Prologue Part 5
Most people look forward to summer and lament how it seems to pass by so quickly in comparison to the school year. Brielle did the opposite.
It had only been a week since Brielle left Platform 9 3/4 to return to Auradon, yet it already felt like she lived several lifetimes. Her parents had decided that Brielle's summer would be best spent being paraded from function to function. Today she would attend the 14th Annual Auradon Derby. Three hours of being in an arena that smelled of horse manure having conversations in which nothing was being said, only to watch 2 minutes of an actual race. Fun.
The derby was being hosted in Corona this year. As a show of support, all of the royals were to wear Corona's national colors. And so here she was, in a pastel-purple knee-length dress cinched so tight she could barely breathe.
After what felt like hours of driving, the limo finally arrived at the arena. Cogsworth and Lumiere got out from the front seats, Cogsworth to open the door and Lumiere to create a path through the hounds of paparazzi that swept in and converged around the distinct royal limo like vultures awaiting prey. But in this case, the vultures weren't looking for meat, but wardrobe malfunctions or some other sort of slip-up.
Her father and her brother, Ben, exited the limo first. Brielle went to follow them, bracing herself for the questions that undoubtedly would be hurled at her. Her mom, however, held her back.
"Make sure you're smiling," she muttered through a polite smile that looked like it was plastered on with superglue. Her tone, however, was anything but cheerful. "You look uncomfortable."
"I am uncomfortable." Brielle shot back.
"Gabrielle," her mother warned.
"What? I am!" And she was. The dress was far too tight for her liking, despite what her tailor said about it being "tense, but breathable."
"Well, we're royals. We don't let it show."
Plastering an identical fake smile on her face, Brielle followed her mother out of the limo, where the paparazzi vultures swarmed around her. She ignored the fact that she could barely see through the flashing of the cameras as she waved elegantly to the crowd, ignoring the questions and the sounds of "Princess Gabrielle! Princess Gabrielle!" around her.
Somewhere to her right, she heard a voice much too chipper for 9 AM. Or any time, really. Brielle suppressed a groan. Of course , Mackenzie Harrington was covering the Derby.
"And here we have Queen Belle and Princess Gabrielle about to partake in today's fun festivities!" The only festivity Brielle would find fun today would be slapping Mackenzie Harrington across the face. But that would be unladylike. Princesses do not slap reporters across the face. Mackenzie continued.
"According to official royal sources, Princess Gabrielle has been attending a special school for children extraordinarily gifted in the maths and sciences! And the location has been kept top secret so as not to disturb the learning environment created there! How exciting is that!"
Before Brielle could act shocked at this statement, her mother ushered her inside to join Ben and her father in the arena. So that was what her parents had been feeding reporters to explain why she was gone for ten months. A special school for maths and sciences? Brielle couldn't do math to save her life, but ok.
The arena smelled of a combination of freshly cut flowers and horse manure. The royal family took their seats in the top box amongst the other royals and dignitaries that had shown up for the event. The atmosphere was a chaotic blend of noble stiffness and excitement. Tall banners fluttered in the breeze, some with the Auradon crest on them, some with the seal of Corona, and others adorned with the Auradon Derby logo.
Brielle took her seat and stared down at from the top box with envy. Below her were the regular seats, where the commoners who actually wanted to be there were sitting. Brielle watched as the adults chattered excitedly about the race to come, placing bets and pointing out specific features of each racehorse. The little kids played with miniature horses they bought from the stands Brielle had never been able to explore. "It's most unbecoming for a princess to mingle around in the sales stalls like common folk," her mother had said.
And so she sat. To her right, her parents were striking up a conversation with the King and Queen of Corona. To her left, Ben was hanging out with Prince Chad and Princess Audrey, two of his friends from Auradon Prep. Every so often, Audrey would peer around Chad and Ben to shoot a glare at Brielle. Their last encounter had been on the playground last summer, when Audrey had screamed at Brielle and accused her of being a witch. It seemed neither girl had forgotten.
"Life of the party, this one is."
A voice from behind her startled Brielle out of her thoughts. She looked around for the source of the voice and saw none other than Prince Ryan of Corona grinning down at her. Ryan was one of the only royals Brielle could tolerate. He, too, was the younger sibling of the adored and doted-on heir of his kingdom, in his case his older sister, Evelyn. Unfortunately, since Corona was rather far from Auradon, they didn't get to hang out often.
Brielle managed a small chuckle in return. "You could say that."
Before Ryan could respond, the trumpets blared, signaling the start of the race. The horses lined up at the starting gate, ready to burst into action.
"Ooh, look, the race is starting," Brielle said with all the excitement she could muster. It wasn't a lot.
"How interesting," Ryan said, returning her (lack of) energy.
"Indeed"
The announcer's voice boomed over the loudspeakers, and the crowd erupted in cheers as the race began. The horses pounded down the track in a blur of colors and motion. Brielle watched mechanically, clapping politely when the winning horse crossed the finish line. The jolt of excitement that electrified the people around her felt far away, as if she were watching from behind a glass wall.
Brielle sighed. This was going to be a long summer.
And so it was. A month and approximately 64 royal engagements later, it was finally August 9th. Brielle's twelfth birthday.
Unfortunately, it was also Ben's birthday, because that's how twins work. As was tradition, a joint birthday party was to be hosted in the grand ballroom of Auradon Palace. Fortunately, only a select few of the press would be allowed to attend. Unfortunately, that select few often included Mackenzie Harrington, who was, for some reason, a favorite of her parents.
Luckily, she didn't have to be at the party until 6 o'clock, and it was her only engagement for the day. Brielle checked the clock on her nightstand. 1 PM. Brielle decided she wanted to talk to Ben. It was their birthday after all. However, after looking in his room, the library, and all of his other usual places, he was nowhere to be found. Exasperated, Brielle made her way to the Grand Ballroom, where she saw Lumiere and Cogsworth carrying a rather large banner.
"Hey, Lumiere?" Brielle called, "Have you seen Ben?"
Lumiere paused, startling Cogsworth, who wasn't expecting a sudden stop. "Oh, Prince Benjamin didn't tell you?"
"Tell me what?"
Lumiere paused, seeming to be choosing his next words carefully. Cogsworth, however, had no such reservations.
"Prince Benjamin has gone to Lady LeClair's for a small birthday brunch. I believe Prince Chad, Princess Audrey, and Lady Jane LeClair were to be joining him. Frankly, I'm a bit surprised you weren't invited, Princess Gabrielle."
This stunned Brielle into silence, though she wasn't sure why it did. There was nothing wrong with Ben going to brunch. It was good that he had friends he could hang out with. It's not that deep, Brielle reassured herself. No reason to be upset. Those aren't even your friends, why would he have told you? Brielle decided to focus on something else.
"Lady LeWho?"
Cogsworth sighed and Lumiere chucked. "Honestly, Cogsworth, you're possibly one of the last holdouts when it comes to Fairy Godmother's proper name. Even Fairy Godmother responds to Fairy Godmother "
"I'm being polite! And technically, Lady LeClair isn't even a fairy, she's a fae. Two completely different magical beings."
Lumiere and Cogsworth dissolved into playful arguments as Brielle left the Grand Ballroom, still slightly upset over the whole brunch thing. After wandering the palace aimlessly, she ended up back in her room, on her bed, staring out the window. Waiting for something. She didn't know what. An owl, maybe? Oh, what she'd give for any signs from any of her friends from Hogwarts. They promised to write, yet Brielle hadn't heard from anyone all summer.
It was times like these when Brielle regretted getting a cat instead of an owl. Titania was great, of course. Good company during the school year. Even better during the summer. Sometimes her presence helped just to confirm that Diagon Alley, Hogwarts, and the Wizarding World weren't hallucinations. But an owl would help her communicate with her friends, even if they weren't in the mood to respond just yet. And even Titania was in the mood to walk all the way to England, she didn't even know where her friends lived. This wouldn't be a problem with an owl.
As if the ginger cat could hear her thoughts, she jumped from the spot on Brielle's desk onto her lap and glared at her. Absentmindedly scratching the cat's head, Brielle let her thoughts wander once more.
A sharp knock at the door made her jump, infuriating Titania even more.
"Come in," Brielle called out after (trying to) steadying her heart rate. The door swung open swiftly to reveal Mrs. Margaret Hawthorne, her ever-imposing and stern governess.
Brielle wasn't sure what she despised more, her governess herself or the fact that she had to have a governess in the first place. Mrs. Hawthorne had been her governess since she was born and had been in charge of teaching her things like etiquette and behavior, as well as "royal talents" such as French, watercolor painting, piano, singing, ballroom dancing (often these lessons were merely overseen by Mrs. Hawthorne and led by an actual dance teacher), and interpreting classical literature (by far the most boring).
Brielle straightened and smoothed out the folds of her dress as Mrs. Hawthorne entered the room. The governess's eyes were as cold and calculating as ever; lips pursed into a permanent expression of disapproval.
Surprisingly, Mrs. Hawthorne wasn't unaccompanied today. Trailing behind her was a rather small brunette with big doe eyes that gave her the appearance of a cartoon sheep. Noticing Brielle's look of curiosity, Mrs. Hawthorne stepped to the side to introduce the timid girl.
"Good morning, Princess Gabrielle. May I introduce my daughter, Natalie?" Mrs. Hawthorne's voice was as crisp as the lines on her perfectly tailored (and rather prudish) gown. "She is training to become one of your ladies in waiting."
The governess glanced behind her at the girl who was still timidly standing behind her mother. "Natalie!"
She gave her daughter a stern look and the girl rushed forward to give a rather frantic curtsy. "Hello, Princess Gabrielle!"
Another curtsy.
Mrs. Hawthorne shot a look at her daughter. "Now, Princess Gabrielle, it's nearly time for your lessons," She announced, her voice as rigid as her posture.
Lessons! Why would she have lessons today? It was her birthday, after all. Brielle opened her mouth to protest but immediately closed it after a sharp glare from Mrs. Hawthorne.
"I know it's your birthday, so we'll do a simple etiquette lesson today. Let us proceed to the parlor. Natalie, come along."
Why does she talk like that? Brielle found herself wondering, not for the first time. She's like if Cogsworth were somehow more formal.
The parlor was a grand room, filled with antique furniture, exquisite decorations, and portraits of ancestors who, despite being unable to move like the portraits at Hogwarts, seemed perpetually judgmental of her every movement. Brielle took a seat on one of the parlor couches, remembering to smooth out her skirt under her before Mrs. Hawthorne could yell at her remind her.
After what seemed like an eternity and a half of listening to Mrs. Hawthorne's monologue about how exactly to behave around the various dignitaries and nobles that would be present at her party, a knock sounded on the parlor door. Seeming aggravated at the interruption, Mrs. Hawthorne straightened her posture (Brielle couldn't figure out how this was even possible, as it appeared her back was already as straight as it could be without bending in the other direction) and shot a glare at the door. "Enter," she beckoned in a tone that left no room for argument.
The door creaked open to reveal Eloise, one of her lady's maids. Looking at Mrs. Hawthorne with (perhaps appropriate) terror, the young maid curtsied quickly and entered.
"Uhm, the Queen requests that Princess Gabrielle begin getting ready for her... birthday..." The maid's voice trailed off into a whimper as the governess looked at her with increasing disdain. Straightening her back even more (How is she doing this? Brielle thought frantically), Mrs. Hawthorne arched a threatening brow at Eloise but then surprisingly gave a resigned sigh.
"Fine. Thank you, Eloise. Princess Gabrielle, go get ready. Natalie, assist her," the governess directed, her tone making it clear she expected perfection. Grateful to escape, Brielle rushed out as quickly as she could whilst still preserving an illusion of politeness, Natalie at her heels.
The two walked in silence to Brielle's room, save for a hurried set of "Sorry," "Sorry," when they accidentally collided while rounding a corner.
They reached her bedroom, where her dress was already laid out by someone, presumably by Eloise or maybe Charlotte, her other lady's maid. It was shimmery gold with intricate designs in gold lace, falling just above her knees. She picked it out a few weeks prior from a selection of dresses Mrs. Hawthorne pre-approved.
Titania eyed the pair disinterestedly from the window seat she had now taken to lounging on.
The next hour passed in a whirlwind as the Brielle got changed and Natalie attempted to add volume to her definitively volume-less mop of hair. Finally, the clock struck 6 as Natalie applied a final touch of makeup. She's surprisingly good at this, Brielle thought. Why she would expect anything less, she didn't really know. Maybe Natalie didn't seem like the makeup type.
"Alright, Princess Gabrielle, you're ready," the brunette stated.
"Call me Brielle," Brielle said suddenly, surprising them both.
By the time Brielle got to the Grand Ballroom, it was already bustling with activity. Natalie elected not to attend, much to Brielle's disappointment. The two had formed a delicate sort of friendship in the hours spent physically and mentally preparing the princess for what was sure to be one of her most exhausting engagements this summer. Sure, her birthday was supposed to mean fun. But Brielle had found it mostly meant more attention on her, and more boring conversations with people like the Countess of Who Cares or Archduke No One Gives A Damn.
Brielle made her way around the room, receiving birthday greetings with a smile that bordered on a wince, wondering if her life was going to be like this all the time. There was a brief flare of optimism as she watched the entrance of the ballroom and saw Ben, only to have that light put out as he was immediately surrounded by his friends. Not that deep, she reminded herself again, trying to shake off the feeling of being left out.
As the party raged on, Brielle shook hands, made polite conversations, and made her best attempt to enjoy the festivities. You're having fun, she thought, trying to make it true. Sometimes it helped to quote-unquote "gaslight" her brain into giving her serotonin. Hey, it worked sometimes.
You're having fun. This is fun. You're having a good time, she internally recited as she listened to Lady Cordelia drone on about her latest philanthropic endeavors. But if she was having fun, why did each smile feel more and more like she was baring her teeth?
A tap on her shoulder startled her out of her thoughts and temporarily halted Lady Cordelia's monologue. Brielle turned to see Prince Ryan standing there, a mischievous smirk on his face, accompanied by their friend Kristine, looking a mixture of annoyed and amused at Ryan's antics.
Kristy had been Brielle's friend for as long as she could remember. Insanely smart and academically inclined, she was already a freshman in high school despite being only a year older than Brielle. She was opinionated and took a "Societal norms? What societal norms?" approach to life. Despite her occasional abrasiveness, Kristy had always been one of the only people she felt like she could trust in the world of Auradonian nobility. But as fate would have it, Kirsty, like Ryan, couldn't hang out with Brielle often. In Kristy's case, this was due to the fact that her parents were rather low in the noble hierarchy, being a lowly set of Counts under Queen Leah's court. Regardless, they were here now, which provided Brielle with an opportunity to actually have any fun at this party.
"Mind if we steal the Princess for a bit?" Ryan asked with a smirk.
Lady Cordelia looked slightly put out, but relented, curtsying and leaving to bother some Viscount.
"Thanks for the rescue," Brielle said, her relief palpable.
"Anytime," Ryan replied. "We couldn't let you suffer through another minute of that."
Kristy laughed softly. "Yeah, we saw you from across the room and thought it was time for an intervention."
They led Brielle to a quieter corner of the ballroom, away from most other guests. The noise and excitement from the party seemed to fade away as Brielle finally felt herself relax.
"So, how is the birthday girl doing so far?" asked Kristy, cocking her head to one side inquiringly.
Brielle sighed, the corners of her mouth turning up slightly. "Exhausted, as per usual. But better now that you two are here."
Ryan grinned. "Well, we wouldn't just leave you alone, now would we? Besides, except for the derby, we've barely gotten a chance to hang out all summer! If I didn't know better I'd say you were avoiding us."
Brielle rolled her eyes. "Not avoiding, just my mother deciding that every second of my summer needs to be booked up. But enough about me, Kristy, how've you been?"
The auburn-haired girl perked up and immediately launched into a monologue about her summer research program, her latest achievements in activism, and the advanced classes she would be taking in the fall.
Kristy's eyes blazed with excitement as she spoke, and Brielle couldn't help but be filled with an overwhelming sense of admiration for her friend's fervor and passion. Ever since they were kids, Kristy always seemed to find a way to channel her interests and make a difference in the world.
"And what about you, Ryan?" Brielle asked, looking at the prince.
Ryan shrugged. "Oh, you know, the usual princely duties and whatnot. Trying not to bore myself to death at these endless gatherings."
Brielle chuckled, feeling the very same way quite often these days, mired in the swamp of the monotony of royal life. "Tell me about it."
The trio laughed as Brielle finally found herself enjoying the night. It was refreshing to be in the company of friends who understood her, even amidst the grandeur and formality of the ball. As the night went on, Brielle found herself laughing more freely, the weight of her royal responsibilities momentarily lifted from her shoulders.
After a couple of hours, the party began to wind down as guests started to leave. Brielle had a look around the ballroom and saw people saying their goodbyes and the staff beginning to clean up. Despite the fatigue that still remained in her bones, she felt a sense of contentment from the fact that she had been able to find joy in the company of her friends. Brielle felt grateful as they started on their way out of the ballroom. She might have begun the night apprehensive and drab, but now, with Ryan and Kristy, it was all ending with a smile on her face and the relief that her biggest royal engagement had passed. Now, all she had left was to look forward to going back to Hogwarts.