Fix You

4. Acquainting

Edgar

My head was pounding so hard. No more alcohol for me. I groaned trying to get out of bed and utterly failed. The lights were off, but the sun was too bright for my hungover senses. Definitely no more alcohol for me.

I laid there on my bed, the talk yesterday coming back to my mind. Maybe I could use some more alcohol. I put my hands over my face. "Engaged." I fisted my hands on the sheet beside me. I wanted to shout, to scream. "Finally free, huh? Are. You. Freaking. Kidding. Me." A humorous laugh escaped me.

I dragged myself out of bed and to breakfast. Glad when I found out my mother and father were not there. My little sister was there, though. But that's fine, I guess.

"Morning, Kay," I greeted my little sister. Hazel eyes met my own grey eyes. Her eyes reminding me so much of my mother's look yesterday. Same eyes but different person, I chanted to myself. "You look like horse shit, brother," she said.

Her nursemaid gasped from the corner of the room and snapped, "Princess!!" I could see her face turn beet red from either utter embarrassment or anger. Those hazel eyes slid to her nursemaid, "I'm sorry, I didn't know that you're here, Bora," then Kayce smiled at me and said, "You look like horse dung, brother."

Bora just shook her head in defeat. Yes, my 9 year old little sister could be too much sometimes. I just ruffled her hair in reply.

"I heard you got engaged to Lady Valerie," Kayce said with a mouth still full of pancakes. I glanced at Bora and she was looking at Kayce with horror, Kayce was definitely going to get lectured later on. "Brother?" she asked still with her mouth full when I didn't reply.

"Yeah, who told you?" I stacked some pancakes on my plate and drenched them with maple syrup.

"No one, I was eavesdropping on your conversation yesterday."

Bora might or might not have fainted when she heard her charge was eavesdropping on the crown prince's conversation.

"I see, where were you hiding?" I ate my pancakes quickly. Hungry and hungover. But just like yesterday, before Kayce could answer me, Sareem came in. "Your Highnesses," he bowed and adressed both Kayce and me. Kayce nodded at him. Sareem looked at me, "My prince, the king and queen has asked you to join them in the throne room."

I gave him a grim smile and nodded, "I'll be there right away." Sareem left just as he came. Silence. Well, except for the munching loudly sound Kayce was making. "Well then, I better get going, Kay," I ruffled her hair and headed out.

"We all love you, Edgar, in our own way," said Kayce surprisingly with her mouth empty. I looked at her over my shoulder. Hazel eyes that reminded me so much of our mother staring right back at me. When did she get so wise? I nodded at her and gave her a small smile, "I love you too, Kayce."

The throne room. The only constant room in the whole palace. Everything and everyone was always changing, but this room stayed consistent. I smiled to myself. Guess, I could never be like this throne room.

The king and queen of Samernal were sitting regally on their thrones atop the dais. My stare at the both of them could have bored a hole through their heads. I really shouldn't be thinking these kinds of things just because they arranged me an engagement. But who was I kidding? A need for freedom. The reason of it all. That was what set me off. You thought some wildlife and rainforest and a big lake full of fish meant freedom for me? What a joke.

I bowed, "King Edmund, Queen Celeste." I straightened and stared straight at the wall between their heads. "Whatever do you need of your crown prince?"

My dad leaned back on his throne, his arms on its armrests. A king. He was always a king. A strict and understanding father, yes, but a king first. "Congratulations, son, on your engagement," his booming voice could be heard from the corners of the vast throne room. The servants eavesdropping on us would definitely be scurrying to tell everyone and anyone that the crown prince was finally engaged to someone.

I nodded. Definitely not the best reply to a king, but I knew he understood why I acted like this. I glanced at the woman sitting on a smaller throne beside the king. She was staring at the man on her left dotingly. Love. They married because of love. Couldn't they give me that too? Marrying out of love.

"So, what do you want me for?" I was now back to staring at the wall between their heads.

"For a start, why don't you get to know more about Lady Valerie? Maybe you'll come to like her, and love her," said my mother, the Fae Queen of Samernal.

I nodded again. "Is that all?" now looking at the both of them. I hoped they could see the hurt in my eyes. How they didn't give me a chance to be like them.

The king nodded at me. I bowed and said, "Father, Mother," and walked out. Feeling two sets of eyes on me all the way. One set of grey and another of hazel. I knew my mother would be reaching out for my father's hand by now.

"Lady Valerie is in the writing room, my Prince," said a lady-in-waiting when I strolled into Lady Valerie's quarters. A bit bold of me, but I was way past caring.

The door to the writing room was ajar. Lady Valerie was sitting with her back to me, writing a letter on a desk facing the window. I walked behind her.

Dearest Cole,

I definitely shouldn't be reading a letter of a lady. I cleared my throat. Lady Valerie startled and hid the letter with her hands. She angled her body so that I wouldn't be able to see the letter and looked at me. "Crown Prince Edgar," she said surprised.

"Who's Cole?" I cocked my head to the side. She fisted her hand on the letter. She tried her best to hide the fleeting dismay and upset from her face, but I had already seen it. "M-My," she cleared her throat. "My best friend." I raised my eyebrows and nodded. "Well, my mother told me to get to know you better," I shrugged, "Care to join me for a walk on the palace grounds later, when you're done with the letter to your ... best friend?" I stared right into her eyes. Green. Forest green. Probably the same green as the leaves and grasses of Mandilake.

She nodded and said, "I'd love to, my prince." Her eyes saying what she deeply felt and fear. Fear because I knew. I nodded at her and walked out of the room.

I will always be yours. I love you.

More than a best friend, of course. Maybe we could work together to stop the engagement that the both of us didn't want. I smirked out of her quarters. Things were looking up.

〜＊・○・＊〜

Heyyoo!! Thankyou for reading♡♥︎
WHY IS MY ITALIC-IZER NOT WORKING
(● ˃̶͈̀ロ˂̶͈́)੭ꠥ⁾⁾
The bits of Valerie's letter that Edgar saw was supposed to be typed in italic but since my italic-izer is not working, I center-ized it.

I have no idea how to explain it all, so I just made the word up. Hope you understand. I'm weird, I know. Please bear with me.