Status: Has been on Hiatus due to the huge rush of uni life, but now first year is over, I'm going to do my best to give you lovelies the ending you deserve! =)
Diary of a Reluctant Ruler
King Material
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
The week had somehow turned round again, and I was now 17 years, 1 week and 5 days old. Sunday morning was spent with the delegation from Lorainya, myself being unfairly lumped with Philippe again, who droned all the way to church and back, and then throughout lunch. Felix seemed to be quite taken with Maria, who had turned out not to be quite such a girly-girl after all.
Of course, he denied everything.
Somehow, Jade had slipped into my everyday routine. She attached herself to our car when we went to church, and then disappeared again once we returned. It was like having a third shadow which came and went as it pleased. Although she was of course under strict instructions to stay by my side when outside.
Without Olly to turn to, I fled to the kitchen in the afternoon, where Madeleine chatted happily whilst making salmon wrapped in pastry, which has a posh name I can’t remember, and wouldn’t be able to spell anyway. She prompted me to go and ask Grandma for permission to miss dinner, at which I sighed but reluctantly left.
This might not be pretty.
Eek.
Battle stations people.
I rapped on the door to Grandma’s suite, from which muffled voices could be heard. She called out, and I entered cautiously.
“Ah, Meredith,” she said.
She has completely forgotten about Phil.
I knew it wouldn’t last.
“I was wondering if I could ask you something about this evening?”
“Of course, come in, have a seat.”
Queen Katharine and Mum were seated around a small coffee table, china cups and saucers perched elegantly on crossed legs. Grandma sat back down, and I took the only remaining seat.
“We were just discussing that dreadful news article about you and the Earl of Aramathia,” Katharine said, not unkindly, “You certainly stoked up a little whirlwind there.”
“The tabloids do seem to blow everything out of proportion,” I replied, nervously.
“Of course, there was never any question of you marrying him really,” Mum laughed.
I frowned, unsure what to make of that.
“No, it would hardly have been a well-thought decision,” Katharine added.
“Not that there’s anything wrong with him,” Grandma cut in with, “Perfectly decent chap.”
“Oh no,” Katharine said, “Just not quite the right sort for Meredith here.”
What do you mean by that?!
“Oh, I don’t know about that,” Grandma replied.
Grandma’s gone into her queen voice. Danger zone people!
“Well, compare him to someone else,” Katharine replied curtly, “Say Philippe.”
“Nothing wrong with him,” Mum replied, “But James is such a nice-”
“Oh, nice certainly,” Katharine interrupted, “But not king material.”
“And who would you suggest to be king material?” Grandma inquired.
“Well, Nicholai of course, and Philippe. Though Meredith couldn’t marry Nick, he’s in line for the Lorainian crown.”
Is she trying to match-make me and Philippe?!
Is Grandma trying to match-make me and James?!!
Grandma’s too sensible for that, she’s just trying to shun Philippe politely.
Underneath the polite notions though, I could sense a deadly determination in both women’s voices. Mum sat in the middle, confused by the discussion and perfectly unaware of the unspoken argument.
“Ahem,” I cleared my throat, “Grandmother, I came to ask you if it would be reasonable for me to miss dinner this evening.”
“Why? You already missed last night,” Grandma frowned.
I paused, wishing she would just let me and leave it at that.
“James asked if he could take me out for the evening,” I replied quietly.
Grandma’s eyebrows shot up, and I saw Queen Katharine shift in her seat.
Awkward silence…
“Well, you’d have to take Jade,” she said after a moment.
I hadn’t thought of that…
Blast.
“What was the purpose of his taking you out?” Mum asked, suspicious.
“He wanted to apologize for making me laugh in front of parliament last Monday.”
The back of my throat was suddenly very dry.
Mum nodded, clearly appeased that this wasn’t a ‘date’.
“Philippe and Nicholai will be most disappointed not to see you at dinner,” Katharine said.
“Well, perhaps they would like to join Phil and James?” Mum asked.
Nooooo!!!
“What a brilliant idea,” Katharine said, smiling, “I’m sure you young people would have a ball.”
Grandma cocked an eyebrow at the expression, but nodded.
“It sounds like an idea,” she said.
“Oh,” I said in a very quiet voice.
“Why don’t you go and find Philippe and Nicholai?” Mum asked.
“You’d better notify Jade as well,” Grandma added.
“Thank you, I will,” I said, curtsying and exiting.
*sobs* No, no, no, no, nooo…
Oh calm down. It won’t be that bad. Will it?
My first wish was not to find Philippe or Nick, but to find James and pour my heart out to him in one massive apology. I found him in the library, chatting to Nick. They stopped when I entered, Nick looking at me as if he knew some secret I didn’t.
“Urk,” I huffed, as I sat down on the sofa next to James.
Heh heh. Strategic positioning…
“What’s up?” James asked.
“I just went and asked Grandma about this evening,” I answered.
“Will she not let you?” he asked.
“No, she’s fine with me going,” I replied.
“Well, what’s the problem?”
“She was having tea with Mum and Queen Katharine. Your mum,” I looked pointedly at Nick, “Has managed to invite both you and Philippe along with us. Plus Jade.”
“Who’s Jade?” Nick asked.
“My bodyguard,” I said, unable to banish the sulky tone in my voice.
“Sounds fun,” James replied, annoyingly enthusiastic.
“Really?” I asked incredulously.
“Yeah,” Nick chimed.
Double blast…
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
The week had somehow turned round again, and I was now 17 years, 1 week and 5 days old. Sunday morning was spent with the delegation from Lorainya, myself being unfairly lumped with Philippe again, who droned all the way to church and back, and then throughout lunch. Felix seemed to be quite taken with Maria, who had turned out not to be quite such a girly-girl after all.
Of course, he denied everything.
Somehow, Jade had slipped into my everyday routine. She attached herself to our car when we went to church, and then disappeared again once we returned. It was like having a third shadow which came and went as it pleased. Although she was of course under strict instructions to stay by my side when outside.
Without Olly to turn to, I fled to the kitchen in the afternoon, where Madeleine chatted happily whilst making salmon wrapped in pastry, which has a posh name I can’t remember, and wouldn’t be able to spell anyway. She prompted me to go and ask Grandma for permission to miss dinner, at which I sighed but reluctantly left.
This might not be pretty.
Eek.
Battle stations people.
I rapped on the door to Grandma’s suite, from which muffled voices could be heard. She called out, and I entered cautiously.
“Ah, Meredith,” she said.
She has completely forgotten about Phil.
I knew it wouldn’t last.
“I was wondering if I could ask you something about this evening?”
“Of course, come in, have a seat.”
Queen Katharine and Mum were seated around a small coffee table, china cups and saucers perched elegantly on crossed legs. Grandma sat back down, and I took the only remaining seat.
“We were just discussing that dreadful news article about you and the Earl of Aramathia,” Katharine said, not unkindly, “You certainly stoked up a little whirlwind there.”
“The tabloids do seem to blow everything out of proportion,” I replied, nervously.
“Of course, there was never any question of you marrying him really,” Mum laughed.
I frowned, unsure what to make of that.
“No, it would hardly have been a well-thought decision,” Katharine added.
“Not that there’s anything wrong with him,” Grandma cut in with, “Perfectly decent chap.”
“Oh no,” Katharine said, “Just not quite the right sort for Meredith here.”
What do you mean by that?!
“Oh, I don’t know about that,” Grandma replied.
Grandma’s gone into her queen voice. Danger zone people!
“Well, compare him to someone else,” Katharine replied curtly, “Say Philippe.”
“Nothing wrong with him,” Mum replied, “But James is such a nice-”
“Oh, nice certainly,” Katharine interrupted, “But not king material.”
“And who would you suggest to be king material?” Grandma inquired.
“Well, Nicholai of course, and Philippe. Though Meredith couldn’t marry Nick, he’s in line for the Lorainian crown.”
Is she trying to match-make me and Philippe?!
Is Grandma trying to match-make me and James?!!
Grandma’s too sensible for that, she’s just trying to shun Philippe politely.
Underneath the polite notions though, I could sense a deadly determination in both women’s voices. Mum sat in the middle, confused by the discussion and perfectly unaware of the unspoken argument.
“Ahem,” I cleared my throat, “Grandmother, I came to ask you if it would be reasonable for me to miss dinner this evening.”
“Why? You already missed last night,” Grandma frowned.
I paused, wishing she would just let me and leave it at that.
“James asked if he could take me out for the evening,” I replied quietly.
Grandma’s eyebrows shot up, and I saw Queen Katharine shift in her seat.
Awkward silence…
“Well, you’d have to take Jade,” she said after a moment.
I hadn’t thought of that…
Blast.
“What was the purpose of his taking you out?” Mum asked, suspicious.
“He wanted to apologize for making me laugh in front of parliament last Monday.”
The back of my throat was suddenly very dry.
Mum nodded, clearly appeased that this wasn’t a ‘date’.
“Philippe and Nicholai will be most disappointed not to see you at dinner,” Katharine said.
“Well, perhaps they would like to join Phil and James?” Mum asked.
Nooooo!!!
“What a brilliant idea,” Katharine said, smiling, “I’m sure you young people would have a ball.”
Grandma cocked an eyebrow at the expression, but nodded.
“It sounds like an idea,” she said.
“Oh,” I said in a very quiet voice.
“Why don’t you go and find Philippe and Nicholai?” Mum asked.
“You’d better notify Jade as well,” Grandma added.
“Thank you, I will,” I said, curtsying and exiting.
*sobs* No, no, no, no, nooo…
Oh calm down. It won’t be that bad. Will it?
My first wish was not to find Philippe or Nick, but to find James and pour my heart out to him in one massive apology. I found him in the library, chatting to Nick. They stopped when I entered, Nick looking at me as if he knew some secret I didn’t.
“Urk,” I huffed, as I sat down on the sofa next to James.
Heh heh. Strategic positioning…
“What’s up?” James asked.
“I just went and asked Grandma about this evening,” I answered.
“Will she not let you?” he asked.
“No, she’s fine with me going,” I replied.
“Well, what’s the problem?”
“She was having tea with Mum and Queen Katharine. Your mum,” I looked pointedly at Nick, “Has managed to invite both you and Philippe along with us. Plus Jade.”
“Who’s Jade?” Nick asked.
“My bodyguard,” I said, unable to banish the sulky tone in my voice.
“Sounds fun,” James replied, annoyingly enthusiastic.
“Really?” I asked incredulously.
“Yeah,” Nick chimed.
Double blast…
