Okay, so this is a quick update. I'm enjoying this story and I can't wait for it to actually delve into the plot, though I am still unsure what I'm going to do. I can't decide if I want to incorporate it with a fairy tale or just make up my own. Anyone with thoughts on this who tell me will be greatly appreciated.

Speaking of people who I appreciate right now. Thank you my three reviewers. Your reviews seriously made my day. They reviews were great and inspiring! And what's more, I adore your stories more than anything! Oh, that brings up the other subject I want to clarify. Last chapter was really short and I wrote it really quickly. I just had come up with the idea so some things might seem too rushed and too confusing. I was told that my heading for the letter on the last chapter was a bit confusing. I reread it and decided myself that if I didn't know what was going on, I would be confused. Basically, it just means that our main character who had just become King was still known as the son of the late King. Since Kreeira had been at war with them, they probably wouldn't really get all the information down. I hope this makes since.

Also, our main character's quick reply that he agreed to be married is because he was avrigated from the long meeting, and that he knew he had to say yes. I hope that answer's yall's questions. Anyway, now to the chapter!

The Lady In Waiting

Tami Walker

Chapter 2

Brotherly love?

I found my brother out in the archery range practicing with his friends. They were huddled around together watching my brother as he notched and arrow and then let it go with a twang. I caught my breath as it suddenly crashed into the target going through the bull's eye. Unbelievable. I shook my head in disbelief. The only reason why I wasn't at war was because I couldn't fight worth anything. My brother was preparing (he would've made an excellent marksman) but now that I was going to be marrying the enemy princess, the war was over…hopefully.

I stood in the courtyard watching my brother shoot some more arrows before I decided to walk down to the range. My brother saw me coming and waved me over, his tanned face bright and happy.

"Devyn!" He yelled at me. All of his friends turned around, and seeing who my brother was calling, bowed low. I bit my lip from laughing—they looked really silly. My brother kicked one of them in the shin. They all stood up normally and looking bewildered at why my brother would kick at them.

"Hey, guys." I said.

My brother picked up his bow and arrows and made his way towards me. His friends trailed behind him whispering amongst them. I shook my head slightly. What dolts. As my brother walked near me, I turned my attention back to him.

"Fredrick, you got some good shots." I complimented as we started walking back to the castle.

My brother shrugged his shoulders.

"Yeah. Johnny," He jerked his head towards his friends, "told me that there is a competition coming up to win some lady's hand if you win. I was just practicing for it." He grinned from ear to ear.

"Oh." I muttered. My brother was a ladies' man and at every chance he could get tried to win a ladies' hand in marriage but that usually never happened because he wasn't the most charming fellow when it came to flirting.

Fredrick suddenly stopped. He tugged my arm. I looked at him bewildered. What the heck was he doing? However, he answered my question immediately.

"Lunch is ready in the kitchens. Go on and eat. Devyn and I'll catch up." Fredrick said smiling cheesily at his friends who stared at him like he was a mad man.

I raised my eyebrows. Fredrick never dismissed his "friends" (more like fan club). He was a very arrogant person by nature and just loved all the attention that he received from his friends.

His friends gave me a dirty look before heading off towards the kitchens. I heard a couple say some nasty things about Fredrick and I but I didn't mention it to my brother. He acted like he didn't hear anything.

"So, anyway, why did you come find me?" Fredrick asked. Obviously, this is what he wanted to talk about the whole time.

I sighed.

"Well…"

"Is it about Kreeira and the princess?" Fredrick suddenly said a sly grin on his face.

I gawked at him. How in the world did he know about…

"Wait a second. Did you write the King?" I growled. The King of Kreeira wasn't very, from what I heard, very bright when it came to leadership. Now that I think about it, it made sense that Fredrick or someone would come up with this idea because the King of Kreeira would never come up with an idea on his own.

Fredrick looked at me as innocent as possible but since he couldn't hide a lie real well, I knew that he did.

"Fredrick!" I cried folding my arms.

"What?" He mumbled.

I gave him a dirty look.

"How long have you been planning this?" I snapped.

He, not the brightest cream of the crop, counted seven on his fingers.

"Oh about since you've been King." He smiled even broader.

I swear, he liked torturing me with his weird idea of cruelty. The next thing, though, that he said really blew me off.

"Actually, I asked father about it. He didn't like the idea so once you were coroneted, I wrote the letter. IT took them awhile to agree of course. And, I wrote your answer back a week ago. I just received this letter." Fredrick said pulling out another letter from the King of Kreeira.

"I'm not reading it." I stubbornly said. I was too angry even to look at him. He shrugged.

"It doesn't matter really."

"Why?"

"Because, the princess is going to be here in a fort night. You'll be married in six months." He said almost skipping.

Before I knew it, I punched him on the face. He fell flat on his ground, unexpecting violence from his "pansy" brother. I looked at my fist. I stood there panting, and then I glanced down at my brother staring at me with horror.

"Devyn." He muttered crawling back on his feet, "What was that for?"

I shrugged,

"Because you deserved it. Nobody ever plays with my life like that!" I snapped.

He raised his eyebrows.

"I'm sorry but I thought that that was the best way to end the war. Besides, you would have never agreed to it." He said rubbing his read-turning-blue eye. I bit my lip. He looked horrid. What had I just done?

I glanced at him feeling all a sudden really sorry that I just hit my brother. He was my best friend after all. Never before in all my life did I ever think of hurting my brother...and now...I shook my head, debating with myself. Today just wasn't normal. For heaven's sake, I just found out I was to be married and it was my brother who came up with the idea! I ran my hand through my hair (I always did that when I was thinking hard or stressed). Then it hit me. My brother didn't do anything wrong, he was just trying to make everyone happy--me, my people, and the Kreeirian people. He could only do so much since he was only the prince. I sighed. Finally, I said,

"I'm…I'm sorry…" I whispered looking away. My emotions were going hay-wire today. Seriously, I was bipolar: punching my brother one moment and then begging for forgiveness the next. I sighed. My head hurt real bad. Where was Lady Marguerite when you needed her?

"It's okay. If our positions changed, I would've done the same." Fredrick said cheerfully. Fredrick always was able to make things more cheerful than what they really were. He was a one happy fellow with a big toothy smile that made everyone snicker when they first see it.

"Yeah," I snorted, "Instead, I would've been trying to stop all the letters that you would send to girls asking them for their hand in marriage."

Fredrick laughed his cheeks slightly pink.

"Maybe." He muttered.

Before I knew it, he put his arm around my shoulders and squeezing them tightly. I think he knew that I was really stressed (why else would I punch him for?) and needed to be cheered up because he suddenly said,

"Kiss good bye your freedom, brother. You're going to be a married man soon!" He said loudly.

I rolled my eyes when some one screamed.

Just a head of us stood Lady Marguerite with her sisters staring at me in horror. Her face was white and her hands shook. Tears steamed down her face. Suddenly, she ran towards me like a wild woman, screeching and wailing.

Oh bother. Obviously she just found out about my arrangement. Gulping and smiling slightly, I pushed Fredrick away from me (he was laughing by the way). Hell was on the loose and it was coming right at me!

Oh Crap. Stupid Marriage. Stupid…stupid…Argghhhhh

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A/N: How did yall like it. It is a bit longer so that's real good. Next chapter, obviously, is going to be about Lady Marguerite. It should be entertaining. The next chapter, I think, will be harder to write. I'll have to think a lot on it. Anyway, 'till next time!