Total pages in book: 27
Estimated words: 26177 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 131(@200wpm)___ 105(@250wpm)___ 87(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 26177 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 131(@200wpm)___ 105(@250wpm)___ 87(@300wpm)
Oh no. That rhymed. He was making me crazy! Would it kill him to just respond with some sort of emotion? Or to put his damn book down for one second and make eye contact?
I clasped my hands in front of my waist. My red dress felt too tight as it wrapped around my body, my nude heels too tall, and did we really need to wear nylons every day in the palace? Mine suddenly felt itchy, bombarding. I hated it so much, but was never allowed to complain.
I was a princess by right, by birth, but my title literally gave me nothing, all I had was that. A title. And all my family wanted was for me to marry the soon to be king. I thought maybe it would be okay if I could choose one of the three.
But the problem with that scenario, the other two had zero interest in me, they viewed me as a sister and nothing more. We’d known each other too long, had too many secrets, too much exposure, which in my opinion made it better because I at least knew them. At least we’d suffer together and we could eventually just be partners in crime, in trying to be the best leaders. I even at one point thought I’d turn the other eye and let them cheat, which was a horrible position to be in, but marrying a stranger? No.
This other guy? All I knew was he liked art, he’d never been trained the way we had, and was crass.
I swore if he showed up with glasses on and asked if he could paint me, I would scream bloody murder.
Instead, he showed up looking too attractive, too cunning, sarcastic, and too smart. He saw through my facade immediately—basically he was dangerous and knew nothing of the palace, was used to just walking around without a shirt, and was known to hang out with the staff making them uncomfortable or so I thought until the butler got drunk last week and ended up running around outside screaming. “I can fly!” Later we found out he thought he was Superman, but on account of his spectacles needed to take them off in order to jump off the building and fully become Superman.
Security came.
And Zautland, or crazy Z as I’ve started calling him in my head, just laughed and thought it was the best night of everyone’s lives despite the fact that the fire department had to get the butler off the roof!
He was an absolute menace, and that was just one experience.
“Princess?” a voice sounded, a dreaded voice… Rupert’s voice, the main butler of the castle. “It seems that your soon to be Prince Zautland, your betrothed has arrived from his meeting, I set him in the tearoom just outside the rose garden, it’s a lovely day and I’ve taken it upon myself to turn on the warmers, wine has been set and—”
I held up my hand, my gold bracelet from my dad dangling against my wrist as if to remind me he would always be with me despite the hardships I’d soon face in the next few minutes. My parents had always been distant. I was supposed to be seen, not heard, the bracelet had been one of the only emotional things I’d been given by my father. “I’ll be right down.”
“Lovely.” Rupert bowed his head, his salt and peppered hair cut perfectly above his ears, his black and grey tie tucked gently behind his black vest, his black-gloved hands perfectly poised in front of him during his bow.
Nothing out of place.
The way it was supposed to be, before Zautland came storming in.
Rupert walked out, his cadence slow and purposeful, his steps near counted.
I stared at the door and sighed.
“Better get going.” Frederick was suddenly behind me, his body heat nearly searing mine as he pulled me back against his chest, his lips whispering inches from my right ear. “You don’t want to miss your future.”
“Tell me I don’t make your heart pound,” I said in one last pathetic attempt to get him to marry me instead.
His right hand ran down from my shoulder to my fingertips, he gave them a squeeze, and pressed our joined hands against his chest, then pulled them to his lips, kissing the back of mine before he once again leaned down and said, “No, it would ruin this beautiful friendship.”
“Friendship my ass.” I grumbled. “Give me five minutes to convince you.”
He paused, his grip still tight on mine. “Oh? And how do you think you’ll be able to do that, princess?”
“Yes.” A voice sounded from the door, “I’m intrigued as well.”
It was Zautland. His dark hair and bright blue eyes annoyed me, just like his cocky smile and the way he didn’t even wear a tie with his navy suit and open white button-down shirt, he even showed off a tattoo on his right pec in the shape of a black crown.