Arrowhead

Chapter 3

Alaras POV 

The next few weeks were unbelievably frantic.
Following the dress fitting I had previously, I was then forced to try on 48 different dresses, 23 different pairs of high heels, 4 different tiaras and more jewellery than I could count.
In the end Margaret and my professional tailors went with a lilac dress with silver heels, a simple chain necklace with a silver star pendant and a loose but neat fish braid for my blond silky hair. The carriages have been polished and the cooks were working their poor feet off cooking the royal banquet. The whole kingdom is meant to be arriving. Mostly suitors. The whole royal family is arriving to come celebrate my 16th  birthday with a royal ball, my Auntie Maya the duchess, her son Lord Thomas, my grandparents; both mum and dad's side, and many more distant and unknown relatives.
I hadn't seen Nicholas for a week, not since that unusual and tedious dress fitting where he had tried on about 50 suits and robes, not that he would even want to see me for that matter. I missed him though; he was always by my side and now I wonder sometimes does he not trust me anymore?

I stand in front of my full-length mirror in my bedroom, and I stare at myself. I could hear the blood rushing in my ears and my heart thumping in my chest as I tried to regain control of my breath. The only thought going round in my head being 'I DONT WANT TO DO THIS! I CAN'T DO THIS!"

This is too much, I can't do this, 2000 princes are arriving tomorrow, what the f*k do I do?
My father is forcing me to marry a stupid prince that will grab the title, take the money and most likely kill me anyway!.
'I want to marry for love not money'.
'This isn't fair'
'Mother wouldn't have done this to me'.
'She would've wanted me to be happy'.
'I feel like I'm trapped and suffocating'.
My heart started to pound in both my head and chest now, I felt I couldn't breathe. I felt physically ill, like I was going to be sick, and in that moment, I wanted to run for the hills as fast as I could and never stop running. I felt like I wanted to cry. I stood on the balcony and watched as the ships in the docks sailed in and out.
After a little while, I noticed that the big brown ship near the left port had a royal crest on it but not the royal crest of our kingdom, no, it was the royal crest of a foreign faraway land. I thought to myself, I wonder what kingdom that specific prince belongs too. 

2125 princes have rsvp'd their letters to us announcing their arrival for the ball. The royal mail has never been so busy, and neither has my father.

I have not seen him for days since he last shouted at me about the staff and the stress of the ball.

It is 2 days till the royal ball, when I have to pick a suitor to court for 3 months and then marry. My maid told me it would be a good idea to pick up a hobby or a recreational activity to keep me occupied.
I decided I would try handicraft but when I tried it, I poked myself so many times with the sharp needle that I gave up on that fairly soon.
My maid suggested gardening, but I hate dirt, so then she suggested painting. I made a beautiful piece of artwork being a portrait of the sunset, but when my lady in waiting saw my dress, she was not too pleased about the acrylic stains on my skirt and bodice.

I had to throw away the dress.

The next day was the day before the ball. No one except his butler had seen my father and Nicholas was also locked up in his room only coming down for royal emergencies or when he was called for food. The Royal advisor told me to go horse riding as I hadn't been for a while.

DEAR GOD, DID I MISS IT!!!

The fierce wind in my face as my shiny blond hair bounced around, stray hairs sticking to my face as the glowing sun hit warmed my body with its rays of sunshine shining down on me and the world around. I could hear the pounding of the hooves on the ground, as my body bounced up and down with the rhythm of my horse. I could feel the thumping and the crackling of the mud and swishing of the grass beneath me, as I galloped through the meadow. My dress trailing behind me and the back of my noble steed, Killian. It made me feel alive, exhilarated and happier than anything. My adrenaline was pumping; my heart was beating rapidly, so fast I thought it would explode as my blood rushed around my body giving me a high that I couldn't come down from. My hands gripped on tight to the reigns as I guided Killian through the fields of flowers and jumped over bushes galloping across what felt like the world. I was in paradise and the world was at my feet. I felt free.
For a moment I almost forgot all my problems.

Almost.