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“Well, I'm right here. All in one piece.” My hand throbs. I shove it behind my back.
Vladimir gives me a questioning look. Who knew punching someone could hurt so much? Clearly people who get into fights would, but I'm not one of those people. In fact, I've never hit anyone before in my life, and I can safely say I have no intention of ever having to wield my fists again.
“Shall we join your father and the King and Queen? They're waiting for you for the presentation, ma’am.”
The mention of my dad makes my chest tighten.
“I guess.”
“May I make a suggestion before we do?” he asks and I nod. “You might like to reattach your tiara and perhaps straighten your hair.”
I unfurl my hand, in which I've tightly clasped the tiara. Dang it! I must look like a hot mess.
A short walk later and Vladimir delivers me to Alice, whose eyes flare at the sight of me. I'm thankful when she doesn't ask any questions. She simply fixes my hair and makeup and places the tiara carefully back on my head. As she's putting on the finishing touches, trumpets sound and Vladimir rushes me down the hall to where my family are waiting patiently for me.
“Where have you been?” Dad asks.
“Alice was just making sure I looked perfect,” I tell him, which is the truth. I just left out why.
He takes my hands and gives them a squeeze. I try not to wince.
“You look more than perfect. You look beautiful.”
“Thanks, Dad.”
“They're ready and waiting, Madeline,” Grandpapa says and instantly my pulse quickens.
Dad places a kiss on my forehead. “You've got this, princess. You're brave and strong and I love you.”
A guy in a fancy blue suit with gold trim makes an announcement in Malveauxian, and a heavy velvet curtain is pulled open. I step out onto a balcony, flanked by my grandparents, to the sound of polite applause from the crowd of people below.
I blink at my surroundings. I'm high above the sea of people, the place more like the size of a stadium than a hall. There are huge chandeliers hanging from the ceiling, the walls covered in gold patterned wallpaper and long gilded mirrors. The guests are all wearing super fancy evening clothes.
It's like a scene from a movie, only it's all real—and I'm right at its center.
I stand and wave and smile, just as I was taught to do during the rehearsal.
Just keep smiling, I tell myself as I'm chaperoned down the stairs by the dependable Vladimir, who holds on tight to me, probably because he's seen me get out of a car before. The last thing anyone wants is for me to trip and land on my face during my official presentation.
We reach the bottom of the stairs where there's a line of dignitaries for me to greet.
And so it begins. So much smiling. So much nodding. So much hand clasping. So much pretending I can understand whatever language it is that they're using. Lucky for me, a bunch of them speak English, telling me how wonderful I am and how wonderful it is for me to be here, and how all their hopes lie with me, wonderful me.
Zero pressure.
“Remember, Princess, when you meet royalty, you only curtsy to the senior members of the family, the King and Queen,” Vlad explains under his breath as we reach a group of people in red with crowns on their heads. “You are meeting the prince and princesses as equals.”
“Shame. I was getting used to all the curtsies and bows,” I murmur back.
“Princess Madeline, may I introduce you to the members of the Ledonian royal family,” Vlad announces.
Oh, no. Prince Alexander is a member of this family.
I slide my eyes down the line, but I don’t see him.
My shoulders drop as I release a relieved breath.
A man about my dad's age gives me a stiff, humorless smile, after which a kind looking woman who must be his wife, the Queen, says hello. She’s accompanied by two gorgeous women about my age. They’re all dressed in red, and all have crowns of varying sizes atop their heads, and together they look like a charming royal fairy tale family.
