His Royal Highness

Garden of Secrets

I woke up the next morning feeling sick and weak, I still couldn't believe my Father would let his only daughter marry a man who is said to have raped women for fun, how could I marry someone like that? I sat up and felt dizzy so I drank some water and took deep breaths. I stood up and opened my balcony doors and Vi was sitting on the edge of the balcony, I stood still cause I didn't know if I was dreaming or hallucinating him. 

He turned to look at me and my heart fluttered, I could feel my cheeks getting red so I covered them, why was he here?
"Hello, Lady Ari." he said, and my heart fluttered again. No one calls me Ari but Violet.
"Good morning Vi. Why are you on my balcony at such a time?" I asked him.
"I came to check on you." he said.
"Why?" I asked him, he turned around and hopped down from the ledge.
"Am I not allowed to worry about you Milady?" he asked me, my body started to get hot.
"Y-You have no reason to worry about me I am safe in my own home." I said crossing my arms and looking away from him.
"I went out to hear those rumors about you... seems there are a lot." he said, I huffed.
"Are there new ones?" I asked him.
"I never heard of any of them so I wouldn't know but some say you have been in this house since your mother passed, others say you killed your mother so your father is keeping you from harming others." He told me.
"Unbelievable! How could I possibly do such things?" I said.
"Have you been in this house since you were a child?" He asked me.
"I only went out when my mother and father did... My mother died and I did seclude myself for a while and then I went to that party and stabbed that lady and went back into hiding at my father's request." I told him.

 He looked like he was brainstorming, he has such a cute thinking face.
"What are you thinking about?" I asked him.
"Just thinking. Is that an issue too Milady?" he asked me, I flinched and puffed out my cheeks.
"You are very interesting." He said, I looked up at him as he was staring down at me with those cold grey eyes, I was scared of him but I felt safe as well.
"I am most definitely not interested Sir Vi." I said, he laughed.
"Sir? You have never called me sir... Commoner, yes. Sir, no." he said with a smirk on his face, he looked down at me with a seductive look on his face.
"I have to go now." He said as he climbed on the ledge.
"Where are you going?" I asked him.
"You will see when I return." He said as he jumped off the balcony. Everything about that man is trouble but everything in me wants to deal with all that trouble he has, I walked back into my room and called for Violet. I had to start getting ready for the tea party, I sat down so Violet could start with my hair before a bath when my father entered my room.
"Aria. We have moved up your engagement announcement. It will now be at the Tea party so dress accordingly." he said.
"What? Why? Father this will not make Lady Mary happy at all." I said.
"It orders from The Prince himself. He's back early." He said as he left.

My heart sank to the bottom of my stomach, I could feel myself cramping up. I didn't want any of this I just wanted to be a normal girl and fall in love with someone but instead, I'm being forced to marry an evil man. I let Violet know to continue. After a few hours, I was ready to go, Father had a dress sent up for me to wear, a custom-made dress from The Prince himself. It was beautiful and just my style, I wonder if Father had something to do with it. I walked down the stairs and was met by my Father, he held out his arm and I wrapped mine around him as we walked to our carriage. It was a quiet ride there as always. We reached Lady Mary's home and it was bustling with people, everyone was there for my engagement to The Prince. I could only imagine what Mary's face looked like. I got out of the carriage and saw Lady Mikasa and Lady Sasha waiting for me at the gate.
"Aria!" Sasha yelled as she ran over to me.
"Hello, Sasha!" I said as we hugged.
"Aria are you okay?" Mikasa asked.
"Not in the slightest." I said.
"I can't believe your Father is marrying you off to that devil Prince." Sasha said, I took a deep breath and linked arms with them.
"Let's just enjoy this party before he arrives." I said.