Fourth update in a day! Wow.
That last chapter was rather difficult. Making Gill go gaga over Selena was… a challenge to say the least! And poor, little Candace! I felt bad for doing that to her.
Also, the cover for this story is seriously lacking. So… I'm going to update it! Yay! I'm not very good, but I'm going to try to color it. If that doesn't work out, a new image for the story will appear shortly.
I've been so excited to write this chapter. I really don't know why… But I absolutely had a blast! Hope you enjoy it and thank you for reading. :D
A Wolf in Sheep's Clothing
Selena Vane spun around in blissful circles on the sandy white beach. The girl hadn't been able to sit still since she had come home to her parents on the tropical Toucan Island with the news. They were divided.
Samson, Selena's brawny father was just as tan as his daughter with the same fiery hair Gill so adamantly described. Though he was glad his daughter had started to perform for the mainlanders, and he was a normally quite at ease individual, he did not like the sound of Selena's fiancé. "Some rich, conjuring snob, I'd wager. He's a lover and leaver. I guarantee it, Sue."
His wife was all smiles like their daughter as she washed the dishes. Her dark navy colored hair was wrapped in a ponytail with a sporting island flower over her shoulder. Her thin hands covered in suds, she scolded: "Oh, don't be so terrible, Samson! You should be happy for Selena. Who would have thought such a gentleman would be interested in our daughter?"
Samson crossed his arms, rapidly pacing their bamboo designed kitchen. "Tch! 'Interested!' For now. I don't trust this guy. We haven't even met him!"
Looking out the window, Sue smiled wider – if that was possible. "But look at her… I've never seen anybody so in love."
Samson refused to watch his irrational daughter make a fool of herself. "We don't even know his name, Sue!"
Now that was rather strange, she had to admit. When Selena came running home to tell them she was betrothed, they were expecting some more notice. They hadn't heard about her dating anyone, so it was very sudden. But the real shock came when she refused to share his name. In fact, they hardly believed she knew it! She just would twirl about calling him—
"My lovely Prince Charming to see!" Selena sang, coming in the open door. She gave her father a kiss on the cheek, slinking by him and sitting on the counter. "My Prince Charming will come home to me!"
"You were always better at dancing," Samson remarked bitterly.
"Oh, Papa, I don't care – I can't think about anything else except how happy I am!" Selena giggled. Her voice chimed like sleigh bells – it was a good octave higher than the voice Samson was used to hearing.
"And we're very happy for you, dear," Sue said, drying her hands on a towel. "When are we going to meet your 'Prince Charming?'"
Selena tapped her chin in wonder. "I don't even know when I will meet him again – our lives are run by chance!"
"And your love…" Samson muttered.
"It is!" Selena agreed, not able to see his cynicism. "It's such that fate brought us to love each other, so it will be fate that will unite us again."
"'Fate' is a rather vague date for your wedding, Selena," her mother laughed.
"Oh, it will be soon," Selena insisted. She kicked her bare feet back and forth and stared at the ceiling dreamily, her red hair piled high on her head. "He promised me so."
Samson was about to say something about how trustworthy this mystery man's promises were when Sue asked another question: "What do you know about him? What kind of background? Family?"
Sue had never seen eye-to-eye with her rebellious, spontaneous daughter. They often argued, and it was Sue that tried to keep Selena from going to perform on the mainland. Sue had been scorned from the stage herself, having danced as Selena does. When she grew too old, the audience and management abandoned her. So she had not been on agreeable terms with her daughter until this engagement. Because Sue had to struggle to survive and wages were always low at the little inn she ran with her husband, the prospect of Selena marrying a rich man gave her a new smile and she eagerly gave trust of her daughter to a stranger.
Samson was excited for Selena to go, but this mess had completely changed his attitude. Unlike his wife, he became bitter and angry. Selena was rushing headfirst into what he knew would be life-crushing heartbreak. The way his daughter went on about this 'Prince Charming' character, he knew she would never recover when he ruined her.
And so he had tuned out Selena's flighty answer to her mother's question. It was along the same lines as all of her answers about Prince Charming – she didn't know. And she didn't care. And this frustrated her father like nothing else.
"Never let this love die – it looks good on you, Selena. I hope you'll be happy with him," Sue's lip quivered.
"Oh, Mama, I am so happy! I am!" Selena leapt up and hugged her mother. She gave her father another kiss and twirled from the room with the same off key tune she used upon entering.
Sue looked after her, sighing. "Oh, Samson… Did I ever look like that?"
Samson honestly couldn't remember seeing something so ridiculous before, so he answered in the negative. "Of course not. The child is out of her mind."
"Oh, Samson!"
"Sue, we both know you're only agreeing to this because of his apparent money. What if it's all a lie? What if he's some lowlife? A wolf in sheep's clothing?"
Sue frowned. "Selena would be able to tell. She told us how he dressed and talked—"
"Easy things to fabricate," Samson insisted.
Sue rolled her eyes. "Can't you just be happy for her?"
"'Prince Charming!'" Samson quoted again. He threw his hands up in exasperation.
His wife smiled. "I think it's romantic."
"He'll hurt her…" Samson glared. "If this 'Prince' of hers turns out to be a fraud, I'll kill him."
"Oh, don't say such dreadful things!" Sue scolded, turning back to the sink to stack plates.
"Just you wait – you'll be on my side before long," He said. His wife ignored him and hummed as she worked. He grumbled to himself as he stormed from the room.