The entire prince process took roughly seven years to complete but as we weren't needed until just a few short months ago, we were used as servants in the palace while our teachers maintained our training, I had just turned eighteen.
Honestly, the other girls and I had no clue what King Balor was going to use his fake princess for. All we knew is that when the time was right we would be called upon so until then we had to maintain our image of being perfect girls, which after all the conditioning they put us through wasn't hard for me.
My parents died when I was a baby and I was given to the church's orphanage, there they made me work for the little food and spot on the thing mattress on the floor, like my life depended on it, which in a way it did. I wasn't cut out for the streets, I was skinny and small but not in the fast wiry way like some orphans were. My fingers weren't nimble enough to snatch coin or food, and honestly even though the training to be Princess was torture, it made me stronger, literally.
As part of our training, we had to learn how to fight, not to defend ourselves mind you but to be able to do anything that our King, or his loyal minions, asked us to do. Thankfully the layers and layers of clothing hid the majority of the muscle built up, but that was a later problem.
Especially when we truly entered the Southern Kingdom and I saw how rich their kingdom. I mean they had roads, their homes had colors, and people were walking on the street smiling. From the few memories I had of living in town when I was younger, you were either poor or rich and it was only the rich who smiled, but not happy smiles, smug smiles, a smile I refused to ever paste on my lips, and honestly it wasn't that hard, especially when I saw the Southern Kingdom palace.
It was grand to say the least but not like King Balor's castle with guards posted everywhere, weapons, and the crest that could never even if a wrinkle, much less a tear. There were arches of white stone and people, regular townspeople walked in and out of it with genuine smiles on their faces.
"Now remember" the High Chancellor coached as our carriage rolls to a stop in front of the biggest part of the white stone palace "if you deviate from my orders at all, I will not hesitate to replace you."
"Yes High Chancellor." I spoke softly before focusing my gaze on the servants lining up outside. They were well dressed but none of them had the dark circles under their eyes or bruises on their faces and arms. Not only that, but from their facial expressions they actually looked like they wanted to be there. They wanted to meet me, even though my "father" had tried to take over the kingdom, then again, on the way here, it looked like King Balor's army hadn't made it into the kingdom, much less the palace, so maybe these people were safe.
Before I could think on it more the carriage door swung open and a hand was thrust into the carriage "announcing the Princess Allura."
Show time.