8 From Rags to Riches

You'd probably be asking, what did he do exactly?

Well, King William remembered it all in full detail. He had never told anyone except his wife, and they both hid and kept the secret to themselves over the years.

They had forgotten about it, but due to recent events, and Emma being his daughter, someone was bound to find out eventually.

But back to the princes. Neither of them knew what was actually happening.

To think, this had happened within a span of a few days. Only a few days ago, she had still been a maid. This was all too fast-paced.

Emma, the maid's daughter, had turned from a maid to a royal in a few days. And to think that if she had never met Prince Adam, none of this would've ever happened.

In Zenovia, there was a law where the royals were to wed with other royals of status. The law clearly stated that if any royal were to want to wed a commoner, they'd have to give their royal title up just to be with the person they very much desired to be with.

Say, if Prince Adam or Prince Michael wanted to be with Emma if she wasn't the daughter of the late Duke, they'd have to give up their royal title to be with her, be somewhat estranged with their family and never get the chance to sit on the royal throne of Zenovia.

But now, it was possible. Emma would most likely obtain a royal status, thanks to her late father. There was no doubt that the princes would be delighted to hear of such news.

She had royal blood in her veins, and that changed everything. She no longer had to work, as her late father's estate and inheritance went to her, as she was his remaining family that hadn't yet passed.

Her father, the late Duke, was a close confidante of the King. This fact had made the King want to honour his late friend by treating his daughter right and doing just as they had agreed on years ago.

If Emma was to marry Prince Adam, King William felt as if he could finally get some closure and be at peace. He hadn't been able to since the incident that had caused the Duke his very own life. He was haunted by his past, and couldn't let go.

He'd do anything. Anything to finally be at peace and free from the worries this problem had caused him.

Letting his son marry Emma would finally let him be at peace. It'd release him from the worries that had been haunting him for years.

He was willing to do whatever it took.

Meanwhile, a furious Prince Adam came storming to the maid's quarters. Emma had been late for work, and since no one had informed him of what was going on, he still assumed she was still the royal maid in charge of assisting him in errands and tasks.

Yet, in all of this, there was one problem.

Since Emma grew up with a different childhood than most royals or children in general, she didn't get the opportunity to learn the proper manners and etiquette of a royal. It was absolutely necessary that she had to learn them before she was given a royal title of any kind.

Both princes were already taught of this from a very young age, and their parent's saw to it that they were adequately educated about their manners.

King William and Queen Isabelle had already discussed this, but they both decided it was best for Chloe to know of this before they did anything else.

Chloe was fetched from the guest suite, and was quite worried about why the two monarchs called her to the throne room for no reason whatsoever. She hadn't been aware of what they were planning.

When she entered the throne room, she curtsied and greeted the two monarchs.

When she was done, the King started, "You are Ms Grey's mother, correct?"

Chloe nodded.

"We have something to discuss with you. It regards your daughter. As you already know, she's the late Duke's daughter," he continued.

Chloe nodded once again, not knowing where this discussion was headed.

"And as you also know, each and every royal has a set of manners that they are to follow. It is necessary that your daughter learns these sets of rules and etiquette to be a refined young woman, a perfect model for society," King William explained.

Queen Isabelle took it from there.

"And for us to do that, we need your permission to do that, since you're her mother and her guardian, even if she is of age already," she continued.

Chloe took a deep breath. She had never expected such an outcome to be possible. She loved her daughter dearly and sending her away just to learn etiquette seemed extreme.

The King and Queen planned on sending her to Zenovia's Academy for Learning Etiquette (ZALE).

There, Emma would learn how to behave like a proper royal, be taught about what to do and what not to do in public places, and to overall, be an educated and refined royal.

All the King and Queen now needed was Chloe's permission, even if Emma was already of age, being twenty-two years old and all.

Chloe had to respect the King and Queen's decision, and she knew it'd be beneficial to her daughter, but she couldn't imagine being in the palace without her daughter by her side. It was selfish, really, but it was simply her being worried as a mother.

Her daughter could get the education she needed to become a proper royal and to become a better person.

The Queen smiled warmly at the worried mother.

"Ms Grey, we're planning on sending your daughter to an academy or finishing school for young women that focuses on social graces and prepares young women for their entry to society. Of course, as a late Duke's daughter, your daughter is bound to have a royal title and comes from royal blood. This academy focuses primarily on etiquette and deportment, and on academic subjects secondarily too. We hope to provide your daughter with the best education. As somewhat of an homage to our dear friend, the late Duke," she said, not mentioning anything about why they seemed to have owed him something and went as far as to somewhat sponsor his own daughter's education just because of the guilt that fueled them.

Unlike Emma, Chloe had no royal status, but she didn't have to work as a maid, since she was related to royalty and was Emma's only guardian. The late Duke had left a fortune after he passed, and Emma being his only family member, inherited it all.

Of course, neither Emma nor Chloe knew about any of this, but some things are best kept secret and revealed later.