"She said, I think I'm going to Boston
I think I'll start a new life
I think I'll start it over
Where no one knows my name"
Boston - Augustana

oOoOo

As the plane takes off, I put in my AirPods and lean back to listen to my favorite Spotify playlist. We have an eight-hour flight ahead of us, and I am already exhausted and in need of a nap.

I shut my eyes and begin to drift off into a dreamless sleep.

The next thing I know, I am being shaken awake by Marc and told we have landed in Boston.

Wow, I did not plan to sleep the entire flight. I open the plane window and take in my surroundings. I don't see anything other than trees, the airstrip, a garage, and the SUV we purchased for traveling to and from campus.

We must have landed at some sort of private airport. Thankfully, there are no paparazzi around. I am able to walk off the plane in my baggy sweatshirt and sweatpants, with my hair looking like a mess. It's refreshing to not have to worry about my appearance in public for once.

Ever since I walked off our jet in Spain looking like a mess, for all of the paparazzi to capture, I have been very cautious of my appearance. I remember all too well being pictured on the front of People Magazine and getting criticized for my 'poor choice in fashion.'

Because of the time difference, it is only the middle of the afternoon here. We have plenty of time to head over to our apartment and get settled in.

The movers we hired set up the apartment last week, so we merely have a few odds and ends to unpack now. I'm looking forward to finally seeing the penthouse in person!

I hope it lives up to the pictures, but I've been told things often don't.

When the pilot opens the plane door and bows, I walk down the stairs and hop into the back seat of the black SUV. Blair and Juliet hop in the back next to me, while Marc sits up front in the passenger seat.

Looking out the window, I notice how different everything looks here in America. The architecture looks much more modern and I do not recognize any of the stores in the strip-malls we pass. It'll be an adjustment living here, that's for sure.

"What's the plan for the day?" I ask Juliet, who has her laptop open. She swiftly pulls up the calendar of my obligations. On certain days, the staff has planned my day out by the hour.

Looks like today is one of those days. Fun...

"First, we will arrive at the Penthouse. ETA is 3:15. I have the keys in my bag, so we can go directly up once Marc completes a security sweep of the perimeter. From 3:30 to 5 o'clock, We're going to get you guys settled in and unpack the few boxes we have."

"I don't know about you guys, but I am ready for a nap," Blair chimes in with a laugh.

"You can take a nap later after everything is set up. Around 5, I will place an order from a local takeout place and go to pick it up. If everything is finished by then, we are going to have a little chat about the rules," she continues.

"But-," I interrupt.

"I know, you're going to say 'Why are there rules? You're not my mom,'" she mocks me in a high pitched whiny voice.

I roll my eyes, trying to hide the fact that I was, in fact about to say that. I didn't think I was that predictable.

"King William and Queen Victoria advised, well, more like ordered me to review the rules with you one last time before I head back to Amaria. It's for your own safety," Juliet finishes as she gives me a pointed look.

"Okay, fine," I grumble as I sink down in my seat. I haven't even been gone for a full day, and my parents are already trying to control me.

I don't see the point; they won't know if I break the rules. Even if they do, it'll be too late for them to do anything about it.

"We are arriving in twenty minutes," Marc turns around and interrupts before anyone can say anything else. "Blair, I am going to go take a look around the building to make sure it's safe. I need you to stay here with the Princess. Juliet, you are free to get out of the car and go let the landlord know we have arrived."

"Yes, boss," Blair and Juliet say in mock seriousness, making Marc flip them off before he turns around to face forward.

oOoOo

A few minutes later, we pull up next to a tall building. I am assuming it's the apartment complex since Marc starts gathering his belongings to get out of the car.

Looking out the window, I watch him step out of the SUV and walk into the lobby.

I see that the building is strikingly beautiful. It has a modern design with ample windows going up the side and a few balconies jutting out.

Craning my neck, I look up to try and estimate how many stories tall it is. Judging by the windows, it looks to be about fifteen stories tall. I bet the view from the windows in our penthouse will be spectacular.

In front of the building, there is a fancy revolving door and another door with a doorman standing by. There are well-trimmed bushes and flowers in the beds next to the doors.

I can instantly tell that this apartment complex mainly houses the affluent. It'll be difficult to blend in as a normal college student living in a place like this.

I'm not ungrateful for being wealthy enough to afford a place like this, but I still wish I could have stayed in a more typical college apartment.

Inviting friends over will inevitably raise questions about how I can afford such a place.

Everywhere I go, I am constantly being followed and treated differently than everyone else. In the past, whenever someone finds out that I am the Princess of Amaria, I suddenly have a bunch of girls sucking up to me.

They all have hopes of being invited to one of our vacation homes or inside the Palace. And how could I forget the suave guys who sweet-talk to me, trying to coax me to fall in love with them so they can be the king?

It'll be so refreshing to finally be somewhere that next to nobody knows who I am. I can finally live a semi-normal life.

I am going to go to great lengths to ensure nobody finds out the truth. It was such a nightmare at Stonewall Academy when the secret got out to the public.

Never in a million years would I want to undergo an ordeal like that again.

I am snapped out of my reverie when Marc returns to give us the go-ahead to head upstairs.

I scramble to place my phone and book into my backpack and fling it over my shoulder. Marc opens the door for me, and I step outside.

Marc escorts us into the lobby, while Blair and Juliet follow closely behind me. We walk past the doorman, who greets us and offers to take our bags. Obviously, we have to politely decline because of safety concerns.

We walk past a desk and office on the way to the elevator.

I take in my surroundings and see a few of my new neighbors hanging out on the couches by the coffee machine.

There's an ajar door, which looks like it leads into the game room. I can make out a pool table and some flat-screen TVs in there. I see another door which is labeled 'Gym.' I'll have to check it out later.

The elevator dings and we step inside once the door opens. Looking at the buttons, I was correct: there are fifteen floors.

The top floor, which is our penthouse, has a keyhole next to the button.

Juliet fishes around her purse for one of the keys and inserts it into the hole, lighting up the button. She hands the remaining ones to Marc, Blair, and me.

The elevator starts moving, and classic elevator music starts to play as we stand in silence.

Moments later, the elevator dings again and the doors open right into the living room of our penthouse.

The living room is painted white and has a comfy looking l-shaped couch facing a huge flat-screen TV. There's a glass coffee table inside the opening of the couch, with fake plants and magazines on top.

The walls are blank, which will be filled up with the art Juliet and I ordered from an online art gallery.

There is a door to the balcony, which I can see overlooks the parking lot.

I walk into the kitchen and take note of the marble countertops and modern appliances. There is a microwave, stovetop, toaster, double oven, and a huge refrigerator. I don't even know what we'll do with a kitchen this big, since I have never had to cook a day in my life. The sole thing I know how to cook is toast.

I'm hoping either Blair or Marc is a skilled cook.

Next to the kitchen island, there are four black bar stools. This will be a perfect place for eating meals.

Opening a few of the cabinets and drawers, I find that the kitchen has already been stocked with silverware and non-perishable foods. I'm impressed with whoever set the apartment up.

Leaving the kitchen, I head into the hallway and open the first door, which leads to an office space.

There are two desks set up, completed with iMacs and school supplies. One of the desks is facing the window.

The view is gorgeous. I can see other skyscrapers and what I assume are some of the buildings at Harvard off in the distance. I make a mental note to call dibs on this desk.

Finally, I head into the master bedroom, which is obviously my room.

A king bed, dresser, and vanity are already set up in the white room. The bedding is a patterned light gray and purple, which ties in nicely with the gray curtains.

In the walk-in closet, I see that my stylist has hung up clothing for me to wear to school and around town.

The ensuite is beautiful, with a bathtub, double sink, glass shower, and toilet. The bathroom is ginormous and extremely modern.

I decide to head back into the living room, where I hear noise coming from. Juliet, Blair, and Marc are opening and organizing the boxes that I assume Marc just brought up.

"Hey, there she is," Blair says, "Kate, can you give us a hand unpacking?"

"Sure," I reply as I grab a box and take a spot next to Marc on the floor.

oOoOo

We spend the next hour and a half unpacking, per Juliet's schedule. Around 5 o'clock, we take a break to find a place to get dinner. We all pull out our phones to search up local places.

"What do you guys feel like eating?" I ask them.

"I'm fine with whatever, as long as it's not that gross fast food Americans seem to adore," Blair replies, and Juliet nods in agreement.

"Hey, I take offense to that. Fast food is amazing! I went to a Chipotle here last month when I came to look over the security measures," Marc says.

"Well, if you want to be fat, go ahead and eat it," Blair retorts.

"I'm fat? You're-" Marc starts.

"Ok how about Brown's Pizza?" I interrupt before a screaming match starts.

Marc and Blair go at each other's throats a lot. I used to think they would be perfect for each other, but I guess I was mistaken.

If they were a couple, they would without a doubt be the type of couple that loves to fight.

"That sounds good," Juliet says as she gives me a knowing look and smirks. "I'll place an order for a large cheese and large Hawaiian pizza." She taps her phone to order online.

"Definitely! Make sure to order extra pineapple on the Hawaiian one!" Blair says excitedly.

She is obsessed with pineapple on pizza. I think it is alright, but there are better toppings, like buffalo chicken.

"Ew gross. Pineapple does not belong on pizza," Marc argues.

Great, here we go again. They sound like ten-year-olds fighting, instead of the twenty-four-year-old adults they really are.

"It does too! Pineapple is arguably the best pizza topping."

I see Juliet get up and lug the last remaining box into the office. Marc starts to reply in French, and I decide it's time for me to go. It's best to just leave them to argue in peace sometimes.

oOoOo

Forty-five minutes later, Marc goes to get the pizzas and returns with the boxes.

Opening them, I notice that the cheese pizza is normal, and the Hawaiian one doesn't have any pineapple on it. There are spots that look suspiciously like they were previously occupied by pineapple.

Hm, I wonder who did that...

Rolling my eyes, I grab a slice of the cheese pizza and go sit down on one of the barstools. I wonder what Marc did with the pineapple, since he hates it so much.

Blair walks into the kitchen and as I predicted, shrieks when she opens the box with the Hawaiian pizza, "Espèce de bite! Je vais me venger de ça!" She shouts as she strikes Marc's arm. (Translation: You dick! I will get revenge for this!)

"Aïe ça fait mal," Marc whines. (Translation: Ouch, that hurt)

"D'accord, tu dois arrêter de te battre comme des enfants" Juliet chides in French, using her mom voice. Back in Amaria, she has two young children. (Translation: Okay, you two need to stop fighting like children)

"Kate, how about we review the rules now?" She says to change the subject.

"Perfect," I respond with a smile.

Juliet pulls out her computer and opens a seven-page document with rules. I have a feeling my father was behind this.

"Okay, so read this document and let me know if you have any questions. It's pretty self-explanatory, though," She tells me as she passes the computer over to me.

As I eat my slice of pizza, I scroll through the ridiculously lengthy document.

Most of the rules are about me not going anywhere without Marc and/or Blair, not telling anyone about how I am a princess, and what to do if I get separated from one of my guards.

Apparently, Robert had the security teams make a ring with a tracker in it. One of the rules states that under no circumstances am I allowed to take it off.

That's a little extreme, but I got to hand it to them. It's a creative idea.

The concluding paragraph informs me that there are cameras in every room, except for the bathrooms. I chuckle.

They are not taking my safety lightly. I sincerely hope they don't have anyone back at the Palace security room watching a screen with live feeds 24/7.

That would just be creepy. But, I wouldn't put it past them.

When I finish reading, I pass the computer to Blair and Marc so they can take a look at it, even though I am almost positive they already have the whole document basically memorized.

For the past week, they have attended meeting after meeting. They are essentially the only two people in charge of me, which is a huge responsibility.

"Per the request of the Queen, I forwarded you a copy of this doc via email," Juliet says as she takes her computer back.

"She wanted me to reiterate that you should not be informing people who you are. She told me to tell you 'loose lips sink ships,' so keep that in mind. I think it is safe to assume you won't go blurting it out."

I nod in response as I get up and throw my plate in the trash.

"I was thinking of exploring campus a little before orientation later this week. Blair, can you come with me tonight?"

"Yeah, sure. Just give me half an hour to finish dinner and get ready."

oOoOo

After changing out of our comfy airport clothes and into jeans and t-shirts, Blair and I head down to the parking lot to get into the SUV. She hops in the driver's seat, and I sit shotgun.

It only takes a few minutes for us to arrive on campus. We pull into one of the student parking lots and climb out of the car.

We walk towards the quad and past some of the dorm buildings and lecture halls.

There aren't many students around yet, since move-in day isn't until Monday.

The campus looks very charming. I admire the old-fashioned architecture here; it reminds me of the architecture in Amaria. The atmosphere is very welcoming, and I know I will enjoy it here.

"Hey, wanna go grab a cup of coffee over there?" Blair asks, pointing to a coffee shop, called The Brew.

"Yeah, sure. Let's go check it out."

As we walk into the shop, we are struck with the smell of coffee and freshly baked cinnamon rolls. It's making me hungry, even though we just had dinner.

There are a bunch of tables and couches throughout the room that look perfect for doing homework or reading. I can already tell I will be spending a lot of time here.

"Hi, welcome to The Brew. My name's Kaden, what can I get for you today?" The attractive brown-haired guy at the counter says as we reach the front of the line.

I get caught up looking into his gorgeous green eyes.

"Kate, what do you want?" Blair asks me as she gives me a nudge. I realize I have been staring and my face heats up.

"Um, I'll have a small iced cold brew, please."

"Coming right up, ladies" he replies, with a smirk. "Next in line!"

Blair and I move over to the pick-up counter to grab our drinks and walk outside.

"Alors il est mignon, n'est-ce pas?" Blair teases in French, so people can't understand us. (Translation: So, he's cute, isn't he?)

"Ugh, va te faire foutre," I grumble in response, making Blair laugh. (Translation: Ugh, fuck off)

Luckily, Blair's phone buzzes before she can say anything else. She takes it out of her purse and reads her text aloud.

"It's from Marc. He wanted to check-in since we've been gone for almost two hours."

"Couldn't he just check the fucking tracker they put on me?" I say wryly, earning a scolding look from Blair.

"Yeah, but he just wanted to make sure you're okay."

"And to have an excuse to talk to you," I add quietly with a smirk, causing Blair's face to heat up.

"I think we should head back. The three of us can come back tomorrow to explore since it's starting to get dark now."

oOoOo

Thanks for reading! Don't forget to vote, comment, and share if you enjoyed it! <3

What are your thoughts on the book so far? Was this chapter too long, or should I write longer chapters in the future?