jonathan's glare down.

"Okay, yeah, sure. Is Jona coming too?" she asked, "And I must not be late because of you." she said jokingly but don't be fooled because she is dead serious.

"No, Jona won't be coming with us and yeah, sure you won't be late, you know I know how to keep time." I looked at her with a bored expression.

She just gave a tight-lipped smile, and I definitely didn't miss the condescending eye roll she was trying to hide. All I did was scoff discreetly so only she could hear.

Well, this is our relationship, we are playful. I like to be honest because at the end of the day she does have a certain appropriate level of respect for me, and I for her. We just love each other to death.

That's actually how my relationship with Jona is too but a little less respect on his side.

.....

"Nakia, hurry up! We are going to be late. What are even doing anyway, you said you were just going to get your school bags." I shouted and I looked at my watch angrily.

I opened her door and saw her busy rummaging around her room obviously looking for something.

My facial expression softened, and I gently asked her what she's looking for.

She sat down on her bed quietly and had a somber expression. I sat down next to her and faced my body toward her and placed my hand gingerly on her back and rubbed it slowly in a circular motion to soothe her. I patiently waited for her to speak.

"I - I - I went up here to get my bag and then I realised that I wasn't wearing my heart shaped locket, the one Vic gave me on my birthday. So, I went up to look for it, but I don't remember where I put it and I looked everywhere." she told me exasperated as her beautiful brown eyes got glassy due to the incoming traffic of tears.

I quickly embraced her and whispered words of comfort and continued to rub her back.

"Do you trust me?" I asked her softly as I looked down on her.

She sniffled and answered, "Yes."

"Then I promise you I will find it.", I told her reassuringly.

"Okay!", she said a little cheerfully as she jumped out of her bed and out of my embrace. I folded my arms and silently observed her as she eagerly picked up her school bag.

I stood up and walked to the door, "Meet me at the car, okay?", and I left the room and went downstairs and finally went down to the garage and took a small black sleek BMW.

I drove the car out of the garage and saw her run out of the door towards the car.

"Finally, I thought you died on your way.", I mumbled with a chuckle.

"You would have loved that wouldn't you.", she asked sarcastically.

I released and airy laugh and told her to strap in. I pushed on the acceleration and next thing I know the Castle is nothing but a small building visible in the rear-view mirror.

"So is Mrs. Meyer still a 'prick'?" I said with a laugh referring to her apparently bully of a mathematics teacher.

"Yeah, I don't know why but I think she just hates me." she said with a face of disgust as she stuck his tongue out.

I glanced at her and looked back at the road ahead,

"I don't think she hates you... I had a teacher like Mrs. Meyer. I then realised that he cared for me, he was just hard on me because he could see my potential and that I could do way better than what I was achieving at that time."

I glanced at Nakia again and saw her looking at me expectantly and smiled, "So after then I appreciated him more in my life and worked harder to achieve my goals and now you see me, an A student who is the president of the SRC and I will never forget him."

"So, she doesn't hate me? She just wants me to reach my full potential. Okay, now I get it, thank you Riv. Maybe I will be like you when I'm older and make Father proud, just like you." she said grinning from ear to ear.

"Aw I my heart is melting." I said as I wiped a fake tear from the corner of my ear while focusing on the road.

"Argh, don't get arrogant now."

The rest of the ride to school was spent in silence but it was not an awkward silence but rather a refreshing and comfortable one.

......

"Bye see you after school, don't forget me, okay? Love you!" she shouted in excitement as she slammed the door and ran towards her friends who were waiting for her at the entrance of the ridiculously gigantic school.

I wish I could be as eager to go to school as she is.

Regal Combined School.

It's literally a regal school where most of the Kingdom's princes and princesses attend school.

This school is a neutral zone, where it's no one's land. It was once owned by the Kingdom of Crystilion but many neighbouring Kingdoms asked if we could make it a neutral zone as it is the best schooling facility in the continent and would love if their young Royals were to attend school there. Crystilion was offered compensation for this, and the rest is history.

Most of its attendees are neighbouring Royals the rest are people of nobility, who are lower than Royals, and a few common folks on scholarships, who are the lowest ranking. This system of hierarchy is extremely discriminatory and bias, but the Council of Royals set it up and it would be close to impossible for me to even be in the council let alone have enough votes to change this.

I reach out to the back seat and take my school bag and folders and get out of the car. I walk towards the double doors of the school.

Once I'm in I head to the East wing, the High School wing...

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A/N: I hope everyone enjoyed that. Thanks for reading Royalty. I hope to continue the journey of writing this book and with your love and support, I hope. (っ.❛ ᴗ ❛.)っ

Can someone who can make beautiful book covers contact me please, it would be a great help and you will be credited for your work.