FAKING ROYALTY [rewrite]

chapter thirteen

3rd Person's POV

Y/N had grown so used to averting her attention to someone by a hand being placed on her shoulder. So when her title was used, it was a great shock to her.

Y/N turns her head to see Prince Leonardo, and she takes a step back from surprise. "Leo," she whispers, her voice hushed as her eyes dart around his figure. It was truly him. She wondered if his words would match his letters.

"You really are the belle of the ball," he says, his attempt at wooing seeming to work. It had taken some time for him to grow used to having a new arrangement marriage, but he came to the conclusion that he would make it work. He would try his best to divert his mind from one woman he knew to someone new. It appeared to be working. "And your seamstress does not seem to disappoint."

She looks down at the blue fabric covering her body with a curt nod. "Of course," she says, smiling softly to distract herself from a possible blush. "She has made all of our other gowns. This makes no different."

Leonardo lets out a laugh as he holds his hand out, ready to escort her if she chose to do so. Graciously, Y/N accepts his proposal and gently places her hand in his.

Together the engaged couple walk to the dance floor where Y/N gives him her first dance. Leonardo watches her with a soft gaze before glancing around the room to see who was there.

Y/N looks in Laurance's direction, a feeling of jealousy and a pang of hurt within her as she sees the Princess of Brightport. She finds her to be gorgeous, elegant, and poised as she holds onto him gently. It is there first meeting, but they act as though they've known each other all their life.

Have they sent letters? Shared a rendezvous? Stolen glances across the room? So many thoughts Y/N finds hard to push away.

Before it seems her attention is fully diverted from the man holding her, Y/N looks up at Leonardo to find his eyes meeting hers once again. He offers a smile to which she returns, but it's weak. Neither question the other what stole their gaze.

There's a feeling of guilt and alarming stress on Laurance's shoulders. He looks to the brunette next to him and does his best not to show signs of disappointment.

So much he has hid from his sisters. From Y/N who he never thought of as a sister. If he thought of her as a sister, he would feel disgusted in himself for his emotions.

Their futures lay in his hands, and he hates that idea. He hates how he sits next to his father at meetings and nods his head, agreeing with everything that he says even if he truly was against it.

How he would leave the meetings acting like nothing ever happened and keeps the content to himself.

There is a female clinging to his arm whom he knows he must dance with in a short amount of time before she is free to speak to anyone, but he hates every moment of it. He doesn't know her. He knows of what he's been told but never as a person.

He's standing there, watching all dance around him before seeing the waltz end and realizing that he should ask her to dance. How could he look her the eye? How can he look her in the eyes months from now and say 'I do?'

Sometimes he wishes their was a first born male that wasn't him and he was second in line like Cadenza. Of course that would lower the ranking for his sisters, but he didn't think they would mind.

Cadenza was desired by every male anyway, and she was the first born female. It wasn't like Alex who was younger. But even then, that played in her favor with Leonardo when was already in adulthood.

His eyes dart to his sister, finding her to be a bit of a wallflower before offering his hand to his fiancée and leading her to the dance floor.

Vylad walks up to Alex, offering his hand with a slight bow. "Your highness," he greets, looking up at her with a sly smile. She simply laughs at this and grabs onto his hand.

"Your royal highness," she says, looking him up and down. "I'm very pleased to see you took my suggestion to your seamstress."

Vylad looks at her before examining her own attire, being pleased himself. It was sneaky of them, but who would it hurt? It was a fabric color that covered their body's from wandering eyes. He knew Y/N and Leonardo planned their outfits, though it made more sense in their case, but he didn't care.

"Why, I must following the guest of honor's suggestions."

Alex feels a tug on her heart strings before swallowing the lump in her throat. She didn't feel special. What was so special about her? A selfish royal princess who casted aside her duties to run off. The same royal princess who couldn't deal with someone she didn't love. Though, now she could create quite a scandal with all she has done.

Vylad's touch is electrifying against her body as she locks eyes with him. No one else in the room seemed to matter more to her than him. "I don't feel that special. You've arrived shortly after me, but yet no celebration is thrown on your behalf. Laurance has truly met his fiancée and is soon to be king. Cadenza has arrived after marriage, but Y/N is having her first outing with Leo as an engaged couple. Amongst all this, I do not see how I could feel special."

There's a sense of defeat within Vylad as he looks into her saddened eyes. It seems that he could tell she was just as defeated as he was. Oh, what it takes to be a royal.