The Princess' Golden Cage

Caroline’s POV: I woke up in that morning to another common day in the palace. I did not need an alarm, because there was always someone to wake me up, and normally this someone was Lucille, my personal servant, and best friend. Lucille was 20, two years older than me, and this made me consider her as my older sister. She was tall, with strawberry blonde hair that was always stuck on a bun at the top of her head, and covered by a maid’s hat. Her hearted-shape face and sweet eyes were always alert to my needs, and she could read me better than my parents. This time, my best friend was opening the curtains of my room, letting the light in. “Urgh! So early!” I said, hiding my face. “I am sorry, Your Highness, but it is time already.” Your Highness? That always means that she was not alone. She was allowed to speak freely when there was just the two of us, but every morning there was a small army of maids invading my room - too early in my opinion - to prepare me

Caroline’s POV:"Can all the maids and jacks, please leave us alone?" My father, the king, asked everyone in the room. I knew it could not be good. My father almost never wanted to be alone with us. There was always some witness to his actions.All the people who were not of our family made a small bow and left through the several doors that gave access to the dining room. When all the noise of movement was over, my father turned to me, took a deep breath, and decided to start the conversation:"So, Caroline, I heard you had afternoon tea with your Mom yesterday, and the conversation between the two of you did not go very well, right?" He asked me."With all due respect, Dad, no, the conversation did not go very well, but it seems to me that the words my Mother said yesterday did not come directly from her. Do you know anything about it?" I replied. In a way, having woken up and decided that I was going to stomp on this issue gave me a little more c

Caroline’s POV:When the car doors were opened, I had a small panic attack that left me speechless for a few moments. Luckily for me, I did not do anything wrong, I just stood there, staring at the tall, slim, imposing young man who had stepped out of the car. To my relief, there was a short flight of stairs and a few yards between the incoming entourage and our position, and I used those moments to compose myself. I absolutely did not want to embarrass our country in an event that had as much weight as this one. If anything went wrong, it would be seen as some more ammunition to Lord Deveraux and my father's other advisors who told him every day how unfit I was to take the throne.Last night while I was unable to sleep, I decided for myself that I would not do anything wrong today. I would be a perfect lady who would stay away from the entourage, but still be polite. I wanted to show my 'fiancé' that I was superior to him, and th

Caroline’s POV "Then we will have the first ball in five days and another one on the eve of your departure. There will be lunch with the lords tomorrow, a press conference on the tenth day, a party for women, a sporting event which we will all attend and the press will cover, an exclusive interview for a magazine, and two charity events at nearby institutions where your presence will be required. In some cases, only Henrietta will be required to participate, for men it will be optional. The 'future couple' should be the focus of attention, with the presence of the groom's parents optional. It’s all there in the memos that are in the folders you’ve received. If there are any questions, both Caroline and I or our personal housekeepers can answer your questions." "Wow, it looks like a pretty busy schedule. I am even a little dizzy," Stephan commented and then chuckled with his little joke. My mother laughed a l

Caroline’s POV:"I am glad Your Highness obeyed me last night," Lucille murmured in my ear as she did my makeup in the morning. Not that there were official engagements during the day today, but I was the Princess of Tresoria, and I had to present myself in the best possible way at any time. Sometimes I missed looking at myself in the mirror without makeup, as if all cosmetics were a mask for the world, but it was not in the right tone and I would be highly disapproved of by my mother and Madame Tremblay if I were not in my best, especially while Stephan was visiting. Morning makeup would be light and quick, because today there was so much to do, so the last thing I had to worry about right now was my outfit and grooming.I had breakfast in my own room, as I had arranged with my mother, and as soon as I was ready, I went to her private tearoom, whic