A Fairy Tale Minus the Happily Ever After

Chapter 1

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Gildeon let her silk dress drag along the ground as she wandered the palace for Queen Reece.

"Mother," her voice echoed through the empty halls. "Mother..." She turned into the great hall, where pictures of the royal family were hung all over the red, gold-trimmed walls. She sauntered along, peering into all the rooms, each one only echoeing with emptiness.

She sighed softly. Her mother seemed to never be around lately. But her sigh was interrupted by Lord Rinaldi, who came strolling down the hallway. "Gildeon! I've been looking all over for you, where have you been?"

She spun around in surprise, not expecting the handsome figure standing before her. "Oh, Rin, it's only you. Don't come from behind and scare me like that."

Rinaldi smiled gingerly. "Come with me. I have something to show you." They began dawdling down the hallway, talking about parliament, and laws, and everything else in the kingdom-until he led her to the ballroom. Flowers of every color were strung across the room, dozens of lavender candles were lit, giving the room a dim but romantic feeling.

"Oh...oh, Rin, it's absolutely wonderful! Why'd you do this?"

"I figured it was a good way to say, 'happy birthday, Gildeon.' "

Gildeon turned away, trying to hide herself blushing. "Oh, really? But my birthday's not for another two weeks."

Rinaldi wrapped his arms around her. "I know, but in those weeks I won't be able to see you alone." Rin clapped his hands, and a violinist appeared from behind a curtain. As a lullaby began to play, Rinaldi spun her around, and their hands joined as he twirled her throughout the dancefloor, just them and the candles, burning on and on.

As the last note rang out, filling the entire ballroom with a mystical haze, Rinaldi brought her lips to his, and Gildeon couldn't refuse. The music faded into silence, but Rin and Gildeon never stopped dancing. For hours after, he kept spinning her around, as she was a puppet in his arms. And they danced, until a voice boomed through the castle. "Lord Rinaldi!"

For the first time that night, Rin took his eyes off of her, looking up to see if anyone was around. "Lord Rinaldi! This is most urgent!"

He sighed softly, turning back to her only to say, "I shall see you tomorrow." He turned and his footsteps echoed the whole way out, as he left Gildeon, in the middle of the dancefloor. Just her, the night's sweet memories, and the lavender candles, burning on and on.

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Lord Rinaldi rushed down the hallways, looking for the booming voice that was calling his name. Sure enough, in the Great Hall, he spotted his mother, Lady MacEnvely, pacing urgently.

"Mother, what is it?"

"Rinaldi, what took you so long? I've been looking all over for you! Come with me, you are already late!"

Lady MacEnvely marched him through the hallways, until they reached her room.The walls were a pastel pink with white trim, elegant to say the least. She peered into the hallway to make sure no one was around, shut the door, and nearly pushed Rin into the sofa. She daintily perched herself in a chair, and began.

"So, how did it go?"

"Tonight? Oh, it was wonderful."

"Then what took so long? Did you follow the plan?"

"Why of course. I found her, led her to the ballroom, and danced with her for the one song the violinist played. Well, we danced a little longer..." His voice trailed off as he became entwined with the night's memories.

"What? Don't tell me you're falling in love with her?" Rin didn't answer. He kept staring at the floor, unable to stop thinking about her delicate eyes. "Rinaldi...Rinaldi, listen to me. Your job is not to love her. It's to make her fall in love with you. And in two weeks, on her sixteenth birthday, that spoiled brat of a princess will choose whom she is to marry. Everyone in the kingdom knows it will be you. Remember the plan! And as prince, you will have enough power to take the crown from her family and make our family's name known. And I do not believe falling in love with that tramp was in this plan...if you fall in love with her now, you may not have the heart to kill her later on..."

Rin snapped into attention. "Kill her? Mother, you never said anything about killing her."

"Well dear, that's just common sense. How else are we to get her out of the way? What, did you expect to steal the crown with her just standing by? Honestly, Rinaldi, have some common sense."

She stood up gracefully, brushed off her pastel yellow dress, and made her way to the door, looking out to make sure no one had heard their conversation. As she crept out the door, she whispered behind her, "Remember the plan."

Rin sat in the room, alone, wondering if there was more to this "plan" he didn't know about. He knew his mother had always wanted to steal the crown from King Reece, had always wanted their family name known. He knew there was going to be bloodshed, war. He knew the plan was to make the princess fall in love with him, and then take the crown. But he didn't know he had to kill her himself. He didn't know he would have to take a knife and stab her. And what if he grew to truly whole-heartedly love her back? But he had to, and he couldn't let a silly little thing like love stop him from carrying out the plan.

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WELL, that's chapter one!!!!!! The whole story (I have it all planned...i think...) has lots of twists and exciting turns! The beginning is kinda slow, I know, but let me know what you think! Vote if you like it, comment if you don't (And if you do!) THANK YOU SOOO MUCH FOR YOUR TIME AND VIEWS!!!!