The Darling and Brave Princess

Chapter 15: Hard Truths

Eventually, Darling and Merida were on speaking terms. Chase kept sending Darling gifts and calling her whenever he could. One sunny afternoon, there were five packages on the Charming's doorstep. One for each member. Inside were glorious party outfits for another upcoming spellebration. Of course, Darling knew what this spellebration was about, her engagement. Her mother had tried to let her know a few weeks ago, but it didn't work out. Darling wondered if Daring and Dexter knew, since both looked hexcited about their new tuxedos. A maid, Lucy, followed Darling to her quarters and opened the wooden crate. She brought the poofy gown to display and at the bottom was a small wooden box containing crystal earrings and a silver tiara with crystals that slowly got smaller as the precious stones moved farther away from the center's giant crystal. The gown looked lovely, no doubt, but it just wasn't the princess's type. It had four layers of fabric. At the bottom a layer of white crinoline to hold the gown's shape. Then a white layer of silk. Followed by a baby blue layer of mesh then another white layer of mesh with sewn on flowers and crystals.

Darling looked at it and all she could think of was a giant run bakery baked an upside down cupcake for her and splattered it with gemstones. Then, the day came, the day Darling dreaded. A week long party (AKA the secret betrothal of Darling) was to happen tonight. All guest houses, all 100 of them had been cleaned and prepared for each family to arrive. 

Snow White's guest house had black ebony wood frames and white curtains. Paintings from Snow's destiny had been hung on the cream walls. Cinderella had blue walls, sparkling white drapes and cross stitched animal crafts were on the walls. Sleeping Beauty had magenta walls, soft beds with white sheets and indigo blankets with baby pink pillows. On top of each bed was a white mesh drape, just like in her story. Belle Beauty had marroon walls, purple and gold curtains and oak bookshelves full of books. White crockery with gold and purple details had been neatly places on a wooden coffee table with a stained glass design of a rose on top.

An hour before the party would start, Merida came into Darling's bedroom. Darling and her did not make eye contact. She handed her daughter a black box and commanded Darling to open it. Darling obeyed her mother and inside was a silver pendant with three bears, each with an emerald eye. "Wear it during the games," Merida instructed, before leaving before daughter's room.

Lance's P.O.V.

"Your Majesty," Luke, my head advisor, said on the other side of my door.

"Yes?" I asked, even though I already knew his answer.

"The first guests have arrived, the Beautys to be exact," informed Luke.

The Beauty family (that includes Belle Beauty and Adam Beast's family) always came early. Mostly because Aurora Beauty often explained there isn't ever a minute to waste. She had narclolepsy as a result of Desiree Maleficent Thorn's curse on her, which meant she never ever wasted time. Not one second, she would stand by and do something meaningless. Never ever after! I sighed and told Luke to enter. Luke said nothing, that would have been rude to question the authority of royalty, especially the king. Finally, I spoke, "Luke, I could lose everything if this goes south."

He still said nothing. He just stood there like a proper advisor should be when his master/king spills out personal problems. An advisor's wisdom may only be suggested when royalty has finished speaking. To be honest, Luke was trained well at this. I never told him, of course, because then he might become cocky at his duty. I continued, "Meri has been quite anxious about everything. One mistep and I'm sure she'd lose her crown and composture."

Now it was Luke's cue to provide aid to his master's issues. "Well," he said in a very calm and dignified manner, "Someone once told me that the Charmings never lose. Someone very wise."

I was perplexed and I immediately pondered over this "very wise" someone. "Who's that person?" I asked.

"Sir, it was you. Don't you recall the day we waged battle against Evelina Queen, the wicked Evil Queen. I hexplained to you the fear in our soldiers. You told me that the Charmings never lose."

I got up, straightened my shirt and thanked Luke for his knowledge. All advisors undergo strict and long training and Luke certainly surpassed his peers.

Guests filled the grand banquet hall of mine, and I greeted everyone last one of them. The Ellas arrived right on time for superstitious reasons and everyone was looking spellbinding. At the front table, sat my beautiful family. They all smiled at me and admired me. This would turn out to be an excellent week.

Darling's P.O.V.

This is NOT going to be an excellent week. In fact, it will probably be the worst week ever after! And I'm telling you, I've had lots of bad weeks. I don't even know how I was able to drag myself into the dress and to the Grand Banquet Hall. When we greeted our many guests, all the princes around my age kissed my right hand. I had the feeling of throwing up on the spot everytime it happened, however I resisted the temptation.

Of course, I understood what this meant, marriage. "Hand in marriage" is something to be respected, thus the idiotic hand kissing. That was not the only dumb engagement tradition. I wasn't allowed to see any boys that weren't my family alone, so that meant I couldn't see Chase! He was my boyfriend for Grimm's sake!

Daring and Dexter didn't seem very happy about the princes and my hand. My dad glared at them and nodded, so they backed down. During the party, I noticed my father was talking woth other kings. Most of their sons didn't have destinies, they were just princes. I inched closer to overhear their conversation and it made me furious on the inside. "Lance, surely, you'll choose the best spouse that offers the most," King Whittan said, "My kingdom is a rich supplier of the land's gold."

Father did not speak, then King Pershing answered back, "Not everyone can afford gold. My land is rich and fertile, so I am the largest provider of wheat. Something almost everyone can afford."

The kings squabbled over me as if I was a golden trophy and not an actual human being! My father finally stoped the arguing amongst the other rulers by telling them that my mother chose to keep her family's Dunbrochian tradition of marrying princesses in order to honor her late mother and my grandmother, Elinor.  I could not hear anymore of this and left to join Apple and Rosabella.

Third Person's P.O.V.

Fortuantely, Darling did not hear what King Beract said after. After Darling's father left, King Beract told King Whittan and Pershing that ironically Queen Mei was the only woman in her family to not be married through her tradition. King Beract explained that at the time when Lance was young, his kingdom and Dunbroch were at war for the land. Dunbroch stood no chance against the Charmings, so the kingdom offered any unmarried woman to marry the Charming's eldest son, Lance. Lance chose Meri, so they got married and Meri moved back to the Charming Kingdom. Therefore, Dunbroch was saved, but Meri left and never returned again to Dunbroch on behalf of her new husband's orders. 

A/N: And that's the end of chapter 15. Hope everyone liked the last paragraph. Just to let everyone know, updates will be slower, like 1 week to 2 weeks per update since summer is here, so I will be busier. Thanks and bye!