Aurora Heroux

13 | Purple Rose

MAYA'S POV

"What in all holy mother is this?" I asked when I walked out of my house.

"Our ride to school? Why? No good?" First, she waltzes in my room while I'm still on my bed, I'm like okay ... she's probably eager. Next, she joined me and my family for breakfast that her personal maid had prepared for us, that too I can go on with my day.

But this ... this is not the way I want to go to school today.

"It's not that but ... are you really want us to go to school riding that? I mean, I can understand that your a princess, so let me walk to school, okay?" If I followed her more people will be looking at me with wide eyes. I don't want that. My normal life as a student will be ruin.

Not that it's normal, to begin with ever since I accepted the offer as Aurora's soeur.

"Come on in. We don't want to be late." Braylin was smiling wide. I turned to my parents and brothers. "What is with you and rich people? And now a princess? Lucky you Maya." Simon said with a hint of jealousy. "By all means, if you want this life you can have them," I said.

"But if that happens, you need to fit in the girls uniform and wearing Maya's bra to achieve that goal in life." Leon surprisingly making a joke about this. "Well, whatever your doing remember to respect one another. Okay?" Momma was worried.

"Well, be sure to get home. That's all that is matter for me. Be safe." I nodded my head at my dad. When I turned to Braylin, she was opening the door for me. "Lady Maya." She smiled. I sighed. "Can you stop calling me a lady. Just call me Maya." I said and walked in the car.

Once again I am impressed by how people like her live her life. "Oh, this is Ariel, my personal maid. Care for a drink?" I smiled at the bowing maid. "No. I'm still full from the breakfast." She nodded and reached for her phone.

"I'm sorry. I need to check my emails. I may be a student but I'm still a princess with the responsibility to my kingdom. You don't mind, right?" I shake my head. "No. By all means, do what you gotta do, princess." She smiled again and focus on her phone. "Do you need anything, Lady Maya?" Ariel asked me.

I shake my head. Now that I looked at her thoroughly, she's wearing the same uniform as we are. "Are you a student of Monarch as well?" She nodded. "I'm a senior, same with her Highness." Oh, she's a senior? Why would she consider to transfer to Monarch even though she's in her last year of school?

"Her Highness is quite busy does she?" She asked. I shrugged. "She's always like that. Even though we're right in front of her, she ignores us like logs." Braylin chuckled. "I heard that Ariel. I'm not ignoring you two I just need to finish up all the work I have or my sister will have my head." The princess said without even looking up.

Ariel snickered and went to press a button near her. "Do we need to bring these?" I was shocked when Ariel showed me a pair of guns. "Keep those things in here. I'm sure Aurora thought of everything through. She knows the procedure." She finally kept her phone away.

"Speaking of Lady Aurora, are you two a couple before she met Thea?" I blurted out. "Yes, we were. We went out for a few months. Why? Are you jealous of our relationship?" She's enjoying this. "Why would you think I'm jealous of that stuff?"

She shrugged her shoulder.

The car stopped right in front of the main entrance to the school building. I sighed when the guards outside opened the door for us. "Meet you outside." Ariel winked and walked out. Braylin went out next and offered her hand for me to hold as she helped me out.

"So this is Monarch Huh? Nice." Braylin said when I stood next to her. Once again the killer eyes of the student shooting into my soul. "I don't understand this." Ariel suddenly said.

"What's up?" I asked. "They all is blessed with the Highness presence and yours. Why didn't they bow?" She's was loud enough for everyone to hear her for a mile away.

Suddenly everyone around us bows their heads.

"Oh ... they were blind. I was about to despatch the bodyguards who've been assign to protect her Highness here. Don't worry, they're not the bulky man like the usual. They're actually a student as well. Maybe I'll introduce you to them later today."

"As you can see, Ariel here is a blabbermouth. She's the type of person who always speaks her mind off." Braylin whispered to me. "Well, she's honest. That's what counts."

"I see my soeur is here." Aurora made herself known together with the three presidents. I bow my head to the princess and stood beside my grande soeur. "Do you want me to show you around?" Aurora offered. "Thea is nowhere to found, she's not going to come with us right?" Aurora shakes her head.

"She gave some errand to do for me. She will be back by this afternoon. Shall we?" She let the princess walk first and we followed.

I wish I could just escape to my classroom right now. The attention we have while we walked across the hallways is not good for my guts at all.

I feel sick from all the staring alone!

When we arrived at my class floor, Aurora Let me go to my class but Braylin has something else in mind for me.

"Lady Maya. We shall have lunch together today, Alright?" I nodded. "Yes, your Highness. We shall." I bow before excusing myself together with Ophelia.

I sighed when I seated in my designated seat thinking about what just happened.

"Busy morning?" Ophelia asked me when she's facing me. "You don't know the half of it. That princess is a handful. I thought she would be all Lady like Aurora does but nope! She's a menace! She touched everything in my room and I mean everything."

Ophelia laughed at my situation. "Well, that's what you get for accepting the purple rose." I stare at the ring.

Purple rose.

I did look up about it in the net. "The king and queen of Malia contacted my parents. They even offer them a job in their Kingdom." I told Ophelia.

"Did your parents accept?" I shrugged. "They want the best for me and apparently, Braylin is the best for me. But, I never ... with a woman... before .. you know. I have no experience." Ophelia patted my back.

"There's always room for learning and understanding each other in a relationship. I'm sure Braylin did tell you to think this through. She may act like that but she wants the best for you. I know her since forever." Ophelia did sound wise just now.

***

"All done." The nurse said when she took my blood.

"Lady Aurora is waiting outside for you." I thanked the nurse and went out to find Aurora. "All done?" She Asked even I walked out. "Yes. Why do I need to do this though?" I asked the Scion. "To be honest, for something I want to make sure of. I hope you don't mind. You know soon why."

Should I mind?

But, if I say no to her she probably forces me to do so. "I don't mind." She stood up and smiled. "Good, now follow me to the elementary section of Monarch." I followed the Scion towards a car. "Why are we going to the elementary section?" I asked when the car started to move.

"We were invited to a play. A scion's presence together with her soeur is a good show of moral support. They see us as their big sister form, their perfect lady even though I have my flaws. Besides they're all young ladies who work their asses off for this play. We should enjoy it." It only took us few minutes to arrived at the elementary section of Monarch Academy.

Aurora was the first to walk out and I followed her tail. The welcoming committee was a bunch of cute little kids in their costume. I can't believe their so ... poise towards us. The kids I know from where I was from being rude ... and .... well, rude.

"Welcome to Monarch Elementary School. If I recall correctly, this is Lady Maya, the recipient of the purple rose, right? And your soeur, Lady Aurora." Aurora nodded. I curtsy. "Such an honor to have you both here. Please, follow us to the theatre." We both followed the headmistress who seems to be ... weird.

Well, a little. I noticed how she avoid eye contact when she talked to me.

"This would be our first play using the new and improve theatre hall. Isn't it wonderful, Lady Aurora?" The headmistress beamed. As we were walking through the door, I noticed the students were standing up just to greet us.

"Announcing the arrival of our Scion, Lady Aurora, and her soeur, Lady Maya." The voice echoes.

I never would've thought that Aurora is really important here. Even the parents standing up just to give us their respect. "Here is your seat." The headmistress said and we both take our seat. The headmistress sat next to Aurora while the vice sat next to me.

He looks friendly.

"What is the play about?" Aurora asked. "It's an original work from the vice himself. It's called A Morning Glory. A story about a young maiden finding her way to civilization after being deserted in midst of war." Jesus Christ! Can these kids even pull it off?

Even I thought the element being used is hard to understand for a bunch of kids.

"IM THE VIP! I SHOULD SIT ON THE FRONT!" Shouted a loud man behind us.

"Seems like he has arrived." Aurora chuckled. "I'll handle this Lady Aurora. Pardon me." The headmistress smiled before she went to handle the problem. "Exciting isn't it?" Aurora whispered to me.

"But, I think the play is hard to be understood by a bunch of kids," I whispered back.

"Oh no. They're fine. I'm sure of it. Some of these kids are actually talented actor and actress. They have been in show business since they were born." Aurora explained. "From the flier, they even manage to get the famous Paolo Verinino."

Who?

"Ah! From your expression, I can see you don't know who's Paolo Verinino. He's the son of Sergei and Ria Verinino. You know, the one who's famous for that movie The Wedding Night ..." Aurora finally gave up when I shrugged my shoulder. "Where have you been living all this year?" She snickered.

There's a loud sound telling us that the play is about to begin. We both focus on the stage. The play went okay and it was marvelous. The storyline was just perfect and the actors just divine.

"Beautiful," I said under my breath. "I know right. I'm so proud of myself .... and the kids of course." The vice was a bit odd now. "Fantastic play. Shall we continue to visit the school?" Aurora suggested. Oh .. this is like a field trip huh?

"Yes of course." The headmistress went to the vice and explained some things to him before she lead us out of the theatre. "There are a few places I need for you to check and think about if you don't mind, my lady." Aurora nodded and followed the headmistress.

I followed them and listened to the headmistress complaint. I thought this whole thing was supposed to be handled by the chairperson or something. Why does the Scion act as the chairperson? "Did you bring your phone?" Aurora suddenly asked.

I showed her my phone. "Great. Take a picture of this. I will need the picture proof to present this matter to the chairperson." I nodded and did as told.

I was just taking a picture of the cracked wall when someone hit me on my lower torso. When I looked down, a little girl was picking her things up.

"I'm sorry." Her cute voice said. I kneel and help her to pick her things. "I'm sorry as well." The little girl looked up. "It's my fault, Lady." She bows and leaves immediately. I can't help but notice her clothes. It's different than the rest of the student here.

"Is that one of the students who came here like I did?" I asked the headmistress. "Excuse me?" She pardons. "I mean that student, who hit me, did she came from a poor family?" The headmistress nodded. "We allowed the students who can't afford our uniform to use whatever clothes they have. Isn't that the same with the high school division?"

"No. We were given a uniform for half the original prices although it's still expensive." Aurora gained my attention when she touched my shoulder. "What's on your mind, Maya. Tell us." She smiled. "Why can't we just let them study here for free? Education should be free after all." The headmistress laughed at my suggestion.

"If we do that the teachers won't get pay and soon, they will find a more rewarding place to teach. Private school is basically a huge business deal. Isn't that right Lady Aurora?" Aurora didn't respond at all.

"At least for the new students who came from a family that can't afford much." The headmistress cleared her throat. "If they can't afford the tuition why even bother to send their kids here?" She gave Aurora. "May I be frank, Lady Aurora?" Aurora nodded.

"After the chairperson announced that the Monarch will be accepting students from the public school, I received tons of calls from the parents from the elite students saying that the commoners have been nothing but trouble. Honestly, I can't keep being the good headmistress here." Aurora was thinking.

"Why should they be a problem regarding the commoner student?" Aurora asked.

The headmistress was speechless. "Exactly. The chairperson thought that accepting students from the public school will help them shine. As you know, Monarch is famous for producing a smart and talented young people. There's no harm in shade some light to the people who deserve them."

Aurora grabbed a little girl who's just passing by. "Look at her for example. Hair, eyes, mouth, nose even those limbs. They have the same things as us. Why should there be a problem?" The headmistress looks down on her feet.

"Shame on you for thinking that these commoners are garbage in the society. Shame." Aurora was shaking her head.

She smiled at the little girl and let her go. "I'll personally look over the paperwork for this matter. I will make sure everyone will have the same treatment as everyone in Monarch."

Aurora smiled. "I assume this is all you have to say?" The headmistress nodded. "I will make sure to tell the chairperson what is lacking in this school. Don't worry." Aurora and I leave the headmistress to her thoughts.

"Are you sure we're not that harsh on her?" I asked the Scion. "It's fine. She's probably heard a lot worse words than what we just said to her." We're both inside the car. "I can't help but feel sorry for the kids. They probably face judgmental kids every single day." I said while looking out the window.

"It's okay. I'll make sure to do something about that. Besides, my family was the one that suggested this project to merge students. We should take responsibility." Aurora reached for her phone from the bag she left in the car earlier.

I noticed her body language changed when she looked at her phone.

She abruptly looked up at me with tears eyes. She covered her mouth while I heard a faint sobbed coming from her. "What's wrong?" I asked as I feel concerned. She never showed her weak side before. What in the world is she reading on her phone?!

"I'm sorry." Her voice cracked.

"It's .... something in my eye." She wipes her tears away and forces a smile. She looked away from me and look out at the window. I wonder what's going on.

When we arrived at the academy, she went out without saying anything. Thea was waiting for her together with Braylin. It's a rare sight for me because Thea and Braylin never stood next to each other. All three of them turned to me with such expression.

Seriously, what's going on?

"You need to go home," Thea said. "Why?" I asked rather curious. They avoided my question and continue to talk to each other. "Let's use my car. It will fit us." Braylin suggested. Huh? But we still have school to go through.

"Are we skipping classes?" I asked to make sure as Braylin's limousine drive up towards us. "Yes, we are. This is important." Braylin smiled and opened the door for me. I was astounded when the princess opens it.

Thea was the last to enter. The car started to move and I noticed Aurora is not herself at all.

"You need to be the wise one here Aurora. You should talk to Lady Harmony about this. If you let either one of us it will result in something far worst." Thea said. I have no idea what's she meant though.

"I am calm and wise." Was all Aurora said?

I can't help but think that Braylin has something to say to me when she keeps on glancing at me. I really wanted to ask but my mind still curious about this sudden trip home.

What's going on?! I need to know!