The Accidental Princess

2. Red Rage

    A week passed before I was called upon by the king. I dressed as nicely as I could with the few clothes that I had to my name. A pencil skirt and button-up blouse were always safe choices. I walked down the long hallways to the throne room. The old man at the desk stood up at my approach. He smiled at me and reached for the door.

      “Good morning, Miss Underwood.” He said. “You’re just in time. The king will see you now.”

    I nodded. The guard standing nearby opened the door for me. I walked in slowly, feeling many pairs of eyes on me as soon as I entered the room. The king wasn’t alone today. The queen was there today, along with what appeared to be all of their children, including Jacob. Eleven sets of eyes, not including the guards, all fell upon me at once. I took a breath, then gently and respectfully approached the throne. I bowed to the king.

      “Brianna, thank you for coming.” The king said. “As I’m sure you are aware, I have a task for you. It is no simple task. It will push you to your limits. Are you ready?”

       I nodded. “Yes, my lord.”

       He smiled. “Good. There is a party in two weeks. We must look our best because the emperor will be here. I’ll need you to design outfits for my wife and me. You will also need to make something for each of our children. Understood?”

       “You want me to make eleven outfits in two weeks, sire?” I asked, feeling a tightness spread through my chest.

    The king nodded. “Is that an issue?”

    I shook my head. “No, sir. I was just checking that I understood correctly. I will get to work immediately.”

    The king nodded. “Good. We will meet you in the fitting rooms so that you can take our measurements. A servant will show you there.”

     A young girl appeared at my side. I followed her out of the room. As soon as I was away from their eyes, I could feel the pressure finally fully settle in. The tightness in my chest made me feel like I was going to burst. The girl looked at me.

      “I’m sure you’ll do great.” She said. “The king and queen are strict, but I’m sure you’ll impress them. You’ve already impressed their son.”

    I looked over at her. “Their son?”

    She nodded. “Prince Jacob wouldn’t stop talking about your line at the fashion show until they looked at it. They were impressed as well. That’s not an easy feat.”

     “I got this job because of Prince Jacob?” I asked, not specifically talking to her.

       She looked over at me. “What? No. When his parents suggested it, the prince begged them not to bring you in. I didn’t hear his reasons, but he sounded bent on making sure you never stepped foot in here.”

       I frowned. Jacob really was a strange man. He held my hand at the fashion show, but now he wanted me far away from him. Why? What were his motives? I couldn’t understand what I did to receive the treatment he was giving me. Finally, we stopped in front of a door. She turned to me.

     “This is it. Good luck.” She said, leaving me there.

      I sighed, slowly opening the door. There, I found a decent size room. There was a round, red couch in the middle that could comfortably fit all of the royal family. A table to my left held a notepad, an array of pencils, and a measuring tape. Towards the back of the room, there were a few rooms closed off by red curtains. There was also a door to another room on the back wall. The door behind me opened, and a man poked his head in.

       “Oh! Miss Brianna, you’re here already.” He stepped in. “My name’s Nino. I’m the castle steward.” He extended his hand to me. “It’s a pleasure to meet you.”

    I shook his hand. “It’s nice to meet you, too.”

    He smiled, putting his hand back in his pocket. He was a short man. Undoubtedly, he looked like a dwarf next to Jacob. The only hair he had left was on the sides, and it was slight and black. He was a little plump, his stomach fat spilling out over his tight pants. But his smile was soft, and his eyes were kind, so I didn’t think too harshly about him.

     “The royal family will be here soon, so you best prepare. Through that back door will be your design studio.” He told me, pointing. “When you’re finished taking measurements, you should aquatint yourself with your space. If all goes well, you’ll be here for a long time.”

      I furrowed my brows. “If all goes well?”

      His face darkened. A slight frown pulled at his lips. “Yes. Well, you didn’t hear this from me, but every designer that’s come before you has been fired within a month.”

    I felt my face fall and my stomach drop. “Oh.”

    “Don’t worry about it, my dear,” Nino said, putting his hand on my shoulder. “I have faith in you. I was at the fashion show where your men’s line premiered, and I was floored. As was the queen. I’m sure you’ll do great.”

      “Thanks.” But I wasn’t reassured.

       The door opened, and a man walked in. He was tall and dark-haired like Jacob. However, his chest and shoulders were broader. He stepped in without saying a word, another man right behind him. He smiled at me, but it was gone quickly. He extended his hand to me.

    “Prince Cory, heir to Arvendon.” He said to me.

     “Brianna Underwood,” I told him, shaking his hand. “Your royal designer.”

     He grinned, bending, and placing a kiss on my knuckles. “How lucky we are to have such a pretty designer this time. The last one was horrendous.”

     I pulled my hand away. I looked over at Nino, who only supplied me a shrug. He cleared his throat, turning to the prince. Cory didn’t seem to even realize he was in the room. The other man moved and stepped up to face Cory.

      “Cory, you will do well to remember not to be anything but businesslike with Miss Underwood.” The other man said. “And that you are not the heir yet.”

      Cory scowled down at the man. “That’s not nice.”

      I looked over at Nino, who ushered me over to the table. I picked up the measuring tape, taking a breath. He smiled at me, leaning in close as if sensing my thoughts. I shook my head.

    “Is he allowed to talk to Prince Cory like that?” I asked in a hushed voice.

     He laughed. “He’s the only one who can, besides his parents. In fact, when he was hired, the king demanded that he talk to Cory like that.”

    “Why?” I asked, confused.

     He laughed. “Never mind that. Just get started with what you need to do.”

     I nodded, turning back to Cory. “Prince Cory, let’s get started.”

     He nodded, moving over to where Nino and I stood. I started taking his measurements, writing them down in the notebook as I went. Cory bowed to me when I was done, a flirty smile on his face, then left the room. The man- his steward, I assumed- followed him out. I turned to Nino.

       “Who’s next?” I asked.

       The following member who entered was a girl who looked almost exactly like Jacob. She was short, though, and had long brown hair that was straight and thin. She smiled at me.

            “Brianna, this is Princess Jade,” Nino said. “She and Jacob are twins.”

            I bowed to her. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Princess.”

            She smiled. “Please, don’t be formal with me. I’m not like my brother. Shall we get started?”

            I nodded, starting to take her measurements. “What would you like to wear for this ball, Jade?”

            She was silent for a moment. “Something classy, but also sexy. Father says I should be looking for a suitor now that I’m twenty-one. So, I should be the most beautiful woman in the room. Don’t you agree?”

    I smiled. “Of course. Only the best will do.”

            Jade laughed. “You’re starting to sound like Mother.” I saw her smile. “Maybe I’ll be the next heir. Jacob would be so mad.”

            “Is that right?” I asked, trying not to laugh.

            “He wants to be king so badly. He’d do anything for it.” She shook her head. “But, he’ll never fall in love, so I don’t see how he’s going to be king.”

            I stood up, writing down what I found. “You think Jacob will just marry for power or status?”

            “Definitely. My brother has no loving bone in his body.” I looked at her. She looked sad. “But, I love him. I shouldn’t be saying these things.”

    I smiled. “Don’t worry, Jade. Your secret’s safe with me.”

            Jade smiled. “Thank you. I can’t wait to see what you make for me. Bye!”

            With that, she ran out of the room. I took a deep breath. The contract had mentioned that she was completely different than Jacob, and I could see that she was. However, I could see some similarities, and not just in their looks. I wrote down what she wanted for the dress, then Nino sent the next family member in.

       Another guy stepped in. He was shorter than Cory or Jacob and had messy black hair. He scanned his eyes over me quickly before approaching. He extended his arms so that I could start measuring him. His long shirt sleeves pulled up just enough for me to see the swirl of black—a tattoo.

    “Prince Rory, I assume?” I asked, starting to measure him.

            He looked down at me. “How did you know that? We’ve never met.”

            I shrugged. “I was told you were the only one of the children to have tattoos.”

            Rory laughed. “The only child, huh?” He gave another laugh that almost sounded like a scoff. “Then you don’t know Jacob and Jade's dirty little secrets.”

            I looked up, my interest piqued. “What dirty little secret is that?”

            I felt him study me for a moment. “Fine. I guess I can trust you.” He laughed. “They both have a tattoo on their back. On their shoulder.”

            “Of what?” I asked, going back to the measurements.

            He shrugged. “No clue. I’ve only seen Jacob's once, but it was merely a glance. He yelled at me when he noticed that I saw it. Told me not to tell anybody. Oops.”

            I laughed. “I bet you’ve told every other designer.”

            Rory laughed again. “No, my dear. Just you. And now Nino.” He looked over at the steward. “Don’t tell a soul.”

    Nino held up his hands. “I would never!”

            I moved away to write down Rory’s measurements. “You’re done, Prince Rory.”

            He smiled at me. “Thank you, Brianna. I’ll see you around.”

            He left the room with a little smile. Nino and I looked at each other, then burst out laughing. I sat down on the couch for a moment. He sat down next to me, still chuckling. I looked at the door, expecting someone to walk in.

            “I can’t believe Prince Jacob has a tattoo,” I said.

            Nino nodded in agreement. “Me neither. I thought I knew everything that happened in this castle. But, I suppose I was wrong.”

            “Now I want to see if I can sneak a peek at it,” I told him. “Do you think I’d get away with it?”

    He laughed. “Definitely not. He’d be on to you immediately.”

           When the door opened next, the king stepped in. I bowed to him.

        “Your Highness,” I said.

            Nino stood. “Your majesty.”

            The king smiled. “I’m ready for my fitting.”

            I nodded. “Of course. Step right up here, and I’ll get started.”

            The king stepped up to the table. I took his measurements, taking my time as I went along. He told me all about the event, who would be in attendance. The party was supposed to be the anniversary of when Arvendon was accepted into the treaty. The king told me about how his grandfather hadn’t wanted to be part of the deal initially, but continuous wars made him reconsider. Now, he wasn’t so sure the treaty had solved anything.

    “But will you stay part of the treaty, your majesty?” I asked.

            He laughed. “Of course, my dear. Our alliance with the other kingdoms has made us stronger than ever. It’s the countries outside of the treaty we have to worry about.” He shook his head. “Besides, we wouldn’t have made allies with Paelford if not for this treaty. That is our strongest alliance. That’s where you’re from, is it not?”

            I nodded. “It is, my lord.”

            “Good. I’ve always liked people from Paelford.” King Alvin told me. “Always so relaxed and laid back, but some of the hardest workers I’ve ever met. I’ve always been jealous of how little they stress.”

            I laughed. “Your Highness, you shouldn’t believe everything you see. We stress just as much as everybody else.”

            I watched his smile go soft. “Of course. We are all different than we appear. Even you. Even me.” He looked away. “Are you almost done?”

    I nodded, moving to my notebook. “I am finished, my lord. Thank you.”   

            His smile brightened. “No, thank you. Good day.”

            He left the room, and I quickly jotted down his measurements before I forgot them. The door opened again. I looked up, finding a little kid with a mop of black hair run in. He jumped on me, screaming “Princess Bri” and wrapping his arms around my neck. I laughed, wrapping my arms around him to steady us.     I pulled back just slightly to look at him. “Prince Geoffrey, I assume?”

            He nodded. “That’s right. I am the heir to the throne! Marry me, Princess!”

            “Geoffrey!”

            We stopped laughing, turning to the harsh voice. It came from the now open door. Prince Jacob stood there, scowling. As usual, he looked perfect, his brown hair combed perfectly into place and not an inch of his black suit wrong. It was tailored perfectly to his long body. Geoffrey frowned, slipping out of my arms. He turned to Jacob, folding his arms across his chest, standing his ground. Jacob came in, closing the door behind him. He glanced up at me and then back down at his brother.

            “Geoffrey, what do you think you’re doing?” Jacob demanded.

            Geoffrey huffed. “I’m proposing to my princess. She’ll be my queen. You’re just jealous.”

            Jacob’s hands clenched into fists, but I could see a little bit of pink spread into his cheeks. “That’s preposterous. She is far older than you. You can’t marry her. So, stop distracting her from her work.”

    The boy looked up at me. “He’s just jealous.”

            I smiled down at him. “Don’t be mean to your older brother. Come here so I can take your measurements.”

            The little boy came over to the couch. I sat down with my notepad in my lap and started taking his measurements. Jacob moved across the room to lean against the table. Geoffrey giggled every time I shifted him to measure something else. I smiled.

            “Will you make me a suit?” Geoffrey asked. “I want to look just like my brother.” He looked up at Jacob. “Do you think that’ll be okay?”

    I smiled. “Of course, little lord. If that’s what you want, I can make you a little suit. What color shirt were you thinking?”

            He looked back up at Jacob. “What color shirt is he going to wear?”

            “White,” Jacob answered, not giving me any thought.

            The little prince stroked his chin thoughtfully. “Then, I want blue. A light blue. Is that okay?”

            I nodded. “Of course, little prince. I’ll make sure to design one that would be perfect for you.”

            I wrote down the prince’s measurements and what he wanted me to design for him. When I finished, he ran over and hugged Jacob’s leg. The older prince didn’t resist like I expected him to. Instead, he bent down and hugged his little brother. When he pulled away again, he looked like he was going to scold the child once more.

    “Where’s Camille, Geoffrey?” He asked the kid.

            The young prince shrugged. “I don’t know. I don’t keep track of her.”

            Jacob rolled his eyes. “You know you aren’t supposed to go anywhere without her. I’m going to get measured, and then we’re going to find her, okay?”

            The young prince folded his arms over his chest. “I don’t want to! I’m not a baby anymore! Why do I need a babysitter following me around all the time?”

            I expected Jacob to get angry at this outburst, but his face stayed blank. “You better get used to people following you around. It’ll happen for the rest of your life.” He looked over at me. “Are you ready for me, Bri?”

    I nodded, standing up. Geoffrey looked up at Jacob as he stood up, his jaw dropped and his cheeks red with frustration. Jacob didn’t seem to notice. The prince was too busy not really looking at me. Geoffrey grabbed Jacob’s pants.

            “Why are you calling her by a nickname?” Geoffrey demanded. “She’s my princess! You can’t have her.”

            I walked over and touched my hand to the young prince’s shoulders. “Don’t worry, little lord. You can call me Bri, too.” I looked up at Jacob. “Go sit on the couch while I take your brother’s measurements. Nino will entertain you.”

            The steward looked up from his phone just as the little boy went bounding for the couch. I smiled, turning back to Jacob. He wasn’t looking at me again. I let out a quiet sigh, then went to work measuring his body.

    “You’re good with kids.” He whispered.

            “I suppose,” I answered.

            I felt him study my face for a moment. “You’re mad at me.”

            I shook my head. “No.”

            “Yes.” He said.

            I looked up at him. “Do you really want to have this conversation here with the kid in the room?

    “Yes.” He said. “I’m sure it’s not so bad that he can’t hear it. He’s a strong kid.”

            I finished my measurements, then turned away from the prince. I wrote down his information in my notepad, not looking at him. I felt him draw closer, pushing me to tell him what I was thinking.

            “Brianna. Answer me.” He demanded.

            I looked up at him. “You tried to discredit me to your parents, make sure that I didn’t get this job. You tried to ruin my career. Did you think I was going to be happy about that?”

            He opened his mouth like he was going to deny it but quickly changed his mind. “How did you hear about that?”

            I shook my head. “Everybody talks, Jacob.”

            “I didn’t try to ruin your career. I just didn’t want you here.” I looked up at him, scowling. “You had plenty of a career back at Annick Chapelle’s. You should’ve stayed there.”

    I glared. “Annick Chapelle’s is gone. It’s closed for good. My career was over.”

            His face dropped. “Oh. I had no idea, Bri. I apologize.”

            “If you don’t mind, I have two more members of the royal family to measure.” I turned away from him. “Please, let me get back to my work.”

            He didn’t argue. “Come, Geoffrey. Bri has a lot of work to do.”

            I watched Jacob and Geoffrey leave the room. When I looked up, Nino had gotten up off the couch. He leaned against the table, watching me with curious eyes. I turned away, not willing to answer.

            “I have Princess Brenda and Queen Linsey left to measure. Would you send them in?” I said to him.

    He sent the queen and the youngest princess into the room. I measured them both quickly. They gossiped together while I took their measurements. I didn’t hear a word they had said. My ears were ringing. I couldn’t believe Jacob would try to ruin my career without knowing all of the facts. He infuriated me sometimes.

            It had gotten late by the time I finished with the fittings. I put everything away in the design room, then retreated to my room. There, I laid in bed, staring at the ceiling. There was no way I was making it out of this alive.