"What the hell is happening, Viv?" Ren asked while navigating the road. Her voice was shaking.
"I Matched with the prince," I said, flatly. Exhausted all of the sudden. Saying the words made the whole thing true, and it sounded so weird…but pleasant at the same time."What?!" She practically yelled. "So, what those hounds were saying was actually true? I thought they were just mistaken.""They got to you so fast. How did they do that?" I asked myself, wondering how the hell all those reporters got there so fast.My phone rang and I flinched, surprised. Mom is calling. Shit. If they got to my sister fast, they're probably in my house right now.I answered quickly."Mom? Hello?""Vivienne! There are people outside looking for you! They said they were reporters. They're saying weird things–" she was rambling on the phone, and I can hear dad in the background telling Millie to stay away from the windows."Mom, mom! Listen to me. Don't ever open the door. We're coming through the backdoor," I said firmly.She didn't ask any more questions and only said, "Be careful, Viv."I hung up and told Ren the situation. She cursed under her breath and stepped on the gas pedal. I held my breath as the acceleration pushed me back to my chair."We'll leave the car near Mrs Jones' place and then walk through the alleyways," she said, concocting a plan.I laughed despite the chaos. "Damn, I never thought your escape plan would come handy in a situation other than going to parties and coming home undetected."She laughed and cursed, too. The adrenaline of the last half an hour still in our veins. We should be home in 20 minutes by the way she's speeding through the road. But she said we should take the alternative, longer path to avoid any reporter who might have followed us.We did reach our neighborhood soon enough and parked near Mrs Jones' house, and walked through the narrow alleyways in between the houses to reach our backyard.We see our fence. I can hear reporters and cars and people in our front lawn, so we tiptoed as quietly and as covert as we can, climbed through the makeshift ladder we made back then, pulled it up so no one would think about using it to trespass, and jumped through our fence."Mom!" I whispered as loudly as I could while knocking on our home's back door. A few seconds later, mom opened it."Vivienne, Serenity! Thank God," she hugged us both and gave me a once over, looking at my probably disheveled appearance, and down my bare foot, scratched and probably slightly burned from running on a hot pavement.Dad and Millie came in the kitchen, running towards us and giving us both a hug, too."What's happening, Viv?" My dad asked."She got Matched with the prince," Ren answered for me before getting a glass of cold water and sitting down on the kitchen seat."What? But how?!" My dad asked, incredulous. My mom was also surprised. Millie just heard the word "prince" and clapped her hands."I don't know, dad. I asked the Harmony employees if there was some sort of mistake and they said they couldn't see anything, yet." I answered, slumping beside Ren."Yet?" It was my mom's turn to ask."The head tech guy said if there was a mistake, it could be deep into the system. But he can only check if the royal family orders him. As of leaving the center, he said he hasn't received any orders," I explained. "So, that means I've probably, most likely, actually been Matched with the prince.""Wait, which prince?" My dad asked, confused. He wasn't exactly a politics-monarchy-knowing person."Prince Christopher. The youngest. Duhh, dad!" Millie answered. I forgot she has quite the fascination/obsession with the prince."Have you contacted him, then?" My mom asked me. By now, we're all sitting in the kitchen, as far away from the reporters in front of our lawn.Shit. I haven't. I haven't even checked my HarmonyMatch app since everything went down."Go up, rest while you can. We'll call the cops and see what we can do to keep those nosy bastards off our property," dad told me, standing up and giving me an awkward half hug.We all dispersed, me and my sisters choosing to go upstairs as our parents called cops and the mayor and."We'll leave you to it, sis. You've had a rough morning," Ren said, pulling Millie to her."But I wanted to ask Vivienne about the prince!" I can hear Millie whining as Ren pushed her towards her room.I double checked every window of my room, then went to my bathroom. As the eldest, I've been lucky enough to have my own in my room. I also checked the windows, and only when I can assure no one can see into my private space, did I strip down and climb on the bathtub that's filling with warm water."Now or never, Skye," I hyped myself, then took my phone from the sink beside the tub and opened HarmonyMatch.There are 28 messages from my Match.I cursed loudly. The prince might have been thinking I was ghosting him. I opened them all and went to the very first message."Hi, miss Harper. This might have been a surprise to you. It is for me as well," the prince wrote. God, even in sending a message to his future wife, he's still so polite.Future wife. I just said that."Miss Harper? Are you there?""Miss Harper, are you okay? I've been briefed on what's happening in your HarmonyCenter.""Miss Harper, please respond, so I know you're okay."He had been trying to get in touch with me, asking how I am and what's the situation. The last few messages read:"Miss Harper, I think you're busy avoiding the press. I would like to apologize. While it is out of our hands, I guarantee you I am working to ensure your safety.""Miss Harper, rest assured help and assistance are being dispatched to help with your media problem. I've also asked Harmony how your details were leaked so quickly.""Miss Harper, are you there?" The last message read, sent just a couple of minutes ago.The prince has been nothing but polite to me in his texts and I forgot to send him a quick hi. But to my defense, I actually was busy running around, quite literally. Still I felt a bit guilty."Your Highness, sorry I haven't seen your messages. As you might have guessed, I was actually busy running from the press. Quite literally. It wasn't my intention to ignore your messages."I hit send after a couple of minutes of contemplating whether I'm polite enough or what.I sent another message: "It would be amazing if you can do something about the press, Your Highness. They're nearly invading my home, and I still live with my family. I just want them safe."And another: "P.S. Please call me Vivienne. Or Skye. Your call." I added a smiling emoji, too, and I don't know if I'm pushing my luck.I bit my lip as I hit the send button, then put my phone back on the side of the sink, not sure if I wanted to see more messages from the prince.The Prince. I am actually talking to the Prince.I dunked my head in the tub and held my breath for as long as I could."Sis?" I heard Ren calling me, then felt her shaking me, and opened my hers to her sitting on my bed.After the warm bath and the adrenaline of the morning finally fading out of my system, I fell asleep. And now, waking up, my body is aching so bad, especially my feet, which I inspected earlier and saw blisters and some minor burns and scratches."Sorry, to wake you. Mom said dinner is ready. You barely ate anything all day," Ren softly said.For a while, I forgot about the chaos of my Matching Day, but everything had been so messy since I got home this morning that the silence seemed so new."Hey," I touched Ren's arms as she got up. "The reporters?" I asked."Oh. Thankfully they all went away. The cops were here as soon as mom called them, and it turns out your future husband has already ordered some authorities to fix the whole mess," she said, smiling as if amazed by everything. Then, she simply walked away.Future husband. The prince. I may never get used to the idea.I opened my
"Skye!" Madi ran towards me and gave me a hug. I hugged her tightly back. "I was trying to get to your house but there were tons of cops and some mean-looking guards, and I couldn't!" She cried in my neck as I rubbed her back."I know, I'm sorry," I apologized.By the time Madi saw the news, we were basically on lockdown. There also were so many people trying to message and call me that I had to uninstall every app on my phone except for HarmonyMatch in case the prince sends a message. I also had to block calls from coming in, according to the royal guards.But today is my last day here in unassuming Blackwood, and I had to meet Madison because it may be the last time I see her in years. The royal guards were reluctant, but I told them they can all come with me and leave the cops to patrol my neighborhood, and so they did, and they have been shadowing my every move."I'm really sorry, Madi. I can't even use my phone to call you yesterday," I said again as we faced each other."Apologie
I've been trying to stop the tears, but they kept flowing down my cheeks, and I tried to discreetly wipe them away, but I know Kida and Sebastian–two of the royal guards the prince has sent over–know I haven't stopped crying in the back seat of this luxurious BMW.Thankfully, they did not say anything and just left me sniffling away.I wanted to stop crying because I already feel my eyes puffing, and I'm on my way to the airport and finally to the palace.My family, Madi, and several other close friends I have over the years went over to say goodbye. Even my whole neighborhood gathered together and even gave me beautiful flowers from their own backyards.Millie and Dad were a mess and it took every strength and will to not join them in their tears. I wanted them to remember me smiling.Mom and Ren, who barely cried, even had tears in their eyes. Still, I tried to hold everything in even if the lump in my throat feels like I have swallowed a giant candy whole.Madi also tried to hold it
"Oh shit," I mumbled out of surprise. His perfume smelled familiar, and it took me a while to realize it was the same perfume the man in the planetarium had. Could they be the same person, then? I shook my head. It's nothing but a coincidence. What would a prince do in the middle of practically nowhere to watch a planetarium show when he can, I assume, just barge into the National Space Institute and check out real stars and planets?For sure, they just had the same perfume, right? And I could be smelling it wrong.While a million thoughts ran in my head, the prince slowly turned around."Ah, miss Vivienne! I didn't hear you coming," he looked at me and smiled, a dimple showing on his right cheeks, his voice bright and warm, a stark contrast to the chilly air.I had to mentally tell myself to keep it together and not gape at him.The entire palace ground is exquisite, but the prince is by far the most beautiful creature I have seen.I bowed deep, just like how Harod and the other staf
"You look stunning, my lady!" Genevieve said in a sing-song voice as she stepped back from doing my hair and looking at me through the giant vanity mirror.I looked at myself, and while I have never been one to be vain, I admit that I do look beautiful tonight, all thanks to my ladies-in-waiting, and I tell them that."Oh, such nonsense, my lady. You're already beautiful as you are. The guards and the staff have been talking about it, you know, how the Prince–" she was saying in a sort of conspiratorial tone."Shush, Genevieve. We do not speak to my lady about rumors," Agatha interjected, giving her a very stern look. "Talk about what?" I chuckled. Genevieve is very talented with doing hair and makeup, but she does tend to have that airiness to her."Nothing, my lady. Just palace gossip," Agatha said, eyeing Genevieve carefully, who was trying not to laugh and blushing so hard. She looked at Maia, who ducked her head, trying hard not to laugh.I will definitely have to ask them about
The dinner was heavenly.We had a five-course meal, which I thought was a little excessive, but as soon as the food was laid in front of me, I realized I was hungry.There was lobster bisque and French onion soup, and mushroom risotto, among other things. I tried to pay attention to the names as respect to the chef, but most of what I had, I have only seen on TV, so their names were lost in the night.But I made sure to thank the chef every time. If he worked outside the palace, he would definitely have great and utter success.I'm not one to shy away from eating, even with new people around me. But when the second course came, I saw Caelum looking at me, a faint smile on his face, and I grew extremely anxious."Do I have food on my face? Or am I using these utensils wrong?" I asked him.He seemed to be in a reverie, and I broke it when I spoke to him."Oh, nothing. Sorry, I was staring," he picked at his food and ate slowly. It was my turn to look at him, and he caved under my gaze an
The Mansion, as expected, is a massive maze of different rooms. It has 12 bedrooms, 20 toilets, and 10 baths. It has a movie room, a game room, a library, three living areas and sitting rooms, and even a gym, among other random rooms.It has everything you need in a place, and when I asked if the palace is the same, I was greeted with a, "You're silly, my lady. The palace is perhaps 3 times as big as this place."My mouth hung open. The hows and whys unanswered in my head.By the time we stopped the tour, I felt like the breakfast of tiny sandwiches I had was gone, and I felt my stomach churn a bit.I went back to my room, took a shower, and had the ladies prep me for the rest of the day, which I had for myself. But when I asked Maia if I could wear my track pants and a t-shirt, she looked offended."My lady! I know you came from the same background as we had, but you're marrying into the royal family soon enough!" She scolded me as I sat in the dressing room with a bathrobe, waiting
"Are you okay?" Caelum asked me as soon as we were far away from the outhouse."Yes, I'm fine. Mostly," I exhaled. We sat under a massive oak tree that sat in another courtyard the palace had. "The King is kind of intimidating." He smiled without humor. "Intimidating is a good word to describe him. Don't worry, I don't think he hates you."It's my turn to laugh. "No, he doesn't. Just…indifferent.""Is that bad?" He asked."I'm not sure. But I guess it's better in some way. I get to be a shadow he ignores," I shrugged. "But your mother is…warm. If you know what I mean.""I do know what you mean. She's a mother before she is a Queen. I think my brothers and I all agree that she's our favorite parent," he said, smiling. "Don't tell my father that."I smiled. "You're like your mother." I told him.He looked at me, pleasantly surprised. "Really? Most people will say I take after my father. I mean, out of all three of us, I look more like his side of the family." He said, noting his father