Aurora Heroux

17 | Discreet

MAYA'S POV

"We will be arriving at Malia Kingdom Airport momentarily. Thank you for choosing Malia Royal Air. Enjoy your stay in Malia."

The captain announced. I took this chance to looked out at the windows and was shocked when I saw the size of this kingdom.

"This whole land, belongs to the Malia royal family? It's huge!" I stated. I heard the princess chuckled. "You sound like a tourist. Anyway, yes, this whole land belongs to my family." The princess gave me a ... a brochure?

"This kingdom was founded over 500 years ago, my great great great ancestor stumbled upon it after it was abandoned by its Lord. The people of Malia were grateful that my ancestor decided to lead them. Basically, we're a foreigner here. But the people accepted us."

I squeeze the handle of my chair when the plane landed. The princess chuckled. "Your not a fan of flying?" I shake her head no. "I hate them." I thank God repeatedly when we safely landed. "Now that's a news." She's making fun of me.

When I felt the plane stopped moving, a maid bow in front of us and lead us out of the plane.

Before we walked down the stairs, Braylin gave me a brooch to wear. "What's this?" I asked. "I'll tell you all about it soon. For now, just wear them, okay?" I was reluctant to take it because I was afraid it might be like when she gave me the purple rose.

But she was smiling and I beginning to trust her.

I took the brooch and wear them on my chest. She smiled even wider and we continued to walk down the stairs. I am still in the cloud with this visit. She doesn't even tell me why I'm here. Once we're inside the car, Ariel was there to greeted us. "How's your trip to Lady Maya?" She asked.

"Memorable." I smiled. Ariel chuckled.

"Princess Elizabeth requested for your presence once you arrived at the castle. She said it was urgent." Princess Elizabeth? That must be the older sister she mentioned earlier. "Alright." Braylin looked out to the window. "Hey Ariel, what's with this visit? Can you tell me." She turned to the princess.

"Didn't the Braylin told you? Tomorrow is Princess Elizabeth's coronation to be the queen." A coronation?! Why didn't she tell me sooner?! I could prepare much better clothes to wear.

It doesn't take long for us to arrive at the castle.

Ariel was the first to get out and she held the door for us. She lead us towards the castle and meeting the queen to be in her private chamber. Braylin and I stood in the middle of the room, searching for her older sister.

"Welcome home." I looked up at the stairs and there's a woman look exactly like Braylin on top of the stairs, holding a book. "Thank you. This is Maya Clementine." Elizabeth walked down the stairs and took my hands.

"Still wearing the purple rose I see. Are you serious to have my sister as your bride? She's loud, rude and always gave me a lot of trouble. She's a menace. Are you really sure?"

Whoa! She bombarded me with this sudden question.

"Sister! Don't do that! She's overwhelmed by it." The future queen smiled at me. "I'm sorry. It's just, I don't want your life to be wasted, marrying this useless girl. No offense sister."

"None took." Braylin pulled me away from her sister. "Congratulation on the coronation. So, they really agreed on letting you rule this kingdom without a king on your side?" Elizabeth smiled.

Wait, without a king on her side? Is she not married?

"Girl power rule. Besides, I don't need a man to rule a country. I mean, all they do is on the way of my vision. I don't need people like that to slow me down." Braylin leaned into me.

"She's just saying that because her supposed husband ran away with her bridesmaid on the day of the wedding 2 years ago. Since then she hates wedding."

I manage to move my body before being hit by Elizabeth's book. Braylin wasn't that lucky though. "You don't have to tell her that. Anyway, I need your confirmation about this letter I received." And now they're talking about something I don't even know what it's for.

I went to the windows and looked at the scenery. The way they placed this castle on top of a mountain makes it easier for the royal family to look at their ruling land. From here they could see everything even the ocean.

"Beautiful isn't it?" I was surprised when Braylin was next to me.

"Do you see that new construction building not far from the marine port?" I nodded.

"Elizabeth wanted the world to see how great Malia kingdom is and build a resort there. Since Malia is basically a trading island when it was first founded, she wanted to make use of the history left on that part of the island."

She is a visionary future queen. "In my opinion, the only reason my parents let her sit on the throne because she gave birth to her son 2 years ago. That's mean the future of Malia literally on my nephew's shoulder. I'll introduce you to him later."

Oh. So she already has an heir if she decided to retire from the throne huh.

"You must be tired from the trip. Let me show you the way to your room." I followed the princess and Ariel who's waiting for us outside the room all this time.

"So, hows princess Elizabeth? She's funny isn't she?" Ariel asked when we walked up the stairs. "She's a queen. That's for sure." Ariel chuckled.

"Not like certain princess we know, am I right?" I hold my chuckled when I realized she's talking about Braylin. "I heard that," Braylin said while leading us. Honestly, I what to get to know her deeper. She seems poised enough in my eyes.

Why does everyone call her menace?

***

"Do help Maya in finding a perfect attire for the coronation. I want to meet my parents. Have some rest, okay?" With that Braylin left me alone with Ariel inside this magnificent looking bedroom.

Ariel closed the door when Braylin walked away from us. "Do you need a drink?" Ariel asked. "Cold drink should suffice." She nodded and went to the fridge inside the bedroom. Maybe I could ask Ariel what kind of person Braylin is. Since she's working for her, she must know stuff.

"Say, Ariel, what kind of a person Princess Braylin is? Why does everyone call her a menace?" Ariel walked towards me with a glass of apple juice. "Hmmm... let's see. Because she is a menace I guess." She smiled.

"Braylin is not like the usual princess she should be. She's the type of princess who doesn't care what people think of what she's doing. She listened to electronic dance music rather than classical music. She does play violin and drums. She hates etiquette class and she doesn't like political stuff where princess must attend and do whatever she can to help."

Ariel chuckled. "One time she even called a prince an i***t. That almost earned Malia a war with one of the allied nations. Luckily Elizabeth is fluent in smooching their asses up." I am curious about one more thing.

"You call the princesses by their first name rather than calling them with an honorific. Is that even allowed?"

Ariel chuckled. "No. But as their cousin, I can. Being related to the royal family has its perks you know. My mother is the King's little sister." That's another revelation for you. No wonder no one even bothers to warn her or anything.

"If your done drinking, follow me, please. As much as I hate to follow Braylin's order, I must get you ready for the coronation. Your indeed Braylin's plus one after all." Huh?

"Lady Aurora was kind enough to provide us with your measurement. All designer attire that we can get our hands on such short notice is beside this door."

She pushed the door opened and it literally a mall inside there! A few maids here and there, waiting for us. We both walked inside and Ariel explained to me what dress should I choose and what suit I should wear if I decided to wear one.

"What will the princess wear?" I blurted out.

"Hmm. Good question. Usually, she would choose to wear the official royal uniform. Like the one, she wore at the ball. She's not someone who likes to wear a dress." I need to be honest here.

"To be frank, I don't know what I should wear. The dress I wore at the ball was chosen by Aurora herself. I have no experience in this kind of thing." Ariel seems like she's thinking of something.

"Since I've been working for Braylin for quite some time now, maybe I could choose something to your liking? A dress or a suit?" She asked.

I shrugged. I'm good with either two. "A dress then, okay?" I nodded. "Follow me." I did and she almost seems like an expert in finding things to wear.

She should be. She's related to a royalty. She probably has the same upbringing as Aurora does.

"This will be perfect on you. I'm sure of it. It's off the shoulder and since you have the perfect capacity on your chest area, you will look amazing. Braylin will never get her eyes off of you and even the prince's or single kings out there." She winked.

Somehow I think that will certainly create more chaos and war in the end.

"Say, don't take this the wrong way but, are you ready to be Braylin's bride?" Huh? Where did that come from? "Is this because of my acceptation of this ring?" Ariel nodded.

"In my eyes, you seem like the type of person who will end up marrying a guy than a woman in the future. Did you ever have this type of conversation with Braylin? When you walk in with Braylin on the coronation day, people around you will have the idea that you two will be marrying each other."

Oh wow. Really? Maybe that's what Braylin was trying to explain to me before we hop on the plane. I didn't quite get it when she explained it.

"To be honest, I'm not sure myself. She seems like a nice and kind future spouse but ... I don't know." Ariel smiled. "Hey, don't worry about it. You have all the time in the world to think about it. Let your heart do the decision. If you depend on your brain, it will only make you choose something you will regret in the end."

More riddle than explanation again. I sighed mentally.

"Who's the people in this picture?" I asked Ariel when I came across a picture on a table.

"Braylin's friends. Fake friends if you ask me. They only hang out with her because she's princess." I know the feeling.

"Well, people are like that. They tend to use us and ignore us when they're tired of us. I used to have a friend who shows off what she has and always compare herself to me. I get it that I'm not as rich as her but I feel sorry for her because she's lacking in the aspect of life."

Ariel chuckled. "I know the feeling of that. I may be related to the royal family but ... they always look down on me because of the past."

Because of the past? What happened in the past?

***

Braylin suddenly pushed me inside a room after the coronation and she locked it up. "Whoa. what's wrong?" She ignored my questions and continued to push me against the walls.

"You were talking to Prince Robert behind my back. What did he say to you?" She asked. Prince Robert? Did she mean the handsome young man who offered himself to be my groom? Or is it the prince who willing to buy me an island if I agreed on being with him?

"I'm not sure which is which. There's a lot of people talk to me tonight." She seems upset about it. "I will be frank. I'm jealous okay. I finally have you for myself .... and ... " she didn't get to finished her sentences. She took a couple step back and apologized for her behavior.

"I'm sorry. I don't have the right to say these things to you. I'm sorry." She turned her back to me and was about to leave. But before she could I immediately went to hug her from behind.

"If I recall correctly, wearing this ring meaning I'm your fiancée, isn't it? It's only natural for you to be jealous." Well, since I'm single and she's single, what's the harm in accepting her as the way things are. Besides, the way she invited everyone including the non-elite tonight was a splendid idea.

"But ... I thought ... you're not going to agree on that. You're straight. Right?" Honestly, I'm not sure myself. "I had a boyfriend before. But that doesn't mean I'm not into girls. Besides, if the girl as high as your caliber, only idiots wouldn't accept you." She turned around.

"Be honest with me, do you feel like I'm forcing you to be with me?" I shake my head immediately. "I never feel that way about you. You're not forcing me to do anything. I was the one who accepts this ring and I will return the feelings back Braylin." She blushed.

"You called me by my name and not a princess." Her face reddens even deeper shade of red.

"Isn't that what couples suppose to call each other? Anyway, your really jealous of me talking to the prince? Why? You know they all back away when they saw this ring. I was almost appalled by its power to do such things." I chuckled.

"The purple rose was created by my grandfather and presented the ring to my grandmother. My father also used this ring when he wanted to marry my mother. And now since I don't have any brothers, my parents gave me this ring since I came out to them that I don't see the opposite s*x as my .... you know." She caressed the ring on my finger.

"Having this, your given a title as the duchess automatically." She stated. A what? Duchess? No way. There's no way I'm a duchess. "Since we know your real identity is, it all makes sense now that you received the title, Duchess Maya." That honorific is foreign in my ears.

"Speaking of my real identity ... The Primus Family, am I really Charlotte Primus?" I just can't believe I'm actually from a very well respected family long ago. "Let me show you something." I nodded and watched her went to one of the bookshelves and walked back towards me with a book in her hands.

"This is a complete autobiography book written by my sister, Elizabeth." She started to turn the pages and showed me a picture of a man and a woman ... WHO LOOK JUST LIKE ME!

"This is Lord Abel and his wife, Anastasia. See the resemblance you two share. With the DNA test supported this, your the only survivor of the Primus massacre." She turned the pages again and showed me series of pictures that supposedly said to be my siblings.

I was reading the book when suddenly Braylin lifted my chin and looked into my eyes with her soft and loving orbs. I'm not sure what happened next but the time I realized what just happened, my mind went blank and she already pulling away from me. My lips were trembling from the sudden gesture.

"I couldn't help it. You may hit me. I give you my permission to do so." She was offering her face to be hit but instead, I build up my courage and returned the same gesture. I don't know why but I kinda miss her lips and I want to taste more of her.

"Why would I hit someone who gave me this unknown sensational feeling?" I asked when I pulled away. I felt her hands never left my waist. Her eyes looking into my souls with a smile on her face. I feel a lot safer in her arms like this. We were about to lean in when we heard someone clearing its throat.

When we turned to that someone, it was Ariel, smiling at us.

"How did you get in?" Braylin asked. Ariel showed us her spare keys. "You do know I'm a maid in this household. Not to mention I grew up in this palace alongside you and Elizabeth. I know my ways around." She smirked at us both. "You choose wisely Duchess Maya." Seriously, that honorific is foreign in my ears.

"Why do you have to kill the mood now?" Braylin asked as she feels annoyed by Ariel's action. "I have a message from Queen Elizabeth. I'm not sure what, I forgot after I saw you and Maya smooching each other." I snickered.

"Jesus. Come on. Dig deep inside your brain. What is it?" Braylin asked.

"Oh! She wants to see Duchess Maya." She smiled at me. "Since you both officially dating each other, well from the looks of things, you need to see the queen. She will be the one who married you off now that she's the queen." I touched my nervous heart.

I know I've met her before but she was He, princess. Why do I have to be so nervous? She's the same Elizabeth as before. It's probably because I never met a queen before. I slapped both of my cheeks.

Get it together Maya!

"Are you okay?" Braylin asked me when she witnesses how crazy I am. I could only nod. "Are you nervous upon meeting my sister?" Again I nodded. "Don't be. She's human like the rest of us. She might be strict but she's an amazing sister I could ask for."

Is she trying to assure me that it's alright?

Braylin offered her hand to me as she leads me to meet the queen. Oh, God.