Here's chapter 5! Standard disclaimers apply.
Ash
Switched at Birth - Chapter Five
That night, I didn't get much sleep. The pain in my hand and the
uncertainty of my wedding day were more than enough to keep me
tossing and turning until dawn.
Prince Darien and his parents stayed overnight at the palace after
the ball to discuss 'matters of state' with the king and queen.
I guessed that 'matters of state' meant the trade agreements and
defense contracts and whatever else was to happen now that Darien
and I were officially engaged.
I was summoned to eat breakfast with them before the talks got
underway. Lita helped me get dressed, due to my injured hand,
which was wrapped up with a bandage. I put on a rose-colored
suit, with a white blouse underneath and matching shoes. I wasn't
in the mood to deal with any questions, so I wore a pair of white
kid gloves that went under the sleeves of my suit jacket.
"I would like to call America later," I said, after wishing
everyone a good morning. "I want to tell them the news."
"Certainly," Father said.
I was kind of surprised he agreed so quickly.
"I think I will go to my studio this morning and work on some
projects," I went on.
"Perhaps you'd like Prince Darien to accompany you," Mother
suggested. "He enjoys art as well."
"Would you care to join me, Your Majesty?" I said to him.
"Perhaps later. I would like to be present during the discussions
today," he replied.
Perhaps later, I thought. He always said that. It was getting a bit
boring.
After I ate, I went back up to my chamber to change into my art
clothes. My things from America had arrived the day before, so I
had everything I needed.
I put on a large, button-down, blue shirt that had once belonged to
my (American) father, a pair of black tights, and a comfortable pair
of walking shoes. My hair was pulled back in a ponytail, and I had
taken my gloves off.
In my studio, all of my supplies had been organized, and my finished
work was out on display. I made a mental note to thank Lita later.
All of my sketchbooks were shelved in their chronological order
(they were labeled), my paints and pencils and markers were arranged
according to color, and my easel was set up with a new piece of
canvas sitting on it.
I stood there for a minute, wondering what I should do. There wasn't
much that I could do with only one hand. I took my finger paints and
brought them over to the easel. I filled a bowl with water so I
could rinse my hand of when I needed to, and set down a towel beside
it. With some difficulty, I opened the box of finger paints and
dipped my right hand in to the red. Then, I made several streaks on
the canvas.
For the next two hours, I was totally absorbed in my painting. Lita
came in several times to quietly change my rinse water and bring me
a new towel, and then left without saying anything.
As I was finishing, I heard a soft knock at the door.
"Come in," I said.
The door opened and Darien walked in. He looked out of place in my
messy studio. He was wearing a charcoal-gray three-piece suit, and
stepping over paint-spattered drop cloths.
"Your Majesty," I said, curtseying.
"Princess," he replied, bowing. "The servants said that I would
still find you here."
"I thought you were discussing matters of state with my parents," I
said to him. I added a few more lines to my painting.
"It was getting a bit tiresome," he replied. "I excused myself so I
could talk to you."
"I'm afraid I can't let you sprain my other hand," I told him in a
teasing tone. "As you can see, I'm using it at the moment."
"I am very sorry for that," he said apologetically. "I did not mean
to cause you any pain."
"It is quite all right," I assured him. "I am sure that it will be
better by tomorrow." I dipped my hand into the bowl of water to
clean my fingertips. "What do you think of it?"
He looked closely at my painting for a minute. "It is quite emotional.
The lines are very defined and there is a subtle use of color. It is
very good."
"Thank you," I said.
"What do you call it?" he asked me.
"Concepts of Pain, number seven," I replied.
"Why is that the title?" he inquired curiously.
"Whenever I am injured, I paint a picture that describes how I feel," I
explained. I pointed to several finished paintings. "I painted my first
one after I scraped my knee when I was ten; another when I had my wisdom
teeth pulled, another when I had my tonsils taken out, and another when
I sprained my ankle from dancing."
"Am I correct in saying that getting your wisdom teeth pulled hurt the
most?" Darien asked me.
"Yes, how did you know that?" I asked, puzzled.
He smiled slightly. "It has the most dramatic use of color. I am relieved
that your hand has caused you the least amount of pain."
"It really is nothing," I reassured him. I walked over to the sink to
wash my hand. I reached over with my injured hand to turn it on, but
Darien stopped my hand with his. I felt a tingle of electricity shoot up
my arm.
"Please, allow me," he said. He reached over and turned the tap. He then
took his jacket off and rolled up the sleeves of his shirt. Then, he took
my paint-covered hand and placed it under the stream of water. I was
barely breathing at this point. The most gorgeous man in the world wanted
to wash my hand. Did I mind? Three guesses.
He took the bar of soap from the nearby soap dish and lathered my hand.
Then, he rinsed it off and turned off the tap. He took the towel and dried
our hands. "All done," he told me softly.
"Thank you, Your Majesty," I said.
"Please, call me Darien," he said to me.
"All right, Darien," I said, trying it out. "And you should call me Serena,
then."
"Serena. Your second Christian name," Darien noted. "It suits you."
"Thank you." I think I was blushing.
"My mother said that you enjoy art as well. What is it that you like to do?"
I asked him.
"I enjoy painting as well," he replied. "Oil is my preferred medium, but I
also use acrylic and water color."
"I think I'd like to see some of your work sometime," I told him.
"You will," he promised.
He looked at me for a long moment and then looked away as if he was
contemplating something.
"Is there something wrong?" I asked him.
"I wanted to ask you something ever since I laid eyes on you, but I am unsure
as to how you will react," he replied, walking towards me.
"You can ask me anything," I told him nervously. He was standing so close
that I could smell his cologne. It was cinnamon with earthy undertones, and
very enticing.
He looked down into my eyes. "I was wondering if I could kiss you," he
whispered. He leaned down and pressed his lips to mine.
If this is a dream, I hope I never wake up, I thought.
One of his large hands came up to hold my cheek, while the other one went
around my waist and pulled me closer. I ran my right hand through his thick
black hair. It felt like silk underneath my fingers. When we parted, he
seemed to have trouble breathing.
"Are you all right?" I asked him breathlessly.
"I'm fine," he replied, stroking my cheek. "I've just...never felt this way
before."
I smiled. "Neither have I."
He leaned down to kiss me again when we were interrupted.
"Ahem...Your Highnesses."
We looked over to the doorway and saw M. Artemis standing there. He seemed
uncomfortable to find us in such a compromising position. Darien still had
his arms around me and our bodies were pressed together. Slowly, Darien
released me and we moved apart.
"Yes, M. Artemis?" I asked him, in a dignified voice, as if the prince and
I had just been discussing the weather when we were interrupted.
"I'm sorry to disturb you, but King Stephen and Queen Gaia must return to
Outopia," he informed me.
"Oh, that is rather soon," I said in a disappointed tone. "I should change
so I can bid them a proper farewell."
"Yes, Your Highness." M. Artemis bowed, and left my studio.
I turned to Darien. "I should go and get ready," I told him.
"As should I," Darien replied. He rolled his sleeves down and refastened
the cuffs. "My parents are no doubt wondering where I am."
I handed him his jacket. "Here you go. I'll see you in a few minutes."
"Thank you, Serena," he said, taking the jacket from me.
Our fingers brushed together lightly, and I felt the same tingle up my
arm again. Before I lost my nerve, I stood on tiptoe and kissed Darien
on the lips quickly. He seemed pleasantly surprised when I stepped back.
I smiled at him and then went to my chamber to change.
**************************************************************************************************
Fifteen minutes later, I was dressed in my rose suit again, and
walking with Darien and both of our parents through the Great Hall
of the palace, towards the main entrance.
"You must visit Outopia soon," Queen Gaia was saying to my parents.
"I'm sure the people would love to see the future addition to our royal
family."
"We will try to arrange it," my mother promised. "As soon as it is
convenient to our schedule."
Darien and I walked behind our parents and smiled at each other as we
listened to them plan a visit. He took my right hand and held it as we
walked. When we arrived at the entrance, King Stephen and Queen Gaia
turned to me.
"It was a pleasure meeting you, my dear," the king said. The queen
nodded her agreement. I curtseyed.
"I am looking forward to seeing you again," Darien said to me. He
brought my hand to his lips and pressed a kiss into my palm.
"As do I, Your Majesty," I told him, smiling.
My parents bid a polite farewell to Darien and his parents, with the
typical pleasantries. When the limousine came to take them to the airport,
the three of us walked back to the royal quarters
together.
"I am glad that you are getting along so well with the prince," my father
said to me.
"He is very nice," I replied. "I will enjoy getting to know him."
"That is good to hear," my mother said. "There is not much time until...."
"Until what?" I asked, suspicion creeping into my voice.
"Nothing," my father assured me. "Your mother was simply thinking out loud."
"A short time until what?" I asked in a firm tone. The king and queen
refused to meet my gaze. "If you will not tell me, I will find out for
myself." I quickened my pace and walked away from them, ignoring their
pleas for me to stop.
I made a phone call to my American family, but there was no answer. I left
a message on the machine telling them to call me as soon as possible.
******************************************************************************************************
Monday I started my regular schedule. Now that the ball was over, everyone
promised me that things would be less hectic.
My lessons were from nine-thirty to twelve-thirty. I was learning world
and ancient history, introductory calculus and algebra, and advanced
biology, chemistry and physics. I wondered what sort of education that
Mme Haruna had to have to be able to teach me so many subjects. Probably
a few doctorates and Masters degrees. Why she was tutoring me instead of
teaching at a university, I had no idea.
Normally, I am an excellent student, but I was distracted by the
evasiveness of the king and queen. Clearly, there was something going on
that they didn't want me to know.
"Is there something on your mind, Your Highness?" Mme Haruna's voice
jolted me out of my distraction.
"No, why do you ask?" I inquired, trying to recall what she was asking me
to do.
"I just said that the Chinese invented paper because some children wanted
to make spitballs and throw them at the their teacher and you agreed with
me," she pointed out.
"Oh." I could feel my cheeks heating up.
"What is bothering you?" she asked, taking a seat beside me.
"Nothing," I replied unconvincingly.
"That is not a 'nothing' voice," she said to me. "My own children speak
with that tone, so I know that something is bothering you."
I wondered if I could tell her. Maybe she would be able to help me, give me
some information about this arranged marriage.
"When am I supposed to marry Prince Darien?" I asked.
Immediately Mme Haruna's eyes shifted from my face. She looked past me.
"The date is, as yet, undecided."
"I don't believe that," I told her. "You told me that I was engaged to
Prince Darien since I was seven years old. Don't tell me that in nine
years the two families haven't been able to pick out a date."
"But it's the truth," Mme Haruna insisted. "Originally Beryl was to be
married on her sixteenth birthday. During the Festival of Selene."
"Sixteenth birthday..." I tried to stand up. I had to grip the arms of
my chair to steady myself. "You mean this June? What about university?
I'm only fifteen years old! And I'm very immature for my age! I have a
problem with authority! Just ask M. Artemis! I'm always talking back
to him." Okay, I was grasping at straws, but I was desperate right now.
"Please try to remain calm. If I may say so, you seem very mature to me.
I don't know of many people your age who can properly address over one
hundred heads of state with the proper title and in native languages,"
Mme Haruna said. "And surely when you agreed to accept the crown, you
didn't expect your life to go on exactly the way you planned it when
you were and ordinary American citizen."
"Of course not," I replied. "I think that I've done a reasonable job of
adjusting to everything that's happened. But that was etiquette and
public speaking and learning how to be a good ruler. No one told me
that I was getting married in June."
"I was under the impression that you liked Prince Darien," she said.
"I like him," I assured her. "But I barely know him. I only met him this
weekend. I don't want to get married to anyone this June. I'm too young."
I suspected that the wedding would be fairly soon, but this was
ridiculous.
"Your Highness, please listen to me," she pleaded. "I said that was the
original plan. Now, the king and queen feel that you need more time with
them in the palace before you become a wife."
"Then it won't be in four months?" I asked.
"Thing are done differently in America," Mme Haruna went on. "Your
parents understand that. And they feel that you have a lot to learn
about your royal obligations."
"That's right," I agreed eagerly. "My mother didn't raise me to be a
princess." Etiquette and dance lessons are one thing; running a country
is a completely different matter.
"I'm sure that much of yesterday's discussion had to do with delaying the
marriage. No doubt King Stephen and Queen Gaia will resist a delay."
Too bad for them, I thought. I wasn't going to marry a man that I've spoken
to only twice. It doesn't matter that I've fantasized about him for years.
"But how long will they postpone it?"
"That I don't know. But you won't be a June bride. Not this June." She
smiled reassuringly.
I smiled back. What a relief. I was sure that she was telling the truth. Her
eyes were steady and sincere and she really seemed to care about my feelings.
"I guess I could live with that," I said.
After all, the wedding could be a few years from now. I'd have plenty of
time to learn how to be a princess, and to get to know my fiancé. Maybe
I'd even have enough time to get a university degree or two.
Maybe this arranged marriage business wasn't such a bad idea after all.
Ash
Switched at Birth - Chapter Five
That night, I didn't get much sleep. The pain in my hand and the
uncertainty of my wedding day were more than enough to keep me
tossing and turning until dawn.
Prince Darien and his parents stayed overnight at the palace after
the ball to discuss 'matters of state' with the king and queen.
I guessed that 'matters of state' meant the trade agreements and
defense contracts and whatever else was to happen now that Darien
and I were officially engaged.
I was summoned to eat breakfast with them before the talks got
underway. Lita helped me get dressed, due to my injured hand,
which was wrapped up with a bandage. I put on a rose-colored
suit, with a white blouse underneath and matching shoes. I wasn't
in the mood to deal with any questions, so I wore a pair of white
kid gloves that went under the sleeves of my suit jacket.
"I would like to call America later," I said, after wishing
everyone a good morning. "I want to tell them the news."
"Certainly," Father said.
I was kind of surprised he agreed so quickly.
"I think I will go to my studio this morning and work on some
projects," I went on.
"Perhaps you'd like Prince Darien to accompany you," Mother
suggested. "He enjoys art as well."
"Would you care to join me, Your Majesty?" I said to him.
"Perhaps later. I would like to be present during the discussions
today," he replied.
Perhaps later, I thought. He always said that. It was getting a bit
boring.
After I ate, I went back up to my chamber to change into my art
clothes. My things from America had arrived the day before, so I
had everything I needed.
I put on a large, button-down, blue shirt that had once belonged to
my (American) father, a pair of black tights, and a comfortable pair
of walking shoes. My hair was pulled back in a ponytail, and I had
taken my gloves off.
In my studio, all of my supplies had been organized, and my finished
work was out on display. I made a mental note to thank Lita later.
All of my sketchbooks were shelved in their chronological order
(they were labeled), my paints and pencils and markers were arranged
according to color, and my easel was set up with a new piece of
canvas sitting on it.
I stood there for a minute, wondering what I should do. There wasn't
much that I could do with only one hand. I took my finger paints and
brought them over to the easel. I filled a bowl with water so I
could rinse my hand of when I needed to, and set down a towel beside
it. With some difficulty, I opened the box of finger paints and
dipped my right hand in to the red. Then, I made several streaks on
the canvas.
For the next two hours, I was totally absorbed in my painting. Lita
came in several times to quietly change my rinse water and bring me
a new towel, and then left without saying anything.
As I was finishing, I heard a soft knock at the door.
"Come in," I said.
The door opened and Darien walked in. He looked out of place in my
messy studio. He was wearing a charcoal-gray three-piece suit, and
stepping over paint-spattered drop cloths.
"Your Majesty," I said, curtseying.
"Princess," he replied, bowing. "The servants said that I would
still find you here."
"I thought you were discussing matters of state with my parents," I
said to him. I added a few more lines to my painting.
"It was getting a bit tiresome," he replied. "I excused myself so I
could talk to you."
"I'm afraid I can't let you sprain my other hand," I told him in a
teasing tone. "As you can see, I'm using it at the moment."
"I am very sorry for that," he said apologetically. "I did not mean
to cause you any pain."
"It is quite all right," I assured him. "I am sure that it will be
better by tomorrow." I dipped my hand into the bowl of water to
clean my fingertips. "What do you think of it?"
He looked closely at my painting for a minute. "It is quite emotional.
The lines are very defined and there is a subtle use of color. It is
very good."
"Thank you," I said.
"What do you call it?" he asked me.
"Concepts of Pain, number seven," I replied.
"Why is that the title?" he inquired curiously.
"Whenever I am injured, I paint a picture that describes how I feel," I
explained. I pointed to several finished paintings. "I painted my first
one after I scraped my knee when I was ten; another when I had my wisdom
teeth pulled, another when I had my tonsils taken out, and another when
I sprained my ankle from dancing."
"Am I correct in saying that getting your wisdom teeth pulled hurt the
most?" Darien asked me.
"Yes, how did you know that?" I asked, puzzled.
He smiled slightly. "It has the most dramatic use of color. I am relieved
that your hand has caused you the least amount of pain."
"It really is nothing," I reassured him. I walked over to the sink to
wash my hand. I reached over with my injured hand to turn it on, but
Darien stopped my hand with his. I felt a tingle of electricity shoot up
my arm.
"Please, allow me," he said. He reached over and turned the tap. He then
took his jacket off and rolled up the sleeves of his shirt. Then, he took
my paint-covered hand and placed it under the stream of water. I was
barely breathing at this point. The most gorgeous man in the world wanted
to wash my hand. Did I mind? Three guesses.
He took the bar of soap from the nearby soap dish and lathered my hand.
Then, he rinsed it off and turned off the tap. He took the towel and dried
our hands. "All done," he told me softly.
"Thank you, Your Majesty," I said.
"Please, call me Darien," he said to me.
"All right, Darien," I said, trying it out. "And you should call me Serena,
then."
"Serena. Your second Christian name," Darien noted. "It suits you."
"Thank you." I think I was blushing.
"My mother said that you enjoy art as well. What is it that you like to do?"
I asked him.
"I enjoy painting as well," he replied. "Oil is my preferred medium, but I
also use acrylic and water color."
"I think I'd like to see some of your work sometime," I told him.
"You will," he promised.
He looked at me for a long moment and then looked away as if he was
contemplating something.
"Is there something wrong?" I asked him.
"I wanted to ask you something ever since I laid eyes on you, but I am unsure
as to how you will react," he replied, walking towards me.
"You can ask me anything," I told him nervously. He was standing so close
that I could smell his cologne. It was cinnamon with earthy undertones, and
very enticing.
He looked down into my eyes. "I was wondering if I could kiss you," he
whispered. He leaned down and pressed his lips to mine.
If this is a dream, I hope I never wake up, I thought.
One of his large hands came up to hold my cheek, while the other one went
around my waist and pulled me closer. I ran my right hand through his thick
black hair. It felt like silk underneath my fingers. When we parted, he
seemed to have trouble breathing.
"Are you all right?" I asked him breathlessly.
"I'm fine," he replied, stroking my cheek. "I've just...never felt this way
before."
I smiled. "Neither have I."
He leaned down to kiss me again when we were interrupted.
"Ahem...Your Highnesses."
We looked over to the doorway and saw M. Artemis standing there. He seemed
uncomfortable to find us in such a compromising position. Darien still had
his arms around me and our bodies were pressed together. Slowly, Darien
released me and we moved apart.
"Yes, M. Artemis?" I asked him, in a dignified voice, as if the prince and
I had just been discussing the weather when we were interrupted.
"I'm sorry to disturb you, but King Stephen and Queen Gaia must return to
Outopia," he informed me.
"Oh, that is rather soon," I said in a disappointed tone. "I should change
so I can bid them a proper farewell."
"Yes, Your Highness." M. Artemis bowed, and left my studio.
I turned to Darien. "I should go and get ready," I told him.
"As should I," Darien replied. He rolled his sleeves down and refastened
the cuffs. "My parents are no doubt wondering where I am."
I handed him his jacket. "Here you go. I'll see you in a few minutes."
"Thank you, Serena," he said, taking the jacket from me.
Our fingers brushed together lightly, and I felt the same tingle up my
arm again. Before I lost my nerve, I stood on tiptoe and kissed Darien
on the lips quickly. He seemed pleasantly surprised when I stepped back.
I smiled at him and then went to my chamber to change.
**************************************************************************************************
Fifteen minutes later, I was dressed in my rose suit again, and
walking with Darien and both of our parents through the Great Hall
of the palace, towards the main entrance.
"You must visit Outopia soon," Queen Gaia was saying to my parents.
"I'm sure the people would love to see the future addition to our royal
family."
"We will try to arrange it," my mother promised. "As soon as it is
convenient to our schedule."
Darien and I walked behind our parents and smiled at each other as we
listened to them plan a visit. He took my right hand and held it as we
walked. When we arrived at the entrance, King Stephen and Queen Gaia
turned to me.
"It was a pleasure meeting you, my dear," the king said. The queen
nodded her agreement. I curtseyed.
"I am looking forward to seeing you again," Darien said to me. He
brought my hand to his lips and pressed a kiss into my palm.
"As do I, Your Majesty," I told him, smiling.
My parents bid a polite farewell to Darien and his parents, with the
typical pleasantries. When the limousine came to take them to the airport,
the three of us walked back to the royal quarters
together.
"I am glad that you are getting along so well with the prince," my father
said to me.
"He is very nice," I replied. "I will enjoy getting to know him."
"That is good to hear," my mother said. "There is not much time until...."
"Until what?" I asked, suspicion creeping into my voice.
"Nothing," my father assured me. "Your mother was simply thinking out loud."
"A short time until what?" I asked in a firm tone. The king and queen
refused to meet my gaze. "If you will not tell me, I will find out for
myself." I quickened my pace and walked away from them, ignoring their
pleas for me to stop.
I made a phone call to my American family, but there was no answer. I left
a message on the machine telling them to call me as soon as possible.
******************************************************************************************************
Monday I started my regular schedule. Now that the ball was over, everyone
promised me that things would be less hectic.
My lessons were from nine-thirty to twelve-thirty. I was learning world
and ancient history, introductory calculus and algebra, and advanced
biology, chemistry and physics. I wondered what sort of education that
Mme Haruna had to have to be able to teach me so many subjects. Probably
a few doctorates and Masters degrees. Why she was tutoring me instead of
teaching at a university, I had no idea.
Normally, I am an excellent student, but I was distracted by the
evasiveness of the king and queen. Clearly, there was something going on
that they didn't want me to know.
"Is there something on your mind, Your Highness?" Mme Haruna's voice
jolted me out of my distraction.
"No, why do you ask?" I inquired, trying to recall what she was asking me
to do.
"I just said that the Chinese invented paper because some children wanted
to make spitballs and throw them at the their teacher and you agreed with
me," she pointed out.
"Oh." I could feel my cheeks heating up.
"What is bothering you?" she asked, taking a seat beside me.
"Nothing," I replied unconvincingly.
"That is not a 'nothing' voice," she said to me. "My own children speak
with that tone, so I know that something is bothering you."
I wondered if I could tell her. Maybe she would be able to help me, give me
some information about this arranged marriage.
"When am I supposed to marry Prince Darien?" I asked.
Immediately Mme Haruna's eyes shifted from my face. She looked past me.
"The date is, as yet, undecided."
"I don't believe that," I told her. "You told me that I was engaged to
Prince Darien since I was seven years old. Don't tell me that in nine
years the two families haven't been able to pick out a date."
"But it's the truth," Mme Haruna insisted. "Originally Beryl was to be
married on her sixteenth birthday. During the Festival of Selene."
"Sixteenth birthday..." I tried to stand up. I had to grip the arms of
my chair to steady myself. "You mean this June? What about university?
I'm only fifteen years old! And I'm very immature for my age! I have a
problem with authority! Just ask M. Artemis! I'm always talking back
to him." Okay, I was grasping at straws, but I was desperate right now.
"Please try to remain calm. If I may say so, you seem very mature to me.
I don't know of many people your age who can properly address over one
hundred heads of state with the proper title and in native languages,"
Mme Haruna said. "And surely when you agreed to accept the crown, you
didn't expect your life to go on exactly the way you planned it when
you were and ordinary American citizen."
"Of course not," I replied. "I think that I've done a reasonable job of
adjusting to everything that's happened. But that was etiquette and
public speaking and learning how to be a good ruler. No one told me
that I was getting married in June."
"I was under the impression that you liked Prince Darien," she said.
"I like him," I assured her. "But I barely know him. I only met him this
weekend. I don't want to get married to anyone this June. I'm too young."
I suspected that the wedding would be fairly soon, but this was
ridiculous.
"Your Highness, please listen to me," she pleaded. "I said that was the
original plan. Now, the king and queen feel that you need more time with
them in the palace before you become a wife."
"Then it won't be in four months?" I asked.
"Thing are done differently in America," Mme Haruna went on. "Your
parents understand that. And they feel that you have a lot to learn
about your royal obligations."
"That's right," I agreed eagerly. "My mother didn't raise me to be a
princess." Etiquette and dance lessons are one thing; running a country
is a completely different matter.
"I'm sure that much of yesterday's discussion had to do with delaying the
marriage. No doubt King Stephen and Queen Gaia will resist a delay."
Too bad for them, I thought. I wasn't going to marry a man that I've spoken
to only twice. It doesn't matter that I've fantasized about him for years.
"But how long will they postpone it?"
"That I don't know. But you won't be a June bride. Not this June." She
smiled reassuringly.
I smiled back. What a relief. I was sure that she was telling the truth. Her
eyes were steady and sincere and she really seemed to care about my feelings.
"I guess I could live with that," I said.
After all, the wedding could be a few years from now. I'd have plenty of
time to learn how to be a princess, and to get to know my fiancé. Maybe
I'd even have enough time to get a university degree or two.
Maybe this arranged marriage business wasn't such a bad idea after all.