Just One of the Royals

by Leah Rooper, Kate Rooper

  It hurts just to look at her. I bared my soul to her and she had been lying to me the whole time. I was never good enough in her eyes until she knew I would take the crown. “You made good on your promise to Eva, Madison. You made me a king.”

  “Daniel…” She steps forward, but I take one back.

  “And,” I continue, “you made good on your promise to me. You played your part so well…you even fooled me.”

  “I’m sorry I didn’t tell you. Please let me…” She trails off.

  “Good luck at your audition, Madison. I’m sure you’ll get the part.” I turn back to the crowd. “You’re a great actress.”

  Chapter Eighteen

  Daniel

  The news that Eva is Eldonia’s new Queen has caught faster than the fire in Oak’s Tavern. Everyone came out to the town square to celebrate. Restaurants brought food, musicians played, and people danced, partied, and celebrated in the streets. A lot of the townsfolk kept pulling me aside to ask for my spaghetti recipe…as if I would give up that secret. I did let myself get roped into making the spaghetti celebration an annual thing, though.

  I don’t think I’ve ever seen Eva so happy. She even let Alice pull her into a dance.

  I peer through the crowd, and see Madison standing on the sidelines. She’s got a forced smile on her face and laughs as Eva and Alice prance by her. I can see it in her eyes, though. She’s hurting.

  My chest thumps. She got her audition. So why is she moping? Because I wouldn’t let her use me for my castle and crown?

  I was never good enough for her and I’m still not. Maybe she’ll give me some excuse and a made-up apology, and we could go back to being friends.

  But I can never stop loving her.

  So the only way to keep my heart from tearing in two is to let her go.

  Eva runs up to me and pulls me from my thoughts. She forgot her purse—and some important lipstick—at the church. I volunteer to go get it.

  I need a break from all this chaos, a chance to clear my head. Eldredge offers to take me in his car.

  Our car ride is silent, but not awkward, and within a few minutes, we’re back at the small church on the hill. I run inside and grab Eva’s little white purse. When I get out, Eldredge stands with his back to me, looking over the whole town. I stand beside him.

  “Ready to go back down, Prince Daniel?”

  “Not quite yet.” I flop down on the soft green grass. Eldredge takes off his jacket then spreads it out on the grass before sitting down beside me.

  I give a little smile and tilt my head back, letting the sun warm my face. From up here, I can still hear the music in the square, happy and alive and vibrant.

  This morning I was a king.

  Is that what my father would have wanted for me? Is that who he wanted me to become?

  I stare down at the fields and houses. Eldonia. Maybe it’s not my destiny to be its king. But maybe it was my destiny to come here again, for all of this to happen.

  “I think I finally know,” I say, “where I belong in all this.”

  “And where is that, Prince Daniel?”

  “I used to pretend that Eldonia was nothing to me. I thought everyone was ashamed of me…but maybe I was just scared of who I was here. The thing is, I think I’m starting to like Prince Daniel.”

  “Well, welcome to the club.” Eldy smiles.

  “People in Eldonia Who Like Daniel Sacachelli.” I laugh. “Member count: three. Eva, you, and me.”

  “Oh, I don’t know about that,” he says, and his gaze drifts back to the view of Eldonia. “I think you’ve made quite the impression on us this summer.”

  “A part of me will always belong in Chicago, with the Falcons, with Ma,” I say, and think, With Madison. “But a part of me belongs here, too. And I think I’ve learned I don’t have to leave one behind. I can be both Daniel Sacachelli and Prince Daniel Harwell.” I lean back on my palms and watch the celebration in the town square. “I think…Eldonia’s made quite the impression on me.”

  There’s no line down the middle that separates number 77 of the Falcons and Prince Daniel of Eldonia. Maybe I was the only one who saw that line in the first place. But for the first time in a long time, I feel whole.

  This morning I was a king.

  But tonight…tonight, I’m Daniel Sacachelli. Prince of Eldonia.

  Chapter Nineteen

  Madison

  I sit at my white desk, staring out at the brightening sky. Maybe I can’t sleep because I’m still on Eldonian time, but I don’t think that’s it.

  Eomma and Appa picked me up from the airport last night. They were so excited to see me, they’d hugged me and kissed my face and even brought a burger and milkshake from Ms. Sue’s for me to eat on the way home. They had asked all about my trip with the Falcons at their training camp, but I told them I was too tired to talk about it.

  But I’m ready to talk now.

  I look at the framed picture in the middle of my desk. It’s Daniel and me. He’s got his arm around me, and I’m holding a big bouquet of flowers. He had given them to me at one of my first plays.

  Too bad he’ll never speak to me again.

  I’ve never believed in myself. I didn’t believe I could go to acting school without my parent’s help. Didn’t believe I could make it as an actress unless I took the bribed audition. And I didn’t believe Daniel could ever care for me unless I was his fake girlfriend. If only I’d had the courage to trust myself, the way I wanted everyone else to trust me.

  I stare into Daniel’s face, the goofy grin, the dark brown eyes. I won’t ever be able to make him smile like that again. But I can’t give up on myself.

  The curtain does not close on Madison Myong.

  I walk down the stairs and sit at the kitchen table. Appa’s already there, wearing his favorite plaid blue bathrobe. He turns the paper. “Good morning, pumpkin. I didn’t think we’d see you up and about so early.”

  Eomma comes over with a plate of fruit. “Jet lag, probably. How are you feeling?”

  I take a deep breath. This is it. This is where I stop lying. “You know, I feel pretty shitty.”

  Appa flicks his eyes up to me.

  “Can we talk?”

  Appa puts down the paper, and Eomma sits beside him, her face crinkling with concern.

  I take another deep breath to steady myself. “Okay, Eomma, Appa. There’s no PowerPoint presentation, no gimmicks this time. Just me. Your daughter.”

  “I liked the PowerPoint presentation,” Appa says with a smile. “Very well put together.”

  The first slide? I think. “So, I didn’t go to Eldonia to participate in a training camp with the Falcons.”

  My parents are suddenly very still, like they’re waiting for me to say ‘Gotcha!’

  “But we spoke with Coach Zabinski,” Appa says slowly.

  “No, that was my friend Xander Bell,” I say. “He’s very convincing. But that doesn’t matter right now. What matters is, I went to Eldonia with Daniel Sacachelli and stayed with his family.” If I get into the fact that Daniel’s family are actually the monarchs of Eldonia, this whole conversation will derail, so I press on. “I shouldn’t have lied to you about it, but—”

  “There are no ‘buts’ about it, young lady,” Eomma says, standing. Her whole face is one big frown. “You went to a foreign country with that motorcycle-driving hedonist?”

  “I know,” I say and grab her arm, pulling her back to the table. “I know it was wrong and I shouldn’t have lied. And I’ll accept whatever punishment you choose. BUT—” I stare at her and then Appa. “I have learned something.”

  I close my eyes and think about all the happiest moments in my life. Up on stage, the red curtain around me and flowers at my feet. Disguising Alice and watching her succeed at her dream. And the moment Daniel held me in his arms and told me that he loved me, really loved me.

  I open my eyes. “This is my life. And sometimes I make terrible decisions. Like, brutally awful decisions. Bu
t—” I make sure my voice is steady. “—these are my decisions to make. I can’t live my life trying to make everyone else happy. I have to trust myself.”

  My parents stare at me, unblinking. I continue. “To do that, I need to become someone I can trust. So. No more lies. I promise you, I will always be honest.” Then, out of my pocket, I pull the small slip of paper. The one with the details about the ‘100 Years Fallen’ audition. I put it on the table. “Daniel’s sister got me an audition in September. But I’m not going to go, because I didn’t get it in an honest way.” The thought makes my throat tighten. “I’m not the person I want to be yet, but I’m trying.”

  Eomma narrows her eyes at me. I prepare to listen to her tirade about disrespect, but instead, she picks up the piece of paper. “I like this show.”

  I blink a few times, waiting for her lecture. “Yeah, it’s okay, I guess.”

  She puts the paper back down. “You know, your father and I do trust you. But we want to make sure you’re making the best decisions for your future.”

  “Above all things,” I tell her, “above being rich and famous and wearing pretty dresses, or even wearing a crown, there’s just one thing I want.”

  She raises her eyebrows.

  “I want to be happy.”

  Appa clears his throat and my heart hammers in my chest. “And going to this school you talked about…that would make you happy?”

  “Yes,” I breathe. “Very much so.”

  “And what if you fail?” Eomma says. “What if you did not get into this school? Or you went to audition after audition and could not land a part?”

  “Eomma,” I say, “I think I’ve finally learned that I’m a lot tougher than I think I am. Even if my whole life is going up in flames, I’d brush the soot off my clothes and keep going.”

  Appa rubs the bridge of his nose. “Madison,” he says, and I cringe, preparing for the worst.

  “Yes, Appa?” I say quietly.

  “That PowerPoint presentation you tried to show us a few weeks ago…why don’t you grab it?”

  My jaw slowly drops. “Y-you want to see my presentation?”

  “Yeah,” Appa says. “You’re a smart girl. And you obviously have a stubborn streak like your mother.”

  She pushes his arm but smiles. “We’re not saying yes, Madison. We’re just saying…our ears, and our hearts, are more open than before.”

  A tear rolls down my cheek. I leap up and wrap my arms around my parents. “Thank you. Thank you. I think you’ll really like the graphs!”

  As they hug me back, I ask quietly, “Does this mean I’m not grounded for going to Eldonia with Daniel?”

  “Oh,” Eomma says sweetly, “you have no idea.”

  Chapter Twenty

  Daniel

  The puck drops, Bell wins the faceoff against Fredlund of the Ice Wolves, and she heads to their end. But they’re on her flank. Quickly, she drops the puck back to our defense and Evans picks it up. He one-shots it to me and I stick it. Then I’m off. The rest of the Ice Wolves are so caught up blocking Tremblay and Bell, they don’t even notice me.

  Which is perfect.

  I put on a burst of speed and head straight at their goalie. I pull back my stick and shoot the puck. That beautiful red light beams and the crowd goes wild. My team comes toward me, embracing me in a giant hug.

  We’re winning 4 – 1, with only two minutes left in the second period. If we can keep this momentum up in the third, then I’d say we have a home-opening win in the bag.

  I look to the front row to see Ma beaming, wearing her Falcons jersey. I smile back at her…then notice she’s looking past me. At the bench. At Coach Zabinski. My life is over.

  The last two minutes of play go by without incident and the buzzer signals intermission. We skate off the ice and head into the change room. I avoid Madison’s gaze as I walk past her. We’ve been home for more than a month and I think I’ve said two words to her. At first, she tried to get me to talk whenever she saw me. But I think she’s finally gotten the hint. We’ve finally entered a comfortable routine of ignoring each other.

  I can’t talk to her. Not if I want to avoid getting my heart ripped open over and over again.

  It’s fine. It’s best this way. At least, that’s what I keep telling myself.

  “Hey Sacachelli,” Coach says, “you’ve got a visitor in the hall.”

  A visitor? Who would want to see me?

  I shrug and head out into the hall, where I’m met with a seven-foot rock-shaped man with sunglasses.

  “I mean, I know we had a connection in Eldonia,” I say, “but to fly across the ocean just to see me? Hey, man, I’m touched.”

  Dwayne Boulder doesn’t laugh. But out from behind his massive body steps the Queen of Eldonia. Ruler of a small nation. First female monarch of my country. My sister, Evangeline.

  “Eva!” I scoop her up in a hug so big, it lifts her off her feet. “What are you doing here?”

  She falls back down on her pumps and adjusts a stray curl. “I came to see your first game. I couldn’t get here for the first period, but I saw your goal. You play fairly well, Dan-Dan.”

  Fairly well? From the Queen of Eldonia, I’ll take that as high praise. “I’m glad you’re here.”

  “Me too.” She smiles. “A queen can take time off now and then to fly across the world for a hockey game, can’t she?”

  “I hope so.” I beam at her. “How’s life in Eldonia? Does Eldredge miss me?”

  “Very busy. But Mama is helping me adjust. I’m not taking over full leadership until after I finish my schooling, so at least, I can ease into it.” She rocks back and forth on her feet excitedly. “And Eldy can’t wait for you to come back next summer. I think he wants to learn how to play hockey. He said he had a splendid time being the referee.”

  “I’ll play with him, but only if you’re my center.”

  “I don’t know what that means, but it can’t be good.” She laughs, but then her face turns serious. “How’s Madison?”

  I inhale sharply and avoid her gaze. “We…we haven’t really talked.”

  Eva makes a small sound in the back of her throat that could mean anything, but I’m leaning toward disappointment. Eva doesn’t bond with very many people, but I know she enjoyed Madison’s company.

  “Wasn’t her audition today?”

  I think of that scrap of paper. September 9th at 6:30pm. That’s today…in half an hour! So what is Madison still doing here?

  “Yeah, it is,” I mutter. “But she’s here. I don’t get it. That audition was so important to her.”

  “Maybe it’s not the most important thing to her…anymore.”

  “What do you mean?” I say, hearing anger creep into my voice. “She literally ruined our friendship over that audition. That’s obviously the only reason she pretended to be my girlfriend.”

  “Did you ever consider she might not have been faking it?” Eva stares me down. “I saw the way you two were together. No one, not even Madison, is that good an actress.”

  “I don’t know what you—”

  “If you don’t believe me, just think about what she did for you in Eldonia. How she found a way to make everything right. I don’t think she did that for the audition. And if she had, wouldn’t she be there right now?”

  “So you’re saying…” My mind feels like a piece of paper catching fire.

  “She did it for you, Daniel,” Eva says. “Because she loves you.”

  I stare at her dumbfounded. Maybe that moment in the gardens, when she told me she loved me…maybe that hadn’t been an act after all.

  “Eva,” I say, “I gotta go.”

  “You bloody well do, Dan-Dan.” She laughs and goes up on her toes to kiss me on the cheek. “Madison saved our kingdom. Now it’s your turn to be her knight in shining—” She stares at me. “—jersey?”

  I ruffle her hair, much to her indignation, then rush through the change room to the coach’s office.

  It’s finall
y my turn to have a plan.

  I tell Coach first. He’s not pleased, but he agrees with a reluctant grumble, muttering something about this being his one and only exception for ex-kings.

  I go to my captain next, tell him what I have to do. I expect him to flip his shit, but Tremblay just shrugs. “I think we can handle Freddy and his goons without you slowing us down. Besides, even if the last period sucks…”

  “One bad period doesn’t equal a bad game,” we say at the same time.

  Tremblay gives me a slap on the back. Then I leave the change room.

  I have to find Madison.

  …

  Madison

  I stand in the trainer’s office, tidying up the bandages. Tyler Evans had taken a nasty puck to the face earlier, but I had patched him up.

  A twinge of bittersweet sadness shoots through me. This will be my last season patching up my hockey boys.

  Next year, after graduation, I’m off to Juilliard, if I can get in.

  I can’t say Eomma and Appa were delighted by my decision, but they did agree that it was my choice to make. That I was to be trusted with my own decisions.

  For once, I finally feel that way too.

  My chest still feels heavy, and has, ever since that last day in Eldonia. I wonder to myself…have all the things I’ve learned made the trip worth it?

  Losing him?

  We’ve been home more than a month. Daniel won’t pick up my calls, respond to my texts, or even acknowledge my presence when we’re in the same room. Hayden says he’s just “recovering from all that prince biz”, but I know the truth. I betrayed Daniel’s trust, and he hates me for it.

  His friendship was the highest price I’ll ever pay.

  Instinctively, my hand goes to my pocket and fiddles with the tiny piece of paper in there.

  The audition information. It’s today. My one shot of getting a part on ‘100 Years Fallen’.

  I crumble the paper in my hand and toss it to the floor.

  I didn’t earn that audition—it was given to me for lying to someone I love. There’s no way I can go.

  Suddenly, the door flings open. I expect to see Alice or maybe Coach Zabinski wondering where I am.