Coal Part 11: 1st Draft

"What's wrong?" asked Zene, as she drove up to the back of the house.

"He's just using me for the cameras! He doesn't care about me!" sobbed Ciara.

Zene took on her natural form and helped Ciara out of the carriage. They both put the natural parts of the carriage away, and after Camara took her body back and slithered off, Zene walked Ciara back inside. Ciara broke down and had a long cry. Zene stayed with her through it all, stroking her hair. When Ciara had clamed down, Zene looked her in the eye seriously. "Now why do you think that is? Why do you think the prince is using you?"

"Because he only wanted to kiss me in front of the cameras! And he wouldn't tell me how he felt! And he thinks I'm a spy for The Vicks" Ciara started cring again. "I just want to die!"

"If you were him, wouldn't you do the same thing? He asked you to come to the party, not Lady Mutumba. Am I right?"

Ciara nodded. "But I...I didn't want him to think I was poor! I would never have had a chance with him."

"Was Prince Dominick disappointed when the real you didn't show up?"

"Yes. He was." Ciara winced. "I screwed up, didn't I? I mean, I really messed up everything. He would have been happy to see me even if I had been wearing rags, beacuse it would have been the real me. No lies attached. But the rags aren't me either! I've got my Dad back, and I have you, Aunt Zene. It wasn't really all a lie." She sighed. "Not really."

"But how was the prince supposed to know that? You knew all this information about him, but he knew no information about you. Was that fair?"

"No." muttered Ciara.

"You have to understand Ciara, the most important thing to anyone with power, as a matter of fact to anyone, is trust. That's worth more than the Wachovian Treasury to Prince Dominick. He's been surrounded his whole life by con artists and spies, Ciara. It's the price royalty pays for the crown. Anyone who's anyone has tried to get what they can from him because he's the youngest, and people think he's the most vulnerable. Tell me Ciara. When you saw him at the mall, or at any of the parties, did you see him with any friends? Anyone he allowed close to him?"

"No." she had never thought that.

"It's because he doesn't have any friends. He has absolutely no one he trusts. No one he expects to care about him. Of course, people care about Prince Dominick, or the King's son, but does anyone really care about Dominick?"

Ciara remebered his words when they first met. I wish someone like you was at my party. "I'm not like everyone else!" she blurted guiltily.

Zene raised an eyebrow. "Oh really? Why do you want him so badly? Because he's handsome? That only takes you so far. Beauty goes like petals on the wind. Wanting to protect the kingdom? I suggest you join the military, or become his bodyguard. You'll do him more good. To take the one thing away from Debra that she's always wanted? That's the worst possible motivation for a relationship, amd if that's true, I suggest you get as far away from him as you can, because you'd do just as much damage."

"I...don't believe I'm hearing this." Ciara couldn't even look at her aunt. Is she right? Do I really care about him?

"If you really wanted to be with him, I think you would have put on those shoes without hesitation. You aren't in love with him, you're just like everyone else, only caring about what you want."

Ciara covered her face with her hands. Then she looked her aunt squarely in the eye. "I'm not going to lie to you. I think he's hot. But there are lot of attractive guys out there who treat their girlfriends and wives like shit. If I thought Dom was like that, I would have let The Vicks get to him. I do care a lot about the kingdom and what happens to it, but I think I could have asked you to use your magic to protect Dom, I didn't have to go myself. And I'm not using Dom just to get back at The Vicks. I want him to be happy. I want to make him happy. I was wrong not to be honest with him. I just didn't want to be laughed at." Ciara looked away. "I feel awful about this whole situation!"

"I think you know what you want. You've just been afraid of going after it. Do you know what I think?" Zene's tone had noticably softened.

"What do you think?"

"I think you should really take time to think about what it would take to earn the prince's trust again, and if you're ready to do that."

Ciara didn't say anything for a long time. "What do you think it would take for him to trust me again?"

Zene rose to leave. "He showed you what was under his mask. I think it's time you returned the favor."

Ciara's going to have to put a little more work into her next plan...that is if she really wants the prince. "Coal Part 12: 1st Draft"