Devious
I
Michelle La Archangel Torres stared solemnly at her father's grave as she wept silently. She could feel her tears slip from her chestnut colored eyes, down until it dropped onto the floor with an inaudible thud. It was a dark day in her country, the day that their loyal king has died.
Michelle—but mostly known as Princess Mitchie—was an only child who was raised by her father without a mother. Her mother died as she gave birth to their first born, a ruler who was destined to lead their kingdom into greatness. Though, her father expected a ruler to be a prince that will slowly turn into a king, a boy he can proudly call his son and will teach him the ways of being a born leader. But he still treated his only daughter as if she was his world, as if he was nothing but putty in her hands.
King Stephen never did wed again despite his desperate need for a male heir. He always believed that his precious Mitchie could do it even if the others didn't believe so. And to this very day, the scholars or the royal assistants still don't believe it, hence the problem.
"Princess Mitchie," Aaron, King Stephen's most trustworthy assistant, called his majesty in a hushed tone.
Mitchie sniffled as she wiped her tears away. "Yes, Mr. Mark?" She replied wearily.
"I know that this must be an inappropriate time to explain this since you're clearly in mourning, but there is a problem in La Archangel." Aaron explained.
Mitchie transferred her concentration towards the assistant, her worry growing. She couldn't believe that her kingdom, the one that she was named after, was already experiencing some sort of trouble. Her father just died hours ago, and a ruckus was already occurring? Absolutely unbelievable, was what she thought.
"What's wrong?" Mitchie asked, rubbing her eyes once again.
"The scholars, assistants, and I are concerned that your father has not left us a male heir, nor have you've been crowned queen yet since you're just seventeen. Since you're not a male, and you're not an illegal adult as of the moment, your kingdom is technically ruled by nobody." Aaron explained.
Mitchie's eyes widened in both despair and astonishment. She couldn't believe her ears. Her very own kingdom was not accepting her. "B-but, I-I am the ruler of La Archangel right now. I am the princess; I'm rightfully you're queen—" she tried to list reasons of why Aaron's words were lies, but they all just sounded like pathetic stutters to the old man's ears.
"No, my lady, I am sorry, but you are not. Our kingdom is at stake as we speak. Pardon me, ma'am, I don't mean to be sexist; but without a proper king, La Archangel will easily be seized by our warring kingdoms. We must do something and fast." He insisted.
Mitchie sighed, knowing that there was no way out of this. "What solution is there?" She asked in a quiet whisper.
"Well the scholars looked through the laws of La Archangel, and luckily, they have found a loophole through this. First, the kingdom was meant to be given to your first male cousin, but since your father wrote his will, declaring that the kingdom will be given to you and only you, then the only way La Archangel will be safe is if you marry a king." Aaron said sheepishly. He has known Mitchie her whole life, almost enough to be the girl's second father. He knew that Mitchie would not agree to marriage so suddenly, especially at her age.
"Oh, Mr. Mark, please tell me that you're just trying to lighten my mood by telling tall-tales." Mitchie pleaded hopelessly. As Aaron expected, Mitchie was unhappy with the desperate resort. A little part of her told her, though, that she had no choice. She had to accept it whether she wanted to or not.
"I'm sorry, Princess Mitchie, but this is the only way."
Mitchie stared out at her father's casket, such a lonely look in her face. With a frown and another drop of tears, she whispered, "I'll do it."
It wasn't long until Aaron brought Mitchie away from the mourning room where her father rested in peace. He took her to the scholar's studies, ready to find a new husband for her, ready to find a new king to serve himself. Aaron could certainly tell the doubt in Mitchie though. Her eyes were not glimmering, her touch was cold, and that innocent smile was nowhere to be found.
"It'll be alright, my lady. We'll find a suitable husband for you. We promise." Aaron smiled as he opened the door that lead to the scholar's studies.
Mitchie simply nodded in return. She seated herself in one of the tables, forcing herself to look at the older men whom are trying to help her fix his predicament. "What king do you have in mind?" She practically mumbled.
She hated how the news was just thrown onto her as if it was water. She hated how she was not the right age. She hated how her father just had to leave her at a time like this. For all she knew, she was still a child. She wasn't ready to rule La Archangel, let alone marry a complete stranger. But if that's what it took to continue on her kingdom's legacy, then she was willing to sacrifice herself.
"We have been searching for about two hours now, my lady. So far, all our results have been futile. It seems like every king nearby is already wedded. There's Sinatra, Pricille, Alottra—" one scholar said, naming every kingdom they have tried.
Mitchie was hardly paying attention. Her eyes wandered their way back down onto the table as she drew patterns against the mahogany. "You see, this is why we shouldn't let her of all people rule La Archangel. She's not even listening to me." Mitchie heard the scholar hissed.
"I-I'm sorry. Continue," she instructed weakly.
"As I was saying, there are no possible husbands for you."
"Wait, what about Grayson?" Another scholar suggested.
"Hmm, well I haven't thought about yet. Last I heard, though, they just crowned their newest king: Shane Gray, not even a real man yet. Just a twenty year old who got lucky. I heard he had a devious mind. He may be eligible, but he's not right for Princess Mitchie. For all we know, he could corrupt the poor girl. King Shane doesn't have a good reputation in his hands."
"But he is still a fantastic ruler. Look at Grayson right now. They are thriving well under King Shane's rule. He would be a perfect match for Princess Mitchie."
"I'm not so sure…"
"What do you think, ma'am?" The scholar asked Mitchie.
Mitchie stared at the two men before her, an uneasy look drawn upon her face. As much as she wanted to scream no and run up to her bedroom, locking the door behind her, she knew that she couldn't. She needed to prove to these men that she was suited enough to rule the kingdom—even if that meant she needed to marry.
"Message King Shane Gray about the proposition. I want his answer soon." Was all Mitchie said. Though she meant to be loud and brave, her voice was as timid as ever.
--
King Shane was a man who was capable of making every single person out there, male or female, envy him to the extreme. Normally, women would fancy him pathetically, bending backwards just to get him to notice them (even if that would happen by a long shot). Then the men would treat him like a god, hoping that Shane would end up taking an interest in them, so they can hold a high office in the kingdom. But whatever Shane does, every flawless movement, jealousy would thrive throughout the kingdom.
Shane was a mischievous person, a man of just twenty who was clever enough to rule Grayson at such a young age. His wit and cunning abilities were what got him the approval of the other royal branches of his rule at such an early age. Yes, Shane was rude, short-tempered, and very conniving, but he was powerful and intelligent enough to rule Grayson into glory.
"My King, a nearby kingdom has sent a message for you." His right-hand man, Harold, explained as he stepped into Shane's headquarters. Harold pulled out a sheet of paper where the message was written. "Apparently, La Archangel is in need of a ruler."
La Archangel; the most beautiful kingdom Shane has ever heard of. He dreamt of ruling a place like that, such stunning wonders formed into a glorious kingdom. Shane even thought of taking the kingdom himself by force. And now, it was just in his grasp. All he had to do was say yes and this wonderful kingdom will be all his. Shane grinned cheekily, knowing that he has won yet again.
"If they are willing to give me their kingdom then let it be. Who am I to complain? La Archangel is legendary for its wealth and prosperity, and it's one of the most powerful kingdoms as we breathe this fine air right now. I'll take it." Shane said, smirking highly. He knew that this was a good choice, he just knew.
"Um, actually, there's a bit of a problem here. In order to gain La Archangel, you must do something in return." Harold said, his voice shaking a bit.
Shane's gleeful gaze immediately turned into a glare. He hated giving things in return; it was just all part of his cruel personality and winning attributes of a king. The man was never fair unless he most certainly has to, and now, he surely needs to be if he still wants the kingdom he has yearned for. "What do I have to do?" He asked in a low, dangerous voice.
Harold gulped, looking over the message one more time. "You must marry the princess of La Archangel; Michelle Torres."
a/n: Obviously, this is an AU story. I wasn't sure which fandom to write this in, so I thought that Shane and Mitchie would fit the characters perfectly. I know that the first chapter is quite short, but it will go on longer throughout the story. And also, La Archangel is pronounced the Spanish way, so it's 'La Ark-ang-hel'. Hopefully you enjoyed chapter one. Thanks for reading.