Royals

I moved my book out of the way and scribbled out on my paper what an Annelid was. And as I moved my book back, a hand slammed on to the pages, causing me to jump and look up at Flora.
“I’ve done it!”
“Done what? Gone mental?” I shoved her hand away - forcing her to catch herself because she had her weight on her hand - and looked back at my book.
“No!” She slammed my book shut and I sighed, dropping my pencil and looking at her. She sat herself in front of me and grinned wide. I blinked twice at her, but she didn’t move to tell me what she’d done.
“What have you done!? I’m trying to finish my homework!”
“I’ve found our dresses! Mine is gold and white, it’s a sleek-”
“I’m not going to the fucking party, Flora. You can give it up now.”
“You have to come. Everyone is going-even Lonely Liesa!”
“Does it look like I give a fuck if Liesa is going? I’m not. So you can drop it and go bug Tyler.”
“If you don’t go, they’ll find you.”
“What?”
“It’s mandatory…” I scoffed.
“That’s cute.” She grinned at me. “It’s cute that they think they can make me go to some stupid party when they don’t know me nor will they make me.” I shoved my papers into my binder and closed it quickly. I shoved the binder and book in to my bag and stood up, only to turn and slam into someone.
“You think you’re not coming?” He gripped my arms and looked down at me. Looking up, I felt my blood run cold.
Louis’s eye glared at me.
“I-...”
“She’s coming! I swear! We’re going to buy our dresses tonight, Prince-”
“Hush-I want her to say it.” He released my arms and I stumbled back, into the chair I had been sitting in. “Are you going?”
“I-I-” I stuttered and couldn’t form a word.
“Are you-?”
“Louis.” He looked over, Princess Eleanor standing by the door.
“I better see you there, Aurelia. Because if I don’t, you’ll pay.” My head nodded involuntarily and Louis turned to join his princess by the door of the library. As the door closed behind them, Flora grabbed my arm and yanked me closer. I withheld my urge to hit her and listened to her.
“You’re going to the fucking ball whether you like it or not. They know your name and now they know you’re not planning on going. You have to go!”
“Shh!” I shoved Flora’s hand off me and left the library.
“Aure! You have to go!”
“Oh!? And what are they going to do to me if I don’t, huh!?”
“Put you in jail? I don’t know!” She cried. “But I’m not going to wait around to see what they’re going to do!”
“They won’t do shit!” I turned and stomped off towards my house. As I came to the door, I slowly unlocked it and entered quietly, trying not to wake my Mom or the dogs. I quickly traveled up to my room and dropped my books on my desk and fell onto my bed. I pulled my phone out and stared at the threatening texts that Tyler and Flora had sent me.
I didn’t want to go and I wasn’t going to go. Nothing they said would make me.

“Louis threatened her when we were at the library.”
“I was at the library, you showed up as usual.” I corrected Flora.
“Aure, I’m sure Flora went all out, but if Louis threatened you to come, you have to show up. Not stay, but show the fuck up.”
“I’m not going. I don’t care what they think they can do to me, I’m not fucking going.”
But before my friends could argue with me, I was caught by the arm and yanked away from them. I let out a yell, but whoever had grabbed me wasn’t going to stop. And they didn’t stop until they shoved me into a classroom.
“Aurelia, I’m aware that Louis already told you that you were going to the ball, yes?” I swallowed hard and nodded, watching Perrie pace the classroom. “Then this shouldn’t be a shock to you that I’m telling you that if you don’t go to the ball, that we will punish you.”
“How?”
“You don’t need to know. And I’m hoping that you don’t have to find out. Go to class.” I nodded at her again and quickly scurried out of the room. I took no time getting to my class and sitting there, thinking of the possible ways that the Royals could punish me.
What if they hurt my family? Took away the dogs? My best friends? What if Tyler and Flora had to pay for my stubbornness?
I didn’t want to find out, though.
I’d have to go to the party.
“Flor...wha-what does the dress look like?” She looked up at me, an equally terrified look on her face.
“W-why?”
“Just tell me what the fucking dress looks like.” I hissed, sitting in front of her in class.
“Y-yours is...it’s gold, and it’s a ball gown.” I nodded at her. “It’s hard to describe, Aure. You have to see it…”
“Did you buy it?” She nodded. “I’ll come over after school, okay?” She nodded again and I turned to the front.
Throughout class, though, I couldn’t pay attention. Perrie and Louis’s threats ran through my head.
Maybe I could just show up for ten minutes, see Perrie, have Perrie see me, and leave...it wouldn’t hurt anyone and I still showed up. Maybe I could just go and try and have-
“Ms. Lorde?” My head snapped up.
I hadn’t even realize I’d fallen asleep.
“Is whatever you’re dreaming about just as important as your grade in this class?”
“Probably,” I grumbled, sitting myself up and looking at the paper I was supposed to be doing. I rubbed my eyes and began scribbling on my paper. Flora nudged me and I glanced back at her, giving her a look. She sighed and went back to finishing her paper. By the time we finished our papers, class was nearly over.
I turned to Flora.
“What happened?”
“Just another threat. That’s it. So I have to go.”
“Does it matter how long you go?”
“I don’t know. I just have to go.” I sighed.
“Well, find one of them and ask them.”
“I don’t have the patience.” Or the guts.
“So, how long are you going to go for?”
“I don’t know. I’ll probably try to find Perrie or Louis and have them see me so that I can leave.”
“Oh…”

Flora smiled as she handed me the box.
“It’s gorgeous, you’ll love it.”
I set the box on her bed and pulled the lid off carefully.
The top of the dress was golden with embroidered gems into the fabric. I lifted it out of the box and gasped. The entire dress was golden and it shined in the light of Flora’s bedroom.
“It’s gorgeous.”
“I thought you’d like it. It reminded me of Belle and you. So…” I smiled at my best friend and hugged her, still holding the dress.
“I always can count on you. Even when I don’t want to.” She smiled and took the dress from me.
“All we have to do is get shoes, some jewelry, and our masks. You’re going to look gorgeous.”
“Don’t lie to me.” Flora smiled at me and hugged me again.
“You’re going to look gorgeous, now let’s go get some homework done.” I smiled at her and she laid the dress back in the box before following me downstairs.

Throughout the next whole week, Flora and I gotten jewelry and our shoes, but we didn’t have our masks yet.
Now it’s the day of the ball and Flora is freaking out because she can’t find a mask to wear. The one thing that was mandatory is the hardest thing to find. We had wandered around the town for the longest time and Flora was close to tears because there was nowhere else to look.
“Flor, why not there?” I motioned over to the only shop we hadn’t walked in.
It was an old costume shop that looked like it might have something to our taste.
“I doubt it.”
“Oh, come on.” I took her arm and pulled her with me towards the shop. The bell rang as I opened the door and Flora began gazing around.
“Can I help you two?” I looked up, finding an old, maybe portly woman, smiling at us.
“We need to find two masks for the ball tonight.” I told her.
“I might have something you like.” I smiled. “What colour are you two wearing?”
“I’m wearing gold, she’s wearing white and silver.” The woman turned her back to us in search of masks.
“She’s not going to have any, Aure. We’re not going to find a mask to wear and Prince Niall won’t even look my way!”
“Not wearing a mask may draw his attention even more.” I deadpanned at her. A smile rose on her lips.
“What about these two?” We turned to the woman and my eyes widened. I took the golden mask and gazed at it. Glancing over at Flora, she was in awe of the mask in her hands.
“We’ll take them.”
“On the house, dears.”
“What-no! I couldn’t. This must cost thousands.”
“That’ll be our little secret. You two have a ball to get ready for.” I smiled at her and took Flora’s arm.
“Come on, we have to get ready.” Flora smiled wide at the woman and we quickly left the shop to get to Flora’s house. It took us little time to get dressed and the last thing we donned was the newly obtained mask.
I still wasn’t up for the party, but if I was being dragged along, I might as well try and have fun.
Tyler was waiting for us in Flora’s living room, along with our parents and Flora’s little brother.
“Why can’t I go, Flor?”
“Well,” She picked him up and set him on her hip. “It’s for big kids. Give it a few years and you’ll be able to go.”
“They’re not that much fun anyway.” I ‘whispered’ to him. Tyler laughed and hit my arm.
“Pose, Aurelia.” I flashed him an over glamorous smile and turned to the front, to look at our parents and smiled. There were a few more pictures taken, of us without Ethan, Flora’s little brother.
“Alright, you all have to go! Have fun! And behave!”
“I’ll make sure they do!” I called back.
“Oh, come on!” Tyler grabbed me and pulled me with him towards the car. His parents owned it - it being a beautiful Rolls-Royce Phantom that I would kill to own. His parents also employed the man who drove the beautiful Rolls-Royce.
He would be driving us to the Castle.

The Castle was King Harry’s house. And only his house. His parents lived in another house not too far from it, along with the other Royals’ parents. Their home was a mansion big enough for twelve families. The Royals all lived in the Castle and it was the site of all of the balls, negative the few the parents actually threw in honor of their child’s birthday, which was held at the parents’ mansion.
The Castle also looked like one. It was really more of a palace, but Castle just stuck. There was a wing for each Royal (or so I’d been told) and even a servant's wing.

“Are you ready for the best night of your life?” I looked over at Tyler, shooting him the most unamused look I could find.
“Best night of my life? More like most torturous night.”
“Who knows, you might meet prince charming.” Flora said.
“More like duke charming.” I grumbled.
“Just because I like Niall doesn’t mean that you have to be a brat about it.”
“No offence, Flora, but Niall has never had a serious girlfriend, much less a girl worthy enough to call her his duchess.”
“Maybe I can be her.” Flora hissed.
“All luck to you.” I whispered, turning to look out the window as the driver pulled up to the Castle.
“Isn’t it gorgeous?” Tyler asked. Gazing up at it, I nodded.
“Practically perfect.” I muttered.
The door opened and Tyler all but shoved me out of the car.