Cover art by JenPotato
Please credit her if you want to post her illustration elsewhere 💙
Prince Bright Guntithanon is betrothed to Dara Kittiyangkul. Well, sort of bethrothed. She has the option to dissolve the union. But Bright is handsome, char...
I survey my handiwork. And feel pretty pleased with myself.
Bottle of champagne, check. A bowl of fresh strawberries, check. A picnic basket filled with small sandwiches and cakes plus a thermos of coffee - check, check, and check.
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The food was laid out beautifully on a dove gray and blue picnic mat surrounded by throw pillows. The pièce de résistance was a bouquet of peonies my sister assured me no person can resist.
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All my efforts too woo Dara have gone sideways for one reason or another. But today, I am pulling all the stops.
It is true that I do not see her that way. But I also do not know her yet. Maybe it was too early to give up on making this work. Maybe we could at least become friends. It wouldn't be so bad to marry a friend, right?
Or who knows? Maybe I was capable of love. Maybe love was just around the corner.
Except the only thing rounding the corner and heading towards my picnic was a pair of corgis. Running full speed, determined to trample over my optimism.
I step into their path, hoping to block them. One of them stops at the sight of me. But the other dog, the one with the blue bow, decided to leap. It lands on my chest, knocking me into the grass. Not satisfied, it proceeds to lick my face. The second dog decides to follow suit. Great.
I wanted to be indignant - but a laugh bursts through me instead. And I find myself rubbing the soft fur of both dogs, encouraging their playfulness.
"What are you doing to my dogs?"
I open my eyes.
Metawin. Of course.
I sit up as the dogs walk over to their master.
"What are you doing here?"
"Last I checked the Royal Gardens are open to the public."
I stand up and brush the leaves off my pants and shirt. "Last I checked, the gardens are almost a hectare in size. So can you please go somewhere else? I am expecting Dara any moment now."
