miracles

{two}

I turn towards Tobias and smile. We're lying in bed, simply enjoying the muffle of the orchestra downstairs the sounds of crickets outside. The moon is high in the sky, glowing like a brilliant firework display. There's no moment in the world that could be more perfect than this. And then, it's ruined.

There's a pounding on my door. "Francoise," Mother calls. Oh dear. Tobias and I are now scrambling to get dressed. "Open this door or I'll break it open!"

"Just a moment, Mother!" I call.

"That's it!" She flings open the door to see Tobias standing naked in the middle of it. She lets out a loud scream. "Your Royal Highness!" She turns away. "W-what's going on here?"

"None of your concern, Your Excellency," Tobias snaps. "Please, could we have a moment of privacy?"

She nods rapidly and rushes out of the room, slamming the door behind her. Tobias and I burst into laughter.

"That woman is truly something." After he finishes getting dressed, he helps me into my own clothes once again and sighs. "Unfortunately for us, I must be off now. But I'll be sure to have any guards here keep a close eye on your mother. And you best write to me if anything else comes up. I wish to hear from you again." He plants a kiss on my cheek. "Goodbye, my sweet." 

And with that, he's gone.

________________________________________________________________________________

the next morning

"Would you care to explain to me why the hell Prince Tobias was in the same bed as you last night?" Mother asks as she takes a sip of her tea. "That is unacceptable. If you lost your virginity, you are automatically making yourself less desirable. And besides, there's no possible way that His Royal Highness would ever fall for a brute like yourself."

"Then why was he in your bed, Mother?" I snap without thinking. "You must have gone crazy if you don't think that he's interested in me. But nonetheless, I have no interest in him either." Well, that's a bit of a lie now. He was incredibly handsome. "Besides, my place is in smaller homes, as you've always said. But you should be proud of me. Tobias is a high-ranking noble, the next in line for the throne."

"Of course I know that." She rolls her eyes, finishing off her second cup of tea so far this morning. "Now go get dressed; we're leaving for the Grand Palace in about two hours."

I stand and walk out of the dining room and back into my own. There, Hydeia seems to already have gotten the information. She helps me into a blue and white striped gown, typical for a lady of the court. Of course, it's nothing too elaborate. I suppose that Mother will be wearing something excellent. "I heard about what happened last night, Ma'am," she says. "The prince and you."

"What of it?" I ask.

"I believe he has taken a particular liking to you. While working last night's ball, I noticed that he repeatedly glanced towards you." She pins my hair into a high tower of curls and little decorations. As she finishes up, I pick up a bit of berry oil and dab it onto my lips for a little bit of color. "There, you're all done."

"Thank you." I turn and walk out of the room and go to one of the safest places I know; the fields of wildflowers.

________________________________________________________________________________

While lying around in the soft grass, my heart finally feels content for the first time in a matter of weeks. I can always find myself happy here; it's why I attempted an escape the way I did. Soon enough, though, a guard rushes towards me, asking for my return to the manor so that we can leave for the capital.

The inside of the carriage is stuffy and unwelcoming. "What is the meaning of this, Mother?" I ask as we begin to pull away from the manor. I fix a stray curl in my hair by tucking it back into one of the many pins in it.

"A rather...difficult letter was delivered by one of His Majesty's messengers. With all the violence happening right now, it's a miracle that it wasn't stolen from our grasp." She turns her head to watch out the window for a moment before continuing. "Unfortunately, there were no specifics cited in the letter, so we best be wary of what to expect." She shoots me a glare as if I'd done something wrong. 

Around twenty minutes later, we've arrived at the Grand Palace and are greeted by a line of guards leading up to the front door. We're quickly taken into a small parlor on the first floor and told to wait here until the king and his family arrive.

The doorknob turns and Mother and I rise to our feet as the king, queen, and prince enter. We sink into a bow and rise with a smile. "Welcome back to our home," the king greets. "Please, have a seat. There is much to discuss, and we don't need your feet getting tired."

We gather around a small coffee table as a butler pours us a bit of tea. 

"Normally, we would not be having this conversation with another noble, as such matters have never been brought to our attention before. But we will recognize them and take action if need be." My eyes widen and I feel my heart begin to speed up exponentially. "Our family is requesting  a betrothal between your daughter and our son."

"I refuse," Mother snaps. "My daughter is not to become married to the future king of Eclaran, but rather the future king of Spain."

"As your daughter is not under the age of twelve, she has the right to decide for herself." The king turns to me. "Tell me, child, what is your decision?"

"With all due respect Your Majesty," I start, my voice shaking as I speak. "Must I make my decision today?"

"I must have an answer by this time tomorrow."

I bite my bottom lip and try to think of all possible scenarios. If I refuse, it puts me in a difficult place with the monarchs. If I accept, the course of my life will change forever, as it would with any marriage, but much more so if I marry Tobias. To my left, Mother is giving me a terrifying glare. I could escape her, I think. I could run away and be safe from her abusive ways. "I accept the betrothal."

The king nods. "Now, seeing as you two have...met before, such matters must not leave this room. You will act like any married couple would, having not met each other once before." The king stands and fixes his silk coat. "Thank you for visiting on such short notice. A valet will show you the way out." They turn and exit the room, leaving Mother and I to ourselves awaiting the valet.

"Are you crazy?" she asks.

"No," I snap. "If anything, I'm quite sure of my decision. I'm sure that I will benefit from it in the long run."