Storybook Romance: Knights In Love

Chapter - 2: Messed up big time

Darling Charming's POV:

I walked into the ballroom and saw the swarm of people buzzing noisily like bees. If there's one thing common between the aristocrats and the bees, it's this.

Mom and Dad were standing along with my five aunts and uncles. Of course, Grandma Alluring and Grandpa Auspicious had to be there. Oh, my wonderland...*sighing in exasperation*. Then, I saw Mom, voila, bursting with excitement as she hurriedly approached me with her gown, injuring a handful of dukes and a guy who I think, doesn't even belong here. 

"My darling, I have been looking for you for ages!", she said. "Come, I have some people for you to meet!", she whispered excitedly, just like how a child would react if it got its favourite toy. "Meet Ferdinand and umm... Zach Haven from the Haven household from the west of the province of Mayblooms, pointing to two young men. I noticed that one guy was wearing a royal blue suit with typical rosy red tie along with silk trousers matching with the overly elegant suit. That guy had clear blonde hair which donned a military hairstyle neatly combed. He was young and bright, but please, I didn't fall in love with that bloke. He wasn't even my type. Oh, and I forgot about the whole ridiculous black loafers. 

I took this whole description in within a glance and turned to look at the other guy, and I was mildly surprised to see a brunette my age with wavy hair and had metal ear studs. He too was in a suit. No, a tuxedo with a smart bow with dapper black.. wait, were those sneakers? 

I noticed that he had a violet wristband with the letter Z and a tiny guitar and music note on it, underneath his loose cuffs. I made out from the wristband that his name was Zach Haven. I came back to reality, breaking the chain of my continuous thoughts to notice the two men staring at me with awe. I blushed slightly, making my best impression of a feminine princess.

"Good evening, Miss Charming", started Ferdinand, the bloke in the blue suit. "It's an honor to meet you."I nodded as Zach said, "Hello, Princess Charming. Yes, it is an honor to meet you!". He paused and said, "I have heard so much about you. I didn't know it was all... true.", he smiled flirtatiously as his brother glared at him, signaling him to stop. I smiled and curtsied to both of them, showing my happiness to meet them too. (In reality, I just wanna go and dig myself some snacks!)

Before I could collect my thoughts, Ferdinand grabbed my hand and puckered his mouth to give it a sloppy kiss. He seemed surprised when he realized my hands were rough. I glanced at Zachariah, who appeared disappointed and unpleasantly surprised to see his brother showing signs of affection toward me, his supposed future wife. Honestly, this was the worst moment. There have been hundreds of boys and men who wanted to seek my hand, alas my brothers drove them all away. I was glad they did though.

But they don't realize that I'm still a teenager. From their point of view, they believe teenagers can get married, which is preposterous. If only they knew my deepest desires of vanquishing demons, dragons, and saving people, some might pity me. They don't realize how hard it is for me to put on dresses, walk in painful heels, attend parties with a quintessential princess-perfect (fake) smile, and act gracefully with uncoordinated limbs. And they won't allow me to marry anyone I truly love, stating absurd reasons that they're not perfect. In their eyes, I should be the epitome of perfection.

I'm sure anyone would have felt this, made mistakes, and been less than perfect at times. Even my parents have their imperfections. Dad once wore glasses, acted TOTALLY awkwardly around people, and even used to have brown hair like Dexter. Mom has cried because boys gushed over other girls and not her. I've seen her wear invisible braces, cover her freckles and acne with makeup, and even heard her snore loudly at night. And it's not just my parents; my siblings and cousins have their share of secrets too.