Chapter 2: An Ordinary Life
1973 Words
The shrill sound of an alarm clock shattered the silence of a modest apartment on the third floor of a quiet brick building.
Elena Carter groaned softly beneath her blanket before reaching out to silence it.
6:00 a.m.
She stared at the ceiling for a few seconds.
Another Monday.
Another day of teaching teenagers who believed history had no place in the modern world.
She smiled despite herself.
"I'll convince at least one of them today," she murmured.
Swinging her legs over the side of the bed, Elena padded across the wooden floor toward the window. She pulled the curtains apart, allowing the golden morning sunlight to flood the room.
Unlike the extravagant royal palace on the other side of the city, Elena's apartment was simple.
A bookshelf occupied one corner, filled with biographies of kings, queens, and famous leaders. Small potted plants decorated the windowsill, while framed photographs of her late parents rested neatly on a wooden cabinet.
It wasn't luxurious.
But it was home.
"Morning, Mom. Morning, Dad," she whispered, smiling at their picture.
She misses them every day.
After losing both parents in a car accident six years earlier, Elena had learned to depend on herself.
She worked hard.
Saved carefully.
Never complained.
Life wasn't perfect, but she was grateful.
Half an hour later, dressed in a cream blouse, navy skirt, and comfortable flats, Elena tied her chestnut-brown hair into a neat ponytail before grabbing her satchel.
Inside were lesson plans, notebooks, and the history book she'd been reading over the weekend.
She locked the apartment door and hurried downstairs.
"Miss Carter!"
She turned.
Mrs. Henderson, the elderly woman who owned the bakery downstairs, waved excitedly.
"I've just taken fresh cinnamon rolls out of the oven."
Elena laughed.
"You know I can't resist those."
"I know."
Within minutes, Mrs. Henderson handed her a paper bag and a steaming cup of coffee.
"Breakfast."
"You spoil me."
"Nonsense."
The elderly woman folded her arms.
"You work too hard."
"I enjoy teaching."
"You also forget to eat."
Elena smiled sheepishly.
"Guilty."
Mrs. Henderson refused to accept money.
"You can pay me by telling me another interesting story about those kings you love so much."
Elena laughed.
"Deal."
As she continued walking toward the bus stop, she passed newspaper stands lining the sidewalks.
Something immediately caught her attention.
Every front page carried the same headline.
ROYAL COUNCIL ORDERS PRINCE TO CHOOSE A BRIDE WITHIN ONE YEAR
Below the headline was a photograph of Prince Nicholas Ashford leaving the Royal Palace the previous afternoon.
He looked calm.
Almost expressionless.
Yet his eyes...
There was something lonely about them.
Elena paused.
"The poor man," she murmured.
The newspaper vendor overheard her.
"Poor?"
He chuckled.
"That's the richest bachelor in the kingdom."
"I'm not talking about money."
The old vendor shrugged.
"I'd happily trade places with him."
"Would you?"
"Of course."
Elena looked back at the newspaper.
"Imagine never being allowed to make your own decisions."
The vendor scratched his head.
"I suppose that's true."
She bought a copy before continuing toward the bus stop.
Inside the crowded bus, everyone discussed only one topic.
"Did you see Lady Victoria's interview?"
"My daughter says Prince Nicholas is the most handsome royal in Europe."
"They say every noble family is sending invitations to the palace."
"I heard foreign princesses are arriving this week."
Elena quietly unfolded her newspaper.
She skimmed through the article.
The Royal Council had officially announced that the Crown Prince would choose a bride before his coronation next year.
Political analysts called it a historic decision.
Fashion magazines were already predicting who would become queen.
Social media had exploded overnight.
Elena shook her head.
"They're treating marriage like a competition."
The elderly man beside her smiled.
"That's royalty for you."
She folded the newspaper.
"I still think it's sad."
"Why?"
"Because everyone seems more interested in the crown than the man wearing it."
The old man looked at her with surprise.
"You're very kind, Miss."
Elena simply smiled.
The bus stopped outside St. Augustine Academy.
Students poured through the gates, laughing loudly.
"Miss Carter!"
A dozen voices called her name simultaneously.
She barely had time to step off the bus before several students surrounded her.
"Good morning!"
"Morning, everyone."
One little girl proudly held up a history project.
"I finished it!"
Elena examined it carefully.
"This is wonderful, Sophie."
The girl's face lit up.
"Really?"
"You even remembered the dates correctly."
"I studied all weekend."
"I'm proud of you."
Nearby, another student looked nervous.
"Miss Carter..."
"Yes?"
"I failed the quiz."
Elena smiled reassuringly.
"One bad quiz doesn't decide your future."
"It doesn't?"
"It tells you where you need more practice."
His shoulders relaxed.
"Thank you."
As the morning bell rang, Elena entered her classroom.
The walls were decorated with colorful maps, historical timelines, and photographs of ancient civilizations.
Most teachers preferred plain classrooms.
Elena wanted hers to inspire curiosity.
She placed her books on the desk.
"Good morning, class."
"Good morning, Miss Carter."
Today's lesson began with the history of constitutional monarchies.
She wrote one question across the board.
What makes a great ruler?
Hands immediately shot into the air.
"Power."
"Wisdom."
"Money."
"A strong army."
Elena smiled.
"Interesting answers."
She walked slowly between the desks.
"What if I told you that history remembers rulers for something much greater?"
The students looked curious.
"Character."
Silence filled the room.
"A crown doesn't automatically make someone worthy of leading people."
She paused.
"The greatest rulers earned the trust of their people through compassion, courage, honesty, and sacrifice."
One student frowned.
"So being born royal isn't enough?"
Elena shook her head.
"No."
She pointed toward an old painting of a famous queen.
"She was never expected to rule."
"What happened?"
"She became one of the greatest queens in history because she cared more about her people than herself."
The classroom fell silent as every student listened.
Outside the classroom windows, television news crews gathered across the city to report on the prince's search for a bride.
Inside, Elena had no idea that fate was quietly weaving her own story into the pages of history.
By the end of the week, her ordinary life would collide with the royal family in a way she could never have imagined.
The afternoon sun streamed through the classroom windows as the final bell echoed across St. Augustine Academy.
A chorus of excited voices erupted instantly.
"Have a wonderful afternoon, Miss Carter!"
"You too," Elena replied with a smile. "Don't forget your essays are due on Thursday."
Several students groaned dramatically.
"Miss Carter!"
She laughed.
"You'll thank me one day."
"I seriously doubt that," one boy muttered, making the class burst into laughter.
Within minutes, the classroom emptied, leaving behind only scattered chairs and the quiet hum of the ceiling fan.
Elena gathered the assignments from her desk and slipped them into her satchel. She was about to leave when someone knocked gently on the open classroom door.
"Miss Carter?"
It was Sophie, the shy girl from her class.
"Come in."
The little girl stepped inside, clutching her backpack nervously.
"I... I wanted to ask something."
"What is it?"
"My parents keep fighting because Dad lost his job."
Elena's smile softened.
"I'm sorry to hear that."
Sophie stared at the floor.
"I don't think they'll be able to pay for the history trip next month."
For a moment, Elena said nothing.
She knew exactly how difficult financial struggles could be.
After her parents passed away, she had worked part-time while finishing university just to survive.
No child should carry that kind of burden.
She crouched until they were eye level.
"Listen to me."
Sophie looked up.
"The trip is important..."
She paused.
"...but you are more important."
The little girl blinked.
"If you can't go, I'll make sure you don't miss anything. I'll even organize a special lesson just for you."
"You would?"
"Of course."
Tears filled Sophie's eyes.
"Thank you."
Elena gently brushed a loose strand of hair away from the girl's face.
"And promise me something."
"What?"
"Don't blame yourself for problems adults have to solve."
Sophie nodded.
"I promise."
After the girl left, Elena released a quiet sigh.
Teaching wasn't only about books.
Sometimes...
It was simply about listening.
---
The walk home took nearly thirty minutes.
The streets of Astoria buzzed with unusual excitement.
Every café television displayed the same breaking news.
THE SEARCH FOR ASTORIA'S FUTURE QUEEN HAS OFFICIALLY BEGUN.
Crowds gathered outside electronic stores to watch reporters broadcasting live from the Royal Palace.
One reporter stood in front of the palace gates.
"Since this morning, more than twenty noble families have arrived with their daughters. Royal experts believe Prince Nicholas may begin meeting potential brides within the coming weeks."
A woman standing nearby sighed dreamily.
"I wish I were twenty years younger."
Her husband laughed.
"You'd scare the poor prince away."
Everyone chuckled.
Elena couldn't help smiling before continuing down the sidewalk.
She stopped at a neighborhood grocery store to buy vegetables, bread, and milk.
As she reached the checkout counter, she noticed an elderly man struggling with several heavy bags.
Without hesitation, she walked over.
"May I help you?"
"Oh, dear..."
The man smiled gratefully.
"My knees aren't what they used to be."
"I'll carry them."
"You don't have to."
"I know."
She lifted the bags with ease.
"Which way?"
He pointed toward a nearby apartment building.
"My daughter usually comes, but she's working late today."
The walk lasted barely ten minutes.
By the time Elena reached his apartment, the old man's smile had returned.
"You remind me of my wife."
Elena smiled.
"I'll take that as a compliment."
"It certainly is."
Before she left, he pressed a small chocolate bar into her hand.
"I insist."
She laughed.
"I only carried your groceries."
"And kindness deserves kindness."
Elena thanked him before heading back toward her apartment.
She never noticed the sleek black SUV parked across the street.
Inside sat two men wearing dark suits.
One lowered a pair of binoculars.
"Is that her?"
"It is."
The second man studied a photograph.
"History teacher."
"Twenty-four."
"No criminal record."
"No political connections."
The driver frowned.
"So why are we watching her?"
The older man folded the file shut.
"Orders."
"From whom?"
He looked toward the palace in the distance.
"The Royal Household."
The younger agent looked surprised.
"What could the palace possibly want with an ordinary schoolteacher?"
The older man simply replied,
"We're not paid to ask questions."
The SUV pulled quietly into traffic.
Unaware she had been watched, Elena unlocked her apartment door.
She changed into comfortable clothes, tied her hair into a messy bun, and began preparing dinner while soft classical music played from an old radio.
It was peaceful.
Comfortable.
Ordinary.
Exactly the life she wanted.
Yet far across the city, inside the glittering walls of the Royal Palace, Prince Nicholas stood before the enormous windows of his private study.
His desk was covered with invitations.
Portraits.
Letters.
Marriage proposals from aristocratic families across the kingdom.
He hadn't opened a single one.
Oliver entered quietly.
"Still ignoring them?"
Nicholas didn't turn around.
"I've counted forty-three invitations."
"Forty-four."
Oliver placed another envelope on the desk.
Nicholas sighed.
"They're multiplying."
"The entire kingdom wants to know who their future queen will be."
Nicholas picked up one envelope before dropping it back onto the pile.
"They don't care who I marry."
"They care what she represents."
Nicholas stared out at the palace gardens below.
"There has to be someone..."
Oliver raised an eyebrow.
"Someone?"
"...who sees me as Nicholas."
He smiled bitterly.
"...and not as the Crown Prince."
For the first time in days, Oliver didn't have an answer.
Outside, dark clouds slowly gathered over the city.
Neither Nicholas nor Elena knew that destiny had already begun drawing their paths together.
Their first meeting...
...was only days away.
- Writer
