The Royal Arrangement

Chapter 9

2/4/2019 (1218 words)

Ariana POV

''Princess Ariana, welcome to Rome''

Wait. WHAT? I was just sat there, staring at him. How did he know?

''My mum told me it has always been your dream to come here, and I wanted to show you where half of my family comes from.'' He said nonchalantly. I couldn't help but give him a glimmer of a smile, but I quickly remembered the reason I was here. The honeymoon. My honeymoon. The smile was wiped from my face as we sat in our seats and a man from our freaking protection unit went over the rules and itinerary for the next two weeks, but I tuned out pretty much immediately. I hated this. My life from now on was just going to be full of schedules and rules that I couldn't break, I was never going to have the opportunity to go to University, I was never going to be able to go out and make stupid mistakes just like everyone else my age. Would I be able to go anywhere without the press following me? Lorenzo's voice pulled me from my thoughts, and I realised there were a couple of tears rolling silently down my cheeks.

''Ariana? What's wrong?'' He asked, leaning over my chair. I just gave the bodyguard a side look, but Lorenzo caught it and told him to leave us alone. ''Will you tell me now he's gone?''

''It doesn't matter, it's not important.'' I said, shaking my head. I moved to get up, but he caught my arm in a tight grip.

''I'm your husband, you need to tell me when something's wrong. That's how marriages work, right?''

That was exactly it, I never wanted to marry him. I never wanted to even meet him or any of the royals. I had been determined to move away from home as soon as I could and get a small flat in the middle of the city, not move out and into the palace and be forever tied to a man I was told I was going to marry only two months ago.

''I just need some space.''

''Fine.'' He snapped, grabbing my hand and walking quickly over to the door. ''Put these on.'' He said, dipping his hand into his pocket and pulling out two pairs of sunglasses and handing me one of them. I took them but gave him a questioning look. ''We are in Italy, the sun is bright, and you don't want the cameras to blind you.'' Cameras? WHAT CAMERAS?

The plane door opened, and Lorenzo printed a smile onto his face for the cameras as we started to climb down the stairs, his hand still secured around my own. I kept my head down, focusing on the steps as we got closer to the furious clicking, and I found myself unwillingly shrinking into Lorenzo's side, as if he were a shield. Yet again, his observant eyes saw my movements and he put himself between me and the cameras, walking me to the big black car at the end of the runway.

I opened the door and heard a unanimous gasp from behind me, I looked back and saw the reporters with their mouths slightly open but still taking pictures, perhaps even more frantically then before. Lorenzo gently pushed me inside and the driver shut the door.

''What was that?'' I asked Lorenzo, extremely confused.

''You opened a door yourself; you didn't wait for the driver.'' He replied with a small laugh playing on his smirk.

''Oh.'' I paused for a few seconds. ''They really gasped because I opened a door?'' I asked incredulously.

''Yep.''

-Two hours later-

After a stifling one hour and forty-five minutes of being stuck in a car so hot I'm pretty sure even the structural build of the car was sweating, along with the never ending amount of security we had needed to go through just to get to the long driveway, we arrived at the most incredible villa I had ever seen. Ivy had wound it's way up the off-white walls and there were balconies by every visible window with a long, clear swimming pool in the front garden and two sun-loungers by the side and pots of flowers around the edges.

''Princess Ariana? Would you like me to take your carry-on bag?'' A butler asked, bringing me from my daze.

''No thanks, I can get it myself. And please just call me Ariana.'' I replied with a smile. As I walked up to the glass doors, I realised I had been zoning out a lot recently. Maybe it was just my way of adjusting.

''Princess Ariana, please let me take your jacket and I will take your bag up to your room.'' A middle-aged maid said with a thick Italian accent.

''I'm fine, thanks. I can take it up, but could you direct me to the room?'' Lorenzo seemed to have disappeared to somewhere. She nodded kindly and started walking just in front of me, so I took that as an indication to follow.

''Can I ask your name?'' I said, just trying to make some sort of conversation.

''Carmelita, your highness.''

''That's a lovely name, and please, just call me Ariana.'' Carmelita nodded, but I doubted she was going to call me by my name and not my title.

''This is your room, Princess Ariana.'' We had stopped next to big, wooden double-doors with those black accents you would see on old doors, similar to those from from around the 1500's. I thanked her and stepped inside. In front of me was the most beautiful room I had ever seen.

It gave off an extremely rustic and homely feel with all the furniture having been made out of varying types and tones of wood, though the white linens and cushions along with the flowers on the dressing table made it feel very open and light. The floor to ceiling window probably had something to do with that as well.

''Thanks Carmelita, I'll sort my own bags out.'' A voice spoke from the door behind me. I turned around and saw Lorenzo stood there with his luggage.

''What are you doing in here?'' I asked him.

''This is my room.'' He said in an 'isn't it obvious' tone.

I shot him a glare. ''Well Carmelita brought me up here and told me this is where I am staying.'' I snapped back.

''CARMELITA!'' Lorenzo yelled.

''Yes Sir?'' She said, running up behind him quickly.

''You were told that we would not be sharing a room.'' She nodded slowly. ''So why did you bring Ariana to this room?'' He asked sternly.

She started to make her excuses, but I was nearly at the end of my teather just standing there, so I interrupted. ''I'll just go to another room, you don't need to make such a big deal out of this.'' I said, brushing past Lorenzo and grabbing my bag from the bed.

''No.'' He stopped me. ''I'll go, and sorry for yelling at you Carmelita.'' He said stiffly, and took my bag from me, putting it back on the bed before picking his own up and walking from the bedroom.

I was left, just stood in the middle of the room.

''Umm, lunch should be ready soon, your highness.'' Carmelita said backing out of the room and shutting the door, she sounded as confused with the prince's mood as I felt.

Hi, we have a relatively quick update, FINALLY! And you know I love you, but you all seem to be ghosts! Please vote and comment because I don't know if you are actually enjoying this or not.

Beth xxx