Bound To You

Chapter 1: Under Public Scrutiny

Three minutes and six seconds.

That is all it takes to change the course of a life, my life.

No matter what people believe about fate I was never one to fall for it. I knew that I could change the course of my future that nothing was set in stone. I could etch and chisel away at the solid foundation and still change it into a beautiful life, one of my own making.

In the attempts of breaking through those confining walls my birth right surrounded me with, I came to the realization that my life would never be normal. That my life would be the center of attention for the whole world to see. To see every faltering step, every mistake, every time I had my heart broken.

This is my life.

Princess Emilia's life.
——————————————————————

"Princess Emilia!" Her name was being screamed by the bystanders surrounding her as she emerged from her engagement with the SHIELD Foundation.

"Emilia over here!"

It had been the first day she had surfaced since the release of her ex-boyfriend's tell all book about her and their relationship a few weeks prior to. Her grandmother, the Queen, thought it was best if she went out and showed the people that the book meant nothing to her, but in reality it was eating away inside of her right down to her core.

It was the ultimate betrayal she had ever endured in her time as a royal. Emilia had read every word despite the numerous pleads from her personal secretary Mia, not to give him more power then had already taken from her. Her mind flashed through a series images of her sitting up in her bed at Lexington Palace reading every page, turning over the tear stained pages leading to more written lies and partial truths. She sat in the dark alone in the midst of the night with black mascara tears trickling down her cheeks.

Tears filled with all the hurt, betrayal and deceit forcing it's way out of her body the only way she knew how. It was the only thing she could do. Emilia could not defend herself against all of the claims and lies, but most of all the truths her ex Thomas Brandy had written about. It was not the way of the monarchy to be caught in the public eye in such a scandal as this and the best course of action is to remain silent and hold her head up high.

The sea of photographers clicking away at their cameras snapping pictures of her brought her back to the quick realization to where she was. Flipping an internal switch she placed a wide fake smile on her lips and continued to greet the crowd that had come to see her.

"Thank you for coming out." Emilia shook an elderly woman's hand moving along the line like a robot on auto pilot trying to get through the last few minutes of the engagement without losing it. You are almost done Emilia, she inwardly convinced herself.

"How are you Princess?" A woman seeming to be close to her age asked her. Emilia's head rose to make eye contact with the woman. Every response would surely be shared to reporters and make it into their articles the following day of how the princess handled herself.

All Emilia wanted to do was to tell the truth. She wanted everyone to know how her heart was being torn into shards of glass cutting it's way through her body. She wanted them to know she did not want to be where she stood amongst them being judged for every expression and every word. Emilia wanted to show them that she was a person too, despite her royal status she was a human that cried, hurt and felt the pain of a heartbreak. That she was not immune to it all.

"I am well thank you." The lie gently rolling off of her tongue too easy for her liking.

A hand on her back caused her to turn her head slightly listening to Tristan, her personal protection officer, signaling that it was time for them to leave. Shaking her head no she knew a few more minutes after the signal would further add to the image that Emilia was her regular self and ensure the press and the people that she was hardly touched by the release of the book.