FAKING ROYALTY [rewrite]

chapter fifteen

The closed carriage covering our heads blocks out sunlight until we reach O'Khasis. Which, may I add, won't be for a while still.

Alex and I have been dismissed by father and Laurance and are on the bumpy roads. While the kingdom remains unaware of the loss of Zane Ro'meave, the royal family remains in the loop. We have been sent before the boys due to work. While we give them our condolences, they will show up a day or two before the funeral. Until then we will be stay in the palace with the grieving family. Arrangements have already been made.

Leaving behind work like this is hard to do, but at least they have each other and a short amount of time to do as much as possible. As bad as it sounds, at least sending us looks good for Meteli. Though, I doubt connections between both O'Khasis could turn poor due to the friendships between Laurance and Garroth or even how well Hayden and King Garte get along together. At least that is what I know of.

"Does he know?" I ask, trying to break the silence we have sat in for Irene knows how long. Alex sits across from me looking down at a book she has brought with her. She glanced up at me and slowly shuts the book before setting it to her side. She goes into her pocket and retrieves her fan, beginning to wave it slowly.

It has been a quiet time amongst the three of us since the argument.

"Who? About what?" She asks, her eyebrows furrowing together in pure confusion. I suppose starting up a conversation so randomly like that would stir confusion.

"The father." My words are blunt. I don't know any other way to phrase them.

She looks taken aback. A heavy sigh escapes her lips. "Do I have to explain the story?" She lets out a dry laugh, but even I can tell that it is completely forced to rid of the tension. I slowly nod my head. My voice has turned against me and refuses to sound itself. "Since it seems the truth has already begun to unravel itself, I may as well finish it."

She begins to explain it all. How Vylad and her covered up their disappearances so well that they were able to fool those around them, even if in people's stomachs they felt as though Alex and Vylad planned it together. There was no evidence that it was planned. That evidence was burnt.

Then it was only a few days before Cadenza's wedding when the night occurred. She thought they were careful, but it appears that being careful wasn't careful enough. She praised him to no end, saying how kind he was. How for those few months she had never been happier in her life. How she felt true love.

"Was he good?"

"Y/N!" Alex says. Her voice doesn't sound scolding but instead full of glee. She reminds me of a child of sorts with her joyful nature. Her fan spread out in front of her face to hide a blush. "That's improper to ask such a question. But if you were to ask if I regret it, I do not. I'd do anything to return to that time."

The silence from before returns, but it is comfortable. I have felt so uneasy lately since our last conversation between the three of us that I worried we'd never return to this state. But now that we're here, I can only hope that Laurance can join us.

But now I know of his feelings. I know of his feelings and that changes everything. I've always found him attractive. As a child I wanted to be a princess. But now, I want to go back and tell my child self that that is not what she wants anymore. That her older self thinks that it is a smarter idea to go back to being an orphan.

But if wouldn't have become a princess then I wouldn't have met Laurance. Of course I wouldn't have developed feelings for him, and he wouldn't even know of me, but we wouldn't be in this predicament.

We wouldn't be in the place where my future is planned a head of me. I wouldn't be falling head over heels for a man that is to be married in only a few months. I could adore from afar and tell my friends go I believe him to be an excellent future ruler from his visit to the kingdom.

How I would praise the royal family for who they are and not truly know who King Hayden is as a person. Of their flaws. How I could silently resent actions to myself instead of being forced to see them constantly.

"How long have you felt this way?"

Alex's words bring me back to reality and away from my thoughts. I look up at her. I fiddle with the closed fan in my finger tips. This question makes me nervous.

"Perhaps I've always had a mild crush on him," I say, unknowing of when the feeling truly formed. "I found him to be attractive when I was in the orphanage, but I never thought I'd meet him. And then he showed me around and was so kind to me. . . it's hard not to fall for someone like that despite arranged marriages."

Alex sighs, knowing exactly how I felt to a certain extent. "How I wish that I couldn't relate to that," she says. "Why don't you rest? It's a long ride to O'Khasis."