The Forbidden Princess [Paused]

Chapter 12: Arthur Explains

Arthur?! Why would he be here in the middle of the night? And how did he get in here?

"Why are you here?" I asked.

"I came to talk to you. The guards let me in. Sorry to wake you, I was going to wait until you woke up. It's almost morning."

I looked out the window to see the faint glow of the morning sun just beginning to sprout from the top of the trees in the distance.

"Okay," I said. "Why couldn't this wait until school?"

"Because Jesse is there."

"Excuse me?"

"Jesse is there. He doesn't need to hear this conversation."

"Arthur-"

"Shh. It's important or I wouldn't be here." He sat down on the bed beside me.

I sat up so I would be eye level with him. "You may go on."

He cleared his throat before continuing. "We have to get married."

"What?"

He must have seen the look of confusion on my face because he slightly laughed. "Sorry, Charlotte. Let me rephrase that: we have to get married because it's our duty to our people. You're father told me that we are going to be ruling Harling soon. You and me that is."

"But-"

"Yes I know," he said. "I am just a commoner. But apparently I am the Prince of the neighboring kingdom, Dragnor, and we are suppose to be married."

I just looked at him, waiting for him to explain further on; which he finally did.

"Charlotte, listen to me. I didn't now I was a prince until I asked my mother and she told me the story. When I was little, people invaded my kingdom to try and kill me because they didn't want the monarchy anymore. They wanted the new prince, which was me, dead before I could even walk.

"So to protect me, my parents decided to send me to Harling, the neighboring kingdom, to a family that was willing to take me in and keep me safe. My parents, which are the ones who have raised me, were the chosen couple to take me in. They said yes, of course, and there I stayed, not even realizing who I really was.

"I couldn't remember my real home; I somehow hit my head and my memories of that day never fully cane back to me. So, keeping it a secret from me was easy. I couldn't become suspicious because I couldn't remember the slightest detail of my real parents. I finally asked my adoptive mother, if that's what you would call her, who I really was and where I can from and she immediately broke.

"She told me everything I wanted to know about my real family. She gave me my prince clothes, which I am wearing right now, and the certificate saying I had to marry Princess Charlotte Grace Reed of Harling. Which is you, of course. She said that my kingdom was nothing more than ruins now, that my family was gone and so was my real home. No one from Harling knows about the fall of my kingdom. They assume it is still standing.

"I was stunned at the world that I didn't know existed. I thought I was just a common peasant that wouldn't amount to anything but cleaning up after horses all day. But I'm more than that. I'm a prince, and soon king of Harling."

As he finished I just sat there. What was I suppose to say? Yes, Prince Arthur, I want to marry you right away.? Because that's not what I wanted to say. That's not what I wanted to do. I didn't want to marry Arthur because I didn't like him that way. I wanted to be with Jesse more than anything.

"Arthur," I finally said. "I don't know what to say-"

"You don't have to say anything. We just have to go with the guards to the palace. We don't have to go to school today because we are not needed down here anymore." He got up off the bed and made his way to the door. "Nina made you a new dress to wear just for today. Get dressed so we can go, my princess." He smiled at me and left the room, shutting the door quietly behind him.

I threw the covers off of me and went to my dresser to, in fact, find a new dress laying on top of it. The dress was a royal blue, and the most beautiful dress that I had seen. The collar and sleeves were adorned in white lace, while the rest of the dress was just blue. The collar, for once, was not around my neck, but rather started on my shoulders. The sleeves only came to my elbows, which was also a nice change. Nina had really outdone herself this time.

I quickly slipped the dress on and brushed my hair, making my way out the bedroom door and into the living room and kitchen.

A couple of guards sat with Arthur around the table while Nina was in the kitchen cooking breakfast for all of us. It felt and smelled like the palace once again and for the first time since I was banished, I felt like I was home.

"Good morning, Princess Charlotte! I am currently preparing a huge breakfast, and ah, almost done," Nina managed while busily cooking away.

"Good morning! And I'm starved! But could I have a word with, um, Prince Arthur for a second?" I turned to Arthur and he nodded, walking my way.

"Sure, Miss, but hurry because the meal is almost complete! " Nina replied.

His welcoming smile soon turned into a confused look once his back was facing the rest of our company. I grabbed his shirt color and jerked him into my room, quietly closing the door behind us.

"What did you need, love?" Arthur asked.

I sighed and rolled my eyes. "First of all, I need you to stop that. Second, we can't get married." I might have said that a little to harsh, but at this point I didn't care. I didn't want mine and Jesse's relationship to end so quickly, and I didn't want Arthur to be my husband and rule beside me.

"Oh," Arthur said, sounding hurt. "Well, may I at least know why you can not marry me?"

I took a deep breath then said, "I'm not even of age yet and I'm still banished. How is Father going to let me marry you if I am not even suppose to be in the palace?"

Arthur was silent for a couple minutes before he replied. "Good point, but I already thought of that. I asked your father how we would marry if you weren't of age, and he said that it was not a problem. Once we actually have the ceremony for our marriage, it will be past your birthday."

"But I thought he didn't want me to be queen yet!" I disputed." That's why I broke into the palace in the first place! So I could get the document that said I could become queen when I turned eighteen and throw my father out of the ruling position!"

I must have been shouting because Arthur told me to calm down. "I realize that, Charlotte. But he is fine with us becoming the rulers."

"But how?" I asked. "How is he fine with cancelling my punishment and having me return home?"

Arthur sighed calmly. "Your father approves of me, Charlotte. He was friends with my father. In fact, the king still thinks he is around. He thinks we would make great rulers of Harling-"

"No, he thinks you would make a good ruler," I said angrily. "He does not think I would."

"Yes he would, Charlotte. Just please-please come with me to the palace. We can talk to your father and get this straightened out."

I rolled my eyes at him again. There was no way I was going back to the castle with Arthur, and he wasn't going to give up asking me to come until I said yes. So I had to give him what he wanted to get him off my back.

I put on a smile and said, "Alright, my Prince. Let's go."

He smiled back. "Finally! This is great. Why don't we have breakfast then we can get going?"

I nodded and we left my room, joining Nina and the guards for breakfast. I ate as much as I could; I knew this would be my last good meal for a long time.