Chapter 6: The Price Of Royalty
1180 Words
The days turned into weeks, and Elara began to understand what Liam meant. Life as Isabella was glamorous, but it was also a cage.
She was sent to finishing classes. She learned etiquette, business management, art appreciation, and social graces. She learned how to walk in heels that made her feet ache, how to smile without showing too much teeth, and how to speak in a way that sounded polite but revealed nothing.
She was being molded. Polished. Refined.
But every night, she would take off the expensive jewelry, wash off the makeup, and look in the mirror. She would search for Elara in her reflection. Sometimes she found her, hiding deep in her eyes. Sometimes she was afraid that Elara was gone forever, replaced by this perfect, untouchable stranger.
She missed Manuel and Rosa terribly. She wanted to call them, to go home, but her schedule was packed. Her parents meant well, but they were overprotective, trying to cram twenty years of missed life into a few months.
And Liam? Liam had pulled away.
He stopped texting her good morning. He stopped asking her out. When they met at business functions or parties, he was polite, charming even, but distant. He treated her like a sister, or worse, like a boss.
It hurt more than anything. The love that had bloomed so beautifully under the Acacia tree was being strangled by expectations, pride, and social status.
Elara stood by the large glass windows, looking out at the city lights. They were bright, millions of them, but they were artificial. They didn't twinkle like the stars she was used to. They just glared.
She felt so alone in the crowd. Everyone wanted to talk to her, to be seen with her, but no one really saw her.
Then she saw him.
Liam was across the room. He was wearing a tuxedo, looking handsome and dashing. And he was talking to a girl. A beautiful girl with perfect hair, perfect makeup, and a perfect pedigree. She was laughing at something he said, touching his arm, looking at him with obvious admiration.
She was like him. She belonged in this world. She understood the rules. She didn't walk around feeling like a misfit.
A sharp pain stabbed Elara’s chest. Jealousy. Fear.
He looks happy with her, Elara thought. He looks comfortable. Maybe he is right. Maybe they are meant for each other.
She couldn't take it anymore. She turned and walked away, heading towards the balcony where the air was fresh and cold.
She leaned against the railing, letting the wind hit her face, trying to dry the tears before they fell.
"You look like you'd rather be anywhere else but here."
The voice made her jump. She turned around. Liam was there. He had followed her.
"I thought you were busy," she said coldly, turning back to the view.
"With who?" Liam asked, stepping closer. "With Bianca? She was just telling me about a new investment."
"She looks very knowledgeable," Elara said, her voice trembling. "And very pretty. And very… suitable."
Liam sighed. He reached out and grabbed her shoulders, turning her to face him.
"Look at me," he commanded softly.
Elara looked up, her eyes swimming with tears. "Why are you here, Liam? Go back inside. Go back to your world. I am clearly in it now, but I don't know how to live in it."
"I lost you, didn't I?" Liam whispered, his face pained. "I lost the girl who taught me how to be free. I got scared. I got insecure. I thought that because you have money now, you don't need me. I thought I would just be another accessory to your life."
"You are an i***t, Liam Montejo," Elara sobbed, hitting his chest weakly. "You are the only thing I have that is real! Everyone else wants Isabella! You are the only one who ever loved Elara!"
"I love you," Liam said firmly, holding her hands and stopping them from hitting him. "I love you. I don't care about the name. I don't care about the money. I was just… afraid. Afraid that I wasn't enough for the great Miss Montemayor."
"You were always enough!" she cried. "You loved me when I had nothing! Don't stop loving me just because I have everything now!"
Liam pulled her into a tight hug, burying his face in her hair. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. I was a fool. A proud, stupid fool."
"I feel so lost, Liam," she whispered against his chest. "I don't know who I am supposed to be."
"You are you," he said, pulling back to look into her eyes. "You are the girl who walks barefoot in the rain. You are the girl who sees beauty in everything. You are Elara. And you are Isabella. You are both. You don't have to choose. You can be both."
🎬 SCENE: THE AWAKENING
Setting: The following day. Elara is in her office, looking at blueprints and documents.
After the night at the ball, something shifted inside Elara. She stopped fighting and started accepting. But she accepted it on her terms.
She realized that being a Montemayor wasn't just about wearing pretty dresses and attending parties. It was about power. And power could be used to do good.
She called for a meeting with her father and the board of directors. She walked in, head held high, wearing her confidence like armor.
"Father," she said, standing in front of the large table. "I accept my responsibilities. I want to learn the business. I want to help."
Her father beamed with pride. "That is my daughter."
"But," she added firmly. "I have one condition."
"Anything."
"I want to use part of the foundation funds to build schools and hospitals in the provinces," she said, her voice clear and strong. "Specifically in San Isidro. I want to help the place that raised me. I want to bring progress there, but without destroying its beauty."
The room was quiet, then her father smiled. It was a genuine smile of respect.
"Consider it done," he said. "You have a good heart, Isabella. Never lose that."
Elara smiled. She realized then that she didn't have to leave Elara behind to be Isabella. She could be a Queen, but she could be a Queen with a peasant's wisdom and kindness.
She picked up her phone and dialed a number.
"Hello, Mama Rosa? Yes, it's me. I'm coming home this weekend. And I'm bringing Liam. I want to show you something. We are going to build something wonderful together."
She looked out the window of the high-rise office, down at the sprawling city below. It was beautiful in its own way. And back home, the province was beautiful too.
She was the bridge. She was the connection between the sky and the earth.
And with Liam by her side, holding her hand, no longer afraid, no longer distant, she knew she could handle anything.
The price of royalty was high, but she was willing to pay it, as long as she kept her soul.
- Writer
