Allison Cecile Jonah

Chapter 2

"I have to what?! Father, that is completely different from what you've told me all my life!" Alice burst out. "I never told you because it would crush your  dream... Besides it's not so bad, you just have to get married.."

"Easy for you to say! You got married when you wanted to. You inherited the throne. I have to marry it. And you say it was to not crush my dream, but I think it would have been better if you told me about it. You married someone you love, you like! I have to marry a stranger!"

"Not in this case, no." Ruth spoke, " You will be marrying the second prince of Maréregno, James Jones Jonathan. You will marry him in order to merge the kingdoms, ours and theirs. You will go and stay with them till as long as we send for you, which may even take  a few months." 

Wow, So not only do I have to marry my childhood bestfriend, but I also have to marry him to merge our kingdoms! What could get worse!!- Alice thought.

She sighed heavily and just said, "When?"
" You'll leave in three weeks. Pack everything that helps you live. Oh,and if it helps you, Minho Karchi will be accompanying you." Ruth dictated the terms.

Alice's eyes lit up.
Minho Karchi was the son of the defense chief of Bellashier, her kingdom, and her sworn protecter. He was assigned to her when they both were sixteen.
He was as old as her and they had met plenty of times after she was eight, after her visits to Maréregno were stopped because apparently, according to Ruth, she was old enough and (word to word), 'one can get too familiar with people'.

Minho was her best friend and was like a son to her father. They were  best friends since she was nine. Because well, she never talked to James after she was eight. And it's been almost a decade since then.

So well, Minho was there.
But one doubt struck her. " If we have to merge kingdoms, shouldn't I be marrying the first prince, Walter Jacob Jonathan?"

"He is known to have some ... Issues. And my word is final- You willl get married to the prince of Maréregno. Now as for the second new-" 

"Ruth, I think that's enough for today." Charles spoke.

"No, I shall tell her today-"

"Ruth!" 

She turned to look at him and saw not the husband who once went down on one knee and proposed to her, but the king whose words were final and firm.

He turned towards Alice.
His expression softened and he said, "We'll tell you later, dear. Minho has gone to visit his grandfather and will be back by tomorrow evening and knowing the kind of monkey he is, he'll probably end up by your window soon in the evening. 

Go and sleep now, dear." 

As Alice headed out the door she heard her father say - she is only a child. 

And she thought -yeah, clearly. I'm a child who is getting married soon.

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Well, the second news actually made sense. 

She always remembered Ruth as a strict, ruthless mother. She never consoled her when she cried. She never bandaged her hands after she injured herself from climbing on trees and escaping into the town. She never combed her hair gently and told her sweet fairytales.

It was only once that she felt that Ruth was her mother.

Turns out, she was never her mother.

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