It all felt like a dream. The letter had explained everything. Her father had been a prince in the small European kingdom and had come to America to attend college. That was where he had met her mother, after that she knew the story. What she hadn't known, was that her father had kept his title from her mother until they were married. That, apparently, hadn't gone over so well. In the end, they decided it would be best to raise their daughter like any other American child away from all the pressures of the childhood her father had lived. They had thought to tell her after she was done with high school, but they hadn't gotten the chance.
At first, Ailey had been angry and felt as if her parents had betrayed her. Leonard had left soon after he gave her the letter so that she could think about what she had been told. Jenny had held her while she cried, not caring that she was covered in dirt, and helped her through her confusion. She had every right to be angry with her parents for keeping such a huge secret from her. But, then again, she could understand why they had - not that she agreed with their decision. The next day, Jenny had helped her pack a few things and sent her off to a country they knew little about. Ailey's head ached at the thought of how quickly everything had changed.
She hadn't wanted to go with the man she now knew was her grandfather's personal butler. She had wanted to forget about his appearance and just go on with her plans for a stress free summer. Jenny, on the other hand, felt that it was important for her to give him a chance. "He's your grandfather, Ailey. Give him a chance. Your dad would have wanted you to." And of course, she had been right. That was the only reason she had got on the private jet. Jenny had been forced to stay as she was teaching summer school and needed to make plans for the next school year.
Leo, as she had now taken to calling him, was seated across from her with a book open in his lap. He seemed pretty consumed in his book, so Ailey jumped at the sound of his voice. It had been a long flight.
"Look there, my lady. Welcome to Elmira," he said with a proud smile as he pointed out the window.
Ailey pressed herself to the glass just as the plane cleared the clouds. She gasped as she took in the unbelievable sight of sprawling castle beneath her. It's walls were of a light grey and white stone with a few darker ones now and again. It was arranged so that a large courtyard was positioned in the center. Several smaller ones were scattered throughout the winding halls. She could make out a large stables and several other smaller buildings she didn't know the purpose of. Large, blooming trees in white and pink lined the long drive that lead to the castle's front gates. Vines grew along several of the walls, giving the palace a country feel. It was the most beautiful building Ailey had ever seen. "It's stunning," she breathed.
Leo simply chuckled as the pilot easily lowered the huge plane a distance from the castle to land on a private runway. "i'm glad you think so."
Once they were free to exit the plane, Ailey rose and went to grab the duffle bag of clothing she had brought with her. She really didn't have many nice clothes that were suited for this - she was more of a casual dresser. Instead, Leo took the bag from her despite her objections.
He offered her a kind smile but kept the bag. "Come now, Ms. Princesses do not carry their own bags. This is your first time in our country and the first time any of the public will see you. Your father's death left a whole in our country's heart. Seeing your face will help."
Ailey swallowed as he called her a princess but nodded. This was so surreal. She followed the butler down the steps from the plane to find a black Lexus awaiting them. Leo deposited her bag into the trunk and opened the door for her before getting into the front passenger seat. Ailey was quiet as they made the quick drive to the castle that was no less impressive on the ground.
No sooner did the tires stop did the door open and a hand was offered to Ailey. She took a deep breath and stepped from the car. A group of people were standing in a line from the main door of the castle to where the car had stopped. All were dressed in black and white. "Ms. Ailey. May I introduce to you the staff of our lovely castle." He named each person, but of the over twenty people gathered, she only remembered the names of a few. "And Margaret will be your personal staff member," he said nodding to the staff member nearest them. She looked to be in her thirties with shiny black hair and kind green eyes. "She will assist you as you adjust to Elmira. She will serve as your maid, butler, assistant, what have you. Just let either her or myself know if you require anything. The entire staff will be available as well. You only need to ask." Ailey nodded, completely overwhelmed. "Very good. Follow me and I will show you to your room."
Ailey hurried to catch up with the surprisingly fast older man. They were moving too quickly for her to get a good look at the interior, but everything was so beautiful and delicate. It looked like something out of a fairy tale. It had to be a dream.
Ailey concentrated on remembering how to get to her room from the front hall when Leo stopped and turned to face her. "I hope you find everything to your liking." With that, he threw open a set of mahogany french doors that had golden flowers and scrawling vines carved into the door.
Ailey could not believe her eyes. Before her was a gorgeous suite decorated completely in white, gold, and a pale teal. The furniture was all white antique with gold accents. The duvet was white with teal embroidery and pillows. A foreign type of teal flowers bloomed in a vase on the bedside table. The thick, golden carpet felt soft beneath the soles of her shoes. "It's amazing."
"Through that door you'll find a bathroom, fully stocked of course. Also, a television is in the wall behind those panels," he said pointing to a section of wall in the sitting room attached to the bedroom. The remote is in the drawer of the coffee table. That door," he said pointing to another door, "is a newly filled closet. All the clothes are to your size. And these," he moved to throw open another set of french doors, "allows for a gorgeous view of the yard."
Ailey couldn't believe all this was for her. It was all so much. She had never wanted for anything growing up but she wasn't a spoiled brat. This was incredible. She threw herself onto the bed and stared out the open doors that led to her balcony. This could not be happening.
"Dinner will be served at five o'clock sharp in the dinning room. Please, make yourself at home and dress for dinner. I will send Margret for you to show you the way. Good day, Ms." Leo gave a small bow before leaving her bag on the bed and exiting her chambers.
A shower actually sounded wonderful. She was curious as to how Leo had gotten her sizes and what he would consider appropriate clothing, but as quickly as he had arranged for their departure she was sure they would be right. Opening the door to her closet, Ailey literally screamed. The room was as big as half of the entire apartment she and Jenny shared. It was filled with wall to wall clothes of all kinds, shoes, and accessories. A free standing mirror comfortable looking couches in white and teal were at the center of the room. Not knowing where to begin, Ailey headed for the bathroom instead. Like the closest, the bathroom continued on the theme of her room and was stocked with everything she could possibly need.
She took he time in the shower. She washed her long red and yellow hair with a fruity scented shampoo that smelled amazing but was unfamiliar. She conditioned twice, scrubbed herself with an exfoliating body wash of the same scent, and shaved her legs. Thirty minutes after she had entered the warm shower, she turned the knob and stopped the glorious flow of water.
Ailey quickly dried off and wrapped herself and her hair in towels. She gasped as she saw Margaret walk from her closet, an outfit in her hands. "I'm sorry, Miss. I didn't mean to frighten you. My apologies," she mumbled bowing her head.
"No! It's okay. I just wasn't expecting anyone." She felt self-conscious wrapped in only a fluffy towel. Margaret laid the dress on the bed and asked Ailey if she would like to wear that dress to dinner. Ailey really had no idea what she was supposed to wear and she was glad for the help. She stepped closer to inspect the dress. It was a jade green skater dress that ended a little above her knee. It was simple with the only decoration being the cutout pattern around the collar. "It's gorgeous. Thank you so much."
Margaret nodded and asked if she would be needing anything else. Ailey shook her head and waited for her to exit before she quickly dressed. She padded across the plush carpet to the huge mirror that stood in her closet. The dress fit perfectly. Fit and flare. Now all she needed was the right pair of shoes. There were more pairs of shoes - heels, flats, sneakers, boots, sandals - than she had ever seen in one place in her life. Knowing it probably wasn't proper, she picked a dark grey-green pair of Doc Martins that laced up to just under her knees. She wasn't going to change completely. She quickly fixed her auburn hair into simple waves and applied a little makeup.
"Are you ready for dinner, my lady?" Margaret called from the door. Ailey nodded and followed her through the confusing corridors and halls. Finally, they came to a large dining room with a huge table. Only one person sat at the table, an older man that looked friendly enough. He was currently reading something Leo had handed to him. Margaret must have seemed the question in Ailey's eyes because she smiled. "That is the king. Your grandfather."