Overnight Prince

King Carlo I sighed as he sat in his room at the royal palace on the island kingdom of Tavolara. He missed his late wife, who had died when his children, Saralynn and Samuel, were ten years old. Now the two kids were fourteen and his advisors told him it was time he remarried. However, the grieving king couldn't find anyone he wanted to marry. None of his subjects acted the way they truly were around him, meaning he had no idea if any of the women would make a good queen or not. Finally the king decided to get away from all the stress for a while. He would take a small vacation. With luck, he would feel refreshed when he returned and perhaps he might even find a suitable queen while he was away. So, he packed his bags and headed for New York City in America, taking the young prince and princess with him and leaving a trusted advisor as regent in charge while they were gone.

The royal family checked into the Plaza Hotel incognito to avoid being recognized as royalty. Then, after getting settled in, they decided to go out and explore the city. It was when they were passing the local Walmart King Carlo spotted one of the most beautiful women he'd ever seen. She had long black hair smooth as silk, and one of the most beautiful smiles. The woman was accompanied by two teenagers about the same age has as his own, a boy and a girl. He felt drawn to her and decided to go speak to her. So he did, and he learned that her name was Anneliese. Her two children were named Aislynn and Tony. Aislynn looked very much like her mother-tall, graceful, beautiful, with long black hair-while Tony had his mother's hair, but otherwise didn't look like Anneliese at all. He asked about her husband, since he noticed her two children. Anneliese told him that her husband had died years ago when a simple arrest had gone wrong and Jack had been shot. He had been taken to the hospital by his partner, but Jack hadn't made it.

Carlo apologized, telling her he was sorry about her husband, and even offered to take Tony and Aislynn to meet his two children across the street. Anneliese was reluctant at first, thinking it would be an imposition, but when Carlo assured her it would be no trouble, she accepted his generous offer. So Carlo took the two teens across the street to the store where Saralynn and Sam were both looking at some books on the shelf along the wall. Tony and Aislynn introduced themselves to the two twins and the four of them were soon talking like old friends. Soon Anneliese came into the store to pick up her children and Carlo asked if he could see her again tomorrow. Anneliese was at first reluctant, as they had only just met, but Carlo was so kind, and she liked spending time with him, so she accepted, and they agreed to meet for lunch the next day.

At lunch, Carlo was his usual charming self, and soon they had set up another date. That date led to many more, with Carlo delighting in Anneliese's company. Saralynn asked her father one day after he came back if he intended to marry Anneliese. Carlo said that he planned to ask her, but would accept her answer, whatever it might be. That night at dinner, Carlo told Anneliese he planned to ask her something, but had something to tell her first. Then he confessed to her that he was a king, and that he had only kept that fact a secret to find out if she would like him for himself, and not the fact that he was royalty. He then asked her to marry him, and Anneliese happily accepted, crying with happiness. She told her children the news, and even though it was completely overwhelming, both teens were happy for their mother and were glad to have Carlo as their new stepfather.

The next day Tony told his friends about his mother's impending marriage to King Carlo, and the fact that he and Aislynn would be moving to Tavolara and living in the royal palace. The Jets of course were upset that he was leaving for good and told him they would miss him, but they knew his mother's happiness mattered most to him, so they wished him well. That week Tony, Aislynn, and Anneliese packed their things, got their affairs in order, and withdrew from school in Tony and Aislynn's case. Then at the end of the week, they boarded a plane for Italy and from Italy, they boarded a small boat bound for Tavolara. The servants were delighted to meet Anneliese and even more thrilled when they learned the two were engaged, and they happily welcomed her and her two teenage children to the royal family.

Not long after, Anneliese and Carlo were married and Anneliese was crowned the new queen of Tavolara. Aislynn and Tony were crowned the new princess and prince of Tavolara, and a coming-out ball was planned to introduce them to society. After the events of the day, Tony and Aislynn retired to their rooms in the palace, so wound up that it was a long time before they were able to get to sleep. The next day, Tony had a great many things to get used to, servants helping him get dressed, having his breakfast served to him on fine gold plates, and most of all wearing a nice suit of clothes instead of his usual t-shirt and jeans. Oh well, it was a wonderful thing to see his mother so happy with her new husband. Also, Tony and Aislynn enjoyed spending time with their new stepbrother and stepsister. Sam and Saralynn also enjoyed spending time with them. They discovered many things in common with each other. For instance, Sam and Tony both liked the same type of music and Saralynn would often compare fashion designs with Aislynn.

Meanwhile the preparations for the ball went ahead and Tony even was willing to help somewhat. Tony and Aislynn, having grown up as commoners, were much more helpful and polite than their step-siblings, but soon their behavior rubbed off on Saralynn and Sam, and the two became much more helpful themselves. It was like they were completely different people, much to the king and queen's delight. The days went by and the routine was the same each day: get up, get dressed, be served breakfast, have lessons with their royal tutor, eat lunch, have free time till dinner, eat dinner, then have free time till bedtime, go to bed, then wake up and do it again the next day.

The next week was the ball and Tony and Aislynn were nervous since neither of them had ever even been to a ball before, much less be expected to dance at one. However, their step-siblings helped them learn what they needed to know in regards to minor details and their tutors helped them with dancing, etiquette, and other things. The night of the ball arrived and King Carlo had a surprise for Tony and Aislynn: their friends from back home had been invited to the palace on a one-time occasion so that they could attend their come-out ball. Tony was thrilled to see the Jets, who'd promised to act like gentlemen for the evening so they wouldn't be forced to leave. Aislynn was thrilled to see her best friends from her old school, and they hugged happily.

Then the dancing started, and Aislynn danced with King Carlo, while Tony danced with his mother. After that, the four young royals danced together, and a good time was had by all.

When the ball was over, their friends were put up in the palace for the night and sent home on a plane to New York first thing in the morning. Tony and Aislynn saw their friends off and then returned to the palace. They had the rest of the day off because of the ball, so they spent it doing what they wanted to do. The teenage royals found plenty of things to do that didn't cause any trouble for the servants, and Tony and Aislynn even introduced them to some new activities that they really enjoyed. Tony knew the royal life was going to be a big adjustment, but he had his sister, his mother, and his brand new step-siblings-correction, his siblings-to help him through it.