Lara

CHAPTER 2: THE ACTRESS OF THE WEST KINGDOM (2)

LARA’S POV

The Noble family of Sandoval has been known to be one of the most powerful families next to the royal family of the West Kingdom.

Our forefathers were side-by-side with the royal family upon building the whole kingdom. We were one of the founding families to support and pledge loyalty to the royal family and our relationship with them has been strong even until today.

This is one of the reasons why everyone is cheering me to go and join myself in the tradition of finding the crown princess that will be paired with Crown Prince Rydall. This is also the reason why some are against me in doing so because it will not be fair for them, they said. I have the advantage, they argued. It was, to say the least, tiring of how people can just argue about something they are not even involved in.

But like what I will always think to myself, that tradition will never be for me. Even if I do my best and join, I know someone who is less than me will be chosen all because they have the purity and the kindness I will never have.

I loathe how people can be the good persons and have their hardships pay-off to more than what they actually deserve. I hate how assured they are that things will go better for them. I despise how they can just be themselves and have the assurance that one day, everything will go according to them.

I hate how the world will always choose them at the very end.

I gave my co-actress the best slap I can give her that I actually see tears in her eyes. That made me smile even more and say, “who gave you the permission to…”

Delivering my lines is nothing but a piece of cake for me that I still surprise my co-actors and actresses. Just like now, where this woman in front of me has already forgotten her lines after my lines that we had to cut the scene. It’s a waste of time, in all honesty, but I will never deny how I am making things hard for my co-workers.

I sat on my seat again and waited for further instructions because the actress I was just exchanging my lines with needed a break and a whole redone make-up. My make-up artist for today also did my retouches and busied herself for telling me how amazing I am while acting.

“I wouldn’t even dare to think about the moment they will finally give you the villain role, Lady Lara!”

“That’s what I’ve been telling them,” I whispered on my own, satisfied how they are starting to see what I should really do.

It wouldn’t hurt to actually be what I really am, but they are still stubborn on giving me the lead role. It would be hell out fun, even just for once, to play as myself.

Which brings me back to what I have to do tonight.

Meeting the royal family is not that simple, even for a person who is from a Noble family. That is the case for everyone aside from my own Noble family and the other ones who are allowed to meet the royal family members whenever they please.

My family already had dinner with the royal family for times that I can’t count anymore. It all seemed normal for me that I kept forgetting that it was a privilege only for us and also kept forgetting that not everyone knows to what extent our relationship is with the royal family.

One good example is the stupid Dandelion who thought she is doing something for me. Meeting the crown prince together? What the actual clown she is. I have met Crown Prince Rydall countless of times already and that stupid girl actually thinks what will happen tonight is special.

But her idiocy and stupidity will be the source of my fun tonight. I’m already looking forward to it.

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DANDELION’S POV

Ever since that I passed the evaluation round to be one of the running candidates for the search of the Crown Princess, I already know that the person I want to be by my side is none other Lady Lara. She’s the only person I can trust my whole life with.

Lady Lara and I have been friends since our high school days and I have stuck myself by her side since then. I know that I can get pretty annoying most of the time and bad luck seems to be following me everywhere, but I know that everything will be better for me soon. I want to have Lady Lara by my side then because I want to repay her for letting me by her side.

Lady Lara is one of the most well-known personalities in the whole kingdom and even in the whole country of Asrael right now. I’m very proud of her that she is the best of the best actresses out there. She is very talented and I can’t help but to ask myself if she is really acting or she simply embodied her role like how it is supposed to be. I’m really happy that, at least now, I’m not just a simple fan but I can also proudly stand by her as a crown princess candidate.

Being the crown princess is something that I only dreamed of the moment I knew that the royal heir is Crown Prince Rydall. It was only a dream because the tradition would have not happened if he finds himself his own partner by then. I know that everyone would have hoped that he simply found someone by himself, but I’m very guilty that I am happy that he didn’t. That moment I knew that my dream could come true.

I dream of becoming the crown princess because I have always liked Crown Prince Rydall. I know that a commoner like me can never meet nor simply see any of the royal family members, but my first ever encounter with him was the moment he saved me from an accident. He was the reason why I am alive until today.

And tonight, I will meet him again and Lady Lara will be by my side. There’s nothing more I am looking forward to.

But my excitement is dropping each minute that passes and Lady Lara does not answer any of my calls and it is already time for me to come inside the party hall.

My anxiety even worsens when I was already given the last call to enter and I almost cried when she really didn’t come. It’s almost time for Crown Prince Rydall and Lady Lara—

My thoughts were suddenly cut-off the moment Crown Prince Rydall’s entrance was announced and my world stopped when I saw Lady Lara by his side.

How…?

“I just know that Lady Lara can simply ignore all this tradition and have her ways into becoming the crown princess. Come on, look! How can she suddenly be with Crown Prince Rydall like this?”

“It’s been a rumor that she is actually out there seducing the crown prince all this time. The tradition is only to appease the public but the royal family already chose Lady Lara to be the crown princess.”

“Who are we to complain even if that’s the truth? We all know that Lady Lara is perfect to be the crown princess!”

My head is already spinning from everything that is happening and from everything that I am hearing from the other candidates like myself. I don’t know where to focus because I’m suddenly all dizzy.

What does this mean? Why is Lady Lara with Crown Prince Rydall?

Then I suddenly remembered that it is only Lady Lara who knows that I romantically like Crown Prince Rydall and that we met in an accident.

Why do I feel like…?

I know for sure that Lady Lara’s gaze fell on me—and I never felt so cold before.

I got chills because I don’t know why I feel like Lady Lara is acting now like she doesn’t know me.

Is she really acting or…?

The world is spinning too fast and the last thing I remember is that I blacked out.