ROYALTY

Chapter 28

He was silent for a while, before he spoke with every ounce of authority. "Naomi Faye Kathleen, I demand you stop this childish behaviour and listen to me and do all in your power to get the princes hand, and secure a marriage. And I do not want you settling for anything less. It took me years waiting for the right time one of my daughters would be of age to be betrothed to a prince, my position on the royal throne has to be secured and it has to be secured permanently. A marriage would do just that." By then we had both stopped dancing, I jerked my hands from his, tears already in my eyes. "

I thought you said you would be happy with my choice, I thought you and mother said you would not force me. I was only coming here to get an introduction into society, and not to be forced on the prince." "I said what I said to make you go, I would have made Ava come, she would have been a better option than you, but as you know she ended up getting into a scandalous relationship with the towns boys." "It is called love father, love."

I almost screamed, luckily, the music was to loud and everyone was in their own world to notice the tears rolling down my cheeks, but my mother did. "Naomi," she said as she tried coming closer to me. I moved back, my father sighed. "None of this would have happened if you had not been feeling her head with stupid tales of love." My mother jerked back, obviously hurt by my fathers statement. Just then I asked myself were they always like this? Was the showing affection a façade to hide what was really happening behind closed doors? No wonder my sisters had always made a point of getting into a scandalous relations and even going as far as to denounce my father so that they could have a feel of real love, at that point, my view of my father changed. "Good bye your Grace." Was all I said to them before walking out of the ball room, head held high and tears rolling down.

I ran out of the palace walls, into the cold dark night. The air biting into my skin, my tears rolling down my face. All those years I spent with my father as the most loving and considerate man vanished from my sight. I was fuelled with rage and so much hatred. I sat down on the cold hard stone, even Maeve and Lauren would have no right to be mad at me with the pain I was passing through. I wiped my tears angrily, he had not, not even once spared me a glance.

"I hear this always helps to numb the pain, that is why men drink a lot." She passed me a glass of the same foul-smelling substance. I swallowed it in once galp. I did not even get the chance to feel the foul taste in my mouth, though it helped reduce the pain. She poured me a second glass, hell would freeze over if my father allowed me to have a taste of alcohol.

"Are you not supposed to be dancing?" I threw her a curious look, she just shrugged. "I already did my part by having the first dance, this is not about me but about him." She brought her glass to her lips and drained all the contents of her glass. "Do you believe in love?" I asked her, she looked distant for a few moments before she answered with. "Yes I do." "And do you believe you will find it one day?" She froze and looked into the distant darkness clearly remembering a past memory, her eyes grew sad and she was silent for a very long time. I opened my mouth to say something, but she beat me to it.

"It is cold outside, you might get a fever tomorrow from sitting under this cold, we should go inside." She was right, I had stopped crying because my brain was looking for ways to warm my freezing body, the question came out of my mouth unexpectantly. "Why did he even chose her as his first?" That brought back the princess to the present. "Who Amelia?" I continued, "I mean everyone knows that is just after him because-" "Of the crown." She finished for me. "Yes, so why did he choose her? There are better options than her." "Like yourself?" she asked, I was silent, yes I wanted him to choose me even though I did not want him to choose me.

"Things happen for a reason Naomi, and he has his reason for choosing her instead of you. He is also under a lot of pressure you know." She said and we both fell into a comfortable silence. "About the other day with lord Donovan, I am sorry for reacting that way, it is just that. He is not the person you want to associate yourself with, he is different." She said. "Everyone is different your highness-" "Maddie." she corrected me. "The formalities made me sick, please call me Maddie or Madelyn which ever you prefer." Okay "Everyone is different Maddie." I repeated my statement.

"Yes," she said. "Everyone is different, but there are some people, her voice grew darker, clouded with anger. "that are more than different." I felt goosebumps climb my skin, I was not going to ask her what she meant, even though I really wanted to.

"The queen, my mother will be hosting all the ladies in the salon for some event, and I was wondering, if you could accompany me into town tomorrow, there is something I need to show you, that is if you are interested?" She was not looking at me, but was looking into the distance. "I would love to Maddie." Was all I said, although I could not help but feel that there was something behind that strong expressionless façade she had on.

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