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 had survivedtheshock oftheearly days of being engaged to someone. Although no engagement was announced, my family expected this to happen attheend oftheReicharts' visit. Until now I had survived ten days ofthevisit of my fiancé and his family.Thedownside is that there were still another ten days, and with them several events wherethepress would have access to our activities.Thethree weeks of visit, however, seemed to drag on slowly, as if time were laughing at my face. Most ofthetime I was kind of obliged to talk to my fiancé, which afterawhile started to feel likeaboring chore. I did not know any more if it was my personal nagging against him or if it was reallythefact that we were not all that compatible. My tastes were completely different from his, and there was jus
Caroline’s POV:"I am glad Your Highness obeyed me last night," Lucille murmured in my ear as she did my makeup inthemorning. Not that there were official engagements duringtheday today, but I wasthePrincess of Tresoria, and I had to present myself inthebest possible way at any time. Sometimes I missed looking at myself inthemirror without makeup, as if all cosmetics wereamask fortheworld, but it was not intheright 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, sothelast 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
Caroline’s POVThe ball's dinner was an exclusive event that reporters would not have access to, save for a famous and influential columnist for the country's largest media outlet (and a friend of the royal family), who, according to my father, would portray the private event in a candid and discreet way. In other words, my father or probably someone in his staff would review any material about the dinner before it was published. He always did that. The "freedom of the press" that he claimed our country had was actually restricted to what he wanted to be published. However, the lack of cameras and reporters made me a little more comfortable. Stephan was certainly the main guest of the evening and drew more attention than his own parents, who actually held the noble title of his family. Sitting next to him and being introduced as half of this couple brought me some attention that I wasn't used to. Knowing how to behave was one thing. Carrying my
Chapter Eleven: The Disastrous NightCaroline’s POV:"Miss? We need to go right now," one of the guards told me, but I was in shock. I could not move even if I could.There had been attacks near the royal residences before, but nothing frominwardthe gates, and on a day like this when the castle was full of guests.All I could think about was Lord Hammond, who was hanging on to his life, as far as I could tell. I had not seen anything, luckily, but that did not stop my brain from creating an image of that kind-hearted man lying on the ground with his body all bloody."She's in shock, sir," the guard told someone, and I think it was Stephan.“Your Highness? Your Highness?" Stephan told me and gently shook my shoulders before continuing, "We need to get out of here. We're not safe."After Stephan shook me, I shook my head to wake up from my daze and it seems li
Caroline’s POV:The day after the disastrous ball was marked by an emergency meeting between my father and his advisers, trying to minimize the impact of the news that came out on the media. Normally, I would be pretty upset about not being asked to attend this meeting, but I did not really feel like leaving my room.I ate all meals in my room and we spent the day, Lucille and I, trying not to talk about the bomb that went off yesterday in the middle of the dance. I was far away, by luck or fate, so all I could think of was hearing the noise and then being locked in one of the castle's shelters, but Lucille had seen the horror up close, and from what she told me, she could not remove from the image out of her head of Lord Hammond bloodied next to the bomb.It was really lucky that she was on the other side of the window where the bomb had been dropped and had been scared by the s
Chapter Thirteen: The improvised cleaningCaroline’s POV:As time passed, the mood in the palace calmed down again, thank heavens, and we were soon back to our normal routine. The routine we had even before Stephan was invited to the palace as my future fiancé. Gradually, I went back to attending council meetings with my father, but this time I had a different strategy: I would keep my mouth shut so that none of the lords would give my father any more absurd advice. So, I went into the meeting, took notes, even wrote down my personal opinions, but I did not volunteer to suggest anything. The lords in the council would look at my new posture as if I had a change of heart, but I was not going to them that this was more a strategy than acceptance of their plan.In my mind, they were all wrong because the lords liked to oppress the people with more taxes, compulsory military service, and misery. I wo
Caroline’s POV:I spent a few days training for the fateful inspection and trying to master my fear of horses until finally the day of the ceremony of the troops had arrived. I was in a ridiculously puffy sundress for the occasion. There was so much tulle and lace it was unbelievable. Since I would probably do something awkwardly and it was very sunny, Lucille managed to get me a very large hat, which covered most of my face. Everyone would know it was me there, but few could say anything about the face I would make when I felt embarrassed, and I was sure that would happen.At ten to eleven in the morning, with the sun already very hot, we were all there on the small platform set up in the winter garden. Reporters were present and photographed our smiles and greetings but were not allowed to ask direct questions under my father's new press policy. At eleven o'clock my father, mother, and I were led to our horses
Caroline’s POV:The rest of the week flew by and then finally it was Friday, when my parents would leave the Palace on a little hunting trip. My father was the most excited about hunting, but there would be a whole entourage with them, including the lords, a good part of their families and some of the maids and jacks from the palace. Everyone was preparing to depart today after breakfast, and I was preparing myself to have the whole weekend for me.I opened my eyes that morning a little happier. Not that I did not love my parents, but there was so much pressure for everything to be perfect when they were around that I could not help feeling the pressure ease a little in their possible absence.My mom came to my room early in the morning, unannounced, and I was still getting ready for breakfast. When she walked through the doors, Lucille was finishing the last touches of my already impeccable makeup.