Isabelle dragged herself out of bed ready to perform the same boring routine. Her room was just how she liked it with beige wall papers and white accented furniture that highlighted the space. "Simple yet unique", she stated smiling to herself as she prepared to take her bath. The smile slowly faded, "why couldn't life be like that?", She thought taking a deep breath. Isabelle wanted to feel the breeze in her icy white hair. She wanted to explore the village, visit that little traditional bakery close to the village square and maybe have a picnic in the garden. She imagined the taste of the pastries and the freshness of the handpicked berries. She sighed deeply wondering when that would ever happen freely.
Isabelle walked to the bathroom and began the task of trying to quietly open the creaking door. Small beads of sweat formed on her forehead, and she nervously bit her lip with every inch. Just when the space was big enough to fit her petite body through, a loud sound echoed through the room. "Splendid" She mumbled sarcastically and counted to three before Señor Kenny burst through the door. "Good morning Princesa, my apologies for my tardiness" he stated looking remorseful. He was a man of his age but showed no signs of it. He was fit, and his gray eyes showed youth and more dominantly, wisdom.
"Don't be silly señor", Isabelle said as she entered the bathroom. "I will prepare my bath this morning", she finished from inside the bathroom. The butler simply nodded and exited the room, but not with the same burst of energy. As soon as she closed the door behind her, she pinned her hair up and allowed the night gown to fall gracefully at her feet. She entered the bathtub, relaxing a little bit more as the warm water caressed her skin. Isabelle smiled subconsciously deciding to stay in the bathtub for a while longer.
She was snapped out of relaxation mode by a thought. Her brief time away from the Kingdom meant rest but only for a short while as her duties awaited her return. This fact forced her to quickly exit the tub. Isabelle re-entered her room and made her way to the walking closet where her personal stylist and advisor, Clara, had already chosen her breakfast attire. After getting ready and having a little chat with Clara, she gently placed her crown on her head and began to tackle the stairs flight by flight. She then took a deep breath before entering the pastel-colored dining room. Isabelle met the butler once more and greeted her parents with the traditional kisses and a warm smile as her chair was pulled for her to sit. She then sat quietly and began to have her breakfast, ignoring her father's knowing stare.
Isabelle knew this look too well; she received it every month on this exact day. Today was the set date for visitation by Royalties from both her kingdom and the Kingdom of Loudefe in France. "Princesa, you are required to visit the village today. Your people look forward to seeing you", her dad beamed trying to mask his strong accent. "Papá, if you must antagonize me about this, I will see the people tomorrow. I understand that today is the scheduled date, but you are also aware that our trip did not go as planned. We overstayed and returned later than expected; due to that I am exhausted. I wish to reside in my room to rest and make preparations for tomorrow", Isabelle spat in an annoyed tone. Her father was up for an argument and so was she, but before it began, Queen Melaine quickly interjected giving her husband a warm smile.
"Cariño, let it rest, just last night we returned from Egypt. She is still trying to get everything in order as our people will have many questions. In addition to that, she will have to deal with the quarries of our own kingdom", stated Queen Melaine smiling at Isabelle lovingly. King Rafael was still displeased but nodded in approval as he couldn't debate with the argument that his wife had presented. She was a beautiful woman, and all her facial features had been recreated on Isabelle's face.
Isabelle returned the smile and ate the last of her breakfast. She then excused herself from the dining table and made her way back up the stairs with a smug smile. After closing her door behind her, she began to change out of her royal attire. "Finally, some comfortable clothes for the risk that I am more than willing to take" she thought amused. In a matter of minutes, she was dressed in a white ribbon front lace tube top, a black mini skirt and white platform sandals. She was really grateful to Clara who arranged everything for the insane idea she crafted. Clara braided her hair and pinned it up. She then placed a dark brown wig on her head and adjusted it until it met her level of satisfaction. She then used a black head band with a white bow to finish the look, centered it and took a step back.
Now satisfied, Clara grabbed the makeup kit and started working. 15 minutes later she helped Isabelle to put in the dark brown contacts before stepping away with a smirk. "Oh wow", Isabelle beamed barely able to recognize herself in the mirror. She then gave Clara a hug and grabbed her side bag before stepping out on the balcony. The next step was to scout for guards, the royal staff, the grand council; basically everyone.
When she was sure the coast was clear, she grabbed the rope that was put in place by Clara and started descending. She knew this was risky, dangerous even! but after weeks of planning and preparation, it was too late to tap out now. This was one of the reasons why they bonded so easily. Even though they were from two completely different worlds; they understood each other perfectly.
Isabelle landed safely and saluted Clara before sneaking through the palace gates and starting off for the village. This, she quickly realized, was her favorite place to be. She knew that no one would bow down to her there and she could enjoy her visit without having to worry about any royal duties. She could finally just breathe; it was her only little get away from being a princess and she loved it. It was now her second day sneaking out and she was getting better at it.
Isabelle was lost in her thoughts, thinking about those pastries again. " The Almond croissant!", she mumbled to herself, checking her bag to see if she had brought the extra cash. "Aha ... ooof, she was snapped out of that thought by someone knocking her off her feet.