Nothing But Bad

Fourty Four

Arden
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There was a man waiting for us exactly where promised. We went with him, like nothing was wrong. Walked into my father's base, like nothing was wrong. Walked through the hallways, like nothing was wrong.

This is where it all made or break. It had taken us one hour to walk to the meeting point. Meaning I had four hours left. Three, if you count the time it will take to walk back.

My father had raised a liar, and this is when I needed the skill most. I had to sell it. I had to become once again the person I hated.

Guards open a set of doors for us, signaling us into a room. My father turns from talking to a man. Waving his hand and clearing the room.

"Father." I greet with a smile. Acting as if I was happy to see him.

He narrows his eyes, examining my body head to toe. "How did you manage to leave the castle so easily?" My father asks.

I think quickly. The lies spilling out as if they were the truth. "William goes daily to that camp with a few of his men." A lie, I had found out that camp was a decoy. But my father doesn't need to know that. "I had asked to go with him, telling him I was bored of the grounds. He agreed, it wasn't hard to convince him." I laugh.

My father doesn't say anything. I refused to let my nerves show. He was calculating everything in his head. Thinking too long, it made me nervous. "The plan, you would say it's working?" He finally speaks up.

I laugh wickedly, "Did you not hear? The prince wants to marry me. Me," I laugh again. "I am to be their princess. Their queen once he's the king." I step forward grabbing my father's hand. "Isn't that wonderful? Once you kill the king, we will be on the throne. It's as if they handed everything to us."

My fathers eyes light up at the words I've used. I used the word "we" on purpose. I've said everything he wanted to hear. We would be on the throne, not me. I knew he wanted to believe me, I could see it in his eyes. The battle of whether or not to trust his daughter. I knew which side was winning.

But he was smart and carful. He still wanted to ask some questions. "My spies said you guys hadn't been sleeping in the same room."

I look down, faining disgust. "I'm sorry," I whisper. I look at him again, "I tried, so hard. But the thought of sleeping next to him every night made my skin crawl, my blood boil. I couldn't bring myself to do it. I'm sorry."

"Doesn't matter what I think of it, what did they?"

A sly smirk finds its way on my lips. "They completely understood. After telling them of my dear late mother's morals. Oh how she would roll in her grave if she caught me sleeping in his room. I am a lady, I cannot until I'm wed." I mimic sighs and concern.

A smirk forms on his lips for a little, before dropping again. Almost had him. "But the prince? He knows of your nights with him before."

I wanted to throw up at that mention. I hated that he knew about it. Something so intimate and personal.

I shrug, still smiling coyly. "I told him I had to act the part of a lady. Had to in order to get his parents to accept our love, our marriage." A wicked smile gleams on my face, really selling the story. "The prince loves the idea of sneaking around. It gives him a thrill. That's why no one has seen us, the prince is almost as good as sneaking around as me. Though, we did get caught a couple nights before." I shrug, "Will paid the servant a hefty amount for his silence."

My father still had one brow raised. "And the bracelet? I see it's gone now, but I was told it was on before."

Here, the cherry on the cake. "My idea." I smile, "I told Will it was to convince everyone that I was the good little girl. They all fell for it. He told me he couldn't live with himself if I was in a situation where I got hurt not being able to protect myself, just to win over his parents. So he let me put the bracelet on myself. Told everyone it was him."

My father's eyebrows drop, and a grin spreads across his face. "Excellent. Let's eat, you must be hungry."

I nod, "I can tell you more about what I've learned." I say eagerly.
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