"She wants nothing to do with him... He would be miserable without her."
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Meet Sophie Franklin, a fiercely independent fashion designer who lives in New York, and then there's Marcus Beadoux, a dashing prince with...
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Watching Sophie hurriedly leave the hall the way she did bothers me more than it should. I have an almost insane urge to follow after and ask what went wrong, but I hold back, trying to pass it off as normally as I could. The people around me are already giving me strange looks, wondering what must have happened between us. I ignore their curious gazes, walking out of the dance floor. Though it's just a simple dance, to me, it means so much more. I'm just here savoring all these stolen moments with her whenever I get the chance; they would be all I have of the whirlwind romance I had with her.
My father eventually rises to his feet, making his way to the podium, signaling the end of the dance. I walk toward Reina, linking my hand with hers as we stand together. My heart beats faster as I anticipate what my father is about to announce.
"Citizens of Netherlands!" He speaks, his voice cutting through the hushed murmurs of the guests, commanding attention as he addresses the room. "It is with great pride that I stand before you today to announce the wedding date of my son, Prince Marcus Van Orange-Nassau, to the princess of Spain, Reina Felipe!"
A round of applause breaks out in the ballroom, but I'm having goosebumps instead, chills running down my spine. "We've discussed intensely amongst families," he continues, glancing at every corner of the room, "and a date has been picked for the special event." He finishes.
I feel a squeeze on my arm and when I turn to look at where it came from, it's Reina, and she seems quite excited. She beams up at me, but I can only manage to offer a crooked one. All eyes are on him, and it is with bated breath I wait for the date when the wedding will take place.
"The wedding will hold on the month of May, 2nd!" He bellows and a round of applause follows his words, cheers reverberating in the entire room. My heart skips a beat as I absorb the news, my mind racing to catch up with the sudden whirlwind of emotions. Four months from now. It feels sudden, overwhelming even. Why is it so early?!
I glance at Reina, but the latter has a huge smile on her face, an excited expression resting on it. My heart sinks even lower, and no matter how hard I try, I can't for the life of me muster up anything. It's like my life is shattering before me, and there's nothing I can do to stop it. Everyone is clapping now, and some have begun to offer their congratulations to me. There's a wave of excitement in the air, but I can barely hear anything past the ringing in my ears.
"Marcus, is everything alright?" Reina asks, snapping me out of the troubled trance I must have slipped into. I shake my head, offering her a quick smile.
"Yeah, I'm fine. Just surprised, that's all." I say to her, but I don't think she believes me. She looks like she wants to say more, but she presses her lips together and looks away, a strange expression on her face. One that causes the unease in my stomach to grow even bigger. I look back at my parents, and for the first time in life, feel a sense of resentment toward them. This had been their idea from the beginning, and my opinion had never mattered in their presence. They only cared about the country they ran.
My eyes catch something, and I realize it's Sophie. She's running off, and I feel my throat constrict, making it hard to breathe. She must have heard the announcement. Is she as heartbroken as me? Something too fragile to call hope blossoms in my heart. Too bad I can't go to her now. The rest of the night passes in a blur, and at one moment, I grow sick of all the fake smiles and happiness, and I just want to be alone. Without another word or even an explanation, I exit the hall, heading straight toward the balcony. Leaning against the railing, I gaze out at the moonlit gardens below, lost in a myriad of emotions.
Running a hand through my hair, I let out a groan, feeling my frustration grow in leaps and bounds. I've never been so annoyed in my entire life. My gaze wanders around before settling on the window of Sophie's room. I just want to be with her, is that too much to ask?
"Hey, is everything alright?" A voice asks, interrupting me. I turn around and find it to be my sister, Aida, walking into the balcony. "You've been off all evening," she says as she comes closer. I stare at her for a moment, debating if I should tell her before letting out a breath and looking out to the garden. She gets beside me, joining me as we silently watch the moonlit garden. Eventually, I start to speak.
"Why is it so early?" I find myself groaning, staring intensely at my hands.
"What do you mean, why is it so early? The marriage has been in the works for a long time now. Even before you were born. The two of you should have been married ages ago. They kept waiting for you to settle down." Aida replies, and I internally flinch at her scalding words.
"That's true, but..." I trail off, hanging my head low. "I hoped the date would be much later," I mutter.
"Something's bothering you. What is it?" Aida says instead, fixing me a piercing gaze. I look away from her, the words stuck in my throat.
"Nothing," I finally mutter, my lips pressed into a thin line.
"Is there someone else?" She asks, and my heart skips a beat, my blood running cold.
"That's ridiculous, why would you think that?" I mumble, scoffing. She clicks her tongue, folding her hands.
"Whatever it is, just know it's too late to turn away now. The decision has been made and it's pretty much set in stone. Nothing you do now will change anything. That's your parents for you."
"I know," I grit back through clenched teeth. Which is why I hoped the date would be far away. But I don't say that out loud. Aida pats my back, and when I turn to look at her, there's sadness reflected in them, but she tries to cover it up with a smile. "You'll get used to it. That's just the way of royalties," she adds. I just stare at her, unable to say anything. The fact that something like this must have happened to her in the past makes me concerned for her.
But before I get the chance to speak, she turns around and leaves, leaving me there even more confused than ever. Was it the same for her too? Did she love someone else only to marry another? I've never been close to her, so I don't know. But the fact that she could tell what I am feeling...
I let out a strangled cry, gripping my hair harshly. I hate this. I hate this so much! The fact that I have to live like this!! Why can't I have what I want? Unbiddenly, I remember my dance with Sophie, and I pause in the midst of my tirade. Just before she left the ballroom, there had been tears in her eyes, and nothing had broken me more.
I need to see her. I have to explain this to her.
Checking if no one would miss me if I disappeared, I sneak out of the balcony, hurry through the gardens and straight to Sophie's window. I have to speak with Sophie.
**** Another Marcus's Pov!!! What do you all think of it? Thanks for reading and see you in the next chapter!
