The guards took her to a private room to talk to her personally. Elara's hands were shaking. She clasped them together in her lap, trying to calm herself, but it didn't help. Her mind was spinning, unable to understand what had just happened.
"I don't understand." She started. "How is this even possible? I'm a nobody."
The head guard stepped forward.
"My name is Captain Henrik Vaughn, head of Royal Security for the Kingdom of Veloria. And you, Your Highness, have never been nobody. You've been missing."
"Don't call me that." Elara's voice shook. "I… can't be…"
"You are." Henrik pulled out a folder, and opened it to show her photographs of a grand palace, and a baby wearing a silver locket.
"This is you at three years old. You were stolen from the royal palace fifteen years ago."
Elara stared at the photo. The locket in the picture was identical to the one Caden had thrown in the pool.
"My locket." She whispered.
"Exactly. That locket was made specifically for you by your parents. It's a unique piece, there's only one in the world. When we saw it in the videos from the pool party, our analysts noticed it immediately. We had agents recover it from the water and ran tests. The inscription inside, which is invisible to the naked eye, confirmed it was the royal locket. Then we obtained your DNA from the school's medical records and compared it to the royal family's." He pulled out another document. "The results were positive. You are the Crown Princess of Veloria."
"This is unbelievable."
"Fifteen years ago, there was a coup attempt. A faction within the court wanted to destabilize the monarchy. The easiest way to do that was to take the heir. You were stolen from your crib in the middle of the night. We believe the conspirators panicked later and abandoned you at that hospital, leaving only the locket as a clue. They probably hoped you'd die. Instead, you survived."
"And my parents? Where are they? Do they know you found me?"
"They know. They're currently in Japan for a diplomatic summit, but they're cutting their trip short. They'll be back in Veloria by next week." Henrik explained. "Your mother, Queen Marriana, has been searching for you every single day since you disappeared."
Elara closed her eyes, trying to process everything.
"What happens now?" She asked.
"We'll need to coordinate with the school administration, arrange proper security, and prepare for the media storm that's about to come. Your face will be on every news channel soon." Henrik paused. "Your old life is over."
By the time she came out of the private room, Elara's phone had exploded. She stared at the screen, watching notifications flooding in.
Someone had already created a hashtag.
#TheLostPrincess.
There were videos from the gala everywhere, and the comment section was a chaos.
OMG SHE'S LITERALLY A DISNEY PRINCESS!
This is the craziest thing I've ever seen.
Imagine bullying someone and finding out they're royalty!
THE WAY THAT GUY'S FACE WENT PALE. He definitely bullied her!
Elara's hands trembled as she scrolled through the posts. Her entire life was being dissected by strangers. People were digging up old photos from school events creating conspiracy theories.
The guards took her to the principal's office.
"Miss Sinclair or should I say, Your Highness?" Principal Smith said excitedly.
Behind him there were several teachers and, to Elara's surprise, Seraphina.
Seraphina looked like she'd been crying. Her makeup was smudged, and her confidence was replaced with panic.
"This is unbelievable." Principal Smith said. "To think that Ashford Academy has been hosting the Crown Princess of Veloria all this time. We are honored, Your Highness."
"Thank you." Elara said, unsure what else to say.
"Of course, we'll need to make immediate arrangements for your security and accommodation. You can't possibly stay in the scholarship dormitory. It's completely inappropriate for someone of your status."
Before Elara could respond, Seraphina stepped forward.
"This is ridiculous. She's a fraud. There's no way some scholarship orphan is actually a royalty. It's impossible."
"Miss Whitmore…" Principal Smith began, but Seraphina cut him off.
"No! I've known who I am my entire life. I'm Crown Princess Seraphina of Aldovia. I have a title, a crown, a lineage that goes back centuries. And you expect me to believe that she…" She pointed at Elara with disgust. "is somehow more important than me?"
Henrik stepped forward.
"Miss Whitmore, I understand this is difficult for you to accept, but the evidence is irrefutable. We have the DNA results, historical records, and the royal locket, all of which confirm Princess Elara's identity."
"Show me the proof then." Seraphina demanded. "If she's really a princess, prove it."
Henrik pulled out his tablet, tapped a few buttons, and turned it toward Seraphina.
"This is the DNA analysis. These are the historical records from the night Princess Elara was taken. These are photographs of the royal locket. And this…" He played a video."…is Queen Marriana's official statement, recorded an hour ago."
"Today, after fifteen years of searching, we have found our daughter, Princess Elara, alive and well. The Kingdom of Veloria rejoices at her return. We ask for privacy during this time as our family reunites."
"That's the Queen of Veloria." Seraphina whispered.
"Yes." Henrik said. "And she just confirmed that Elara is her daughter, which, if I'm not mistaken, outranks your title."
"But I've always been…"
"A princess of a small kingdom." Henrik cut her off. "Princess Elara is heir to one of the largest and wealthiest kingdoms in Europe."
Principal Smith cleared his throat.
"Yes, well…Miss Whitmore, I think it's best if you return to your dormitory. We have arrangements to make." He turned to Elara with a smile. "Princess Elara, we'd like to offer you the royal suite in the North Wing. It's our finest accommodation, previously occupied by Miss Whitmore. It has a private bathroom, balcony, sitting room, and full security access."
Seraphina's head snapped up.
"That's my room."
"Was your room." Principal corrected. "Given Princess Elara's status and security needs, it's only right that she stays there. We'll have your belongings moved to another suite very soon."
"You can't do this!" Seraphina shouted. "That's been my room for three years! You're kicking me out for her?"
"We're making the appropriate accommodations for the Crown Princess of Veloria." Principal said. "I'm sorry, Miss Whitmore, but this is not negotiable."
Seraphina looked at Elara, her eyes blazing with hatred and humiliation.
"This isn't over." She hissed.
"Yes, it is." Elara snapped back.
Seraphina turned and stormed out. Principal Smith turned back to Elara.
"Princess Elara, we'll also be making an official announcement tomorrow morning. All students and faculty will be required to attend an assembly where we'll formally recognize your status. You'll be introduced as the most important student in Ashford Academy's history."
The most important student.
Two hours ago, I'd been the least important. Now, I was the most important.
Then she realized, she had power now. The same power Caden and Seraphina had over her for the past three years.
She was done being their punching bag.
The tables had finally turned.
"Thank you, Principal Smith." Elara said. "I'd like to move my belongings to the new suite now, if that's alright."
"Of course. We'll send staff to help you…"
"No." Elara smiled. "I have someone else in mind to help me."