CHAPTER NINETEEN
Saturday, December 3rd
I was sitting on the front steps of the palace when Marcus' car drove up. I'd been nervous and unsure of weather he'd come or not and I wanted to be here when he did. I looked over when the door opened and Marcus was just sort of standing there, we stared at each other for a few moments until I got up and started walking away from the palace, towards the open grounds. We seemed to walk on these grounds a lot. Marcus didn't disapoint as I heard him following me, but I kept walking until we'd passed the duck pond.
"I'm sorry!" I told him, stopping at the lake and staring out across the water.
"Don't be." Marcus denied and I sighed, he was too good.
"You did something amazingly special and I ran away, passed out, and didn't talk to you for a week." I reasoned, and I slowly turned to face him. "You're amazing, Marcus." I said truthfully, he really is amazing, and he deserved so much better than everything I'd done. "You really are."
"But, you won't marry me." Marcus finished with a sigh, reaching up and rubbing the back of his neck as he looked away.
"I really do like you, Marcus, and if things had been differently it wouldn't hurt any of us so much." But, things weren't different, they were what they were. "I can't tell you that I love you right now, but... Maybe one day I will, though... If-if you're willing to let me try?" I asked nervously and Marcus shot his head to look at me.
"What are you saying, Miley?" Marcus asked, and I knew he wanted me to say it.
"I will marry you, Marcus Hawthorne." Marcus grinned and let out a breath before he turned serious again.
"What about Gray? I know at the very least you feel strongly for him." It hurt a little to hear about Shane.
"He transfered, he swore I'd never see him ever again." I didn't mention that I had done everything to try and convince him not to transfer. "He won't be a problem."
"Love is never a problem, it's a gift." Marcus said and I frowned, well this gift sure hurt a lot. "I hope one day I give you that gift."
"Me too." I whispered. Marcus and I both just looked at each other for a minute before he smiled and held out his hand. I put mine in his and he looked me in the eyes as he knelt down on one knee. Despite the fact that I'd already told him I'd marry him my breath still caught in my chest. Marcus pulled that beautiful, Princess-cut diamond ring out of his pocket and I gasped, it looked even more beautiful with the bright sunlight sparkling off of it.
"Princess, Miley... Will you do me the immense honor of marrying me?" Marcus asked formally and I had the urge to run again, but I wouldn't. I wouldn't do that to Marcus again.
"Yes." I gasped out and Marcus grinned as he slid the ring onto my finger. It was a perfect fit. And surprisingly heavier than I thought I would be. Marcus stood up and kissed me lightly on the cheek.
"This doesn't mean you're not allowed to hurt. I know your feelings won't just change in a matter of seconds, but as long as you give me a chance." Marcus said and I let out sigh.
"You're an amazing guy, Marcus, you deserve so much better than this." In response Marcus pulled me close and wrapped his arms around me. It was comforting and took away some of the hurt, I smiled a little as I hugged him back.
Shane was gone; bad. Shane broke my heart; bad. I had to get married within the next four and a half months; bad. Marcus was here; good. Marcus was just about the perfect guy; good. The whole country and Monarchy had astronomical expectations of me; bad. My whole life was just good and bad right now. I hated the bad stuff. and it made the good stuff harder to enjoy. And the bad stuff seemed to outweigh the good stuff by a lot more.
Princess Miley
Sunday, December 4
Sundays I usually spent with the King. We'd watch a bunch of movies, or just anything really. Today, the King had decided that I was going to learn fencing and that he was going to be my instructor. Yay! I get to stab people with pointy objects. Just the sort of thing one should do with an angry, impulsive teenager.
"Back straight." The King commanded and I felt like I was in dance class again. "How was Lord Hawthorne yesterday?" He asked and I rolled my eyes.
"I-..." I frowned a little in thought. "I told him yes." I finally said. The King smiled slightly and raised his stick thingy.
"Today we're starting the sabre, assume a comfortable, easy position with your dominant foot forward." I did so and King Altiyan smiled slightly and nodded. "Lord Hawthorne is a rather nice young man, if rough around the edges." He complimented, coming over to fix my posture. "And he's not even double your age." I laughed lightly at that one.
"But, he does have 'status'." I actually used air-quotes when I said that. "What about Shane? Couldn't you have done something so I could be with Shane? I mean, your the King, doesn't that count for anything at all?" The King went over and stood opposite me, raising his stick thingy - sabre - and bowing slightly to me.
"We're going to start with quick sparring." He said and I nodded as he started at me, jabbing his thingy and I used mine to push his away from me. "Good." He did it a couple more times before he spoke again. "Mister Gray is a good agent, one of the best I've ever seen, but one needs to have performed a great service for the Monarchy to be granted a title."
"What about saving my life on my birthday?" I was almost certain by now that Shane had shot someone to defend me.
"That honor would go to Miss Perry's fast actions, Miley." He pointed out and I frowned, didn't what Shane did count for anything? "Mister Gray is an exceptional agent, yes, but he is only an agent, Miley. He has no place in our world." I stopped at that and just stood there, staring at him with my mouth open.
"What about the fact that I love him? He's an amazing guy, and he loves me, and I love him. Doesn't that mean anything to you? He may not have a place in your precious status filled world, but he's in my heart." I snapped, dropping the sabre and starting to walk away. "I thought you were a good guy, but all you care about is status and upholding a stupid image. If you actually cared about me you would be able to let me be with Shane." I said, turning to face him again, glaring, before I walked out of the room.
I was curled up on my bed, cuddling Beary Bear and pouting into his golden brown head. I glanced down and saw my ring. I was engaged. I was engaged to be married to Marcus and I was still obsessing over Shane. I'm in love with Shane and still fighting to be with him when I'm going to marry Marcus in four and a half months. I'm going to be married in four and a half months... Would I have to start planning the wedding?
I tilted my head and looked at the ring, it really was pretty. I sighed and laid down, I actually thought the King was on my side. I mean, Marcus is great and all, and I've resigned myself to getting married at 15, but I can't just get over Shane with a snap of fingers or the blink of an eye. I don't know that I'd ever be over Shane. It may have been painfull, heartbreaking and a complete confusing mess, but I do love Shane, and he does love me. Stupid King!
I huffed and reached for my phone, scrolling through the contacts. I wanted to talk to somone; I couldn't talk to my Dad about being in love with one boy and having to marry and breed with another, Jackson was out, I felt disconnected with Lilly and Oliver, I couldn't very well talk to Marcus about how in love with Shane I am... Shane? Shane's name was in my phone. How did Shane's name get into my contacts in my phone? I clicked into it and felt my breath catch when not only was there a moblie number, but also a work number, home number, and e-mail adress. Shane's full contact details. I pressed into info to find out when it was edited last, but it said that it was November 23rd. It was created the day I got the phone? Did Shane put it there? Did he know that it was there? What would he do if I called him?
I bit my lip and boldly pressed dial, bringing the phone to my ear. It rang once; twice; three times.
"Hello?" Shane's voice filtered through when he answered and I felt my heart stutter.
"Shane?" I asked, just to be sure.
"P-Princess?" Shane choked and I knew that it really was him. "H-how did you get my number?"
"It-I don't know, it was in my phone." My heart felt un-constricted as it settled in that I was actually talking to Shane.
"You need to delete it." Shane said after a full minute and I frowned. "We can't hang onto something that only ends up hurting, Princess." He was right, but I couldn't do it, I couldn't cut him from my life. He's the one that left on Friday, he was stronger than me. "Did you talk to Hawthorne?" He asked and my heart clenched.
"Yes." I whispered, playing with one of Beary's ears. "I-I told him yes."
"G-good." Shane said, but he sounded pained.
"The King is a jerk." I stated after a minute. "He says he cares about me and my happiness, but he doesn't. He doesn't care who I love, he only cares about precious breeding."
"He does care about you." Shane sighed and I rolled my eyes.
"Not half as much as he cares about a stupid image." I grumbled and he sighed again. "I know if he actually cared about me he could do something so we could be together, instead of me having no idea where you are and both of us feeling like crap."
"You need to move on, Princess, Hawth-" Shane started to say, probably spouting more of his Marcus-fanatacism.
"Marcus is a great guy, Shane, but I love you." I cut him off and he was silent. "At least let me talk to you, text, e-mail, anything... Just don't cut me out?"
"You-you have to... You have to be m-married by April, right?" Shane asked and I made an affirmative sound, I didn't want to talk about this. "We can talk till then... It'll be too hard after that." After I was tied to Marcus forever and going to have his kid within a year.
"Thank-you." I half-smiled and I longed to see his beautiful hazel eyes so full of emotion. Now April held two deadlines, getting married and losing Shane. But, at least I still had him for now.
"I have to go, Princess, I'm working." Shane said a moment later.
"Your new detail?" I guessed, he hadn't told me what it was, or anything about it, just that we wouldn't see each other ever again and that hurt enough. Knowing that he transfered to get away from me was bad enough without knowing where he was and what he was doing.
"Yeah." Was all he said and I heard vague voices in the background. "I'm so sorry, Princess." Shane murmured and I knew he was hovering over hanging up.
"I love you." I breathed out and his breath caught through the sound-waves.
"I love you too." I barely heard before the line went dead.
Princess Miley
Monday, December 5
You have beautiful eyes. Shane sent me the text as a goodmorning and I smiled a little. The prettiest blue in the whole world. The next one said and I flipped down the keyboard to type quickly.
I love your hazels, they make me melt. I replied back, biting my bottom lip. I was text-flirting with the boy who kept loving me and then leaving me whilst he was in some part of the world where I didn't know doing something I had no idea of, whilst at the same time I'm engaged to another boy.
You make me melt. Shane sent back and I blushed. We kept texting as I got ready for classes, I knew I should feel guilty, I was practically cheating on Marcus in every way but physically. But, Shane made me feel too good, and this was all I had now, and I was going to make the most of it whilst I still could.
G2G; class! I texted Shane right before the bell rang for English. Miss u. xx
Miss u more. :* I bit my lip and tapped my phone into silent mode in case he texted back before I slipped it down and out of sight. I may be the Crown Princess, but I wasn't going to push my luck by breaking the rules. I felt a vibration from where I'd hidden my phone and I blushed. Miss ur lips. So soft. So amazing. I glanced around to check that no-one was looking. Luckilly, everyone actually paid attention in this school.
Miss ur tongue ;) I texted back boldly
Miss the way u moan. I gasped audibly as I read that and a few people glanced my way. I blushed and looked down, hoping and waiting for everyone to turn away.
Miss the party in ur pants I sent him after a moment of procrastination. My phone was still and silent for the rest of class and I got worried that I'd done something wrong so as soon as class let out I dialed Shane. "Shane?" I leaned against the wall outside science when he answered.
"Princess?" Shane's voice sounded a little choked.
"Is-is everything okay?" I asked, my free hand playing with a loose thread. "I-I didn't go too-too far did I?"
"No!" Shane denied quickly, loudly. "No, Princess, I, uh..." He mumbled something I couldn't understand and I frowned.
"Huh?"
"Party came back." Shane mutter and I frowned deeper, trying to figure out what that meant. I was about to ask again when it hit me and I gasped.
"Oh." I said right before the bell rang. I glared at the loud speaker that the noise came out of and Shane sighed, he'd heard it too.
"I, uh, I'm gonna hang up and try and recover some sense of dignity and respect while you're in Science." Shane said.
"Can I call you after?" I requested, feeling nervous again.
"I-I have work, I'll text you when I can." He told me and I sighed, no more talking. I shouldn't have sent that.
"Okay... Bye..." Shane muttered the same before he hung up and I went into class.
Here it is :)
The next chapter starts on Christmas Eve... Sigh! I love Christmas, my favourite season of the year... First Miley's birthday gets me in the celebration mood, then Christmas is a month later, then my birthday is ten days after Christmas.
Oh, and I've been meaning to, but I've forgotten every time I went to write my AN.
: Thank-you so much for the banner for this :)
Countdown time!
4 DAYS UNTIL MILEY CYRUS' 19TH BIRTHDAY!~!~!
Has anyone seen the new Twilight? Is it good? Should I go see it?
Review! Please?
XOXO
Peace, Love, Miley!