Royally Chosen

In one of the grandest rooms of the royal palace, Prince Ivan Candelstone lay on his bed and heaved a sigh of relief. After a whole day of wearing the stiff and starchy royal attire, he was relieved to change into more comfortable clothes.

Ivan Candelstone, a twenty-four-year-old man with sleek brown hair and green eyes who just happened to be England's prince, was exhausted. He had just finished attending a meeting with his father, who the world knew as Devin Candelstone, the King of England. The meeting ended around midnight, so Ivan was sure that his girlfriend, Rain Summers, was already asleep.

Tapping his fingers in boredom, Ivan decided to check his social media accounts. He grabbed his phone off the bedside table, scuffling around his sheets to find a comfortable position before starting to browse.

It took him several minutes, but he got around to checking his fake Instagram account.

Ivan never used his real name for any of his accounts, especially Instagram. He was a careful man, making sure no one saw his real face on his posts. If anyone ever did see his face, he made sure they did not know his real identity as the Prince of England. The username he used was Ivan_Cands. His online girlfriend and best friends were among the few people who had seen his face, but they didn’t know he was the prince.

When he saw that his online best friend, Diana Stevens, was online, his lips automatically lifted into a grin.

"It would just be around seven o'clock in Diana's country," he mumbled. "She's definitely free at this time of the night."

He had never met Diana Stevens personally. They met when Ivan tried sharing a meme with his brother who also ran a fake account, but accidentally sent it to Diana. That was how their friendship began. That happened six years ago, and since then they became very close long-distance friends. They started talking over the phone and facetiming each other every day when Diana went to the United States for further studies.

An idea popped into Ivan's mind, and he immediately dialed Diana.

One ring later, Diana picked up the call and said, "Thank God you didn't video-call me. I was in the washroom."

Ivan chuckled, turning on his side. His locks were mussed up on the side of his highly angled face. "That's how you greet your best friend?"

"The best friend of mine who I’ve never met in real life? Of course!" Her voice was sweet, but laced with sarcasm. "So, how was the meeting you attended today? I do hope your business is going well."

To make up a new him, Ivan had told Diana and Rain that his father was a businessman. After all, they were the only ones he knew apart from the people inside the palace.

"The meeting was boring. I'm glad it ended," Ivan said.

Diana giggled, and the sound of something being shuffled could be heard in the background. "I really wonder how you're going to take over your father's business. Whenever you tell me you're having a meeting, you sound like you are going to war."

"Oh, but I do really go to war," he joked. "I fight with my eyelids to keep them open."

They both laughed, and Ivan continued talking with Diana, completely unaware of his surroundings.

***

Suzanne Candelstone, the Queen of England, was walking down the hallway past her son's room to her personal chambers. The sound of her heels tapping across the marble floor stopped upon hearing Ivan laugh. It had been a few days since she started noticing that her son always seemed to laugh and talk to someone at midnight.

Ivan's continuous laughter made her reach for the doorknob and push the door open, stepping in to check his activity like a normal nosy mother. She found Ivan lying on the bed with his phone stuck to his ear, but when he saw his mother, he mumbled in haste, "Diana, I'll talk to you later. Bye."

He had said Diana's name in an almost inaudible tone, but Suzanne heard it crystal clear.

"Mom," he greeted, sliding his phone underneath the pillows. "Did you want something?"

Suzanne smiled warmly. "I just wanted to say goodnight."

A huff proclaimed his annoyance, followed by the resisted urge to roll his eyes. "Well, goodnight, Mom."

She patted his head then walked out of his room nonchalantly, trying to look unhurried. But as soon as she reached her chamber, Suzanne turned to her personal assistant, Mark.

"Find out about the Diana girl the prince is talking to," she ordered him. "I want every single detail, including her picture immediately."

Mark bowed, disappearing to complete his task. He returned within ten minutes with his hands full of folders of the required information. Suzanne sat on her easy chair with her back leaning against the soft cushion.

"Your Majesty, this is all I've got about Diana Stevens." He placed the files on the table.

The queen took one look at the thick folder before closing her eyes. "Tell me all you know. I will check the files later."

Mark nodded. "Diana Stevens used to live in London. When she got a scholarship at Harvard, she went to the United States. Her mother is still in London, but her father died of a heart attack when she was eight. She seems to have a close connection with the prince. He only follows two women through his fake profile, and Ms. Stevens is one of them."

Suzanne quickly lifted her lashes. She took the file on her table and opened it to see a picture of the beautiful girl. A smile grew on Her Majesty's lips. "So, this is the Diana whom my son always talks to at midnight."

The girl seemed very fashionable, with her round, stunning features, and soft brown eyes. Suzanne was impressed with her appearance, so she knew Diana's behavior would be equally beautiful. Suzanne could already envision her being the next Queen of England.

"What do you think of this girl, Mark? Also, what does her mother do?"

"Your Majesty, she is a fashion blogger. Despite not having a high-profile family background, she seems very well-educated and decent. She's just what our palace needs," Mark answered. "Her mother runs a famous bakery. In fact, the royal family uses buns only from that bakery."

"What about the other girl he follows? Who is she?" she asked.

"That girl is Rain Summers." Mark handed another file. "She is in London and is the only child of her parents. Her family runs a chocolate factory."

When Suzanne saw the picture, she scrunched her eyebrows with recognition. "Isn't that the same girl who used to study with Ivan in high school?"

"Yes, Your Majesty."

She gave a disgusted scoff. The queen never liked Rain Summers. The first thing she disliked about Rain was her name. Who in their right mind would name a child with two seasons?

Besides, Rain always seemed clingy. She would not fit in with the royal family. Suzanne hoped that Rain was not the girl her son was dating. She wanted it to be Diana. And if it was Rain, she'd have to act fast.

"I will talk to the king. Tomorrow, we will go to the Stevens' place to meet her mother," Suzanne let out. "Prepare gifts."

Mark nodded.

Suzanne was ecstatic. The girl her son liked was perfect. She was proud of Ivan for choosing the perfect girl to love. This woman was fit to be a queen, and her image screamed royalty. Diana Stevens would be the royally chosen princess. There was no doubt in that.

Usually, the queen disliked the women that seemed to cling to her sons. They were always deemed overly complacent, too phony, or were prima donna divas. It was a hard task impressing the queen. But if a picture of Diana already impressed her, there was certainly no misunderstanding then.

Suzanne reached for a phone, opening the file to call Diana's mother using the number in the information she was given.

"Hello?" a woman—no doubt Diana's mother—answered.

"Hi. Is this Mrs. Merida Stevens?"

"Yes. Who is this?"

"I am Suzanne Candelstone, the queen. Can you spare a few minutes? I need to talk to you."

Even with the cold drizzling weather, Diana Stevens didn't cancel her flight. She knew she had to go back to her mother immediately. That was what her mother said anyway.

"Babe, you can go tomorrow. It's already one in the morning," Aiden Rewen, her boyfriend, said as he drove to the airport with his brown curly hair flying from the A/C.

"No, babe, I have to go now! Mom said it was an emergency. I just hope she's okay." Diana had received a call from Merida telling her to come to England as soon as possible. Hearing her panicked tone, Diana couldn't wait for the following day. She had to go home. Now.

"Did you book the ticket?" she asked Aiden.

Diana was a nervous wreck and was constantly fidgeting in the passenger seat whilst checking her bag for important things she might have left in her haste.

"Of course, I did. Everything is set. All I have to do is go and come back soon."

They reached the airport in thirty minutes, but to Diana, it felt like hours. As soon as the car skidded to a stop, Diana scampered out. She even tripped in her haste to reach the doors, almost forgetting about her boyfriend.

A hand grabbed hers before she could take another step, whirling her back. Her hair whipped the side of her face. "Wha—"

It was Aiden. "Come back soon, okay?"

Diana nodded and gave him a quick peck on the lips, feeling his soft brown curls. Then she hurried inside the airport, elbowing past strangers to reach the front desk.

"Where to, ma'am?" the woman at the counter asked. Despite having Diana's passport and ticket, she had to ask again. Diana knew it was the woman's job to do so, yet she couldn't help but feel irritated.

"London."

"Here you go." The woman handed back Diana's belongings. Diana grabbed them and ran, quickly getting into the plane after giving away her luggage. Panic made her fast; she was sitting in her designated seat before she knew it, breathing in relief.

She immediately texted Aiden upon making herself comfortable in her seat.

Diana: I am on the plane.

The panic subsided, making Diana smile sadly. She didn't want to leave Aiden. They had just graduation a week ago, and they both planned to find jobs and settle down in the United States. Unfortunately, in Diana's world, nothing goes according to plan; she knew that their plan would be screwed up as well.

"I wonder what the emergency is," she muttered. Diana looked down at her phone, glancing at the wallpaper sadly; it was a picture of her and Aiden. Bringing her finger to the screen, she gently touched his face, pretending to feel his soft skin instead of the gadget. She would never forget the crinkles at the sides of his eyes when he smiled.

"I will come to you as soon as possible," Diana promised. "I will."

The flight was nine hours long, so Diana fell fast asleep, feeling the drowsiness and weariness that filled her whole being. It felt as if she had just shut her eye when the crew cranked up the speakers to announce that they had already reached their destination.

After she grabbed her luggage, she called her mother. It took a few rings before Merida answered, "Yes, honey?"

"Mom, I am in London now. I am taking a taxi and coming home. I just wanted to inform you," she breathed out. "Is everything okay? What's the emergency?"

She could almost imagine Merida grinning at the other end of the line. "Just come, you will find out soon." The call ended.

Diana sighed. Her mom had always been like that, pretending to have an urgent need to make her come home. She wouldn't be one bit surprised if the “emergency” wasn't even that important. Either way, she flagged down a taxi and headed home. At least she had the chance to visit London, right?

The environment of London never changed; everything was the same as it was four years ago. The only thing Diana missed while staying in the United States was her mother. She intended to take Merida with her after she got the green card, but that might take a while.

Once Diana reached home and stepped onto the lawn, she instantly engulfed Merida in a hug. "Mom, I missed you so damn much!"

"I missed you too, sweetheart! How is everything?" Merida asked as Diana took her luggage inside their two-story house. Diana's room was upstairs, so she headed there while Merida trailed behind her, dragging her other belongings.

"Everything was going smoothly until you called and said there was an emergency. What is it? You have to tell me now."

Merida smiled at her daughter proudly. "I will, but not now. It's a surprise for you." She handed her a garment bag. "Wear this dress, get ready, and come downstairs. I will take you to show you your surprise."

Diana was beyond confused and irritated. She thought it was something really urgent when her mother called. It had been a long and tiring flight, so disappointment flushed over her when she heard that it was nothing but a surprise.

"Mom, your “emergency” made my heart beat a marathon. Now all I get to know is that my heart ran to somewhere that was not a real race track."

Merida laughed at her words. "Your sense of humor is something they would die for. No wonder they chose you."

Diana made a move to interrogate her again, but her mother shushed her. "No more questions. Just get ready within two hours." Then she left her room.

Diana turned on the television in her room and started to check the bag. In it was a simple yet gorgeous blue dress that shouted, proclaimed, and announced glamour. She couldn't help but gasp at the beauty of it. Small stones were in the middle, making it look glossy. If Merida hadn’t given it to her, she would have believed that the queen herself sent the dress.

Diana smiled at her own thoughts and started to get ready. The dress fit her body perfectly as if made by a personal designer. It even matched her taste in fashion.

"When did my mom's fashion sense become the same as mine?" she questioned while looking at the mirror, twirling to see the back.

Diana put on a simple pair of earrings, and her favorite lucky bracelet that Aiden had given her. To wrap up her look, she applied some light make-up. When she was sitting on the bed putting her stilettos, her eyes fell on the open television announcing news.

"Breaking news from the palace!" a reporter announced. "The king and queen have finally found the perfect girl for Prince Ivan. They will reveal this majestic lady and Prince Ivan's identity tonight! Who is this lucky girl, why was she royally chosen? Stay tuned to find out!"

Diana rolled her eyes at the news reporter.

"Seriously, royally chosen? How corny can this news be?"

Her eyes fell on her phone, and she had a sudden thought. Her best friend Ivan really did look like the prince in the news report. Diana began texting Ivan on Instagram; he was one to never betray. He was always a great listener and understood everything nicely.

Diana_Stevens: Are you sure you aren't the prince? You have the same name as him.

She teased him, knowing his answer.

Fortunately, he was active. He quickly replied.

Ivan_Cands: Hmm... That's a tough question.

Diana chortled. After all, she knew he was kidding. How could he be the prince? If he was, she would have known. At least, that's what she thought.

"Honey, are you done yet?" Merida hollered from downstairs. Moaning inappropriate words that her mother would never allow, Diana locked her phone and went to her mother, who was waiting in the living room.

Merida took one look at her. "You look stunning, Princess."

"Princess?" she asked, arching an eyebrow. Strange. Her mother never called her that. "Whatever, Mom. Now, can you tell me where we're going?"

"My answer is: it's a surprise!"

Diana groaned once more at Merida's response. Still, she followed her mother to the car and hoped the day would end soon. After all, Diana was very tired. She hoped that whatever event they would go to, it would end early.

***

In the palace, Ivan was heading towards the car along with his mother. He wore a blue suit that Suzanne had chosen.

"Where are we really going, Mom?" he asked at last. However, he didn't get an answer from his parents.

"We are going to meet someone special." The queen smiled. "It's a surprise. You will definitely love it."

"Is Father coming too?" Ivan asked. The king was a busy man after all.

"He will join us soon. He cannot miss the special union of two lovers." Suzanne's response made Ivan uneasy. Thinking it was probably a smart move to stay silent, he kept shut for the rest of the car drive.

When the car came to a stop, Ivan glanced through the window. It was a small restaurant that his family had recently bought. He didn't know the reasoning behind their buying the restaurant nor what they were doing here.

"This is the place where I met your dad for the first time. That's why we bought this restaurant. In this place, two lovers meet royally and are united forever. We did it with plenty of dukes and duchesses, now it's your turn to meet your lover. Come," Suzanne explained. Ivan's entire body stiffened.

Two lovers will meet and be united? Only one thing cut through his brain: it was a blind date! What the hell was his mother saying? Did she somehow find out about Rain? Will he meet Rain here and finally be united with her?

He got out of the car and walked along with Suzanne. Soon, his father followed next to him. Ivan could feel a lump in his throat that made it difficult to swallow. Sweat had even started forming in his hands. His heart rapidly thumped with nervousness.

What if it wasn't Rain?

He entered the restaurant, and his eyes fell on a familiar brown-blonde-haired girl. He couldn't believe it. What was she doing here?

"Diana?"

"I-Ivan?"