Sold.

Chapter Three

I suppose hating Phillip isn't fair. I mean, he is being forced to marry someone who could care less about him. Me. I have only officially met him once, and the whole time I acted nothing but resentful.


Which I am. Now, back to the night of my insufferable Welcome Ball.


I parted ways with Phillip, walking over to Arian. Just as kind looking as I remember. Close cropped brown hair, startling grey eyes, like sparkling moonstone.


I walked over in my stupid ball gown, as silver as my hair. I don't know why my hair is such an odd color, but my mother requested I have my hair match my dress, so they dyed it.
I hate it.
Arian bows low to my distaste and kisses my hand as we sat, smiling. "Ah. So the humble maid becomes the future queen. I mean, anyone would wonder how that happens." His words sound bitter, and anyone with a brain would understand why.
As much as I pray, I cannot change the fate my father forced me into.


Arian deserved an apology, more than that, even. I had to try, because before we were lovers, we were best friends. "Er, Lord Latish," I started, trying to sound formal. Arian just waved my words off with a simple gesture of his hand.
"Not now, Lady Van Talla. Your fiancée is watching."
I looked up, and sure enough, Prince Phillip was watching as he danced with his mother, Queen Elizabeth. The prince caught my eye, and I placed a hand on Arian's shoulder, mustering a cold laugh.
Something hard and cold glinted in the prince's eye and he turned away. As soon as he did, I took my hand away from Arian, and instead grabbed his hand, though the action here was dangerous. I led him into a secluded corner, out of sight.  To anyone else, it might look like a former master soothing his former slave. Not a lover's quarrel. But I suppose we weren't lovers anymore.

I cleared my throat. "Arian, I honestly didn't know-"

"That you entered Queenstrial? You didn't know you were to become future queen, Kyrah?" His words were harsh. But I deserved it.

I shook my head. "I honestly had no idea! Not until...I was summoned to the palace, Ari."
I remember the day I was summoned vividly. I was called from the servants' quarters to the banquet hall, greeted by Arian's father, and guards sent to take me away. To prepare me. I remember Arian's father, Arenas, bowing to me. To me. His maid, his slave, no less.
I never even got to say goodbye to Arian.
Now here, still with so many people around us, we could not say what we wanted to tell each other.

If the High Houses weren't staying here until the Parting Ball. Ever the mastermind, Arian whispered low. "I can feign sick, and you can make an excuse to come with me, something about you being my maid."

I gave a slight nod, agreeing immediately. Arian grabbed wine and tipped it back, the drink disappearing.
Faking sick would be easy. Just the smell of alcohol made Arian nauseous.

The Latish Heir turned around and threw up- all over the nearest person. I pressed a hand to my mouth, to block the stench, and to keep from laughing. I turned to the small crowd of people looking over. They knew who I was, who I used to be for him.  His maid.

"I'll take Lord Latish to his rooms," I said quickly, ushering Arian along. I wasn't very familiar with the palace, but my mother and I studied maps of it, so I knew every room.






We ran through many halls and passages, not daring to say anything with all the cameras leering so close. After about twenty minutes, we found his quarters. I stepped inside, locking the door behind us.
I sat down on the edge of his bed. No doubt the others left at the ball were suspicious. Looking out of the corner of my eye, I see Arian sit beside me, taking my hand. I know what's to come, and I try to push that away.
For now.



Arian opens his mouth, to let nothing out but a whisper. "I wish things could be different."
But they couldn't be. Because of some decades old murder, and the fact my father wanted power.
Tears welled in Arian's eyes, and I did not wipe them away. No, that wasn't my place anymore. My place was beside Phillip. The tears fell, and it hurt knowing it was my fault he had this pain. How deep it went, I don't know.


In all honesty, it was my father's doing. The problem is no one else knows who Arian is to me. Was, to me. I also doubt that even if I had told my father, anything would change. No, it wouldn't have. This has been my future since my birth. My father, a displaced king, and me, it's true princess, stuck in a bridal cage forced to be future queen. I am not a god's chosen, as my father would say, but a god's cursed.
My own vision swam before my eyes. Tears threatened to fall out of them. "A-Arian if I could-"

"But you can't." That stung. But rightfully so. He was right. There was nothing could do, nothing to change the way things were. Not yet. Not until I become queen. I was a lady of my restored house, heir to it, future queen of this country, and that counted for absolutely nothing. Arian and I would be separated. I would be forced to marry Phillip, and he would most likely have consorts, forgetting about me except for the job I was presented for. The strongest bloods of royals and commoners, this done for centuries to keep the royal line fair to prevent uprisings, a revolution against the way the people are treated. The thing to tie the country down.
A heir.
I have never seen much below my line of work as a maid, but I knew the castes could be much worse than the one I was in. Much worse. Arian would choose a wife soon, and it wouldn't be me, as he so called wanted.

I had to try with Arian. I couldn't be alone in this, I wouldn't. I hardened my voice. "Your right. But I can give you a consort's crown, we can still-" He stopped me.

"Listen, Lady Van Talla. You know that's not possible! I am the heir to my house, and I need to have a heir, and that isn't possible if-" I cut him off quickly.

"But if you gave that away, for me, maybe to Aiden? Any of your brothers-"
Arian shook his head.

"Kyrah..none of my brothers could handle it. And, even if I did give it up, we wouldn't be married. You won't be able to do as you like anyway. I don't want a crown if you can't come with it."

I couldn't marry him. We wouldn't be able to appear many places together, that was the king and queen's job. A consort would be happy to stay at the palace, in the shadows. But not Arian.

He won't stay out of the spotlight, even for me. "I have no way out of this."

"And I have no way to you."
I pull away from him, my hands cold. He is right. Always is. So, the best option is to push him away.

"Have you chosen a wife?" I began, watching his expression change to confusion, why I changed the subject so quickly, why I'm shutting down. Shutting him out.

I don a mask, cold, unfeeling. Perfect for a future queen. I never hide from Arian. That is no more.

"Kyrah-"
He is interrupted by a knock on the door. My voice is hard, tight with hatred.

"Maybe you should get that." I get up, smoothing my dress. He chose his house, power, and money over me.
Now I choose my unwanted crown over him.

A/N: Did you like it? Did you make it all the way here? Hi.

The next chapter is..better. I revised it seven times.