*okay ignore the fact that that's aurora and red riding hood(who is now canon bisexual :D) from ouat I'm just using the pic for camila and lauren's outfit that they wear (left is Lauren, right is Camila)*

Four weeks.

Camila has been here for four weeks.

And yet, Lauren has barely spoken to her. But she watched her.

She watched her talk to Chris and her father. She watched her interact with her ladies-in-waiting and the Spanish delegates. She watched as she got the faraway look in her eyes as she gazed at the window.

And, she would watch how Camila's lips would turn into a smile when she caught Lauren watching at her.

"Pardon me, your royal highness, can you repeat what I just said?"

"Huh?" Lauren jumped, snapping out of her daydream. Her tutor gave her a disapproving frown.

"Look, I know learning about King Henry whatever of England is shit but you have to learn it sooner or later,"

"Can't we stop for now? I'm hungry, Naya,"

The young tutor rolled her eyes. Lauren knew that she didn't mean it offensively, just out of annoyance. Naya of House Rivera had been Lauren's tutor for the past four years; King Michael owed her father, a wealthy merchant from Barcelona, a favor and he sent Naya to Versailles as the official educator of the princess. He also hoped for his daughter to marry a suitable lord.

"Very well," Naya sighed. "I'll go fetch Heather and tell you to bring you your lunch,"

Lauren gave Naya a reassuring smile, knowing that her tutor would do anything to see the kitchen maid. She was one of few to know about Naya and Heather's 'situation.'

It was frowned upon, sadly. If people were to find out, the two would be shunned, stoned even. Lauren thought it was awful. Just because they were both girls doesn't make them anything less of a human.

Which brought Lauren to her own problem. Princess Karla.

Their main problem was that they couldn't communicate. Camila's English was choppy, and her French was even worse. Lauren's Spanish was non-existent.

But they talked with their eyes. And oh, what stories did they tell.

"Daydreaming again?"

Lauren jumped. Her father chuckled at her frazzled state. He sat down next to Lauren, where Naya previously sat.

"Hello, Father," Lauren nodded.

"Daughter," Michael grinned. "Working hard?"

"Hard enough," Lauren shrugged. She grinned at her father.

"How would you feel about going to the city today with Christopher and Princess Karla?" Michael asked.

"For what, if I may ask?"

"Karla wishes to see the city, and requests you to accompany her,"

"What about her ladies in waiting?"

"There is a meeting of the lords today in the garden. They're going to try to woo some of them, as should your ladies," Michael said. "Princess Karla wishes not to attend. She says she is feeling too cooped up in the castle,"

"Wow,"

"I know, this castle is quite spacious-"

"No I mean, she wants me to go with them,"

"Ah, well," Michael folded his hands. "You are the future queen of England,"

"I suppose," Lauren sighed. It still did not cease the butterflies in her stomach.

"Oh, which reminds me," Michael pulled out a letter from his coat pocket. "You know the wedding of Prince Luke and Princess Normani?"

Lauren nodded. Michael handed the letter to her.

"Louis is coming to escort you to the wedding. He will be here within two months, and we shall travel to Monaco together. Also, Princess Karla will be joining us,"

"Of course, but shouldn't her father be coming too?"

"King Alejandro has other duties," Michael rolled his eyes. Even though they were negotiating peace, Michael couldn't change the fact that the king of Spain irked him to no end.

Naya walked in with Lauren's lunch. She was taken aback to see the king sitting across from her.

"Your grace," she curtsied.

"Lady Rivera," Michael nodded. "I will leave you two. Lauren, carriage leaves at three,"

He gave Naya a reassuring smile, while Naya gave him a nervous one.

"He scares me," Naya said.

"My father? Why so?"

"He just does. Because of what I am-" Naya paused, eyes wide. "I mean, let's get back to work, shall we?"

___

If Lauren didn't notice Camila's blatant staring, she must have been blind.

The Spanish princess gazed at her with a small smile etched on her features, causing Lauren to look down and blush.

Chris sat awkwardly next to Camila and across from Lauren. He could obviously feel the tension between the two princesses... only this tension felt nothing like angry tension. Quite the opposite, actually.

"You look lovely," Camila said in heavily accented French. Lauren's ears turned pink.

"Thank you, as do you. You have been learning French?" Lauren asked. Camila nodded.

"Father has arranged French lessons for her, she is a fast learner," Chris said. The two of them had had their classes together, while Chris's sisters were privately tutored.

The door of carriage flew open. Camila jumped, she was unaware that they had stopped.

"Matt! Don't scare me like that!" she scolded her half-brother. Matthew shrugged.

"Sorry, your grace. We arrived,"

"Ah! Very nice," Chris said. He hopped out of the carriage, offering Camila his hand. She brushed him off, getting down by herself. She then offered her assistance to Lauren.

"Um," Matthew coughed, noticing Chris's awkwardness after being rejected. "She is very independent,"

"Yes," Chris pursed his lips. The young prince decided to shrug it off. He placed his hands behind his back. "Are you ladies ready?"

"Yes," Camila brushed a strand of hair behind her ear. Her and Lauren walked side by side, with Matthew and Chris at a distance. The two princesses talked quietly.

"So," Matthew clapped a hand on Chris's shoulder. Chris winced at the abrupt movement.

"I apologize," Matthew said, quickly removing his hand. "I am just so used to being around royals that I forget that they are above me, a bastard,"

"A royal bastard," Chris said. "You have influence,"

"Eh, not much," Matthew chucked. "At least, I would if my father's wife did not try to have me beheaded for every small mishap I perform,"

"Is it really that hard?"

"She detests me," Matthew sighed. "But I do not blame her,"

Chris kept his mouth shut. He observed his sister, who was giggling with the Spanish princess. She was blushing. Chris has never seen her like this before.

"It is joli," Lauren giggled at Camila's mispronunciation.

"Holi?" the girl said again.

"No no, joli, with a J,"

"Ah," Camila pursed her lips. She tried again. "Tu es très joli,"

"Paris es très joli," Lauren corrected.

"Oh, I was not talking about Paris," Camila said. Lauren felt her cheeks heat up.

"Oh my, thank you," Lauren said quietly. Camila smiled.

"Avec plaisir, mi princesa,"

That was something Lauren noticed. Taylor was always 'your grace' or 'mademoiselle.' But not Lauren. Camila always called Lauren mi princesa. 'My princess.'

"Your French has gotten very good," Lauren complimented, hoping the blush in her cheeks would go down.

"Pour toi," Camila smiled. She was gazing at Lauren, who was looking at the ground. Lauren was taken aback at the princess's words.

Later that night, Lauren found herself knocking on Naya's chamber door. Her teacher, surprised by the princess's visit at this hour, was unprepared for her arrival.

"Naya, I need your help. Hello, Heather," Lauren waved at the kitchen maid in Naya's bed. She walked into her tutor's room.

"Uh, yes your grace. What is it?" Naya asked, disoriented.

"I need you to teach me Spanish,"

___

Six Weeks Later

"Dinah, where is my sister?" Chris asked. Dinah looked up from her book and smirked at the prince.

"Where do you think?" Sabrina, one of Camila's ladies-in-waiting giggled. Chris blushed. He couldn't deny his obvious attraction to the blonde. Even though she showed no particular interest in him.

"R-right," Chris cleared his throat. "So where is Camila?"

"They're in the garden," Eliza smirked. "It is time for their daily walks. Alone. Together. Together alone. With none of us,"

"It's basically a courting date," Lindsey snickered. Ally agreed.

"Ladies, let's be courteous. They are friends. Lauren is betrothed," Alycia pointed out.

"That's what I needed to talk to Lauren about," Chris said, remembering why he sought out the ladies in the first place. "I need to see my sister. Prince Louis will be here any minute,"

"Garden," Dinah said, pointing her thumb towards the door. Chris thanked her and made his way out.

Lauren was happy. For the first time ever, actually, besides from when she was painting. Camila could make her laugh and smile like no other person had done before. Now that they could speak the other's language, somewhat, they spoke in a mixture of French, English, and Spanish. But they could understand each other, even when many others could not.

Lauren giggled at what Camila had said. "Lies,"

"I promise, it is true," Camila chuckled. "Sofia loves playing tricks on the kitchen staff. We always do it to get food,"

"That's the best reason to do it," Lauren laughed. Her and Camila had stopped under a tree in a secluded area of the garden. Lauren admired how pretty the other girl was.

Would Lauren consider Camila her best friend? She didn't know. She thought Dinah was her best friend. And her feelings for Camila were different from her feelings for Dinah.

And then Camila was kissing her. Lauren was surprised, taken aback. She worried about if others could see.

But then she didn't care, because Camila's lips were oh-so-soft and her mouth fit perfectly with Lauren's. Camila pulled her closed, holding onto her back while Lauren gripped the girl's forearms. It felt perfect. It felt right.

But then reality settled in and Lauren remembered where she was, and who she was kissing. A girl. A princess.

She pulled back, taking a deep breath. Camila's eyes opened, looking hurt. It pained Lauren. Especially what she was going to say next.

"We can't,"

__

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