Facade

Chapter 5

    "Diana!" Mother called.

    I stopped combing my hair for a second and sighed. We hadn't spoken since our argument yesterday, so I wasn't excited to see her. That was why I rolled my eyes at the mirror I was facing, and then got up and ran out of my room.

    I rushed to the sitting room, knowing how impatient Mother was. One minute too late and she'd be yelling at me, telling me off for having terrible punctuality. I wanted to avoid that, knowing Mother was still angry about yesterday. It was obvious when I saw her sitting with a cold expression.

    Once down the stairs, I walked over to her calmly. I kept my head up and my back straight, hoping she'd see that I was confident and calm. Even though my veins were boiling with anger at how selfish and useless she was for the people I cared about, I knew better than to poke the lioness.

    Stopping in front of her, I said, "Yes, Mother?"

    Mother didn't respond as she stared at me. Her eyes were on my own eyes, and then she brought her eyes down slowly. She was studying me, analyzing me, and definitely judging me. I forced myself not to squirm as she looked back up at me.

    "You haven't been taking care of yourself," she commented, scowling. "Diana, you're a princess remember? Not a homeless girl."

    I flushed, embarrassed by her words. I was still in my white night gown and I hadn't finished combing my hair, which meant my waves were flying everywhere. Even though admittedly I didn't look perfect, describing the way I looked as homeless was a bit harsh.

    "I woke up recently," I said, hoping she'd understand.

    "I can tell." Mother narrowed her eyes, zoning in on my eyes. "The bags under your eyes show that."

    My face turned red and I looked down. Mother was definitely mad. She was being too judgmental and I knew it was her subtle way of attacking me after yesterday. It hurt, even though I tried to tell myself that Mother was just stressed out.

    "So anyways, I set you up on a date," Mother said.

    My head flew up at those words and my eyes flew wide. My jaw would have dropped if I hadn't fought to keep it up.

    "What?" I asked, stunned. "With who?"

    "Prince Phillip." Mother smiled smugly. "The dashing son of King Henry."

    My heart dropped. With everything that happened lately, I had forgotten about him. Creepy, odd, Phillip and the marriage both of our parents wanted between us hadn't even crossed my mind. Suddenly, I felt sick.

    "Mother, I thought you said I have a month to mature," I said, fighting words past the lump in my throat.

    "Well, you acted horribly yesterday." Mother's eyes hardened. "So, I decided that you don't get to wait. You're going to start dating him now and before you know it you'll be married."

    I stared at her, stunned by how cruel she was. She knew I needed time and she knew I didn't want to get married. Mother was mad and she had done the worst thing she could do to me. I couldn't believe it.

    "Mother, I... I don't want to date him," I said honestly, hoping she'd sympathize with me. "I don't want to get married anytime soon. Please, I'm too young."

    Mother scowled. "Diana, I don't care about what you want. You're doing this, okay?"

    Mother's eyes were hard. Her body was tense and I knew I was an idiot for thinking she was capable of feeling sympathy. What she wanted was what she got. It didn't matter how I or anyone felt. That was proven yesterday.