Sofia the First: The Rise of Rulers

Chapter Five: Astrid

Chapter Five

Astrid

I'm frozen as my mind processes what I was just told. Once it fully registers I jump up, furious. How dare my parents throw this on me so suddenly. "My fiance just died less than a year ago!" I tell them. Begging for them to understand the complete unfairness of this.

I loved Christian. I was in love with him. I was distraught after he passed. It was so sudden. One second I was brushing back my dark hair and the next Mother was coming in to tell me that my future husband had died.

No one knows what Christian was doing the night he died. He was out alone walking the streets when he threw himself in front of a carriage to save an old woman. The most tragic part of it all is that the woman died not even two months after the incident. That was Christian though. He was so utterly kind and I missed him desperately.

Now my parents were trying to get me to marry the complete opposite of Christian. They were trying to get me to marry the douchebag of a prince sitting next to me. It makes no sense that I must marry Axel. Our marriage certainly won't end a war, if anything it would start another one. "Why do I have to be married because of stupid fucking war! That makes no sense!" I try to reason with them all.

"Astrid, language!" My father scolds.

"Astrid honey, settle down. This is for the good of all of us. With these marriages binding all of our countries our alliance is sure to be stronger than ever." My mother tries to make me understand. I don't. I especially don't understand why it had to be him. "Well, why him? I will take anyone but him." I haven't always hated Axel. There was a time when I thought we were friends. It was right before Christian started to court me. After that, he wouldn't talk to me. He wouldn't even look at me, and he was always being rude towards Christian. I slowly grew to resent Axel, and he slowly grew to hate me as well.

"I'm the only one willing to take you, angel," Axel says sounding bored, as if he doesn't care at all that he will be forced to marry me. It stings. I don't know why, but I wanted him to care. Even if he was angry, at least that meant he cared. I care. I stomp that thought down as I glare at him. "YEAH WELL, I'M NOT WILLING TO TAKE YOU!" I say just to get a reaction out of him.

"Well, it looks like you don't have much of a choice so why don't you shut that perfect little mouth of yours and sit down." How dare he speak to me in such a way. I'm furious with him, but I'm even more furious with myself for allowing him to affect me so much. "UGH! I HATE YOU!" I scream at him, stomping my foot like I'm five, and my parents just told me I wasn't allowed a treat after dinner.

"Can't say I'm particularly fond of you either." He says grinning. Fucking grinning! That bastard! I want to hurt him like he just hurt me. Because he did hurt me. His words hurt me, and I'm not sure why. I knew, I know, he didn't like me, but its different hearing him say it to my face.

"Well, at least I have a perfect mouth for you to admire! You don't have shit for me to admire!" I throw at him and watch as his stupid little grin disappears.

"ENOUGH!" King Roland shouts. "You have both been raised better than this. You are royalty! Behave like it. The arrangements have been made. You will learn to love each other. Don't be selfish, it's for the good of all of our kingdoms."

I sit back down and tell the stinging behind my eyes to go away. I will not cry in front of everyone. I will not. I don't know what had gotten into me. I was raised better than this, but I just can never control myself when it comes to Axel.