The Royal Invitation
Chapter 6
Alex’s POV:
I straightened out any wrinkles that the steamer already hadn’t before turning to my reflection in the mirror. Over the last week I had put more attention into my outfit choices than I had throughout the last twenty four years of my existence, and it was pretty obvious. Even my hair was styled back and straightened rather than it’s messy uneven cut hidden beneath a beanie.
I tugged at the bottom of my jacket, glancing at the mirror one last time before grabbing the clipboard I had acquired from Garry now that I actually had a job to do, and my phone. The only job I really had for today was to keep the princess on schedule for the coronation, which seemed easy enough.
I weaved in and out of the crowd, eventually finding myself on the large central staircase. The banisters were covered in a silk drape-embellished in royal colours of teal and white. With each pillar wrapped in a golden tassel and adorned with the kingdom’s crest, it completed the ceremonial look of the coronation.
Turning onto the east wing, I continued down the empty corridor, away from the rush of people downstairs. I eventually found myself outside the designated room. Aerowyn opened the door almost instantly, leaving it open as she ambulated around the room. I slid in, closing the heavy door behind me.
"Aerowyn?" I called, to which she ignored me and continued pacing. She hummed quietly beneath her breath, completely forgetting about my existence all together. I stepped forward, grabbing her hands in time for her eyes to creep up and meet mine.
She broke her gaze, pulling her hands from my own before moving to the window. Her fingers tapped impatiently at the aging wood whilst she stared out at the bustling crowd beneath.
"If you want to be alone I can just go.." I uttered, pointing with my thumb to the door behind me. She shook her head softly, though keeping her eyes on the rush below.
I understood how the coronation could be overwhelming. If I hadn't been so used to big concerts, I would probably be feeling like a deer caught in headlights right now, but she's a princess. Wasn't she raised with the soul intention to one day become queen?
"I can't," she spoke, her voice breaking slightly, "do this…"
"Wait, why?" I asked, walking a few steps to be beside her. I leaned against the wall to the right of the window, staring down at her panicked expression.
Her eyes flickered to mine and she shook her head. "No, I'm fine," she insisted, carefully wiping the tears pooling in her eyes.
“I can see you’re not.” I replied, looking at her expectantly. She shook her head again, moving across the room to where her gown was hung on the wall. Her fingers brushed against the expensive fabric, inspecting it sullenly.
“It’s nothing important,” she mumbled, fumbling with the silk chiffon aimlessly.
“It clearly is, otherwise you wouldn’t be upset about it.”
She shook her head again, shrugging it off.
"Hey, come on. I can't help if you don't let me."
"It's nothing." She repeated, looking up at me, her eyes red and watery.
"Can I know what nothing is?" I inquired, smiling weakly as her eyebrows furrowed.
"I'm scared, okay? Is that what you wanted to hear? I'm scared that the next time I attend a coronation it will be because my father will have died. I'm scared that my family, and kingdom, are going to have to go through another loss like the last. I'm so… scared." Her voice trailed off and she returned to fumbling with the silky fabric.
"It's normal to be scared, you know. If you think for a second that I'm not shit scared of what tomorrow awaits, then you're mistaken," I stepped forward, drawing her attention away from the dress and back to me. "Fear happens, no matter what you do. Now fight it, or let it consume you, it's your choice."
She stared at me, eyes widened.
"You can do this. It will take time, but you will get through this. How do you think I ended up in a famous band?"
She snorted, grinning at me childishly. "I can't believe you just turned into a fucking life coach over a minor panic attack."
"Hey! Language! You're a princess." I point at her accusingly, to which she scrunched her nose.
"I'm merely stating the truth." She defended, wiping away the last of her tears.
"You done messing around now? 'Cause we seriously need to get a move on." I added, glancing between my watch and the schedule.
"Yes, get out." She spoke, pushing me towards the door. The maids followed her in after I had left, closing the door behind me.
"Be quick!" I called, just in time for the heavy door to close in my face. I pulled my phone from my back pocket, informing Garry that the princess crisis had indeed been solved before leaning against the wall, awaiting Aerowyn to get changed.
“Ready?” I asked, accompanied by a knock on the door.
Seconds later, a maid opened the door and Aerowyn was stood in the centre of the room, twirling slightly in her ball gown. The dress itself was a faded cream, embellished with floral patterns. The colour perfectly complimented her pale complexion, emphasising her already beguiling appearance.
“Ready.” Aerowyn grinned back at me, her mood seemingly happier than only moments prior. She slipped into her skin toned heels, lifting her dress up slightly as she sauntered in my direction. I smiled back at her, genuinely happy that she was.
“Shall we?” I asked, glancing over at Garry who was waiting by the stairs. She nodded, making her way down the corridor. I followed behind, stopping beside Garry as she made her way downstairs to her family.
“Thank you for your help today,” he spoke, tapping me on the shoulder.
“Of course.” I added, nodding assuringly. We walked down the stairs, eventually finding ourselves stood on the last step, the family of four turning to smile at us. Seconds later the main doors opened and we were all being ushered into the royal limousine. With a police escort, we were soon on our way to the church.
Crowds of people were waiting, cheering for their favourite family. The windows were soon wound down and Aerowyn and Augustus were waving to their people, beaming grins against their lips. The soon-to-be king and his wife were talking to Garry, though it was nearly impossible to hear over the screaming crowd surrounding the church. The limousine came to a halt and the doors were soon opened, the king being the first to leave. I watched from beside Aerowyn as he reached his hand out for his wife to take, whilst his other waved at his people. Aerowyn was next to go, shooting a bright smile in my direction before leaving, and then her brother after that. Garry and I climbed out shortly after, allowing the family to make their way inside before we did.
The rows of pews were filled to the brink with people, just like they had been only a few days before, only this time they were dressed in bright and festive colours. Garry and I walked down the side of the hall, meeting the family at the top. Garry took his place beside the soon-to-be king, and I found myself stood close behind, beside Augustus.
The ceremony itself was all about commemorating a past period of time and welcoming the change and growth that will come with a new one. Within an hour the new king was crowned, as well as his queen, and we were all being ushered out of the church for one last wave to the kingdom before heading back to the castle for the afterparty. You see, the kingdom was more focused on celebrations, than it was actual ceremonies, so after the crowning, the royal family held a huge party to welcome their people and partnering countries to the next generation.
I stood on the last step on the stairs beside Garry as I had only a few hours before, watching as the family greeted their guests. A short conversation was held before they were directed towards the ballroom. Once the last guest had arrived, the doors were shut and the family was free to mingle.
"Do you need anything?" I asked, turning to Garry as he skimmed over his clipboard assiduously, making sure every task was crossed and completed.
"No, I'm good. Go and enjoy yourself." He spoke, smiling softly though not exchanging a glance.
"Does that mean I can steal him?"
I turned to Aerowyn, surprised by her sudden input in the conversation. She smiled softly at me, swaying slightly as she awaited my reply.
"Yeah, okay." I jumped down from the step, standing beside her as she held her arm out at an angle. I chuckled lightly, interlocking my arm with her own. We walked in together, finding ourselves on the dance floor in no time at all.
"I forgot to tell you that you clean up well." Aerowyn spoke, taking my hand in my own and placing her other on my shoulder.
"You don't do so bad yourself." I smirked, placing my hand on her back and pulling her further into the embrace. We swayed rather clumsily, and much faster than the other couples on the dance floor.
"No, but seriously, you did good today. I wouldn't have been able to do that if it wasn't for you." She spoke, slowing down the dance as she stared back at me.
"Of course you would have."
She contorted her face, her eyebrows arching slightly with the expression she made.
"You're stronger than you think, Aerowyn." I added, only to fumble over actually saying her name out loud. Though she tried to keep back the laughter, her face spread into a smirk.
"You can't say my name," she teased.
"Of course I can, don't be silly. Aerowyn, see."
"You can't say my name, you suck at the pronunciation," she sang in a sing-song voice. I shook my head, refusing to believe this was actually happening.
"It's not funny!" I argued, watching as she desperately tried to fight the laughter.
"It is just a little bit," she countered, grinning up at me sheepishly.
"Okay then. Winny it is." I bit back, though her face softened into a warm smile.
"Then Winny it will be." She whispered, resting her head against my shoulder as we finally slowed to the pace of everyone else. I smiled down at her, confirming my previous suspicions. It was definitely the girl rubbing off on me.
I straightened out any wrinkles that the steamer already hadn’t before turning to my reflection in the mirror. Over the last week I had put more attention into my outfit choices than I had throughout the last twenty four years of my existence, and it was pretty obvious. Even my hair was styled back and straightened rather than it’s messy uneven cut hidden beneath a beanie.
I tugged at the bottom of my jacket, glancing at the mirror one last time before grabbing the clipboard I had acquired from Garry now that I actually had a job to do, and my phone. The only job I really had for today was to keep the princess on schedule for the coronation, which seemed easy enough.
I weaved in and out of the crowd, eventually finding myself on the large central staircase. The banisters were covered in a silk drape-embellished in royal colours of teal and white. With each pillar wrapped in a golden tassel and adorned with the kingdom’s crest, it completed the ceremonial look of the coronation.
Turning onto the east wing, I continued down the empty corridor, away from the rush of people downstairs. I eventually found myself outside the designated room. Aerowyn opened the door almost instantly, leaving it open as she ambulated around the room. I slid in, closing the heavy door behind me.
"Aerowyn?" I called, to which she ignored me and continued pacing. She hummed quietly beneath her breath, completely forgetting about my existence all together. I stepped forward, grabbing her hands in time for her eyes to creep up and meet mine.
She broke her gaze, pulling her hands from my own before moving to the window. Her fingers tapped impatiently at the aging wood whilst she stared out at the bustling crowd beneath.
"If you want to be alone I can just go.." I uttered, pointing with my thumb to the door behind me. She shook her head softly, though keeping her eyes on the rush below.
I understood how the coronation could be overwhelming. If I hadn't been so used to big concerts, I would probably be feeling like a deer caught in headlights right now, but she's a princess. Wasn't she raised with the soul intention to one day become queen?
"I can't," she spoke, her voice breaking slightly, "do this…"
"Wait, why?" I asked, walking a few steps to be beside her. I leaned against the wall to the right of the window, staring down at her panicked expression.
Her eyes flickered to mine and she shook her head. "No, I'm fine," she insisted, carefully wiping the tears pooling in her eyes.
“I can see you’re not.” I replied, looking at her expectantly. She shook her head again, moving across the room to where her gown was hung on the wall. Her fingers brushed against the expensive fabric, inspecting it sullenly.
“It’s nothing important,” she mumbled, fumbling with the silk chiffon aimlessly.
“It clearly is, otherwise you wouldn’t be upset about it.”
She shook her head again, shrugging it off.
"Hey, come on. I can't help if you don't let me."
"It's nothing." She repeated, looking up at me, her eyes red and watery.
"Can I know what nothing is?" I inquired, smiling weakly as her eyebrows furrowed.
"I'm scared, okay? Is that what you wanted to hear? I'm scared that the next time I attend a coronation it will be because my father will have died. I'm scared that my family, and kingdom, are going to have to go through another loss like the last. I'm so… scared." Her voice trailed off and she returned to fumbling with the silky fabric.
"It's normal to be scared, you know. If you think for a second that I'm not shit scared of what tomorrow awaits, then you're mistaken," I stepped forward, drawing her attention away from the dress and back to me. "Fear happens, no matter what you do. Now fight it, or let it consume you, it's your choice."
She stared at me, eyes widened.
"You can do this. It will take time, but you will get through this. How do you think I ended up in a famous band?"
She snorted, grinning at me childishly. "I can't believe you just turned into a fucking life coach over a minor panic attack."
"Hey! Language! You're a princess." I point at her accusingly, to which she scrunched her nose.
"I'm merely stating the truth." She defended, wiping away the last of her tears.
"You done messing around now? 'Cause we seriously need to get a move on." I added, glancing between my watch and the schedule.
"Yes, get out." She spoke, pushing me towards the door. The maids followed her in after I had left, closing the door behind me.
"Be quick!" I called, just in time for the heavy door to close in my face. I pulled my phone from my back pocket, informing Garry that the princess crisis had indeed been solved before leaning against the wall, awaiting Aerowyn to get changed.
“Ready?” I asked, accompanied by a knock on the door.
Seconds later, a maid opened the door and Aerowyn was stood in the centre of the room, twirling slightly in her ball gown. The dress itself was a faded cream, embellished with floral patterns. The colour perfectly complimented her pale complexion, emphasising her already beguiling appearance.
“Ready.” Aerowyn grinned back at me, her mood seemingly happier than only moments prior. She slipped into her skin toned heels, lifting her dress up slightly as she sauntered in my direction. I smiled back at her, genuinely happy that she was.
“Shall we?” I asked, glancing over at Garry who was waiting by the stairs. She nodded, making her way down the corridor. I followed behind, stopping beside Garry as she made her way downstairs to her family.
“Thank you for your help today,” he spoke, tapping me on the shoulder.
“Of course.” I added, nodding assuringly. We walked down the stairs, eventually finding ourselves stood on the last step, the family of four turning to smile at us. Seconds later the main doors opened and we were all being ushered into the royal limousine. With a police escort, we were soon on our way to the church.
Crowds of people were waiting, cheering for their favourite family. The windows were soon wound down and Aerowyn and Augustus were waving to their people, beaming grins against their lips. The soon-to-be king and his wife were talking to Garry, though it was nearly impossible to hear over the screaming crowd surrounding the church. The limousine came to a halt and the doors were soon opened, the king being the first to leave. I watched from beside Aerowyn as he reached his hand out for his wife to take, whilst his other waved at his people. Aerowyn was next to go, shooting a bright smile in my direction before leaving, and then her brother after that. Garry and I climbed out shortly after, allowing the family to make their way inside before we did.
The rows of pews were filled to the brink with people, just like they had been only a few days before, only this time they were dressed in bright and festive colours. Garry and I walked down the side of the hall, meeting the family at the top. Garry took his place beside the soon-to-be king, and I found myself stood close behind, beside Augustus.
The ceremony itself was all about commemorating a past period of time and welcoming the change and growth that will come with a new one. Within an hour the new king was crowned, as well as his queen, and we were all being ushered out of the church for one last wave to the kingdom before heading back to the castle for the afterparty. You see, the kingdom was more focused on celebrations, than it was actual ceremonies, so after the crowning, the royal family held a huge party to welcome their people and partnering countries to the next generation.
I stood on the last step on the stairs beside Garry as I had only a few hours before, watching as the family greeted their guests. A short conversation was held before they were directed towards the ballroom. Once the last guest had arrived, the doors were shut and the family was free to mingle.
"Do you need anything?" I asked, turning to Garry as he skimmed over his clipboard assiduously, making sure every task was crossed and completed.
"No, I'm good. Go and enjoy yourself." He spoke, smiling softly though not exchanging a glance.
"Does that mean I can steal him?"
I turned to Aerowyn, surprised by her sudden input in the conversation. She smiled softly at me, swaying slightly as she awaited my reply.
"Yeah, okay." I jumped down from the step, standing beside her as she held her arm out at an angle. I chuckled lightly, interlocking my arm with her own. We walked in together, finding ourselves on the dance floor in no time at all.
"I forgot to tell you that you clean up well." Aerowyn spoke, taking my hand in my own and placing her other on my shoulder.
"You don't do so bad yourself." I smirked, placing my hand on her back and pulling her further into the embrace. We swayed rather clumsily, and much faster than the other couples on the dance floor.
"No, but seriously, you did good today. I wouldn't have been able to do that if it wasn't for you." She spoke, slowing down the dance as she stared back at me.
"Of course you would have."
She contorted her face, her eyebrows arching slightly with the expression she made.
"You're stronger than you think, Aerowyn." I added, only to fumble over actually saying her name out loud. Though she tried to keep back the laughter, her face spread into a smirk.
"You can't say my name," she teased.
"Of course I can, don't be silly. Aerowyn, see."
"You can't say my name, you suck at the pronunciation," she sang in a sing-song voice. I shook my head, refusing to believe this was actually happening.
"It's not funny!" I argued, watching as she desperately tried to fight the laughter.
"It is just a little bit," she countered, grinning up at me sheepishly.
"Okay then. Winny it is." I bit back, though her face softened into a warm smile.
"Then Winny it will be." She whispered, resting her head against my shoulder as we finally slowed to the pace of everyone else. I smiled down at her, confirming my previous suspicions. It was definitely the girl rubbing off on me.
