Page 23 of Not-So-Perfect Princess
She needed to do this. Everything else in her life, from her education to her marriage, had been determined for her. Not out of love, but because of what tradition dictated and what others believed to be best for Aliestle.
Going sailing tonight was the one decision she could make for herself. She was desperate enough for this one act of disobedience. A secretive rebellion of sorts, the kind she never did as a teenager.
Jules tossed back the luxurious Egyptian cotton sheet and climbed out of bed. Her bare feet sunk into a hand-woven Persian rug. Only the finest furnishings for the grand palace.
She entered the large bathroom. Yvette had set out her toiletries on the marble countertop. The gold plated fixtures reminded Jules of every other castle she’d stayed in. Gold might be considered opulent, but didn’t any of the royal interior designers want to be creative and try a different finish? Then again, royalty could never be too creative or different. The status quo was completely acceptable.
Jules stared at her refection in the mirror. Today she would maintain that status quo. People would look at her and see a dutiful princess. Even if she would be counting down the hours until her first and last taste of…
Freedom.
Her chest tightened. She had no idea what true freedom would feel like.
So far, Jules’s choices in life had been relegated to what she wanted to eat, if it wasn’t a state dinner, what books she wanted to read, if she’d completed all her assigned readings, and what she purchased while shopping. Perhaps that was why she’d become a consummate shopper.
Choosing what she wanted to do without having to consider the expectations of an overprotective father and a conservative country would have to feel pretty good. She couldn’t wait to experience it tonight.
Jules had thought about what Alejandro said about the island not being Aliestle, about the legal rights she would have here and about his mother leaving his father. Those things had led her to devise a new plan.
She would sail tonight, then return to being a dutiful princess in the morning and marry Enrique after the Med Cup. Once they had children, she would work to improve her position, get Enrique to be more cooperative and try to change things.
Thirty minutes later, Yvette clasped a diamond and pearl necklace around Jules’s neck. “Excellent choice, Yvette. You have quite an eye when it comes to accessories.”
“Thank you, ma’am.” The young maid stared at their reflection in the mirror. “You look like a modern day Princess Grace.”
Jules felt a little like Princess Grace, who had been forced to stop acting because someone said the people of Monaco wouldn’t be happy if she returned to making movies. Life for many royals didn’t always have a happy ending.
“Thank you, Yvette.” The retro-style pink-and-white suit had been purchased on a recent trip to Paris. Jules tucked a strand of hair into her French roll. “I’m sure the hairstyle helps.”
“Prince Enrique will be impressed.”
“Let’s hope so.” Jules tried to sound cheerful, but her words felt flat. She doubted Enrique would be impressed by anything she did. He was nothing like…Alejandro.
She couldn’t imagine Enrique cradling her in his arms and offering sympathy while she cried. He would have cursed her tears, not wiped them away as Alejandro had.
A black sheep? Perhaps, but he was taking her sailing. She guessed he was more of a good guy than he claimed to be.
She smiled. “Perhaps I’ll make an impression on the entire royal family.”
“Not Prince Alejandro.” Yvette sounded aghast. “I’ve been told to stay away from him.”
The words offended Jules. She would rather spend time with Alejandro than Enrique. “Who said that?”
“One of the housekeepers. She’s young. Pretty,” Yvette explained. “She said Prince Alejandro has a horrible reputation. Worse, his taste in women is far from discriminating. Royalty, commoner, palace staff, it doesn’t matter.”
Alejandro had warned her about the gossip. But the words stung for some reason. “That could be a rumor. The press loves to write about royalty whether it’s true or not. People will believe almost anything once it’s in print or on the Internet.”
