The Misplaced Prince[COMPLETE]

Meant To Be

Joshua took a deep breath, surprised by the pounding in his chest.

She had just surprised him, using his name like that. For some reason, hearing her voice form his name...undid him. He narrowed his eyes, watching that blazing hair walk away from him, already tensing to follow her and spin her around. He would demand an explanation for why she had said her name the way she just had, as if...

As if she owned him.

He shook his head, shaking himself out of the strange feeling himself in his chest. Or at least trying to.

His eyes returned suspiciously to her, and he studied her back. He felt like he hadn't looked at her properly...ever, which was ridiculous. She was always here, waiting in the castle.

When had she grown her hair out that long? Of course he had known it was long, just never... that long. She was wearing a dress. It was pretty enough, royal blue with golden leaves embroidered to cascade down her skirt. Why had Dick found that unusual? Did she not usually wear dresses? Or did she not wear blue ones?

What did she usually wear?

He found himself drawing a blank, and it stunned him that he could be so unobservant. A recent memory of her voice softly utter his name caused him to shiver, and suddenly his glaring lack of observation of her bothered.

"What the hell," he muttered, but before he could give into the strangeness and follow Kasey, of all people, a bong was announcing the arrival of his betrothed.

And any jittery thoughts that had distracted him from the bleakness of what was possibly to come tonight fled, and he turned to watch Lady Gwyneth descend, his insides turning to ice.

She was a beautiful woman, his betrothed.

There was something in the way she carried herself that caused her to command attention, despite her minuscule frame. Black, glossy straight hair cascaded over one shoulder, held in a lose braid, contrasting with her pale skin that was still smooth in her age. A small pixie like face housed slanted eyes that were hypnotically beautiful, and she had reddened her lips with a rouge that made it seem as if she had sipped blood.

A tall young man with similar features descended behind her, straight hair grazing his collar around a sharply handsome face. Her brother, Joshua realized. The man who had missed inheriting Farasia by several years.

Tony sidled next to Joshua, murmuring, "Do they say she's forty? She doesn't look a day over twenty five."

"I would have to agree." Jalal murmured, who had followed Joshua to take a protective stance behind him.

Joshua ignored them. Nothing they could say could make him look at the situation favourably. He knew enough about the woman to know better.

And looking into her eyes as they settled on him with satisfied intent, he knew.

She meant to marry him.

She meant to marry him today.

For some odd, inexplicable reason, he found his eyes wandering around. They landed on familiar red hair, wild and untamed. Watched her back as she left the hall, leaving him to his fate.

Felt hollow feeling settled in his chest, tasting loneliness as if for the first time in years.

It was ridiculous. He tore his gaze away, returning it to Lady Gwyneth's eyes. Remembering his mission, he faced her resolutely.

A Prince kept his word. But he had to make sure she broke hers.

"You've grown up well." Lady Gwyneth whispered to him, as he dutifully twirled her around the hall, purring, "I am pleased."