Eugenie

EUGENIE was sitting on the chair of her vanity in the dressing room, getting ready and doing her makeup for the grand ball held in the Royal Palace of Madrid. She put on a tiara of tapering bandeau design which was the most expensive in her collection of tiaras and three strand pearl necklace belonging to her mother. "Gigi, I'm not going." Says Isabel, her younger half-sister. Her parents divorced when she was 3 and her mother remarried another Grandee de España. "Why? Grandmama's hoping for you to be there. You also didn't attend mine last time." Eugenie is a hostess, frequently hosting parties and balls for her friends and events. "I know, but it's not like I'm required to be there." "Where are you going? To your boyfriend's house? Philippe Zemli?" Isabel raised her brow. "How do you know that?" "You know me. Anyway, I have to go now. Just tell Grandmama that you have a boyfriend or else she's gonna arrange a marriage for you." "Yeah right." Gigi laughed and kissed her cheeks, "Bye, I'll tell grandmama". "Hey!" "Good evening, Your Royal Highness", her butler, Antonio greeted. "Good evening, Antonio." Though they were Spanish, she and her people around her are more comfortable in speaking English because of her grandmother. "Good evening, Victoire." She greeted her French secretary as she sat next to her. "Gigi, have you got any plans tomorrow?" Victoire asked. "Vicky, book a flight to Kensington tomorrow. I'll stay there for a month so clear out my schedule." "Gigi, have I informed you that Miss Cecilia Alvarez has been coming to your office?" Cecilia Alvarez is her illegitimate half-sister. "No. What did she want from me?" "About the will", she replied. "She's sure that the will of your father are split equally but that's not what was written." "Obviously. Did she talk about the jewels?" Gigi asked. "Yes." "Mhm." "We're here." Antonio got out of the driver seat and opened the doors for them. As the guards opened the palace doors, she went quickly to her grandparents. “Good evening, Grandmama and Grandpapa." At the same time she curtsied. “Good evening, Gigi. Tell me, where's Isabel? Your brother and Hyacinth said that she's going to come with you.” “She doesn't want to come. Don't worry, Grandmama. I'm sure she's fine." "Someone told Caroline that she's seeing someone. Who is it?" Her grandpa, King Carlos asked. "Grandpapa, I don't know. But please stay out of her business. We're in a new world and thank goodness, arranged marriages are not happening anymore." "Anyway, I'll be sitting over there with Minnie and Eula." She sat down and drinks her wine. "Gigi, I would like you to meet someone." Minnie says. "Who?" "Hi!" A lady wearing a blue dress suddenly pops out. "Uh hello?" "Gigi, meet Lady Hestia Aitken. Hestia, this is Eugenie." "Nice to meet you, your royal highness." Hestia curtsied. "Likewise." "Hestia will be your lady-in-waiting." Eula said. "She was appointed by grandmama and her family is a friend of ours." Gigi smiled at her. "We're going to dance. See you later!" The two sisters left to dance. "Hestia, you'll start in a few months 'cause I'm going on vacation. By the way, call me Eugenie only. No formalities." "Hestia! Who's this fine young lady you're talking to?" A good looking man suddenly popped out of nowhere. "I'm Eugenie, Duchess of Alicante." "Oh, nice to meet you, Your Royal Highness. I'm Achilles Aitken, the second son of the Duke of Norfolk and the twin brother of Hestia." "Nice to meet you too." "Eugenie, I'm going to talk to someone." Hestia stood up then went to talk to her other cousins. "So boring party, huh?" He initiated a conversation. "I love balls and parties." "I was hired to host this." "Yeah, kinda explains why it is so dull. So, what are you doing here?" "Because I planned this party?" "Right. Just having a conversation here. Let's go to the balcony, shall we?" Gigi asked and Achilles offered his arm which she gladly accepted. As they sat down on the bench, silence took over until Gigi opened her mouth. "So you're the second son, huh?" "Yeah. Let me ask, how do you feel about being not in line to the throne despite your mother is the eldest?" "I do think that they need to allow women to inherit the throne but I'm glad that they didn't change the rules when I was born so I can't be affected when the time comes." "Why is that?" "Too much responsibility and I wouldn't want that. Even if I was an heir to the throne, I'll renounce my claim." "How does it feel being a spare?" She asked. "I was often overshadowed but I didn't care. All I care was about making businesses and selling my artworks." Gigi smiled. "So what do you do as a Duchess?" "I ran many charities for the poor and homeless children around Spain. My paternal grandmother established those charities." "I see." Gigi looked at him then a brunette walked towards them. "Achilles! You told me you're not going to come! Did you do that to get out of our date?!" Achilles stood up. "Heidi, I told you in the nicest way possible that I don't want a date with you." "Mr. Aitken and Miss Heidi, please resolve this in private. And stop shouting, you two are causing a scene. I will leave you two."