Chapter 3

This whole idea of the Queen, and kingdoms gave me a headache. Maybe I was exchanged with another baby at birth. I was not a princess, or a Lady as they addressed me. I tried explaining to Sydney and Rebecca but they weren't listening.

"My Lady, it's time for your bath," Rebecca said, I bit my lips staring at her blankly. Getting up from my bed, I reluctantly followed her into a bathroom.

"This is your bathroom, My Lady," Rebecca said, I sighed taking in the view of the bathroom. It looked so big, and a bath filled with flowers had been prepared.

"D... Don't tell me this is mine, like... Just me?" I asked, running my hands through the golden bathtub. Rebecca stifled a laugh, she watched me touch everything in the bathroom.

"My Lady, it's time for your bath," She said again. Turning to her, I frowned.

"Are you going to bathe me now?" I asked. Alright, this wasn't cool at all. How can she help a 19-year-old take a bath? "Rebecca, I know you are a maid, and this may be your job but I'm not going to let you bathe me," I said, my voice firm.

Rebecca stared at me, with an amused look on her face. "It's not in your power to refuse My Lady," She finally said.

"But it's in my power to give you an order right? Are you going to disobey me?" I asked her, I could see her confused and scared expression.

"Rebecca..." I called again.

"Okay My Lady, but no one should know, please. I may get my head cut off." Rebecca pleaded before leaving me to help myself. I was out of the bathroom in a few minutes, a very large towel wrapped around my body.

Sydney and Rebecca seemed to be talking about something but they stopped seeing me. Not like I was interested in whatever they were saying. Right now all I wanted to do was get dressed and find the answers to all the questions in my head.

"What next?" I asked, Sydney motioned for me to have a seat in from of the mirror, where there was a table and a lot of things. Then she began brushing my curls, maybe trying to straighten them or what?

"It won't get straight, no matter what you do," I told her. Sydney shared a look with Rebecca and she smiled, it was a sad smile. "What's funny?" I asked,

"I'm sorry My Lady, I just recalled your late mother Her Highness 'Queen Beatrice,' had the same type of hair." Sydney bowed,

"Wow, I never got to meet her," I said, Sydney held some kind of apologetic smile on her face. She returned her attention to my hair.

"My Lady, which dress do you prefer?" Rebecca held up two beautiful dresses, an olive green off-the-shoulder dress and a white dress with straps on the back. They looked so beautiful, I didn't know which to choose.

"What do you think?" I asked Rebecca. "I think the white dress is perfect My Lady," She replied, her voice a little shaky.

"Then the white dress it is," I smiled. Sydney helped me get up from the chair and also helped me get into the white flowing dress. Then she and Rebecca began tying the straps at the back of the dress.

"My Lady, you can turn now," Sydney said, I nodded and complied, turning very slowly so I could see my reflection in the mirror. I gasped, since when did I get this beautiful? My curls were styled up to fall behind my back, with two strands falling on the side of my face. And Rebecca was right, the white dress suited me so well.

"I... I look perfect, thank you both so much..." I said, my eyes gleaming with gratitude. "My Lady, you don't have to thank us for anything, it's our job to serve you. And we would never turn our backs on you." Rebecca said.

"I can trust you both?" I probed. I had to find out if they were trustworthy. Right now, I needed some kind of confidant or friend since I wasn't sure if I was going to be seeing Margot again.

"We served the late queen for years until her unfortunate demise. And we are most honoured to serve her daughter." Sydney said, and I instantly felt like hugging these two. But I knew deep down, they wouldn't let me. If they had served my late mother, they must know so much about her. I had to ask them later.

"Fine, where did you say I'll be going to after getting dressed?" I asked Sydney in particular. "The introduction party, it's to formally inform the kingdom that they have a new princess. It is time My Lady," Sydney urged and I smiled, a tight knot forming in my chest and butterflies in my stomach.

"My Lady, relax. It's just an introduction party, and all you have to do is bow to His Royal Majesty the king. And then, nothing more."

I sighed, as two guards pushed open the heavy doors. Sydney nodded at me and I stepped into the courtroom, as she had called the place earlier. My heart raced like a wild bird as I looked out at the sea of faces before me.

The room was filled to the brim with people. Well, I didn't know what to call them... Nobles? Guards? I had a lot to learn about this princess stuff. And everyone seated where dressed in the finest attires.

As I made my way down the aisle, I could hear whispers and murmurings from the crowd growing louder with each step I took. I could feel the weight of their stares on me. They had never seen me before, and I could already sense their curiosity and suspicions.

I reached the front of the room and bowed low before the king, just the way Sydney had asked me to. My knees trembled beneath my dress as I kept my head down, waiting for him to speak. The silence was oppressive, like a heavy blanket that suffocated me.

"Rise, Oceania," my father's voice boomed, echoing off the stone walls. I stood, my heart still racing, and met his gaze. His eyes were piercing, like a sword thrust into my very soul.

I swallowed hard and curtsied again, trying to hide my nervousness. I was a stranger in this place, an outsider in the palace of my father.