When the topic of "rules" came up, Lady Aveline was beaming. It was the first happy smile she'd shown since she arrived at March house. She called Elara, who immediately showed up, as if she had been waiting behind the door the whole time. The Queen asked for a pen and paper. Not even three minutes passed before Elara came back with the items requested by her employer. A truly remarkable servant of the Crown.
The Queen tapped her pen onto the paper for about ten seconds, and then began to jot things down, line after line, in beautifully written sentences. Once she was done, she signed the paper and gave it to her daughter.
Rules for Lydia's Trip:
1. Lydia must be accompanied by Elara wherever she goes.
2. Lydia must call her mother at least once every three days.
3. Every purchase and other financial decision must be approved by Elara.
4. Every destination must be approved by Elara.
5. Lydia must maintain conduct befitting the House of Montaire whenever she appears in public spaces.
6. Lydia must avoid public attention as much as possible. (No social Media content)
7. The trip will take no longer than a month.
The Queen of the Principality of Montaire
Aveline Valenrose
"Here you go," said Lady Aveline as she handed the piece of paper to her daughter. "Those are pretty reasonable rules, don't you think?"
Lydia slowly read every item in the rules. By the time she finished, there was a noticeable frown on her face. "Okay, I understand what you mean by some of these rules, but I still want an explanation and the right to negotiate."
Lady Aveline let out a playful smile. "Sure, what do you have in mind?"
"Ok, let's start with the first one. I would be glad if Elara would join me on this trip, but are you sure she wants to go with me?"
"Oh, don't you worry about it. It will be an official Royal mission for her. I'm sure Elara wouldn't mind." Lady Aveline finished the rest of her now lukewarm chocolate. "Besides, I will also give her fair compensation for this task, so again, I'm pretty sure Elara would do it."
"Hmm...ok, alright then. I have no problem with No. 2, but No. 3? What do you mean, every financial decision must be approved by Elara?"
"It means exactly what it said there." The Queen leaned forward. "Lydia, you can't control yourself whenever you go shopping. Whenever you see something you like, you will buy it. Even at the flea market last night. Mr. Rine told me that you went home with bags of clothes and other items. You were running away from home and still as impulsive as ever. Don't look at me like that, young lady." Lady Aveline pinched Lydia's right cheek. "You know I'm right."
Lydia wanted to protest, but deep in her heart, she knew her mother was right. So, she reluctantly agreed.
"What about No. 4? Do you mean I can't decide where I want to go next?"
"Lydia, you hardly know anything about this world. You said so yourself. Elara, on the other hand, has plenty of travel experience, and she knows--"
"Wait, Elara had plenty of traveling experiences?"
"Yes, I thought that's why you picked her as your partner-in-crime."
"Well, no. She is like a friend to me. That's why I asked for her help. Wait, how did you know Elara used to travel a lot?"
"Lydia, I'm the Queen. Of course, I knew the history of the people who worked closest to my family. Before she joined us, Elara used to travel all over the place. I believe it was after she finished high school. She may only be four years older than you, but she certainly has more life experience."
"Oh, wow, I didn't know that."
"You see, that's why I believe she should be the one who decides where you guys should go." The Queen pinched both of her daughter's cheeks. "I don't want you to accidentally end up in a dangerous neighborhood. But that doesn't mean you can't go where you want to go, but you should talk about it with Elara first. If she said yes, then you can go. It's for your own safety, my dear."
"...Alright then," said Lydia. She still had the frown, but she understood what her mother meant, so she couldn't complain about it anymore. She traced the rest of the list with her finger, thinking about what she should ask next.
"I'm surprised you're not complaining about No. 5 and 6," said Lady Aveline.
"Well, dear Mother, I may not be the smartest princess in the world, but even I know who I am and what my responsibilities are. So don't you worry, I won't bring shame to the family and the country."
Lady Aveline felt a bit proud of what her daughter had just said. She stroked Lydia's hair with her right hand and tucked it behind her ear.
"However, this last point," said Lydia while pointing toward item No. 7 on the list, "can I negotiate? I mean, can I ask for more time?"
"How long do you have in mind?"
"How about six months?"
"What? Ok, that's it!" Lady Aveline stood up. "Let's get out of here. Rine, come on in. Please take Lydia to the car now," Lady Aveline shouted to the figure standing in front of the house.
"No, no, Mom. Come on, don't be mad," said Lydia while frantically pulling her mother's right hand. "Let's, you know, let's negotiate. You said I could negotiate, right?"
The Queen looked down on her daughter with suspicion. She took a deep breath and then sat back down again. "Lydia, six months is a ridiculous request."
"Ok, uhm...let's meet in the middle then," said the princess in a hushed tone. "How about four months?"
Lady Aveline rolled her eyes. "First of all, four months is not the middle. Second of all, where do you want to go for that long? Do you want to travel the globe or something?"
"Mooomm, I don't want to travel the world, but I don't want to rush this journey either. Who knows when I will get a chance like this anymore? So please, let me have fun and enjoy this trip at my own pace."
The Queen took another deep breath. "I swear to God, Lydia. You gave me a headache." She paused for a second. She looked at Lydia's puppy eyes and finally relented. "Three months. That's the top. I wouldn't be able to convince your Father if it were more than that. Even three months would be a hard sell for him."
Lydia jumped out of her seat and hugged and kissed her mother's cheeks. "Thank you, Mom. I love you."
"Yeah, yeah, you stubborn kid." The Queen took the paper out of Lydia's hand, scratched out the one and wrote a three beside it.
7. The trip will take no longer than three months.
"There. I've changed it. Is there anything else that you want to discuss or negotiate?"
"No, all good now," said Lydia while still clinging to her mother.
Once the rules had been established, Lady Aveline called Elara back to the dining room. She explained about the trip and how she wanted Elara to accompany Lydia on her maiden journey, including the rules.
"It would be my honor, Your Highness," said Elara as she bowed her head to the Queen. "I would gladly go on this trip with the princess. And don't you worry, I will make sure nothing bad happens."
"Thank you, Elara. And as mentioned in the rules, you will be responsible for every financial decision, so I will send somebody here later to give you a credit card. Don't lose it, and most importantly, don't let Lydia get a hold of it. Understand?"
"Yes, Your Highness. Absolutely. I won't disappoint you."
After that brief conversation, the Queen asked to meet Elara's mother. They had a chat for a while about all sorts of things, but it was mainly about the Queen asking Mrs. March permission so that Elara could accompany Lydia on her little trip. Needless to say, Mrs. March happily agreed.
It was already eight in the morning. The rain had subsided, and the sunlight filtered into the humble abode. Now that everything had been wrapped up neatly, the time had come for the Queen to return to the Palace. The black SUV had already parked in front of Elara's house, and Mr. Rine had already opened the passenger door for the Queen.
Lydia, Elara, and Mrs. March stood together at the door. They wanted to see the Queen off. But right before Lady Aveline entered the car, she turned back and looked at Lydia.
"Ah, I forgot to tell you. I already told Julien, Adrien, and Victor about your disappearance, and I also told them to look for you."
"What the hell, Mom?"