Betrothed & Betrayed

Chapter Two

Kyler paced back and forth, waiting for her turn to walk out onto the balcony that overlooked the kingdom square, with a microphone waiting menacingly for her and her fiancé to make the death call. The princess shuddered, and she felt Jacobi's hand rest on her lower back in a gesture of comfort. She silently wished that her father had actually asked her if she liked the damn guy. As she walked out onto the balcony, fear briefly flashed through her, piercing her stomach. She squinted her eyes slightly at the sunlight shining through the clouds, and cursed inwardly. It was as if nothing had ever happened, as if her father were still alive and well. The whole kingdom was in mourning, yet the sun still shone bright and cheerful upon everyone outside. She braced herself and stepped up to the microphone. "People of Norden, beloved subjects of his Majesty. I have dire news to share with you. My father, the mighty King Kalek, has succumb to his illness, and left us earlier this morning at around eleven a.m." There was an audible gasp from the crowd of hundreds of people gathered. Many of the people had loved King Kalek, with his charm and how he always put the well-being of his kingdom first. Her bottom lip trembled slightly, but she soldiered on. "I am incredibly sorry to say it. I hope that you will have me as leader, support me and agree with the decisions I hope will make this land better, for you and for all of Norden. As of today, our kingdom will be put into three days of mourning for my father, and then the coronation and wedding will commence. Thank you." She finished, before turning and walking back inside.
She. Broke. Down.
She walked briskly down the hallway, ushering her maids away, unable to control the tears streaming down her face.
When she got to her room, which wouldn't even be hers anymore in three days, she crumpled onto the bed, not caring about the makeup. She sobbed uncontrollably, letting out heartbroken screams and cries. When royal guards came to her door, probably expecting to see her getting murdered, she screamed at them to get away and slammed her door in their faces. She knew she was being petty, but she'd just lost a key part of her life.
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Kyler lay there in her bed, silent. She had fallen asleep after her breakdown, when she had curled up whimpering and crying for a few moments before passing out. She sat up, rolling her shoulders and stretching. She stood, walking over to her private bathroom and standing in front of the mirror. Black streaked her cheeks from her eyeliner and messed up mascara, making her look terrible. She was gaunt, having not eaten very frequently while she was staying with her father. She had stayed by his side almost twenty-four-seven while he suffered through his illness, somehow subconsciously knowing that those would be her last days with him. She pulled off her crown, untwisting the braids from her head before peeling her dress away from her skin, kicking it aside. Her undergarments came next, and she turned, reaching over to turn the bathwater on. She turned to close the door, before stepping into the warm water, steam rolling off of it. As she sank down to sit in it, she let out a sigh. Steam filled the bathroom, and she braided her wet hair for no reason, just out of boredom. Suddenly, the door opened, and she jumped, quickly covering herself with her hands. Jacobi walked in, keeping his eyes on her face and gladly not on any other body parts belonging to her. "What the hell are you doing in here?" She hissed, quickly grabbing a towel and standing up, wrapping it around herself. "Sorry. I was worried for you, and you weren't in your room, so I assumed you were sitting in here or something." He said, and she rolled her eyes. "I'm fine, as you can see." She thanked herself inwardly for washing the makeup off of her face before stepping into the tub. "I'm sorry that you were forced into this relationship," Now that surprised her. Jacobi had never spoken ill of or criticized the decisions of the king, he had just quietly accepted his betrothal and went with the flow. She knew he was slightly attracted to her, but he never showed much affection, nor did she. That was why she was so shocked, because Jacobi was usually stoic and rarely showed more than a few loving words or gestures to anyone. He especially never cried. The last time she had seen him cry was when his younger brother Nicholas died, when they were about eleven. She blinked, realizing that her daydreaming had distracted her and he was speaking to the princess, soon-to-be queen. "Pardon?" She said quietly. "I said that I'm sorry for your loss, I know you and your father were close. And I'll try to make this marriage as easy as possible, if it's humanly possible for someone as magnificent as you to love me, one day." Jacobi said. This made her almost fall over. Such strong, passionate words from such a quiet man? "Oh.. my." She stuttered. "Thank you, for your condolences and your compliments. But I would still appreciate it if you left my bathroom while I'm still naked." She said, giving a small half-smile. She cursed herself. That was the first smile she'd had since her father had become sick, and it just had to be directed at Jacobi, someone who constantly got on her nerves. "As you wish. I'm sorry to have interrupted." Jacobi apologized, before briskly leaving the room and closing the door behind him. Kyler sank against the wall with relief. She had not one bit of attraction towards him, and wondered if, as queen, she would be able to veto the marriage and live as a single ruler who would eventually find love. She sighed. "That will never happen, for I am in the position that everyone wants to be married to, whether it's through lust or hunger for power." She said, staring at herself in the mirror. Throwing on a thick robe and tying it, she stalked out of the bathroom, completely willing to give up and sleep for eternity.