(Author's note: Sorry for the delay, I'm having CC hair issues again, and I was hoping they'd work themselves out so I could release this chapter. However, as you can see, they didn't. So for now, I have switched in the substitute hairs again.)
“What on EARTH were you thinking?” Emory’s familiar yell rang through the house.
“We just walked home, mother! There is nothing wrong about that!” Victoria screamed back.
The fighting had been going on for too long, Emory thought. Since Victoria had started school, it had always been the same fight. And this day, her first day of high school, was no different. 
“You walked back with a BOY, unaccompanied, Victoria! Do you know how disrespectable and dangerous that is? You don’t even know him!”
“For your information, I DO know him! I’ve known him for a long time, I just never told you about him because I knew the reaction you’d have!”
It was true. Clyde had been prominent in Victoria’s life since she had gotten her “makeover” from Belle. He had picked on her, as all young boys do when they like a girl, yet he always seemed to find ways to be around her.
As they grew older, the relationship changed. This past summer, they had seen each other at the beach. After a long day of Clyde making fun of Victoria’s lack of volleyball skills, they had found themselves alone. As the sun set over the water, Clyde pulled her in for a quick kiss and then ran off.
Today was the first time Victoria had seen him since that day. After a long day of figuring out her new high school schedule, Clyde had caught her right before they got she got on the bus and asked her if she’d walk with him. Still a little wary of him, she hesitantly accepted.
Their walk had been nice, but uneventful compared to what Victoria had expected. Which is why she was so surprised by Emory’s reaction.
“Victoria Stafford, I forbid you to see him!” Luckily, Belle came to Victoria’s rescue, as she so often did.
“What’s going on, Em?” she said, trying to sound casual.
“Victoria walked home with a boy, unaccompanied!” Emory said, still livid.
“It’s okay, Emory, people do it all the time here. Really, I’m sure they were fine.”
“Yeah, nothing even happened between us,” Victoria said with a trace of disappointment in her voice.
“I don’t care if everyone parades around nude, you will act respectably!”
“There was nothing disrespectful about what I did!” Victoria retorted. “We’re not in the 1600s!”
“You are a princess, Victoria! If we were still at home, you would be first in line for the throne!”
“I never ASKED to be a princess! I never wanted any of this!” Victoria screamed, running out of the room.
Emory felt her eyes swell with tears. Those words. They were so familiar. Emory ran up the stairs and shut herself in the bedroom. She soon found out that Belle had sent Thomas up to talk with her, because shortly afterwards he cautiously entered.
“Emory? Are you alright, love?” he asked gently.
Emory turned to him, tears streaming down her cheeks. “Those words. What Victoria just said to me. They were almost the same words that I yelled at my father the night I accidentally came here.”
Her memory returned to that night. “Maybe I don’t WANT to be the Queen! Has that ever occurred to you? I didn’t ask for this!” Those were the words she had yelled just before storming out of the castle.
“It’s alright, Emory. You only want the best for her. But you need to let her grow up. I know it’s hard, but you must.”
Emory turned and looked out the window, contemplating.
She felt the tears coming again. As different as they seemed, maybe Emory and Victoria had some common ground after all.
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