𝒁𝒂𝒍𝒊𝒂
"Do I really need to get used to living in a castle?" Billie asks me upon entering my room.
"Well...not neccessarily. But where do you expect us to live?"
"I dunno. The village isn't so bad." She shrugs, sitting on the bed.
"My parents would never allow it. And neither will I, I have my own castle just waiting for me and my future family."
"You have your own castle?"
"Yes, off the coast of the country. It was a gift for my 16th birthday."
"And you want me to live there?"
"Well you and your family." I say, as if it wasn't obvious.
"In a castle?"
"Yes, is that so bad?"
"No, but Zalia castles are huge and me and my family aren't used to that. There's a lot of things we're not used to."
"Yes, but you'll get used to it, I promise it's not as big as you think."
"But why do I have to get used to it?" She asks, her voice raising slightly.
"What do you mean?"
"All this royalty stuff. I quite liked my life very much before all of this." She says, crossing her arms and my face drops.
"Oh." I say quietly, sitting down on the couch adjacent from my bed. When she realizes what she had said she was quick to take it back.
"Oh, no Zalia that's not what I meant."
"Isn't it?"
"No, no it's not. Okay let me start over."
She gets up and walks over to me, taking my hands as she crouches down in front of me.
"Zalia I love you, and I want more than anything than to be married to you and we are so so lucky that we are able to do so, but...can we not get married under conditions that we both like?"
"And what would you like my love?"
She thinks before giving a shy shrug. "I have always wanted to get married in the forest."
I smile a lightly chuckle.
"I supposed the forest wouldn't be so terrible. But..you have to let my seamstresses make you a dress."
"I wouldn't mind that."
"Okay. I'm sorry. For not taking your input, this is our wedding. We should both have a say in what goes." I apologize for my rudeness and gently cup her face.
"It's quite alright. I forgive you."
"Thank you."
I lean down a plant a kiss to her lips. "Now, what do you say we go and get started on those measurements?"
"Already?"
"Yes dear, making a dress tailored specifically to someone's body is a lot of work. So come."
I take her hands and we walk through the halls of the castle to where I have all my fittings for my gowns.
It was filled to the brim with dresses for every occasion. A ball, a wedding, a day out, and casual.
"Wow. Do you wear all of these?"
"Not really no, I've outgrown most of them but my mother insists on keeping them."
I ring the little bell on the table and a few moments later two of my best and favorite seamstresses come through the curtain, bowing to me once they get through.
"Princess Zalia."
"Ladies, I'd like you to meet my fiancé. This is Billie O'Connell. Billie this is Martha and Mary-Anne."
"Oh my dear, well you told us she was beautiful but you didn't mention she was gorgeous. Come, come let me see."
"Go on." I say to Billie as she looks over at me.
The girls look over her figure and her face, complimenting her on her amazing features. They were all over her face as they usually are when they meet someone new.
"Yes, beautiful eyes, the perfect nose, oh! And these cheeks, your lips. Yes, yes. You'll make a lovely bride indeed."
"They're a bit touchy but they mean well I promise."
"Oh it's alright. I didn't mind it. So what do I do?"
"You just stand up here, put your arms out like this when they tell you to, and they'll just get your measurements it should be rather quick." I explain, helping her up onto the little stand.
Just then our messenger girl burst into the room looking quite distressed. She was pretty young, younger than I was, so I always tried to be nice to her
"Cassandra dear, what is it?"
"Your Highness, I'm so sorry to burden you but your presence is requested...by the Duke of the Southern Kingdom." She said out of breath.
"What? He's here?"
"I'm afraid so. Apparently word did not reach him about the wedding being called off, so he's demanding your presence."
"He's in no position to demand anything, thank you Cassandra. If you'd be so kind tell him I'll be there shortly. And don't rush dear, you'll hurt yourself."
She bowed a goodbye and left the room as Martha and Mary-Anne were finishing up the measurements.
"Who was that?" Billie asked.
"Our messenger, she sends messages to people throughout the castle. Poor girl, she's barely 18 and she has to run around this fortress every day."
"You seemed to care for her."
"Well of course I care for her. As the Princess I care for all my people." I say with a shrug
"You were quite nice to her."
"I'm nice to everyone, my love. To counteract my father's brutality."
"Do you like her?"
It was just then, with that one question that I sensed what was really going on here. I smiled as I looked at Billie's somewhat sorrow face.
"Are you jealous my love?" I say with a smirk.
I saw her swallow as she looked away, avoiding my eyes. "No."
"You are."
"I am not."
"Is that what this is all about? You're jealous of a 17 year old girl?" I hold back a small laugh seeing Billie's face turn a light shade of pink.
"I am not jealous."
I walk up to her and gently cup her face.
"There's no need to worry darling. No one is going to take me away from you. I love you."
I give her a sweet kiss and help her off the stand as my seamstresses tell me they're all done and that they would get started on the dress as soon as possible.
"What if when we get married you realize that you don't love me?"
"That won't happen my love. They are going to make a dress, we are going to get married and live happily ever after, I promise you. Now come, the duke will start a fuss if I'm not there soon."
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