To Avoid Falling In Love

Chapter One

     Alphaea sighed as she sat in the window seat of her family's large sitting room. Her father, George Raze, was going on about how she needed to go with him to try out this new dessert at his favorite bakery down at the market. She barely listened as she tried to focus harder on her emrobery, the flowers slowly becoming more and more curved on the fabric. Finally she sighed and put the small circle down and looked at her father.
     "Papa, you've been talking about this dessert for a week now. Why don't we just go today? We have nothing planned as far as I am aware," her voice came out louder than she wanted and she heard footsteps running down the stairs, getting closer to the sitting room.
      "Are we finally going?" a loud, deep voice yelled as a head popped into the doorway. The footman flinched back a bit in surprise before opening the door, obviously trying hard to contain his laughter. Thick red hair stuck through the door as Alphaea's eldest brother, Henry, came into full view from the doorway. His tall stature seemed a bit hunched as he got closer. Alphaea soon saw why, as a smaller red head was on the older one's back, William, her youngest brother.
     "I want to go too!" the little boy laughed as Henry bumped his hip and launched him higher onto his back.
     "William, Henry! What have I told you about doing this sort of thing in front of the help, we need to at least seem like dignified employers. Why in god's name are you carrying him around anyways?"George sighed as the two boys gave him identical smiles before Henry walked over and dropped Will on the couch next to his father. He stared down at him, trying to hold his glare before groaning and tugging him closer to his side, a lazy arm resting around the small boy's shoulders. Henry laughed to himself as he dropped himself down next to Alphaea.
      "You never answered my question Father, are we going to that dessert place finally? I've been wanting to go since the third day you spoke of it," Henry sounded sarcastic at the last part but the interest in his brown eyes never changed. George swayed side to side for a moment, dragging along poor William as he thought. "Oh and I suppose this is yours?" Henry picked up the abandoned circle of fabric and needle.
     "Disappointingly yes," Alphaea groaned and laid back onto the back of the couch. Henry smiled.
     "Well you know, lopsided flowers are beginning to be in season now a da-- OW!" He was cut off by a harsh smack on his arm. Alphaea glared at him and ripped the fabric from his hands before slowly beginning to undo the loose stitching.
     They all sat there for a moment, waiting on their father's decision of whether to go to the market or not when there was a quiet knock on the door. One footman opened it and another stepped in, a tray full of paper in his hands.
      "Mail has arrived Your Grace," the Duke stood and went over to the tray, picking up the many envelopes and ruffling through them. He handed them out randomly to his children, ultimately only giving out about four or five among the many addressed to him.
      "Oh my, Alphaea you got a letter this time!" he raised his brows in surprise. She rarely got letters as of late, due to her only friend, Collin's, tendency to show up randomly without a letter's notice. She just chalked it up to him being the son of the king and having such a privilege as a normality. Her father used to dislike it, never one to truly care abouts one's rank and only manners. However, lately has found it more and more amusing, watching and trying to guess what entrance the young man will make next in an attempt to scare her. Even a prince, for all their royal respect and straightback education, needed to be childish sometimes.
      "At least now you can say you got as many letters as William now," Henry snorted, looking through his three. She looked down at her letter for a moment, waiting for Henry to open his and William's and hand her the dull knife of the letter opener.
      The name 'Arcane' was written in silver on the back so she knew it must be from Collin or at least his family, but he would just tell her something in person no matter the importance. She arched her brow as she inspected the paper. It was thin and light as she read through it.
       "So who sent it?" William cheerfully asked, putting his letter from his friend, the young son of the viscount, to the side and leaning to her. Even if he was too far away to see the paper, his excitement was evident.
      "Most likely Collin," Alphaea answered, not really paying attention to the words she read.
       Her body tensed up suddenly.
      "What's wrong?" Henry leaned over her shoulder and read a little ways through, his body language copying hers immediately.
      "What?! What has happened?!" William looked between his siblings rapidly, their father looking up at the two older siblings.
      "It is-- err," Henry stumbled over his words. Their father laughed a bit.
      "You sound like your mother did when she got sent a courting letter while I was in the room," he laughed for a moment before going pale. "Wait, Alphaea I thought you said that was from His Highness. As in the second prince right?" He said hushed. William looked desperately confused as his father spoke.
       "Well it's not from Collin but his family I presume," she gulped.
       "By god, did you just get a courting letter from the royal family?" her father's eyes widened and she let out a stuttering breath.
      "Um, yes and no," she looked up to him.
      "For Collin?" William asked, the look of disgust on his face showing how he thought of the idea.
      "No not for him," Henry whispered behind her. The words etched in ink seemed to scream at her as she read through them once again.

        Miss Alphaea Raze, you are invited to the grand ball of his highness's birthday. The Crown Prince, Cyrus Arcane is turning of martiable age this coming week and, as Collin's friend, we would like to think of you as a suitable candidate for him. We will see you at the gala.
            ~Her Majesty, Queen Tiana Arcane

     "It doesn't seem that it is even from the whole family themselves, only the queen," Henry commented, squinting down at the paper. Alphaea nodded in agreement.
      "My Lord, perhaps we should go to market, just to let off this tension," their father loosened his collar a little as the door opened once again.
      "His Highness is here to visit My Lady," the footman bowed and went back to his place. There was a long pause as the family waited for the prince to come in, not knowing what to expect when the tall blonde ran in and slid along the tiled floors. He seemed out of breath, like he had run here from the palace.
      "Collin please say you can explain thi--"
      "Do NOT open that letter," he gasped, fully cutting Alphaea off as he leaned on his knees for support. "Oh blast you already did didn't you," he groaned when he looked up. The entire family nodded, only making Collin's face get more distorted with how upset he was. "God that woman does not know how to mind her own business does she?" he grumbled to himself as he stepped up to Alphaea and Henry, learning to read the paper. "Please tell me she didn't involve me in thi-- and of course she did."
      "Collin, what is going on?" the Duke pressed, his hard glare set on the boy with a set purpose. Collin seemed to squirm as he tried to find the right words.
      "Well you see-- uhm-- my mother happened to hear of how often I visit you and asked if I was courting you," William gagged again. "Hey I saw that small Raze, don't be sassy with me," he pointed.             "Anyways, when I said no, and how I wasn't planning too, she sort of thought that you would make a good option for my brother," his words came out rushed and stressed. Alphaea's face showed how mad she was right at the start.
       "Option?! I am not something that can just be--"
       "I know!! I know, that is what I had told her as well," the prince rushed out, trying to calm her.         "That's what I had tried to tell her more like it. She refused to listen and sent the letter anyway. I rushed over as fast as I could after breakfast to catch it but it seems my efforts were futile," he sighed in defeat.
      "Well can't she just not go?" Henry asked, looking at his father. The older man shook his head, along with Collin as Alphaea looked at him.
      "This is basically a royal summons, whether it was the whole family or not that sent it. I must go," she set a hand on his arm. Henry rolled his eyes, muttering something that would get him banished if someone outside this room heard it. Alphaea's mouth twitched a little as she tried to hold in her smile. She took a breath and focused back on the paper, her hand holding it now stretched out as Collin and William both tried to read it. William seemed confused by most of the words, unsurprising since he tends to spell everything wrong. Collin's face was utterly repulsed as he went down the paper.
       "Ugh she even justified it with being my friend. I am so sorry," he sighed, leaning on the arm of the couch. George arched a brow as the behavior of the children as he finally set his letters down.
       "While I understand why you don't want to be married to the prince, why exactly are you so opposed to the fact that the queen thought you a good option?" he asked, leaning forward on his legs. Alphaea rolled her eyes.
       "I don't feel like being treated as an option for someone that his mother picked, royal or not, it sounds wrong. I would much rather stay as I am now and wait for someone to come to me. Besides, no offence at all Collin, but have you heard the things said about him? Crude really, why would I even want to be an 'option' for him after the things I've heard?" she ranted, turning her head away from her father a bit. Collin nodded along.
     "No offense taken. I believe I am the main relayer of most of what you have heard of him anyways.
     "Well then, he does sound-- ah what is the word," her father paused and William popped into speak.
     "He sounds gross," the small red head said matteraffactly, crossing his arms with a huff. Alphaea finally let her smile and laugh slip as Henry and Collin immediately doubled over in laughter. Her father smiled and ruffled the boy's hair a little.
     "That is a suitable word," he smiled as Alphaea pulled her little brother into her for a hug.
     "Very well put Will," he laughed as she swayed them.
      Let's just hope this party goes smoothly, perhaps she won't even have to go to a second ball if she is able to ignore him the whole night.