Meeting the Princess (tags: Giselle)

Giselle stood in front of the throne room doors awaiting her name to be announced. Her eyes were closed and her breathing shaky as the thought of what was behind those doors finally began to sink in. The journey to this new kingdom was filled with so much strange wonder and excitement that she'd almost forgotten why she was even there in the first place.
She took a deep breath as images of her family popped into her head. The look on her fathers face as they said their goodbyes. His moment of hesitation when he finally let go of her hand. The teary-eyed faces of her siblings as they waved goodbye to their baby sister..
She took another deep breath as she tried to calm her nerves, repeating softly to herself the promise she had made with her father before she left home.
'I promise to take my royal responsibilities seriously at all times. I shall act with grace and dignity no matter the situation. I shall never show our kingdom in a negative light.. and I shall never ever forget how much my family loves me and wants the best for me and our kingdom.'
She quickly opened her eyes when the announcement finally came, quickly brushing at her pale pink dress with her hands as she composed herself just in time for the doors in front of her to swing open.

Giselle walked inside with her head held high, she seemed graceful on the outside however her head raced with the many lessons she had been taught over the years for what to and not to do in a situation like this.
She stopped at an appropriate distance from the royal family in front of her and bowed respectfully, 'it is a great honour to meet you and your family, your Highness.'

Giselle straightened up as the King spoke. Taken off guard by his compliment she froze for a split second unsure how to take it, however she soon collected herself and thanked him with a polite smile.
'Thank you your Grace,' she spoke courteously as the Queen took her hand, her nerves creating a knot in the pit of her stomach as she came face-to-face with the Prince.
'It's a pleasure to meet you as well,' she said as she curtsied in response. She straightened up once again, smiling back at the Prince as she watched him curiously. Her sisters were right, he certainly was handsome.

Her eyes flickered to Odette, she was in awe of her beauty but tried to hide her stares by letting her hair fall across her face as she curtsied in return.
'It was a long journey your Grace, thank you,' she spoke courteously, however her eyes lit up at the prospect of exploring her new surroundings, even if she wasn't free to do so outside yet.
'I would be honoured,' she said as she bowed in gratitude to the rest of his family before linking her arm with his, 'I would love to see your home before I rest up for the night.'

'Really?' she exclaimed, unable to hide her giddiness at the idea of being able to explore further than the castle walls.
Giselle thought about it for a moment as she walked beside him. She'd always loved spending time in the gardens back home, it was the closest she could get to the outside world without getting into trouble with her father so the choice seemed like a simple one, 'I would love to see the gardens, if you're sure you don't mind taking me that is,' she said with a shy smile.

'Queen..' she repeated to herself. It seemed like such a daunting role and she couldn't help but wonder if she was quite ready for it yet, 'our parents make it all seem so easy, don't they?' she spoke softly, even if her own father was overburdened he would never let it show in front of his children. To have such power and use it with a kind heart and determination, she hoped she had the strength to be like that one day.

As the pair walked outside Giselle was hit with the warmth of the sun and she couldn't help but smile, what a beautiful day to explore something new. As she gazed at the garden before her that smile only widened and she beamed as the beautiful mixed aroma of the flowers made her senses light up.
'It's wonderful!' she exclaimed before running towards the nearest patch of flowers, crouching down to get a better look. She could tell that everything had been planted with such love and care and it was all she could do to resist lying down in the carefully arranged flowers as she did at home. 'Do you enjoy gardening, Prince John?' she asked, turning back towards him as she wondered if he had planted anything here himself.

'That makes a nice change,' she said, laughing softly, 'my brothers are great but they've never taken an interest in such things. Odette's lucky to have a brother like you.'
Giselle stroked the petals of the flowers in front of her as she looked over the vast gardens, 'it is relaxing,' she spoke with a distant smile, 'I spend most of my free time in our gardens back home, it's a great place to just forget about everything for a while, you know?'