I snuck up to my room and shed my dirty clothes in a wicker basket labeled laundry. I opened the door to the bathroom. Woah. I hadn't been in here earlier but this was a pretty sweet set up. Marina set all of my stuff next to the huge garden tub. It even had jets. I quickly ran some water and jumped in. I would enjoy the jets later.

I washed and shaved and jumped out. I hated to blow dry my hair. It was curly and already on the dry side but if I didn't I would be late to dinner. I applied more makeup and found a dress from the chest. It was a navy sleeveless dress. I put on one the shoes from earlier. I figured the more I wore the more I'd break the bad boys in. I checked the clock on the night stand and figured I'd leave and be a few minutes early.

My mom was waiting by the door for my dad. "Hey sweetie did you have a good time?" She asked. "More than you know. That was so good for me. I think I can handle tomorrow now." I said. "Good. I don't want you to loose yourself here. That's so easy to do." "I don't know that I really like it here." I frowned. "Why not?" She asked. "Grandma and grandpa are so formal. It's different." I said. "It's just their way, when, I'm sorry if you become queen you don't have to be so formal. All you really have to do is be a good queen." She said. I let out a sigh of relief. "Good." I said. "And the no talking thing during dinner...totally weird." I said. "Well they are used to eating alone." My dad said. "Oh?" "Yea, well until you marry somebody you'll eat alone. And then you and he would most likely use that time to really enjoy each others company." My dad said. I shook my head. Glad I could talk during dinner but not looking forward to getting married just yet.

We entered the dining room and my grandmothers eyes went straight for my knee. "Good heavens child, what happened to your knee?" I looked down on instinct. "Oh I fell." I said timidly. "You have to learn how to walk like a queen so these kinds of things don't happen. A queen has to walk with grace and dignity." She said almost rolling her eyes. I took a seat in my chair. "I'm sorry, I am trying."

——————————————————

The next morning I awoke to the smell of bacon. I saw Marina come in carrying a tray of food. And coffee I think I smelled coffee. Waffles stacked up high. Bacon and eggs piled next to it. "Good morning your highness. It's time to start the day Cathryn will be here soon for your training. Did you sleep well?" She asked. "Oh yes, the bed was really comfortable but I think I could've slept on the floor. Jet lag isn't much fun." I said.

"I'm so sorry your highness." I sat up higher and she set the tray in my lap. "I'll give you some time to eat, when you are done just ring the bell and I'll get Cathryn." She said. "Thank you." I said as she bowed and then left. I called the girls on video chat. "Woah is that your room!?" Cam asked. "It is, whadya think?" I asked. "It's beautiful." Sadie gasped.

"How's the gardener?" Cam asked. I rolled my eyes. "Good heavens I don't know!" I said.
I stuffed a piece of bacon into my mouth. Followed by a scoop full of eggs. "Are you eating breakfast?" Asked Cam. "Yea, most important meal of the day. Especially if you're about to have more queen training." I said. "That sounds delightfully boring." Said Cam. " I don't think it sounds so bad." Said Sadie. "It's not really. I would just rather be at the skate park." I said.

"Why did you meet a boy?" Asked cam. "As a matter of fact I did, but that's not why. I just like the peace." I said. "After yesterday I don't think she's going to do anything like that again." Said Sadie. "You're right, I definitely learned my lesson." I said. "He was just a nice boy. Besides it's nice to have friends. Because I don't think my lady in waiting really counts." I shrugged. "That's so fancy." Sadie giggled. I finished one of the waffles setting the plate of food to the side. It was delicious but I could only eat so much.

The Coffee should be cooled by now. I took a tentative sip. It was delicious, just like I make at home. My mom must've told them how I liked it. Well maybe being here wasn't so bad if they made things I was used to. But that dinner last night: I'm still not sure what kind of meat that was. "How was your first day at Camp?" I asked Sadie. "Great, the kids in my cabin are so cute. And really nice. And the life guard is...so so cute. Oh hey Cam did you meet any cute doctors?" "Not a single one. And taking blood is as I expected BUT the nurse that is training me said they didn't stay to busy, you know with the taking blood. That I could follow her around and get some on the job training. It's been super fun." Said Cam. "Aw you guys I almost wished I was home with you." I said. "Yea but you didn't sign up for a summer job." Said Cam. "I know, and now...no rest for the weary." I said. "I know right?" Asked Sadie. We chatted a bit more then I caught sight of the clock.

"I've gotta jump off here and get ready for the day I'll check in tomorrow." We said our goodbyes and hung up. I threw on a pair or white crisp Capri pants and a fancy silk shirt. Once my hair and makeup was done I rang the bell. Marina came running. In a manner of speaking. "All done your highness?" She asked eying my plate. "Yes, thank you." "You're welcome your highness. I'll go get Cathryn now." She picked up the tray and left my room.

Cathryn entered my room. "Are you ready to get started your highness?" "I am." I said. "Oh good heavens no! A queen must never have nails like this!" She said pointing at my fingers. "No? I can take it off." I said taking a seat at the table and removing the hot pink polish from my nails. "You must only have calm neutral nails. Such as a light pink or a nude or peach." She said. "Any other weird things I can't do?" She thought about it for a moment. "You can't have any oysters. It could make you very sick." She said.

"Now." She said once my nails were clean. "Do you use any social media?" She asked. "Duh? I'm teenager." I said. "Well when you become queen you will no longer be allowed to use social media. You will have a social media that will be ran by a team. We can't have you posting anything controversial." She said. "What will they post?" I ask. "Pictures of you at charity events, functions and balls. That sort of thing." She said. "You know what? I'm not mad at that. I don't wanna risk putting my foot into my mouth." I said.

"Now, as far as your clothes. You are no longer allowed to wear certain things. But clothes will be chosen for you. So that shouldn't be an issue." She said. "What if I want to go into town?" I asked. "You will be allowed to go into town with a small security team. But you still must dress to impress at all times." She said.

"And if I go to the skate park?" I asked. "Oh good heavens no. No respectable queen would be seen at the skate park." She said turning her nose up. Fine I would just have them build me one in the palace once I'm queen. I'm pretty sure that's something I could do. That way nobody would have to know about my dirty little secret.

It was Tuesday and my grand ball would be on Saturday I was actually looking forward to it. I would be meeting the girl that would take my place if I chose to step down. My grandmother described her as "absolutely perfect for the job." So there's that.

"Now being queen comes with priority. When you stand others will stand. When you are finished eating others will stop even if they aren't finished." She said. "Oh, maybe I should eat slow?" I suggested. She smiled briefly. "Eat as fast as you'd like. Also others will bow or curtsy when you enter." I felt so special, a girl could get used to this. But it means that I haven't been doing these things to grandmother. I would make sure to do them so that she would see how I was learning. And honestly it didn't matter if she hated me, if she thought I was bad for the job or even if the girl that would take over was perfect. The job will be mine if I want it and she can't do anything to stop that from happening. That was the only thing that gave me any peace.

"You aren't allowed to vote or run for any political party. You actually aren't allowed to have any political views whatsoever. We don't want you influencing anyone." She said. "Dang it, I just turned eighteen I haven't even been allowed to vote yet." I said. "Yes, it is important to vote. But not for a queen." She said.

"When we are having dinner at a dinner party. You will start speaking a conversation to the person on your right. Then during the second course you will start speaking to the person on your left." She said. I took a moment to memorize that. "Right then left, got it." I said. "Don't worry if you are having trouble. Everything I'm telling you I have wrote down in the order we have talked about it so you can study the rules." She said. "Oh good." I said. "Any questions?" She asked. "Why?" I asked. "Why what?" "Why do I start by having a conversation on my right and then my left?" I asked. "OH that's just so you make sure you speak to everybody." She said. "It can be overwhelming at dinner." She said.

"Oh I wanted to ask you. Would you like me to see the Royal dress maker about having gloves made for you? You will have lots of hands to shake and we needn't you getting sick." She said. "Oh, yes I suppose that would be fine." I said. "Okay I'm going to let you think on those things. This is the pack of rules we've already gone over." She said placing them on the table beside the bed.

"Is it true we can't play monopoly? I asked. "What? Where did you get that from?" She asked raising her eyebrows. "Google." I said. "First of all I'm pretty sure that is a rule the Queen of England made. And secondly please don't get any information from this google." She said. "Okay fine, but are you saying I can make my own rules?" I asked. "You're the Queen you can do anything you want. Even drive without a license." She said. "Sweet, can I make a rule that states we don't have any fish? Like at all?" I asked. "Well yes, and you can tell you them want pizza or whatever floats your boat." She said.

"Wow things are gonna get cool around this place. So hold on. I'm in this room because I'm a guest..." I said. "Yes?" She urged me to continue. "Well once I'm queen will I move?" I asked. "Yes I suppose into the room your grandparents are staying now." "That's creepy though..." I said. She laughed. "Is it? You can have the room redone. But our decorators will have some say. They want it to be tasteful and royal." She said. Royal of course. And I didn't mind this room really. The style wasn't mine per say but I didn't care.

"How does that work?" I asked. "Well the room was redone when they moved into it so it's natural it's gone out of style. They stylist will show you tons of samples and you can tell him what you like." She said. "So let's say that I was really into a hobby that wasn't acceptable for me to be into as a Queen. Do you think they could...I don't know build a place for me to do that here?" I asked.

She laughed. "Yes, you'll be Queen you can pretty much do whatever you want." She said. "This must be weird for you." I said. "What's that?" She asked. "Working with me. Everybody here is so Royal. They all know what they are doing." I said sighing.

"Well I suppose they should be, they grew up in this lifestyle. Take your dad, he grew up here as well. Do you ever find him to be stuffy?" She asked. "No not at all, he's chill and laid back. But he's also professional when he needs to be." I said. "There you have it your highness. You can be an amazing Queen, you don't have to lose yourself. I'm sure now that you know your dad used to be a prince some of his quirks make sense." She said. "You are so right, thank you." I said. "Anytime Mam." She said.

She ran through a few more rules then tabled them for now. "It's important for you to know how to be a Queen for when the time comes. But for now, let's talk about the ball. So your grandparents are going to step down at the end of summer. I'm not saying in three months you should be over the moon for some guy and ready to get married. But what I am saying is that you should like a guy enough to feel that you could marry him. So during the ball, we have invited every eligible guy, you'll dance once with each of them. During the time you should get to know them. Then we'll keep having balls until you find that special guy. Closer to the end of summer your grandparents will most likely pressure you to make an announcement about who you will marry." She said. 

"That sounds so big." I said. "Yea it is, kind of. But to run an efficient country they feel it's best to have a unified front. And you'll be glad to have someone to rely on." She said. "You're right." I agreed. So this was it. It was happening I was officially on the market. Single and hasta mingle. "So give me a minute to call in Leonard. He is going to show you how to dance." She said. Yea she assumed correctly that I didn't know how. I mean sure I did the cheesy dance at school. Where you put your arms around a guys neck and his go around your waist. Not how you'd need to dance at a royal ball at all.

She instructed me to put on the shoes I'd need to wear for the ball. She ran down how I'd approach every one. That I being next in line didn't have to call them Mam, your highness or my lady. Sweet. But that they would have to curtsy to me and regard me with respect. Super cool. We ran down a few more things about the feast we would have. I guess it was called a feast I don't know. But it explained the huge table now.

Leonard had been summoned and soon a man in a grey suit and fancy gloves came into the room. "Your highness, it's so great to finally meet you. Ready to learn how to dance?" He asked. "Yes, thank you." So that took an hour. But I could dance. Leonard even said i had natural talent. It was finally time for lunch. I was exhausted.