The Prince's Tutor

Prince Charles, heir to the British throne, stood on his balcony in Highgrove watching his two sons play polo below him. Will, the favorite, was dressed neatly in his uniform and in deep concentration. The image made Charles smile. From a young age, he had been watched carefully. His upbringing consisted of preparations of becoming an heir and, obediently, Will did everything that was expected out of him.

Charles’ smile dissolved into a firm line when he saw his youngest son, Harry approaching. It wasn’t that he didn’t love Harry, he did very much. At times it may have been difficult to express his love to Harry, and Charles blamed himself for that. Harry was brilliant, maybe not like Will, but nonetheless he was a good son. The reason for Charles’ discomfort was because he was well aware of the troubles Harry caused. “The Wild Child” he was so nicknamed, and for good reason. Harry was known for his excessive partying, drinking, drug use, and other shameful events that only embarrassed the Royal Family.

Charles was at his wits end. He may not have always been the responsible father figure Harry needed, but one thing was certain -when it came to protecting the family name and honor, he would make sure the job was done. That’s why Charles had decided his son’s fate in a way that would make Harry despise him. But it was all he could do for his son at this point, the last resort. Hopefully, one day, Harry would see it that way too.

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The glow of the afternoon sun masqueraded its way into the large classroom auditorium of Cambridge University. Outside, the sky was a brilliant cerulean blue accented with the gentle puffs of condensed water vapor. The large oak trees framed the window sill, and a small blue jay sat perched on a tree branch, peering into the school’s classroom. Up at the front, the professor stood with his broad, masculine shoulders that moved spontaneously as the man wrote on the blackboard with enthusiasm.

The students, a lively bunch, sat at their benches before him, anticipating his every word. In the front of the class, a slender, olive toned girl sat writing furiously in her notebook. Her long, caramel hair fell gently over her left shoulder in tousles of soft curls. Her eyes, a brilliant emerald green, revealed a calming concentration. She very much resembled an antique porcelain doll- perfect in stature, beautiful flawless skin, and animated almond eyes. As the class ended, she gently put all her belongings in place-organization is the key to success, of course-and checked her schedule.

Grabbing her schoolbag she stood up, revealing her simple white sundress and nude wedges. She walked gracefully out of the classroom and into the bustling halls.
“Callie!” The young girl turned at the sound of her name and smiled sweetly at her friend, Marilyn.

Marilyn was dressed in a coral Valentino dress that exposed a loose V neck and a ribbon was attached to her small torso. She wore beige pumps that accentuated her tan legs in a “modeled diva” fashion. Marilyn’s platinum blonde hair flowed carelessly about her in the wind as she took off her Versace sunglasses to reveal her hazel brown eyes.

“Darling, look what I just bought!” she exclaimed and stretched a long, slender hand out to the previous girl. On her wrist, there was a gleaming Rolex watch decked with diamonds on the side- Marilyn’s newest accessory. “Isn’t it just gorgeous?”

Callie examined the Rolex, concealing her disbelief of how much of a misfit she was, and nodded in a friendly manner.
“Marilyn, it’s beautiful!”
“I knew you’d love it! Everyone does. So, are you going to that party tonight that Erin Reynolds is hosting? “
Callie smiled her best smile, attempting to calm down the raging demon inside her that viciously wanted to shout “No, you bloody idiot!”
“No, I have a lot of studying to do and all…”
“What? Seriously? Callie, I know this is Cambridge and all, but you can’t keep yourself locked up in that silly dream world of yours forever! You have to socialize! How would your father feel if he knew his only daughter, successor of Britain’s Telecommunications, was shut in her stupid turtle shell, afraid of a little partying?”

Callie had one nerve left and Marilyn was rampaging all over it. Nonetheless, she had to keep her calm and stay away from all the hype that rustled on the Cambridge campus.
“No, I think I’ll pass this time. I assume father would prefer me to focus on my studies, you know, it would be a scandal if I were to go with you.” She forced a laugh through gritted teeth and batted her eyelashes in such a way that made her impossible to hate.

“Alright fine, but next time I’m dragging your sorry arse with me!” Marilyn joked. Her chauffeur pulled into view, and after exchanging emotional hugs, Marilyn headed towards her luminous Bentley.

After all the chaos, Callie checked twice to see if anyone was in view, and began her walk home. Going to Cambridge University definitely had its positive attributes, as well as its negative. Callie was very different from all the students there. All of the others were born into wealthy families that had their own private mansions scattered across the country. Their fathers were great Englishmen who owned private businesses, great amounts of land, stock, etc. The children were very uptight, close minded people that Callie had a hard time befriending. Many didn’t know the value of money, nor did they appreciate the great sum they would inherit in the coming future.

Callie’s story was a little different from those surrounding her. She wasn’t wealthy or heir to a family fortune. She didn’t have a summer home in the Mediterranean or own closets full of brand name clothing. She was born to a poor family of four children. Her father left them when she was very young, at the age of seven or so- she couldn’t remember the exact age. She grew up with close to nothing; her mother was a single parent who had to support four children and their father didn’t always pay the child support fees.

She relied on her natural talent of retaining information to climb her way to the top of her school career. Her after school activities often consisted of working part time in a traditional formalwear boutique near her home.

Of course, no one knew this except for her family. If the university were to find out, she could get expelled for fraud. You see, to get into a prestigious university like Cambridge, one must not only have the grades but the status to get in as well. And her family background, well it wasn’t part of the elite group they were searching for. With help from her brother, she created a fake identity for herself: The daughter of the CEO of British Telecommunications Group. The story was perfect: her father wanted to send her to a college with more historical value; she was to succeed the family business, etcetera.

The plan was even simpler. Callie, an aspiring artist, would enroll in Cambridge to pursue a career in law. She would finish her studies, become a successful lawyer, extricate her family from poverty, and voila! Happily Ever After.

But of course, nothing ever goes as planned.