A Dream, Right?

**Chapter One ~ A dream, right?**

Finally, Sunday was here! I quickly kicked the huge covers of my bed off me and got up expecting to see my old, dirty rubbish dump-like bedroom. What I saw instead, flabbergasted me! My room was huge! With a king sized bed and a huge closet next to a glamorous study table next to a… recording studio? “Eh” I said, and shrugged it off. “I’m probably dreaming”. I walked towards my seemingly huge closet and pulled out the first thing that came into my hand. When I looked at it, I nearly fainted! It was a long pink gown with sequins all over it. “Eugh! Where in the world did this come from?” I muttered, exasperated that I couldn’t find my regular oversized tee and denim shorts. “Muuuum!!” I shouted. I waited… And Waited… and waited. Finally, the door to my room opened “Mum have you seen my t— Aaah! Who are you? What are you doing in my house?” The person standing at my door was definitely not my mum! She was dressed in a black frilly dress and wore a white apron on top. “My name is Elodie, ma’am— uh sorry, your highness, very pleased to make your acquaintance. I am your personal chambermaid and am here to help you with anything you need. Do you require my assistance, Your highness?”

“Woah, Woah, Woah! Slow down! Since when do I have a chambermaid and since when am I known as your highness?

“Why since forever! Your highness!” Elodie replied

“Ha! I’ve got to be dreaming! The next thing you’ll tell me I have a butler waiting at the doorstep!” I muttered.

“Yes! Indeed! That’s right!” She sang happily

“Okay, this has gone too far!” I thought, my temper rising.

Turing to face her with my lips pinched tightly, I said

“Well then, Elodie, if indeed you are my chambermaid then I want you to pinch me really really hard!

“If you say so, your highness,” Elodie answered, looking a bit confused.

Almost half a minute later of trying to wake up from this hideous dream and huge amounts of pain on my left arm, I looked around… Nothing had changed. Nothing at all. I was still in the same big pink room with a humongous bed and glamorous accessories. I was gobsmacked, if I wasn’t dreaming, then how was any of this possible? Trying to push all this confusion aside, I said “Elodie, where’s my mum?”

“Your highness, if you are referring to Lady Stacey Delacourt, she is up two stories in the 62nd room. Would you like me to escort you there?” Upon hearing this, I couldn’t control my thoughts anymore. “ What! Why are you calling mum ‘Lady’ and since when is there a 62nd room in my 2 bedroom house?” I shouted, unable to process all of this information at once. “Your highness, in case you are unaware, your house has fifteen stories and seven rooms on each story. Currently you are on the seventh floor and your mother is on the ninth floor.” She replied coolly.

I felt very gullible as I said this but I decided to go along with this weird life that had just happened to me. “Elodie, could you please escort me to mum’s room?”

“Of course your highness! But first we will get you all dressed up and have breakfast. Would you like to have breakfast in the grand hall or in the private parlour?” She asked me. “I’ll have breakfast in the grand hall, Elodie” I replied, not knowing where this was taking me. “Sure, your highness! I shall organise the grand hall while you get dressed. Just open your wardrobe, say a colour and all the clothes of that colour will be pushed to the front!” And just like that, she walked out of the room, leaving me completely puzzled. I decided that there was nothing to lose and walked up to the closet. I opened the extravagant doors and instantly there was an outburst of colours in my face! There was not a single colour or shade of clothes that were not in that closet. I had no idea which one I wanted to wear because they all looked horrible, so I said “Ultramarine Blue”. Though I was expecting something crazy to happen, I wasn’t expecting my wardrobe to double in size! Because it’s true! My closet jumped out and added a whole extra rack with just Ultramarine blue clothes! There were so many of them that it looked like an ocean. I started browsing and soon found a nice galaxy patterned t-shirt with a pair of black denims that came with it. I put my hair up in a high ponytail and walked out of the room…

As soon as I turned around, I felt like I had made a mistake. Because what I saw made me question yet again, whether I was dreaming. There was a shimmering red carpet on the floor, there were beautiful mantle pieces that looked like they were made of all the different crystals in the world. It was like waking up and realising you’re in Buckingham Palace and you're the queen. In the middle of the lobby, there was a huge staircase, leading up and down. The handles were made of what I assumed was gold and the red carpet continued. It was a breathtaking sight. Confused and unsure where to go, I sat down on a chair and looked around, hoping to see someone walk by. Like he could read my thoughts, a man in a suit similar to Elodie’s dress walked by. “Excuse me! Do you know where the grand hall is? I need to go there for breakfast!” I said. He laughed and addressed me “I see you’re settling in well your highness! So many rooms, so many passages, no idea where to go! Well fear not! I am Bernard Waffle, your personal butler and chauffeur. Elodie just asked me to find you and bring you down to the grand hall.” “Oh, Thank goodness! Hello Bernard, I’m Isabelle Delacourt. I have absolutely no idea how I ended up here but I’m trying to make the most of it!” I replied, sensing his sense of humour. He chuckled. “Well then your highness, let's get you down to the grand hall. Elodie will be waiting.” He started walking towards the staircase. “Okay! Let’s go!” I followed him.

On the way to the grand hall, we passed lots of beautiful and elaborate decorations and engravings, each and every one as wonderful as the one before. After walking for what seemed like hours, we arrived at the first floor. This floor was probably the most extravagant one in the house. There were portraits of people that looked like royals and grand doors engraved with crystals and magnificent carvings. At the doors stood two footmen who held the doors open for us. When I entered, they said in unison “Announcing her highness Isabelle Delacourt”. This surprised me, because I was definitely not a royal! But that wasn’t the only thing that surprised me, the Grand Hall was a spectacular sight, one I will never forget. In fact, all I did at that moment was stand there, awestruck at its beauty and elegance. The roof, engraved with amazing patterns, the crystal chandelier in the middle, the marble white floor, the shimmering red carpet, the aromatic flowers, the delicious food and the exquisite mantelpieces and decorations. It was mesmerising.

“I see you like it, your highness. This was built in 1995 when this house was renovated. Come on, eat your breakfast so I can take you to your mother.” Elodie had come up beside me to snap me out of my trance. “Alright” I replied. Once I had finished breakfast, Elodie told me to follow her to my mum’s room. Yet again, we walked up the smiling stairs to the ninth floor, where everything seemed to be of a pastel sort of colour. It was very unique and it looked like something my mum would definitely love. We walked to the room labelled ‘Lady Stacey Delacourt’ and Elodie knocked on the oak door. “Mum! It’s me, Isabelle! Can I come in?” I asked. “Sure you can, darling! Walk right in!” The melodious voice of my mum.

I slowly pushed open the door and walked in, revealing my mum’s flamboyant modern room. It had new types of geometric furniture, and everything was pastel pink, blue, purple or grey. It was probably the most modern-style room I had ever seen. My mum sat at the dressing table, looking into the hexagon shaped mirror doing her hair. She looked at me and smiled. Every time she smiled, everything seemed perfect. Every single worry disappeared. “Well you look pretty today!” She said, as if everything was normal. “Thanks mum! But you look more beautiful!” I confessed, scanning her amiable face. She had big loving hazel eyes, long milk chocolate coloured hair, cherry red lips and a kind and happy expression that gave pure pleasure. “Aw, thanks darling! That’s kind of you!”

She beckoned for me to come and sit next to her. I went in. “Well then, your highness, I will be waiting if you need me,” Elodie closed the door and walked away. “So how do you like it?” She asked me, while gently brushing her long wavy hair. “Like what?” I replied, confused on whether she meant her hair or the room. “Why our new house of course!” She confirmed happily. “Well, I mean it’s not bad, actually it’s incredible! I can’t get my head around how big and pretty it is!” I gushed. “But I don’t understand how we got here and when we came…” “Well, it’s a long story…” my mum said, a hint of sadness making its way on to her pretty face. “Great! Because I love long stories!” I replied, trying to sound as un-cliché as possible. I settled into a cushioned chair as she started explaining.

**Chapter two ~ The Cold, Hard Truth**

“Well, I guess there’s no easy way to say this…” she sighed. Instantly, my heart raced as worry filled my mind. “Edward and I are not your real parents.” She whispered. I just sat there, awestruck, trying to process what I had just heard. I let out a little cry, which sounded more like a whimper than I had intended. She continued, “When I was young, my father James, was extremely wealthy. His friend George, was a Duke of someplace and when he married Princess Margaret, he became prince of England. His daughter Audrey and I were great friends, we even went to school and college together. We had great times and made wonderful memories with each other. Later on, when Audrey married a rich man’s son, Louis, they became the Duke and Duchess. Only a year or so after, I married Edward. Audrey, Louis, Edward and I, frequently went out together and spent a lot of time at Audrey’s House. Around three years after marriage, Audrey had a baby— you. Edward and I were named your godparents.” At this stage, a nostalgic smile had crept on to her woebegone looking face.“ I remember the first time I saw you when I visited Audrey at the hospital. Your big, curious chocolate coloured eyes, your unbearably cute smile and your almost permanent happy expression. I loved you so much! And when Audrey and Louis made me your godmother, I was overjoyed.” She cried. “But that joy didn’t last very long.” She sighed

After taking a few long, deep breaths, she continued the story. “Around six months after your birth, Audrey and Louis were on their way to the royal palace with you, so their daughter, Lady Isabelle Delacourt, could meet her grandparents. Unfortunately, that never happened. You all were met with a horrendous accident on the highway. It was the tragedy of the decade. You were all rushed to the hospital. Audrey and Louis both had suffered severe injuries. Audrey had suffered a head injury and a few broken ribs, Louis had suffered brain damage, and a snapped spinal cord. They both were immediately rushed into intensive care and things were not looking very good. Louis’ injuries proved fatal, and he passed away.” She was speaking slowly and sadly, as if it was really hard for her to say this. “And— and— and Audrey was undergoing surgery which took seven hours and finally proved to be unsuccessful. There was no way left to save Audrey. When I went to visit her for the last time on her deathbed, she held my hand tightly and whispered “Dearest Stacey, you are the best friend I ever had! Please please adopt Isabelle and don’t tell her about this until she becomes Princess Isabelle Delacourt of England, and bury Louis and I in the royal cemetery and bring her there on her first birthday as princess. And I beg you, please tell her that I lo—” And those were her last words. At this point, we both were crying unstoppably. Finding out that Stacey wasn’t my real mother broke something in me. I felt devastated. “You survived the treacherous accident with only a few little injuries, because your parents had covered you and suffered themselves. So, before long, you were the only left heir to the Duke and Duchess of England.” Stacey told me, smiling.

Then, Stacey pulled out something from a hidden drawer in her dressing table, it was a heart shaped locket. She placed the precious necklace into my shaking palm and I fingered the intricate carvings on it, figuring that it had my initials carved into it with a delicate floral font. The engravings were of flowers and hearts all put together in one elaborate carving. “Look inside it,” Stacey urged me. I fingered the edge of the locket and, to my surprise there was a tiny lock. I clicked it and the locket opened up into two pieces. Inside, there were two photos, one in each segment of the locket. The first one was of a little baby smiling with big eyes staring up at the camera. The second one, was the same little baby with two adults, a young couple. The woman was absolutely beautiful and her husband was quite good looking as well. The little girl looked astonishingly like her mother, both with dark chocolate coloured hair and big hazel coloured eyes. “My parents,” I whispered, tears welling up in my eyes. But the photos weren’t the only thing inside the locket, there was a tiny piece of folded paper, with a yellowish tint from being in there for so long. It didn’t take me long to realise that it was a letter. As I unfolded it, millions of thoughts were going through my head. What would it say? Was it from when they were in hospital? Was it about my royal descent? Well, I was about to find out. I unfolded the letter and opened it to see stunning cursive handwriting. It read:

Dearest Isabelle,

If you are reading this, then it must mean that we have passed away and you have found out about us, your real parents. You are a royal, darling. We are so sorry that you didn’t get the life you deserve before today, but the time is here now, however old you are. You are Princess Isabelle Emma Delacourt of England. You should have been a long time ago. We are sure you have grown up to be as beautiful as we could ever have imagined. Probably more. We wish we could have seen you grow up into the wonderful young girl you are today, but unfortunately, that never happened. We are sure that Stacey and Edward have taken excellent care of you over the years, and have raised you to be an amazing, bright young girl, for they love you more than anything you can ever imagine. We know that you will grow up to be a strong, independent and courageous young woman and an incredible princess. But never forget that luxury can sometimes make people of even the kindest hearts, spiteful and cruel. Your chambermaid Elodie, is the daughter of Jane, your mother’s chambermaid. Treat her as your equal, and remember that she has given up her own life to serve you. And Bernard, your butler and chauffeur. He is one of the kindest, most honest and loyal people on this planet. He was our very own young butler when we were newly married. He has an impeccable sense of humour and is great to talk to if you want a laugh. Treat him with respect and kindness. Also, this locket was made for you by your grandmother as a token of love for the newly born baby. Keep it safe! And finally, remember, that you are never alone! We will always be in your heart and in this locket. We will never stop loving you! Wherever you are, whatever you do, and whoever you become. You will always be our little princess.

Love you lots!

Mom and Dad

Duke Louis & Duchess Audrey

I was in tears when I finished reading the letter. I was crying because I had lost my parents, I was crying because I had finally discovered my true identity, I was crying because Stacey was forced to lie to me for years, I was crying because I couldn’t understand why all of this was happening to to me, but most of all, I was crying because my life would never be the same again.

**Chapter Three: What Now?**

It took me a minute to realise that Stacey wasn’t sitting next to me anymore. She was standing some distance away, near the window, tears rolling down her face. She had been watching me read the letter. Now she was staring out the window, a look of pure heartache on her face. She must have noticed me staring at her, because then she wiped her tears away, cleaned off her smudged makeup, and took a few steps towards me, maintaining her distance. “I know this is a lot for you to take in, and it would be perfectly understandable for you to hate me for keeping this secret from you for all these years, and I will be happy to move out from here if you never want to see me again” she said, her voice wavering. “But I just want you to know” a little hint of confidence sneaking into her speech. “I just want you to know that you have grown to become such a beautiful and important person in my life, and I don’t know what I would do without you. You are the only daughter I’ve ever had, and I would give up my life for you any day. But most of all, I love you Isabelle! I love you more than you could ever imagine.” And that was it. She started heading for the door of the room. But before she could make it out, I ran up to her and hugged her. “You are the only part of my mother I have left! You are the only person I’ve ever called mother! I would never leave you! Not in a million years!” I said, my voice muffled by the hug.

“Oh darling!” Stacey said, hugging me back tightly. By now, it was already lunchtime. We heard a knock on the door, “Your highness Isabelle and Lady Stacey? It’s lunchtime.” Came the voice of a female whom I was guessing was Stacey’s chambermaid. “Alright Charlotte, send Charles up to collect us in five minutes!” Called Stacey. “Charlotte and Charles are twins, Charlotte is my chambermaid and Charles is my butler and chauffeur” she explained to me. “Okay, thanks Stacey” I replied. “Also, where is Edward?” I asked her. “I think he might be at work darling.” she told me. “That’s fine, but when he comes back, you both still have loads of explaining to do!” I informed her with a grin. “Okay okay, we’ll have a family session this evening by the fireplace.” Stacey confirmed, smiling. “Oh, and I really need a tour of this massive palace! I think I’ll ask Bernard to give me one” I thought out loud.

Just a minute later, a young man with a head of short, brown curls, walked up to us and said, “Your Highness Isabelle and Lady Stacey, may I take you to lunch in the parlour?” “Of course you may Charles” replied Stacey. As we made our way to lunch, I noticed that this time, we were heading up, not down. The parlour which we were going to, was on the top floor. On the way, we passed many exquisitely furnished and elaborately decorated stories. After what seemed to take forever but was actually just ten minutes, we reached the top floor. As I looked around, it took me a while to take in just how spectacular this part of the house was. There was a shimmering chandelier in the centre of the room, encrusted with all kinds of jewels and crystals. The furniture surrounding it was white and gold, patterned with swirls and loops. It looked like it must have cost a fortune just to furnish this room alone! I made a mental note to ask Edward and Stacey how we were able to afford this house!

We ate lunch in silence, occasionally asking the other to pass one thing or another. Partly because we were both starving and partly because we were deep in thought. No matter how much I tried to avoid it, the same thoughts kept coming into my mind. Would my life ever be the same again? What would I tell my friends? Now that I had found out about my past, that meant I was a princess right? And HOW ON EARTH was I a princess?! After lunch, Stacey went down to her room and I started heading towards my room. My mind was in one big mess. I was so distracted that I almost walked into Bernard! “Woah, your Highness, you might want to watch where you’re going next time!” “Oops! I’m so sorry Bernard, I just have a lot on my mind right now.” I replied, feeling embarrassed for being so foolish. And I continued down the towering staircase until I reached the 7th floor.

When I walked into my room, a strange feeling hit me, as if I felt proud of what I discovered this morning, as if a missing piece of me had been found. I walked over to my bed and saw a small package on the side table, it had a small note attached to it. It read

“Your Mother’s Favourite book. Enjoy!”

Lots of love,

Stacey

I picked up the book ‘Tom Sawyer’ by ‘Mark Twain’. It looked like a really well written murder mystery. I never thought my mum would be a fan of Crime and thriller novels, but I didn’t know very much about her anyway. I spent the rest of the day curled up in my bed reading Mark Twain’s masterpiece.