The Birlap Prince (COMPLETE and IN EDITING)

Chapter Ten

CW: no warnings (if there are any comment what it is)
Word Count: 1056
Character Count (no spaces): 4705

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Written By: nowejose
Proofread & Edited By: besyrshemmo

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❝THEY CAN'T MARRY! We had an arranged marriage!" Princess Lilianna is practically throwing a fit. She points an accusatory finger at Arny. "You left me at the altar!"

The palace has been in upheaval since Arny brought Ellie back.

The council sits in a late night emergency meeting. The royal family of Wheat is enraged. The Queen is exasperated. Whispers float through the halls on wings.

"I am so sorry for the troubles my son has caused. If you will all just take your seats we can have all this sorted quickly." The Queen is at her own chair, fingers massaging her brow in frustration.

Arny stands next to his mother, holding Ellie's hand. She shrinks into his side, a sad attempt to hide from the rest of the room.

After everyone is seated, Arny speaks up. "Once again, I am so sorry for running out. I understand the waste of time and energy that was spent for the wedding. But I am in love with another, and that I won't apologize for."

Princess Lilianna huffs, glaring daggers at Ellie from across the table. Ellie keeps her eyes on the floor, occasionally glancing at the door like she wants to escape.

"Your Majesty, we had a deal. A marriage to unite our kingdoms. You would allow Prince Arnold to throw that away for a maid? How could she possibly rule Birlap with him?" Princess Lilianna address the Queen directly. A smart move, quite honestly.

"Actually, Ellie was raised in the castle. She had lessons with us up until a year ago. Everything that we know, she knows." I butt into the conversation, standing up for Arny's choice for his bride.

My devotion does not lie with the kingdom of Birlap, but with its Prince.

The Queen sighs, clearly tired and sinking into her seat. "I would be happy to form an alliance with Wheat another way. The law states that the council picks a bride when the Prince is twenty-five, but it says nothing about prohibiting him from choosing another before he is wed. And while I would like to do what is best for our kingdom, I believe what is best is letting my son make his own decision."

Duke Bancroft opens his fat mouth. Leave it to him to find a problem. "Unfortunately, the law does state that the Prince must marry an already existing member of nobility. No status beneath a baron would be acceptable." He looks over the rim of his glasses at Ellie. "Miss Eleanor, I do not believe you have such standing."

Ellie pulls her hand from Arny's, face crestfallen. She takes a step backwards into the shadows.

"That's not fair!" All eyes turn towards me, as the council is offended by my outburst. "Dad, come on." I face the Queen. "Your Majesty, isn't there anything you can do?"

I'm pleading with them more than Arny, but he has joined Ellie in the shadows and reclaimed her hand.

My father stands, the legs of his chair scraping against the tile. "Miss Eleanor Levine is eligible to marry Prince Arnold. She is in fact a Duchess... And my daughter." He looks down at me with sad, defeated eyes.

I'm stunned. For once in my life, speechless. Ellie...my sister? It wasn't possible.

Duke Bancroft is more upset by the news than I. "What is the meaning of this? You mean to say Miss Eleanor has been your daughter all along?" He points a boney finger at my father. "Explain yourself."

A hand is softly placed atop my head. My father strokes my hair affectionately; something he hasn't done in a long, long time.

"I am so sorry, son." He faces the rest of the council. "Twenty-four years ago, I had an affair with Madame Levine. It was short-lived, and it ended as soon as I learned my wife was pregnant. With Daniel."

I look over my shoulder at Arny and Ellie. She is staring blankly at my father, processing everything he says. Both Arny's hands are clasped tightly in hers. His eyes meet mine in disbelief.

"Less than a month after I ended our affair, Madame Levine came to me saying she was pregnant. And that the child was mine. It had to be. Her husband had been away on business. I pushed her away, not wanting to let the affair break apart my new family. Shortly before Eleanor was born, Madame Levine's husband died in a fire. She came to me for help, unable to support herself or the baby. I managed to pull some strings and provide her with shelter, food, and a job in the palace with only one condition: that she never mention to anyone who Eleanor's father really was." He sits back in his chair, ashamed.

Arny pushes Ellie forwards to my and my father's side. "Is that really true?" Ellie's voice is quiet, still not believing the story.

Arny looks from me to Ellie, his eyebrows raised. We'd always looked alike, but with different mothers how were we to know we shared blood?

My father takes Ellie's hands in his. "My dear, I owe you a lifetime of fatherly love. If I am ever to repay that debt, let me start now. Yes, it is true. You are nobility."

I raise my hand, hoping to break the tense moment. "Could I have some of that fatherly love as well?" My request is met with a smack to the head.

The Queen stands. She's made her decision.

"My son, Prince Arnold, will marry Eleanor Levine. I am sure we will decide on other terms for an alliance between our kingdoms, but it will not be with an arranged marriage. This entire ordeal has given me a headache, and we can discuss things further tomorrow. You are all dismissed." She waves a gloved hand, shooing us all from the meeting hall.

Before Arny and Ellie can escape, I pull them aside. "Both of you, allow me to be the first to-"

"CONGRATULATIONS!!" Peter bursts through the doors with the largest smile. While he was a baron, because he was not born in Birlap he was not permitted on the council.

"How did you hear about it so quickly?" I frown at him. He stole my moment.

Sheepishly, he leans in and lowers his voice. "I was eavesdropping."

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