Chapter 2: Chapter 1-Birthday Princess

10 years ago....

A little giggle breaks free from her pink lips.

It was her tenth birthday today and her parents orchestrated a grand party on their estate.  The suspense was eating Camelia's insides, she couldn't wait to see what was set-up.

They hadn't revealed what was planned–It was supposed to be a surprise they said.    It was hard to control herself from jumping up and down. She hadn't been allowed on the grounds for a week while preparations were done.

Camelia twirls with arms spread wide in a puffy pink dress. Before she became too dizzy she stops before the long full length mirror situated in the corner of her room, unable to keep suppressing uncontainable excitement– It was a dream come true, she thinks whimsically feeling like she stepped out of a fairytale.  What she's read about in stories and all the Disney movies she'd watched over the years was slowly but surely becoming a reality.

Traveling from the tips of her pointed, sparkly pink dress shoes, her eyes roam over every last inch of her dress looking for any defects.

The skirt flared, slightly puffy, and tapered slightly below her waist. The bodice was a stain pink that hugged her upper torso with small pink rhinestones and sequins that formed into flowers.

A frown appeared on her delicate features when she catches sight of the semi-tilted, white and pink flower tiara wrapped around her dark tresses. She quickly adjusts it, nods at her reflection, and smiles when it sits perfectly like it was before.

She loved the color pink, trailing her gaze over her large room to wait until it was time. Out of all the colors of the rainbow it was her favorite, next to purple.  Her obsession with the color was not difficult to miss if someone happens to enter her bedroom.  It was shrouded with pink drapes, pink furniture, and a great big bed covered in pink silk.

Out of boredom she finds a plush pink chair and she begins to inspect her pink colored fingernails when the door to her bedroom opened revealing her beautiful mother.  Camelia smiles, eyeing the make-up products in her arms.

"Ready for your big day?"  Annie asks her daughter.

Camelia smiles and nods as a blush coats her cheeks.  Her mother was wearing a pink knee high body fitting dress with matching pink pumps.   The gold, thin belt she wore caught her attention, it nearly matched her mothers strawberry-blonde hair.

It amazed Camelia how she always managed to look immaculate, graceful, strong, and confident. It reminded Camelia of a queen. The confidence she emitted would outmatch the greatest warrior.  Her charm and elegance alone always managed to take her breath away.  One day, Camelia wished she would grow up to be just like her.

Camelia also wished her hair was strawberry-blonde.  Grabbing a dark strand over her shoulder she frowns.  It was almost the same shade as her father's but had specks of subtle highlights probably due to her mothers genetics.  The rest of her hair was just as thick and long cascading in waves passed her shoulders and stopping at her waist. Camelia couldn't help but feel how unfair it was she hadn't inherited her mothers gorgeous color.

"You look just as beautiful as a princess and even more so, my love.  Come here and take a seat on your vanity table so I can apply some light make-up to your face like I promised."  Annie says patting the pink velvet tufted chair.

Camelia did as requested and plopped down as her mother knelt in front of her.   "Mummy, I want lipstick, sparkly eyeshadow, mascara and a hint of blush."   She announced, counting them on her fingers while watching with greedy eyes as her mother lay the make-up out neatly.

"As you wish princess, this is your day after all."  Annie replies with a wink.  "Okay chin up, close your eyes and let's begin to transform you into a creation nobody will forget."

Camelia did as she was told as her mother began working on her face.  The brushes applied across her eyelids and than later on her cheekbones made it nearly impossible to keep a straight face.  "It tickles!"   She says with a giggle. Prying her eyes open, she turned slightly to spy her face in the attached mirror perched above the vanity table.

"I know it does.  When you get older you will become accustomed to it all.  Now look back at me and keep your eyes open while I apply mascara, try not to blink until I tell you alright?"

Camelia nods,  staring straight ahead, her mother lifts the brush and applies a dark coat of mascara to her eyelashes.  Once she finished, she places it back on the table and grabs the black tube of lipstick.

"Pucker your lips for me and stay completely still."   Instructing her again.

Once she finished Camelia stood and went to the full length mirror in the corner of her room.  She covers her mouth, hiding the wide smile that stretched over her face becoming giddy again with happiness.  She looked completely different.  Looking older and refined, she now truly felt like royalty.

"I really look like a princess now!"   She announces while spreading her hands wide and twirling around in her dress.

"That you do.  Ready to make your grand appearance?  All of the guests are downstairs waiting for you."  Annie informed her, bending slightly to give her daughter a kiss on her forehead.

Camelia hugs her mothers waist, squeezing her eyes closed in happiness.   "I love you mummy."

"I love you more my precious, come let us go."  Releasing her mother and taking her outstretched hand and exited her bedroom.  They began to descend the stairs but before taking the second step a voice calls out to them.

"Wait for me!"   Her older sister, by a year, called in a breathless voice, holding the front of her dress while running down the hallway.   Jasmine was wearing a sky blue dress–nearly a replica of Camelia's.

Annie reaches for her with a free hand, now clasping both daughters. One on either side of her. Camelia internally smiles when she sees the irony. They looked like two little princesses flanking their queen.

Without another word they carry on to their original destination.

The sun was shining high and bright, coating their skin in warmth for an October afternoon.  They passed the swimming pool which was covered due to the changing weather. Camelia squinted her eyes to look out into the distance already being able to spot many people waiting on their lawn, and from what she could tell they were surrounded with pink and white balloons that were standing high and tall, swaying ever so slightly to the gentle breeze. As they narrowed the distance, Camelia heard music coming from the outdoor surround system's many hidden speakers.

"The birthday girl is here!"  Someone announced in the crowd and all eyes turned to watch.

Cheers quickly broke out dimming all the the background noise and clapping started to travel through the air.  Camelia felt her face heat  in embarrassment, struggling to compose herself and act like a lady.

Camelia smiles, just for show, feeling a knot form in her throat while her heart rate increases. The reality of it was, she hated attention.  She was scared and unsure, always fearful of what others would think of her.   She caught a quick glance at her mother and Jasmine.  They executed complete confidence, with chins held up high. Camelia looked away, ashamed of her behavior. The insecurity almost always outweighed the confidence she tried to force.

It wasn't easy to open up to people for who could, if they weren't comfortable in their own skin?

Always being labeled by others as the quiet one, the reserved one, the extra shy one. The one that always had her nose in a book—preferring the company of a novel than a human being. The one who hid in the shadows and watched–invisible to the outside world.

She only felt she could naturally be herself around her siblings and cousins. Her older brother Zayn, Jasmine and her six other cousins were more her companions then family. They never judged, never frowned upon her odd behavior or lack of socializing. It was the reason she felt no need for outside friends.   It was that small bunch she spent her birthday's with but they too were getting older and came to the unanimous decision to do something different instead of going somewhere to celebrate.

This year after much persistence, from all sides of the family, including the inner dialogue inside her head that always made her see reason, managed to squash the turmoil raging a internal war with her thoughts, Camelia gave into the pressure to change.

She made it easier on herself when she thought of it as a adventure. Deciding to open a new chapter in her own book and take a leap, a step, and see where the new detour would lead. After all, it happened once in a lifetime when one turned a double digit, a milestone, a entrance into a broader spectrum and looked upon as one year more maturer than the last.

Her mothers fingers tightened, the pressure pulling her out of her wayward thoughts. Camelia craned her neck up but to her surprise her mothers stare was firmly fixed on the audience.

"Your grandmother always gave me advice in situations that put me under pressure, and I will say the same thing to you, my love...chin up and back straight."  Confirming her words with another tight squeeze, they approached the crowd.

How she could feel her discomfort, Camelia could only wonder but she absorbed her positive words, took a deep calming breath, squared her shoulders, mimicked their stances and held her head high as a true Royal Princess.

"That's my girl..." Annie murmured under her breath.

Scanning her surroundings she quickly noticed the large banner which read,

HAPPY 10TH BIRTHDAY CAMELIA!

But watching with wide eyes she couldn't help but forget her anxiety and discomfort and smile in joy. A great big inflatable shaped into a castle was on the right.  There were kids already jumping, sliding and screaming in delight as the big balloon shifted with every movement.  A ice cream stand was situated on the right as workers took requests from the many standing in line eagerly waiting to choose their favorite flavor.

Camelia shifted her gaze towards the left where three food carts stood.  One served burgers, the second Mexican, and the third pizza—reading the names on the outside of the carts.    A little further down the left were two people dressed as clowns making different shapes of balloons for the children.  Adults were standing, sitting, socializing and enjoying the array of food and drinks available around countless tables and chairs with beautifully, soft colored flower arrangements.

Camelia had to blink once, thinking she was imagining it and so she blinked again but nothing changed. "Oh my gosh!"  She exclaimed, covering her mouth with both hands.   Her heart was going to burst with happiness and euphoria.

The greatest surprise was the nine Disney princesses silently clasping their hands waiting patiently for her to acknowledge their presence.

Her love for everything princess was standing before her. Ariel, Cinderella, Jasmine, Snow White, Aurora, Tiana, Rapunzel, Belle and last but not least, Princess Anna and Queen Elsa.   It was like a written chapter in a fairy tale she's read, and a dream becoming a reality.

All the people around her blurred as her vision soaked up all the magic and beauty included for her birthday.  Someone else wouldn't have cared so much, but for a person like her it meant the world to see a fantasy coming to life.

Camelia was utterly shell shocked. And could not explain how she felt at that moment for it wasn't happiness, it was much more than that.

It felt like she was in a different reality, a different time warp suddenly feeling like Alice in Wonderland. All the party was missing was fire breathing dragons and knights with their swords, and little fairies flying around sprinkling fairy dust over the guests. Or maybe trolls lurking in shadows and quite possibly little animals that spoke.

"Happy birthday Mia!"  Hearing her sister call her by her nickname. Jasmine squeezes her tightly  from behind and gives her cheek a quick peck.  She comes around and begins tugging her forward.  "Come on, let's go and have fun!"

The girls ran to greet the Princesse's first as they circled the two young ladies in their colorful array of dresses looking like a full blown rainbow of soft pastel colors...

****

Annie felt a arm wrap around her waist, instantly knowing by the warmth that it was her husband Julien.  "Looks like she liked the surprise."  His faint British accent wafted into her ear as they watched their youngest smile brightly.

Annie lays her head against his shoulder.  "Our little princess is growing up."  She notes sadly.  "It felt like yesterday when I was cradling her in my arms."

"That she is, before you know it she'll be off to college..."

"And She'll be married..."  Annie continued releasing a deep sigh.

"That, my dear, will never happen.  No man is worthy enough for her nor Jasmine."  He replied firmly.

Annie couldn't help but chuckle, having the urge to roll her eyes.  "You sound exactly like my father did almost seventeen years ago..." Just the thought of what happened to them nearly two decades ago made a small secret smile creep up her face.  Despite the difficulties and the hurdles life tested them with, they made it in the end.

"As I recall you did not make it any easier for me, love." Julien replied gruffly and gave his wife a lingering kiss on her neck.

****

Stefan walks beside his grandfather in irritation and happens to glare at his watch for the tenth time that day. He was accompanying him to a child's birthday. I had better things to do with my time, he thought irritably.

"Grandad, tell me again why I have to be here?  It's a kids party!"  He whisper shouted alongside him looking down at his stone washed jeans and white, tight fitting t-shirt, feeling completely out of place.

"Julien is an old friend of mine.  The man invited us to his daughter's birthday." Stefan senior explained while nodding at the many adults attending the event. "Look around you Stefan, I see adults everywhere. Mingle with those your age. You're bound to find a nice girl here that's   waiting to flirt with you." His grandfather teased.

Stefan scanned the crowd noticing many more kids than adults, resisting the urge to shake his head in frustration. To his displeasure and mounting announce, he couldn't spot one person who looked like they were twenty years old.  Everybody invited was either too old or too young.

Keeping his grumpiness to himself he plastered a fake smile on his face when they closely approached and started to greet the St. James's and the Taverron family beside his grandfather.

After a little while he sat down, ran a hand over his face, exhales loudly and watches the children play, scream and have a good time.  Stefan envied them. He remembers when all he wanted to do as a child was grow up. What he wouldn't do to be a child once more. To never have a care or worry.

He took his smartphone out of his pocket and started to fiddle with it out of boredom.  He was sitting alone on one of the white tables when a little girl sits opposite him wearing a pretty pink dress.  With a raised eyebrow he watched her carefully eating from her ice cream cone.

"Enjoying the party?"  He asks her with a smile.  She was pretty, with dark hair and eccentric blue eyes.  Stefan rests his arms and elbows on the table and leans his upper body forward, hoping his casual stance doesn't frighten her.

Those startled blue eyes looked up at him in surprise and a pink blush, nearly matching the shade of her dress appeared on her cheeks.  She nods and looks away shyly.  Stefan's grin widens finding it enjoyable to watch the innocence in her.

"My name is Stefan.  What's yours?"  Placing his phone on the table and giving her his undivided attention.

Holding her ice cream cone with two hands she rests her elbows on the table.  "My-my name is Camelia." She replies in a small voice not looking at him.

Stefan's eyebrows rose.  This was the birthday girl, as a wave of understanding washes over him.

"Well happy birthday Camelia, you look very beautiful."  He observed watching the surprise flare in her blue eyes.  "I noticed the banner and when you told me your name..."  He explained.

"Thank you."  She replied, peeking through her eyelashes at him.

She was so incredibly shy it was beautiful to see and just as indulging.  Stefan continued making small talk, hoping to climb the thirty foot high wall she hid behind.

****

"Well, well,well what do we have here?"  Cici asked her sister Annie, spinning her around to watch Camelia interact with the young man.  "Looks like the princess has met her future prince?"  She teases.

"Hardly Cici."  Annie admonishes her older sister.  "At least she's talking to somebody else other than the family."

"It's about time.  That girl needs to spread her wings.  She needs to realize their is life outside all those books she reads.  You don't want her to turn into you...remember how you used to be?  Closed off, that hard penetrable shell you used to enclose yourself in.  It took Julien months to make you open up. You don't want names labeled to her like you did.  It made you dislike human kind..."

Annie huffed in annoyance.  "I know.  I see it myself.  This party is the first step into making her more open and trusting of others.  She looks like she's engaging in the conversation..." Gesturing to her daughter and Stefan.  "She's not going to change overnight, these things take time...besides she's still young she'll grow out of it."

"You never did my dear Ice Queen, until Julien swooped in and changed all that."  She observed, looping her arm into the crook of Annie's elbow.

"Must you still call me that?"

"I can't help it, bad habits are hard to break."  Cici gave Annie an innocent smile as she nudged her side.  "Just kidding!  Seriously though back to the Camelia flower.  She's incredibly smart, beautiful, kind and the fairest one of all the children in the family."  Annie gave her a pointed look to show her reference to the Snow White quote did not go unnoticed.  "I'm only voicing my concern!  Your children are like my children, and I just don't like to see her so incredibly shy, quiet and reserved–it's a hold back and you know it, I just don't want history to repeat itself for her sake."

Annie contemplated all that Cici said, slanting her gaze back at Camelia and Stefan. Her daughter looked like she finally opened up a little more. Gone was the tense set of her shoulders, her radiant smile out shined the sun.  Annie could hear her daughter's giggle in reaction to something the young man said. It warmed her soul and brought her own smile to her face.

It was difficult to watch her youngest child struggle daily in social environments. It pained Annie to think about the lack of communication Camelia fought to avoid outside the family. It was not normal to always be cooped up reading all day and night, she missed out on a lot of things. Most times it appeared as though her daughter wanted to crawl out of her own skin when spoken to.

But before her very eyes, her daughter was slowly but surely blooming into a young lady and one day she will prove all the rumors wrong. Camelia will grow up, change and become the young confident woman Annie knew was buried deep inside her daughter.

For whoever did have the pleasure of Camelia's company soon finds what a kind and gentle, caring personality she carries. Being shy does have its set-backs but as does being bold. Both carry equal measure if not balanced carefully.

"You know Cici,  sometimes we cannot control what fate has in store for us..." Annie started. "Had Cinderella looked back and grabbed her slipper she wouldn't have become a Princess."

******

"So how about it? Want to become best friends? If I do my calculations correctly," Stefan pretended to think about it, "You'd be my youngest best friend yet.  What'd ya say?" Holding his hand out for a hand shake to seal the deal.

Stefan felt his smile stretch, listening to her sweet laughter. He had never been more comfortable with a human being than he was at that moment speaking to a ten year old. It was much easier than having a conversation with an adult and pretending interest in their life's accomplishments.  She was everything innocent and right in the world. Her heart was pure and her soul was as bright as a shinning star.   He hoped she stayed true to her heart and never loses that white halo many people were missing nowadays.

"Ok deal." Camelia pulled her seat back and approached Stefan to sit right beside him. She clasped his outstretched hand and his firm grip enclosed entirely over her small one.

"I pledge an oath to you my dear princess that I will send you a birthday card every year no matter how far I am knowing I will always cherish our friendship." Stefan promised her and was rewarded with another shy smile that showed her perfect straight, white teeth.

He concluded by lifting her hand and kissing the top of her knuckles like a true gentleman.

"You can be my knight in shinning armor!" She declared in a hushed tone, searching the crowd for any eavesdroppers.

"You wound my soul your Highness..." Acting like his feelings were hurt and adding further exaggeration by placing his hand over his heart. "And here I thought I was your Prince Charming."

Camelia's eyes widened and she began giggling again at the absurdity in which they were acting.

"Thank you Stefan.  I don't think I've ever laughed so much!"

Camelia quickly sobered up and looked at him seriously.  It was hard for her to believe how comfortable she was around him. When she first saw him she knew she could trust him, without knowing how.  Something inside her awakened and pulled her to him.  It was like they mentally connected.

"I will wait for you my sweet flower until you become of age and rescue you someday..."  Stefan continued to joke around which earned another round of laughter.

Camelia tried desperately to suppress it again but the spasms going thru her small frame were hard to hide. "You're soooo silly Stefan!" She exclaims.

The twinkle of mischief in his eyes could not be hidden as Stefan laughed full heartedly. She was a welcoming joy to a day he presumed would lack any sort of fun.

Little did she know, he would keep his promise, and remember her every 20th of October.

_____________________________________________

Hope it was worth the wait! This chapter came up to 4,000 words!  I tried to include everything instead of chopping it up into two.  The next chapter will fast forward 10 years ahead...

This story is taking me a little longer to think and write about then my last. I'm trying to make it stand out as much as I can and coming up with interesting content is a trial in itself. :)

As always please share, comment, vote and enjoy and thank you for reading!

-Shaz