Castles That Crumble

seventeen

"Mary." My handmaiden says, walking into my chambers. "Are you okay?" Every lady in the castle has heard the news by now.

Either their husbands were there to watch my friends head get cut off or they heard talk in the castle.

"I'm fine." I nod and sit down. My handmaiden starts touching up my hair. Today was going to be hard. My first official day without my friend, Victoria.

Once Julia was finished doing my hair, I got dressed. I got dressed in a black gown because I was still mourning my friend and mother.

Once I was ready I walked out of my chambers and was met by Harry on the way downstairs.

"How are you going?" Harry asks carefully. "I'm fine." I say, looking around.

"Okay." He says, sensing I don't want to talk. I'm grateful he doesn't push, because when people push me I tend to lose my temper.

"Happy face." Harry says as we are about to walk into the throne room. "Happy face." I repeat.

We walk into the throne room and I see some nobles talking to my father. I chose to ignore him and I walk straight to Nicolas.

"Good morning." Nicolas smiles at me. "Have you heard the news?" Nicolas asks me. I turn to Harry and he just shoots me a confused look.

"What news?" Nicolas sighs and looks down, a habit of his when something sad has happened.

"Your father will be remarried, tonight." I scoff immediately.

"What? My mother has just died!" I loudly whisper. "How could he do this?" Nicolas continues to look down.

"Who is this woman?" I ask Nicolas. "Lady Lola." I raise an eyebrow. "I've never heard of her." I state.

"Rumor is the king met her on his vacation to one of his country houses." Nicolas says.

I'm still in shock, but I don't want to lose my temper so instead, I walk out of the throne room. I suppose I have a wedding to go to tonight.

♡

"What about this one?" Harry asks. I shake my head. Harry, Nicolas, and I have been shopping for hours.

I'm not ready to go back to the castle so I've been wasting time at different shops instead. I'm sure we've been scaring some commoners because of my two guards with me, not to mention Harry and Nicolas are with me too.

"This one is gorgeous." I mutter. "You'd look perfect in it." A dark voice appears from a different isle.

"Thank you." I say, smiling. "Of course. I'm Sebastian. You are?"

"Mary." I say, taking a step back, ready to go back to Harry and Nicolas.

"How much for a night alone with you?" Sebastian asks. "Excuse me?" I ask, processing what he has just said.

Before I can fully process the words, Nicolas's sword is at Sebastian's throat and Harry has his sword drawn too, standing in front of me in a protective manor.

"That's the princess of England you're talking to, and my future wife." Nicolas says, his sword still up at Sebastian's throat.

"Nicolas, enough." I mutter, people were staring and whispering. I wanted to just run and hide because of the embarrassment.

"Guards, please take him to the dungeon." Harry says calmly, putting his sword back.

Once the guards take him away, it leaves the three of us in the shop.

"Really? Was that really needed?" I ask, annoyed. "Yes, it was needed." Nicolas snaps.

I jump back at his attitude. "Why?" I snap back at him. Before Nicolas can answer, Harry gets in between us.

"Children please, we have a dress to shop for." Harry jokes.

I spin around and start browsing for dresses again. "This one." I mutter. "Seriously? I pointed this one out when we first came in."

I roll my eyes and bring the dress up to the shop owner. The shop owner was a quick moving woman, working quick to feed her children, no doubt, I felt bad.

"How much for the dress?" I ask kindly. When she gives me a blank face, I take out a handful of gold and give it to her.

"You're the princess." She says, still frozen. I nod and push out my hand for her to take the gold.

"Have a nice day." I say, walking away, letting Nicolas grab the dress.

♡

"I do." My father says and everyone claps. "Long live the king!" The people didn't say "long live the queen" because she wasn't queen, yet. I dread the day I have to curtesy to her.

I take a sip of my wine. "Mary, slow down." Nicolas says, grabbing my cup.

Without thinking, I snatch my cup back, spilling a little on the table. I roll my eyes and continue drinking.

"I don't get it. Why'd he have to remarry?" I ask, slurring.

Nicolas and Harry look at each other for a second and they both stand up standing on each side of me.

"I think it's time you get ready for bed." Harry says, standing me up.

"No, not yet, I want to dance." I whine and look at Nicolas.

"We'll have lots of time for that on our wedding night, my love." Nicolas whispers into my ear.

I blush and fall into Harry's arms, showing defeat. When Harry and Nicolas bring me up to my chambers, I collapse on my bed.

"You need to get your nightgown on." Nicolas says. Harry had already left the room so it was just me and Nicolas.

When I shake my head Nicolas flips me over. "You're drunk, get up." He says, his tone sharp.

"Scary." I say, grinning. Nicolas doesn't grin back though. "Please, I just want to sleep." I groan.

"Fine. Good night, princess." Nicolas says, and he starts to walk out the door.

"No, stay." I say, holding my hand out. Nicolas hesitates but comes and lays down with me.

I flip over on my side, facing Nicolas. "I'm not drunk." I demand. "Yes you are." Nicolas says with  a laugh.