Welcome

It was good to get away from all the chaos of Majestic Academy. The town that surrounded it was very small, and having to deal with the same people each day was agitating. The death of Rebbecca, a quiet commoner, shook the town even more. It was bad enough that the worlds royalty was living all in one neighborhood, with paparazzi constantly banging on the gates of the community. Now with the murder the town had gotten even more attention. So a flight to go see some relatives out of the country with Calista would be very refreshing. No more Nikki, no more drama, no more struggles. For a week at least. However, Alexander didn't want to go to London just to have a sweet escape. He actually had much greater intentions, to marry Calista. Rumors of an engagement were already spreading throughout the States, but now they would be confirmed once and for all. He wouldn't give Ms.Nikki the satisfaction of spoiling his plans though.

Alexander and Calista arrived at the London Heathrow Airport on April 9th to huge crowd. Apparently this was a big deal. The couple would be escorted to Buckingham Palace where Alexanders mother would greet the two. He hasn't seen her in about year so Alex was pretty psyched. His mother was one of the sweetest women he knew, which was probably why the people of Bulgaria and England loved her so much. "I just realized you've never met my mum before. Don't worry though she's really nice." Alexander was about to say 'Unlike your brother', but figured he should leave that out since he was going to propose to her. A little awkward silence came about inside the Rolls-Royce that was heading to the palace after her finished his sentence. Alexander was probably more nervous than she was.

When Alex had suggested they get out of Glassview, Calista had agreed immediately. The tension that had settled over the town was suffocationg her. The princess, well any royal for that matter, couldn't go anywhere without being ambushed and questioned to no end about the murder. She couldn't count all the times she'd been asked what side her mother would be taking, or if she had any explicit details about the killing. The latter was an odd question because Calista didn't even know the girl existed until after she'd been killed, a sad but true thought. Getting away with her boyfriend was definitely an escape for both of them.

The flight had been long but impossible to sleep on. For one, planes made for awkward beds, and two, her stomach had been tied in knots. The couple would be joining Alexander's mother at Buckingham Palace. Calista was nervous, to say the least. Meeting family was a big step, and she wanted his mother to like her and approve of them as a couple. She was excited as well, getting to know his mother would be nice. So the combination of anxiety and excitment had allowed her to only doze lightly, her head resting on Alex's shoulder.

It was a relief to get off the plane and stretch her aching muscles. The feeling had been short lived, however, as a horde of paparazzi met them almost as soon as they got off the plan. Calista grabbed Alex's hand and flipped down her sunglasses, hiding her eyes behind her darkend lenses. This attention was different though, no questions of murder and war were asked. The relief rushed back through her as they climbed into the back of the Rolls. Calista let out the breath she'd been holding and smiled at Alexander. She slipped her fingers through his and kissed his cheek, before placing her head on his shoulder. Her heart beat faster and her stomach knotted tighter when Alex mentioned his mother. "If she's as sweet as her son, I'm sure we'll get along just fine." Calista managed to keep the anxiety out of her voice, though her tone was little higher than normal.

Alexander gave Calista a warm smile, hoping to make her feel better. The gates of the Palace opened up as the car drove in. The huge palace towered over everything in sight. "This is it." He said, with a large sigh. "Remember, it's ma'am like ham, not palm. Wait until she talks to you, and for Christs sake do not offer her a handshake. Once we're done with that we'll be free to do what we want." Alexander didn't want to make her even more nervous, but he also wanted things to go well. His mother wasn't picky with royal courtesy, but when the eyes of the English and Bulgarian queen along with thousands of other important people were going to be on her it'd be crucial for things to go well. The black car came to an abrupt stop and the main entrance. Alexander hopped out and went to the other side of the car to open the door for Calista.

His heart was beating faster than when he was on cocaine. A rush of thoughts raced through his head. He knew things would be okay when Calista met the queen. She was much smarter than Alex and quite worldly too. Not to mention the fact that she herself was a princess and was accustomed to the royal life. That's not what he was actually worried about. Alexander was mostly concerned about the proposal. How was he going to the question? When was he going to do it? What if things went horribly wrong when his mother met Calista and she didn't want the two to get married? But most importantly, what if Calista said no? Alexander came with a lot of baggage that ranged from family drama to drug abuse. Although it was clear that she loved Alexander, he wasn't sure if she wanted to spend her entire life with him.

Alex's smile eased the nerves that had built up over the last few hours. And when he offered his last bit of advice, Calista's smile reached her eyes and a laugh escaped her. Etiquette was something she was well versed in. From the time Calista was born her mother had made sure her young royals were prim and proper when the occasion called for it. Alexander was obviously nervous if he was reminding Calista how to behave. Annunciation was simple and even with her beloved greek accent, her voice rang clear. Speaking only when spoken to was always done, even at the Academy. As for handshakes, those were most definitely for the royal men, not the women. A royal smile, a nod of the head along with casting her eyes to the floor and a curtsey of sorts were only the first steps in the proper greeting. Calista would go through them as easily as breathing. What had her worried was whether or not his mother would find her suitable enough for her son, who was truly the love of her life. Mothers were very picky when it came to their baby boys and who they could and could not date. Calista's own mother was very peticular about who Demetri and Altair, well mostly Demi seeing as Al hadn't dated anyone really, brought into their lives. Scandels were unacceptable to the Empress.

When Alexander opened the door for her, Calista accepted the hand he also offered and gracefully exited the vehicle. His hand was a little clammy and his facial expression was one of anxiety, the very emotion that was coursing through her body and making her heart beat faster. Was he worried that his mother wouldn't like her, that the queen would not approve of them as a couple? All of these questions suddenly rushed through her mind. Her smile faltered a little and she looked at Alex with anxiety behind her eyes. "Everything will be okay, right Alexander?"

"Everything will be fine." Alexander said, trying to sound reassuring which was pretty hard to do when he wasn't positive himself. Alex walked in through the first door of the palace holding Calista's hand -a good picture for the tabloids-. Once they were inside to large stairwells on both sides of the room curved up to the second floor. This was the place where the former Princess Royal, Alexanders mom roamed as a child. Buckingham Palace was always her favorite out of all the places she lived which is why she still comes up with excuses to visit. A butler who Alex was familiar with walked towards the couple. He gave both of them a small bow and then waited in silence. When talking to a royal or aristocratic person it is proper for them to begin the conversation. "I haven't seen you in ages Olive!" Alex said with a large smile. The butlers actual name was Oliver, but he was quite fond of olives so the nickname stuck.

"Yes Your Royal Highness, it is a pleasure to see you again." He said in a neutral tone, trying to contain his excitement. Oliver was expected to be proper, especially when speaking, but because the two knew each other on a personal level it was hard too. "It is a pleasure to meet you too, Your Royal Highness." Olive turned slightly to look Calista in the eye. "If you two would please follow me, Her Majesty is upstairs and one does not want to keep the Queen waiting." He continued, not giving Calista enough time to respond.

Oliver began slowly walking towards the stairs. "He may seem like stick in the mud, but he's actually pretty cool if you spend some time with him." Alex whispered into Calista's ear. Now that the two were inside and Alex was reunited with with Oliver he was a lot more confident.

Calista relaxed a little at Alex's words of reassurance. She took a deep breath and squeezed his hand as the couple entered the Palace, the picture of perfection and happiness for the cameras that were flashing rapidly trying to get as many pictures as they could. Calista was sure their picture would be all over every tabloid and magazine tomorrow, including the ones back in Glassview. When this thought crossed her mind, a defiant smirk crossed her face for a moment. Altair would see those pictures and get to read all about the happy couple. Calista knew her brother was not fond of Alexander and that was putting it nicely. He held on to Alex's past and strongly believed that Alex would relapse and hurt Calista. Cold day in hell. Alexander was one of the strongest and most stubborn people the princess knew. When he set his mind to something, he didn't deviate from the path until it was complete. It was one of the many things she loved about him.

The Palace was simply breathtaking, there was no other word to describe it. It had an air of importance and overflowed with regality. It was no wonder the monarchs of England were quite powerful. The architecture was old, from the time when the world had been run under a democracy. The city of Athens where Calista lived was filled with hundreds of ancient buildings but they were nothing like Buckingham Palace. She flipped her sunglasses up so that they rested on top of her head and allowed her green eyes to wander curiously around the entrance hall. Her attention was brought back when an unfamilair voice reached her ears. Alexander seemed to relax a bit after speaking to the butler. When Oliver addressed Calista, she offered him a polite smile but wasn't given enough time to reply.

Calista allowed Alexander to lead her towards the amazing staircase infront of them. She was trying to calm her nerves and get her heart to stop beating so loudly. The princess was rather surprised Alex couldn't hear it. When he whispered in her ear about Oliver, she giggled quietly and made a mental note to try and get to know the butler a little better. "I'll keep that in mind méli." She loved throwing her native language into english sentences.

Alexander and Calista walked up the stairs for what seemed like an eternity. There was no turning back now, his mother was only a few feet away. Once the two were upstairs Olive opened the door to the what was known as the 1844 room. This was the famous room where the English queen would meet the heads of state, have meetings with the prime minister, and greet monarchs from other countries. So to be in this room was truly an honor. When the door was opened you could see two women talking to each other. One women had long red hair that was precisely tied up, you couldn't really see it though because she was wearing a flashy hat. Her facial structure clearly resembled Alexanders along with her blue eyes. She was a bit on the short side so she wore high heels. The other woman a little bit older than the first one. She had brown hair and Asian features. She was originally a Korean princess, but became the queen consort of England when she married the King. She too was wearing a hat; Alex should've got Calista one of those; it was currently in style in England. They were both queens and child hood friends and the short one with red hair was also Alex's mom.

When they heard the sound of the door crack they instantly looked up. Alexanders mom, Queen Charlotte of Bulgaria, immediately stood up. "Alexander!" She said joyfully, not even trying to contain her emotions. That was her baby, and they haven't seen each other in years. "Mum!" Alex responded in a loud voice. Charlotte and Alex quickly walked towards each other. He tapped Calista's arm signaling her to follow. Him and his mom wrapped there hands around each other and squeezed tightly. Usually, hugging a visitor was not the traditional royal way to greet someone, but an exception would have to be made.

"You've gotten so tall." She noted, taken back by his size. "Yeah, you're still...short." Alex said, teasing her a bit. The queen ignored his comment and then glanced at Calista. "And who's this fine young lady?" She asked, with a warm smile on her face - much like Alexanders. At first he thought there was going to be a crowd of people waiting for the at the Buckingham Palace which was part of the reason why he was so nervous. Instead, it was only the the two of them. The queen of England sat patiently on chair with her legs crossed, waiting for Alex and Calista to approach her after they were done talking to Charlotte. She was a bit more conservative, but nice nonetheless. Alex let out a sigh of relief. Everything was going to be fine.

As they journied up those neverending stairs, Calista's heart began to race. No matter how many times she reassured herself that everything would go smoothly and the Queen would approve of her, doubt would pull her back in and fill her with anxiety. The princess loved Alexander more than anything in the world and to be told she couldn't be with him would tear her apart. There was no one else on this earth that completed her the way Alex did. If Calista couldn't be with him...she couldn't even finish the thought.

When they reached their destination, Calista was a little shocked. She had been so caught up in her thoughts that she hadn't realized the moment of truth was here. As the couple entered the infamous room 1844, Calista's breath caught in her chest. The two women waiting inside turned in unison to see who was joining them. One was redheaded with brilliant and familiar blue eyes, while the other was brunette and had the carefully crafted features only the members of the Asian line held. Both women gave off this air of power that was somewhat intimidating. It made Calista want their approval that much more.

The redhead was the first to stand and greet them, well Alex really. His touch on her arm sent a wave of chills up it and told her to follow behind him. Calista stayed close but stayed behind, allowing Alexander and his mother to have their moment of reunion. Their embrace and words made her heart pang for her own mother. The princess hadn't seen the Empress in almost a year as well. They conversed over the phone from time to time but it wasn't the same as having your mother in person. Empress Alexis was very close to her youngest child and only daughter. When the Bulgarian Queen's eyes turned their focus to the Greek Princess, Calista waited to see what the Queen would do. The warm smile that rested upon the Queen's face brought a flood of relief to Calista, whose own face split into a bright and warm smile of her own. The princess immediately lowered her eyes and inclined her head, dipping into a graceful curtsy. "Princess Calista Alixandria Nasso. It's a pleasure to meet you, Your Majesty." The formal greeting had been done to a T, everything in it's place. Calista hoped with all her heart that it was to the Queen's liking.

Yet another sigh of relief escaped from Alexanders lips. His mother was nice and down-to-Earth, but she was quick to judge. She already knew weather or not she was going to like you before you'd even get a chance to say something. From the looks of it, Calista had passed. The tsaritsa, commonly referred too as the queen, actually seemed quite impressed with her. Calista looked to be very wise, perhaps someone who could keep Alexander on his feet. "It's very nice to meet you dear. Alex has told me a lot about you, and please, call me Charlotte." She said in a very gentle, calm voice. Don't be mistaken though, you definitely do not want to get on Her Majesty's bad side . Charlotte began to slowly walk back to the coach were the other queen sat patiently, expecting for the other two to follow. Alex remained in silence, still too stunned at the fact that things were going so smoothly. It was clear that she wasn't trying to intimidate Calista. In fact, Her Majesty was pretty fond of her. Usually she wanted people to call her 'Your Majesty'; only friends and family called her Charlotte. Alex wasn't certain why she was being so friendly to Calista when they just met, she probably just wanted him to keep a girl that wouldn't run away in a month or so.

Alexanders mom didn't know about his plans to marry Calista yet. He decided not to tell her beforehand in case things went horrible wrong. When he does tell her, though, she'll probably approve. And even if she didn't, well, that was just too bad. Alexander had managed to arrange a trip to London, pick out a proper engagement ring that's been passed down from generation to generation, and get both of the queens in one place. There was no way in hell he'd back down now that he had gotten this far. No, he was way too stubborn to that.

"The pleasure is mine, Charlotte." Calista replied, hiding the bit of shock she felt at how well the initial introductions had gone. The princess felt almost all of the tension leave her body and her heart beat slowed to a calmer pace, though her hands still shook. She had worked herself so much before hand that she hadn't stopped to think about the possibility this meeting would go well. She had certainly hoped that it would but her nerves had got the best of her, allowing her mind to run wild with silly scenes of everything that could go wrong. Calista's green eyes glanced over to Alexander, meeting his blue ones for a moment. But in that moment a reassuring feeling passed between them. He didn't realize how much she relied on him. The princess gave her boyfriend a sweet smile before returning her gaze to the two Queens.

The next big moment would come when she was introduced to Alex's aunt, The Queen of England. A softer smile was set on her face and her green eyes held their typical kindness. So this was her best friend's mother. April Kellett, though a year older than Calista, was her best and closest girl friend. The two girls shared everything from deepest secrets to idle gossip with one another. Calista had told April all about the relationship she had with Alexander and April had told Calista about Tao and her engagement to Prince Kellen Lovelace, who just so happened to be Calista's best and oldest guy friend. April had not been happy at all about the betrothal to Kell and Calista had been the first person she came to, seeking words of comfort and someone to vent to.

Calista and Alexander followed Queen Charlotte to where the women had been conversing earlier. The nervous feeling that had sat like a rock in her stomach didn't return and Calista was thankful for this. Her confidence level was definitely higher than it had been before she walked into the room. The couple paused when they had reached the sitting area and Calista's breath caught once again in her chest as she waited for the Queen to address her.

The Queen of England rose so that she could be greeted properly. She was a very pretty woman, often named the queen of beauty. Don't let her appearances fool you though, she definitely wasn't one to mess with. The queen was a bit more conservative than Alexander's mom and most certainly would not appreciate it she was called by her first name. The queen offered Alex a handshake and he politely shook it, but soon after she smiled. "Alexander. I haven't seen you since you were such a little kid. You've grown up so much." She said with am obvious accent. After that, Alexander knew that it would be okay to hug her. Alex went in for a quick hug, and she warmly embraced it. "Yeah, It's been a while, but it's good to see you again." He replied with a charming smile.

Her Majesty then switched her glance to Calista. She could tell already that she was a pretty decent woman. If Alex's mom had passed her then she was bound to be good. Believe it or not, Alex's mom was very judgmental so the fact that Calista got off the hook so easily was a sign that she liked her. And because it wasn't really up to her to make the decide if she is right for Alex or not, she decided then and there and she too was going to approve of Calista, not that it meant much. The queen gave Calista a small grin, waiting for her to do the curtsy so that that they could get most of the formal stuff out of the way.

Calista watched patiently as Alexander and his Aunt exchanged pleasantries. She had learned a little about the Queen of England from April and already knew that she would never approve of being addressed as anything less than Your Highness. The Queen wasn't icy or anything, but how could one not be prim and proper when brought up in the strict Korean royalty and then married into the English line. Calista's mother was a little like that. Empress Alexis could walk into a room and immediatly command the attention of everyone. She had the same air of regality that these two Queens did. The Empress could be cold at times, but only when dealing with dire matters of State. The rest of the time she was a wonderful Empress and the people adored her. When she was with her family, she was simply their sweet and loving mother, doting on her youngest child and only daughter whenever she got the chance. Calista knew Altair had already given their mother his two cents about Alexander and the princess herself had spoken to the Empress many times about him. As far as Calista knew, the Empress approved.

When the Queen of England and Alex had finished greeting one another, Calista felt the Queen's eyes turn on to her. The princess took a deep breath and lowered her gaze again. She bowed her head and curtsied, as was expected. Again, it was the epitomy of perfected cursies, as were most princess' manners and ettiquete at her age. Practicing something like this simple, yet complicated, movement for so many years made it impossible to get wrong. After she had dipped to the right degree required of her, she rose gracefully from it, but kept her eyes slightly diverted, waiting for Her Majesty to speak first.

Her Majesty gazed onto Calista as she perfectly executed yet another curtsy. She too was quiet impressed by her, but expected no less from a queen-to-be. Hopefully, sooner than later, Calista would be joining the ranks of the two queens. "It's very nice to meet you. I heard many things from April and Alexander." She mentioned Alex's name, making him blush a little. The queen, in most cases, had an uncensored mouth. She definitely was going to speak her mind, but made sure to stay classy when she did so. Alexander just wanted to get this meet-and-greet over him so that he could finally propose to the woman he loved. Alex kept on playing with the ring inside his pocket. The ring was made from Colombian emerald, diamond, and platinum. All three rocks were super rare to find after bio-explosion that happened years ago. The were usually reserved as sacred valuables that belonged to a royal family, or to the super rich. The lucky commoners that were able hold onto their jewelry for the past years instantly became wealthy from a ring or two. The Bulgarian royal family was always fond of jewelry so Alexander had a many rings to chose from. He had probably never worked so hard on finding something in his life; the ring had to be absolutely prefect. Although he wasn't an expert, when his eyes came across the emerald ring he instantly knew that it would be perfect for the princess. The green matched her eyes perfectly. All he could do now was hope that his Calista would accept.

Calista could feel the weight of the Queen's eyes upon her as she finished her curtsey. When she heard the Queen speak, the princess brought her green eyes up and allowed their gaze to meet the Queen's. They held a sweet sort of innocence that usually got her whatever she wanted. The princess smiled warmly as the Queen spoke and a light pink blush rose in her face. Knowing that Alexander had spoken to even his aunt about her made it even more certain that he was the one for her. At the mention of April, Calista felt a little sad. For some reason she really missed her best friend right now. "It's very nice to meet you as well, Your Majesty. All good I hope?" She hadn't meat for it to come out as a question, but her nerves had made it so.

Calista could see out of the corner of her bright green eyes that Alexander was fidgeting with something in his pocket. She knew he was nervous but there was obviously something else bothering him. The princess made a mental note to simply ask the prince about it later, when they were alone.

((OOC: the ring is gorgeous!! lol))

(OOC: I knoww .___. Oh, if only my boyfriend would proposed to me with that<3)

"Yes of course dear." She said, this time with a little warmer tone. Olive, who had been waiting behind the door knocked a few times before he entered. He gracefully bowed before speaking, "Good evening your Majesties. Pardon for interrupting, but there is an important meeting about to take place. Most people have already arrived." He said, perfectly pronouncing each word. Alexander's mom looked at the clock on the wall and gasped. It hadn't been long since the two had arrived, but minutes where like hours when you lived the life of a busy queen.

"Good God." Alexander's mom mumbled. "I'm sorry to leave this early hun, but we'll catch up later." She said to Alex and went in for another hug. She then stepped a couple of feet toward Calista and hugged her too with a tad bit of hesitation. As a queen it was improper of her to do that, but she couldn't help it. "Take care of my son." She whispered into Calista's ear before dashing towards the exit. The current English Queen, followed behind her. She nodded her head towards Alex with a small smile and then said, "Oliver will show you to your rooms, or wherever else you wish to go."[b] Then she stepped towards Princess Calista, [b]"I enjoyed meeting you. Hopefully we'll see each other soon once again, with April present." She nodded her head again and then she too walked out the door.

Alexander let out a large sigh of relief, "It went well." "Olive, would you be so kind to take us to the gardens?" Alex asked with a teasy smile. He knew that Oliver didn't like being called that, but there wasn't really much he could do about it. "Yes Your Royal Highness." He said in a somewhat irritated voice. The Buckingham Palace gardens was the place where Alex used to play with his cousins all the time. It was basically a large amount of land with a huge pond in the center. The trees perfectly shadowed the sunlight too. A great place to propose.