My Enemy, My Love

ℭ𝔥𝔞𝔭𝔱𝔢𝔯 𝔉𝔬𝔲𝔯

Prince Thyme [Sea]

Mother, dressed in a white suit with her finest silk cloth, heavily embroidered in silver patterns, drapped over her slender shoulders, greeted me with a warm smile as she stepped out onto the tiled pavement. Her hair was neatly swept up into a plaited bun, and large interlinked silver hoops extended past her neck, hovering above her scarf. She had not changed much since I last saw her; her eyes were still lively and gentle,  not a tint of grey discoloured her dark hair, and she was always fashionable and eager to ascertain her status as Queen.

On that particular day, she was overly thrilled to see me dressed, as the future heir should be, not in uniform, but in an expensive beige and golden suit, which was ridiculous in length. The flimsy, undetainable laced cuffs that shielded my hands made it difficult to grab or hold objects. I hated it. I had grown so used to wearing sweaters, jeans, and plain t-shirts, a simple school uniform, and comfortable runners, and this robe was proving to become a nightmare to walk in. I felt hot and irritated in it, its high collar tight and scratching at my neck, but I tried not to complain about it. I didn't want Mama to think I was ungrateful for her efforts.

She pulled me into a tight embrace and kissed my head with a gentle peck before holding me at arms length to inspect if I had somehwat changed drastically over these past seven months. I didn't believe I had - I still looked the same, spoke the same, and behaved the same way. I had only cut my hair once or twice, styled it differently, and reevaluated my dress code. And through it all, I became more hot-tempered than usual, easily provoked, and rather uninterested in things I once found joy in doing.

I blamed all that on Luka.

"My handsome boy," she remarked, her eyes welling up with tears. "You have grown."

"Hardly, Mama," I replied, taking her hand in mine and kissing her knuckles with affection.

She stepped aside and let me get in the car, her smile not fading in the slightest. As he got in from the other side, she reached out and held my hand in her lap, and the car began moving. I turned my head to look out of the window, the familiar oak doors leading into the school becoming more distant as we drove towards the gates. My heart clenched in my chest as I thought about Anurak and Meili and how much I would miss them at home. 

I would see them at the wedding, anyway.

"Tell me, my dear, how did your exams go?"

I turned back to my mother and smiled. "Well. I am pleased with how they went." 

"Wonderful," she replied, squeezing my hand gently. "I am proud of your achievement, my dear. We all are. Now that you have completed those exams, there is much that we must discuss."

My smile faltered a little at those words, the reminder of my duty to wed the Princess overwhelming me slightly, but I maintained a balanced composure. I knew that Mama would not wait to mention these matters to me without delay, and in the moment, I braced myself for her next words. I had to show her that I wasn't scared or nervous about it, but that I was prepared to take on the responsibility with honour. 

"Tomorrow, the Princess of Chiang Mai and her family will visit our court for the weekend. Your father and her father have important matters to discuss regarding the girl's dowry and other financial subjects. Staying with us will give them the perfect opportunity and time to do so, as it will give you and the Princess the time to get to know each other."

"Yes, Mama," was all I could muster. Something in the finality of it made my heart flutter. I wondered if this was truly it - that I would be wed by the end of the month to a woman I barely knew. There was no escaping it now. 

"Wedding preparations are already in progress. The ceremony will take place at the palace, but the afterparty will be in Chiang Mai. You will of course receive rites from the monks at the Temple before the knot is tied, and prayers before you may commence your marital rites," she blushed at that, as did I, but she continued promptly. "Of course, your engagement will be made publicly known our subjects, and invitations to our close friends will be delivered within the week." 

"And what must I do?"

I felt a little useless in that moment. I knew that wedding preparations were always handled by those who knew how to orchestrate such perfection, but a part of me also wanted to contribute to it.

It was to be my wedding, after all. 

"Nothing, except for welcoming the Princess. And, making her fall in love with you."

I laughed softly at that - it wasn't like Mama to demand such a thing of me. Love was a strong word, and I knew it would take more than just my natural charmante to get the woman to love me. Marital relationships were built on trust, honesty, and respect; I wasn't entirely convinced I'd be capable of fulfilling my part of that agreement. And love - what did it really mean? I never truly loved someone in the past, so how would I possibly be able to abide to Mama's wish if the entire concept of the word was unknown to me?

Luka would know.

His name sent a shudder down my spine, and I instantly repressed his name in my head. Thinking about him was pointless and a waste of time. I would never have to see him again. And considering our family feud, he certainly would not get an invite to the wedding. He was finally out of my life, and yet, a part of me still couldn't accept it.

Why was I still thinking about him that day? 

"And what about the Chonburi family," I asked, but the question itself came out a little too anxiously, as if even the mention of their name was poison to everyone's ears. Why did I even ask it? Even the driver cleared his throat and shifted in his seat with discomfort. Mama's face turned pale and a sour expression etched over her face; I could see the hatred in her eyes and something else I couldn't quite decipher, a flash of bitter memories crossed her eyes as she stared angrily at me.

"They will, of course, not receive an invite from us," she said coldly. "You should know this."

"Yes, I do. Forgive me."

Mama turned away from me, deep in thought, but she still held my hand in her lap. I turned to glance out of the window, feeling ashamed and embarrassed of my question. The Chonburi family had caused us pain, hardship, and a hatred for one another that would last a lifetime.

But not for long.

+---------+

hiii, sorry if this seems a bit rushed, I'm editing this in a moving bus hahaha

don't forget to comment and vote!!

you guys are amazing and thanks for the patience/support

🩷🩷🩷