By Nightengale Ben-Onyeukwu
‘Prince has arrived,’Audrey said to Celine as she walked into the room.
Celine sat at her dressing-table, a cup of coffee by her side, combing her long dark hair, which fell to her waist. ‘Can’t you ask Daniel to visit you sometimes?’ Celine turned towards Audrey and held her arms out. They smiled and stood looking at themselves in the mirror.
‘Aren’t we stunning? Celine laughed. ‘We could become international supermodels with our breathtaking looks.’
‘Yes, but we are not. We are just our parents’ princesses, who will someday get married to our prince charming…’
Celine frowned. ‘Really? I can see you are already happy with the sort of life Daniel will give you.’Celine hated to throw cold water on Audrey’s hopes, but she felt that Audrey was expecting too much. ‘I won’t be surprised if he asks you to practice your needlework so that when you two get married in the future you will learn how to make your own dresses instead of wasting money on high-end wears.’
‘Daniel might not give me a life that I have now, but I know that he will make me happy.’
‘Well, I don’t want to live my life managing…but I could still manage when it comes to Prince, that’s if I fell in love with him as a poor man man. But since he’s from a super-rich family like ours, I guess I shouldn’t dream poor.’Celine stuck out her leg and put her hand on her hip. ‘Look,’Celine said, pouting and gazing at her reflection with smoldering eyes. ‘Prince promise to give me the best sweet-sixteen party. I must try to learn my dancing steps very well before I turn sixteen by next year.’
‘By then you will be in the US studying.’
Celine frowned. ‘Oh, no, no, no. I can’t live Prince here. He might find another lover.’
Audrey couldn’t help but laugh at Celine’s silly thought. ‘If he loves you so much, then he wouldn’t leave you for any woman. He would only see you, in his reflection, behind him, in front of him; sideways…everything about him will be you… Besides, you two are both going to Harvard by next year. I wonder why you two decided to take a gap year instead of heading off to school immediately.'
Celine had been accepted to Harvard but was taking a gap year since she graduated from Diamond Snow Secondary School. This was because she wanted to have herself refreshed from doing too much studying, so that when she arrives at the campus next year, she would be more matured, focused and attuned to her goals.'
‘Does Daniel see you like that,’Celine laughed, covering her mouth.
‘Like what?’
‘Like you just explained. Are you always in his picture?’Celine blissfully asked, swinging her hips.
‘Always.’
‘That sounds lazy. Anyway, I need to go down; Prince must be waiting for me.’
Both girls walked down the stairs, chatting happily. Audrey wore cornflower blue floral midi dress. She paired the outfit with one of her favourite necklaces, a charming style piece with each of her siblings, her parents and Andrew’s initials on a little gold disc. Her long dark, shiny hair fell smoothly down her back.
Celine wore a rose-coloured Gucci gown, paired with a raspberry velvet clutch that matched her belt and diamond drop earrings, and black clutch. ‘Isn’t Prince looking very cute?’Celine whispered, when she saw him seated on one of the living room couches with his long legs crossed gracefully as he played with his tablet.
Audrey watched as Celine happily raced down the stairs to meet with Prince who was donning black Gucci tailcoat. Celine looks like a purple rose bejeweled with shimmering dew- drops, Audrey thought.
Noticing Celine behind him, Prince stood up. He turned to her and said, ‘Celine, for this evening… can you accompany me to a friend’s birthday party?’
Celine nodded and said, ‘Of course. Didn’t you ask me to dress up because we are going out…?’
Prince smiled and hugged her affectionately, saying, ‘You are the best.’
Celine smiled gleefully.
Carrying his briefcase as he arrived from work, Nicholas asked curiously at Celine and Prince and asked, ‘Where are you two going?’
Celine said nothing, acting dumb.
Prince greeted and said, ‘We are going to a friend’s birthday party at Lokogama. I already told Aunt Isabelle about it. She gave me her permission. He knows the guy’s family.’
‘Do I know them too?’Nicholas asked. He was simply doing his duty as a father, trying his best to protect his daughter from harm’sway.
Prince nodded. ‘The Iwus…they own Iwu Enterprise, and Chibueze is the one doing the birthday. He is the heir to the fortune…’
‘Will my daughter be safe with you?’Nicholas was only concerned about his daughter’s safety and not on how rich and influential the Iwu family was.
Prince offered a reassuring smile. ‘Of course. I will bring her in one piece.’
Prince thought Nicholas would be angry as a result of the party distance and stop Celine from going like most fathers would do, especially to their female children. However, though Nicholas frowned slightly, he did not get angry and only said calmly, ‘Okay then, go ahead you two. But let me make arrangements for bodyguards to go with you, all right? Hope that is fair?’
‘Dad, we are not babies. Besides, Prince is the son of the president. No one would dare touch him, right?’Raising her chin, Celine was acting like a princess, pulling Prince as they walked towards the door, holding hands.
‘You spoilt brat,’Prince reached out and pinched her face lovingly.
‘If i didn’t pull you out my father would want you to run a background check on Chibueze…He is always trying to protect us.’Celine smiled gleefully.
‘If we get married in the future I will be stricter than your father,’Prince teased her as they entered inside the car.
Celine’s cheeks blushed at the thought of having babies with him in the future. ‘You…You are really going to be a tyrannical dad?’ Celine asked after a thought.
Prince glanced at her and said, ‘I will be loyal to you…loyal dog.’
Celine smiled innocently with open hands and said, ‘I will want my hubby to be loyal to me.’
Just then, Audrey who was standing at the foot of the stairs received a Whatsapp message from Daniel asking her to meet him for a romantic candlelit dinner. Audrey smiled when she read the message, then she headed upstairs, to get ready for the perfect evening date with Daniel.
While she headed upstairs, Audrey bumped into Isabelle who was coming down. Smiling, Audrey said, ‘Mum, I am going on a date with Daniel, just to let you know.’
Isabelle stopped on the staircase and softly made a sound of affirmation, which was recognition that she understood and had her permission to go.
Like Audrey had expected, Isabelle didn’t object. She believed that Audrey was old enough to decide whom to fall in love with.
Isabelle continued walking down the stairs, heading for the dining to grab a bite before going back to her study to continue on her work. Meanwhile, Audrey who went upstairs came back down, wearing a comfortable retro-looking green smock Chanel dress. She had paired the look with black tights, and held a black-coloured clutch. Her hair draped loosely over her shoulders like she was a duchess of Cambridge.
Nicholas who now sat on the living room couch working with his Apple laptop glanced over at Audrey. He had initially thought that she was back from school and should be reviewing her books, but since she changed into another sets of clothes, Nicholas couldn’t help but ask, ‘Audrey, where are you going to?’
Audrey sat on the steps of the entrance while putting on a pair of black ankle boats, she replied, ‘I am going out. Daniel invited me out.’
Nicholas nodded, and then lowered his head back to his laptop. Audrey finished putting on her shoes and left in a black R8 she selected from the garage.
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