Unwillingly Arranged(Liam Payne/One Direction Fanfic)

Chapter Nine(Sage's POV)

I was awoken from a deep sleep that involved dreams that I will not mention by a loud knocking at my wooden door, followed by Jay's voice floating through the door calling "Princess. Princess?" When I didn't answer, I heard the door slowly creak open. Peeking through my half open eyes I noticed Jay's head poked through the door, his eyes scrunched down in confusion.

"Oh, I'm so sorry Sage, did I wake you up?" He sounded genuinely concerned as he stepped inside, closing the door behind him and standing so close to it, he could have been leaning on it. "I can leave, and go inform your father that you were napping."

"No," I yawned, holding up my hand to him as I sat up in my bed, grimacing when I noticed I fell asleep in my riding clothes from earlier. "What's wrong? What did father send you to tell me now, instead of getting of his lazy as- er, butt and doing it himself?"

"There is to be a big dinner, and then a small televised event to announce you and Liam's marriage and wedding date to the kingdom," Jay explained, his eyes going hard for a second with his lips pursed as he spoke. Jealous? I pushed the thought away quickly.

"Do I have to dress up?" I complained, flopping back onto my fluffy pillow and burying my face into in annoyance. "You know I hate things like this, and dresses, and heels, and doing my hair, and gosh dangit, can you hide me?"

"Now princess,' Jay sighed, coming to sit on the edge of my bed. He leaned over, pulling the fluffy pillow away from my face, forcing me to look up at him as he spoke. "Yes you have to dress up. Actually, your mother is having one of the maids send down the dress she picked out for you in a few minutes. But you have free reign on your hair and makeup and such. Heels aren't required, we saw what happened last time."

I grimaced at the thought of my broken ankle last time we had a large dinner that involved high officials from all over the kingdom. Fell in front of all of them as I attempted a graceful entrance down the red carpet they laid out in the dining area.

"But I don't want to announce to everyone that we are getting married," I said, trying not to whine, although my voice seemed to get higher in pitch as I spoke. "I don't want to make a big event out of it. Why can't we just do it subtly until we announce that Liam is prince after we are married or whatever."

"You know your mother and father. Want to show you off as much as possible. And they absolutely love Liam more than they did whenever they picked him. Your brothers too. I saw them playing football(a/n soccer) out in the back yard the other day, having a grand old time," Jay sighed. "I can't say I like him though." I'm not sure I was meant to hear the last part, but it came out as a breathy whisper.

"What was that, Jay?" I asked, narrowing my eyes at him as he looked at me innocently, holding up his hands.

"Nothing, nothing. Nothing you need to know just yet," He answered innocently, pushing himself off the bed. "Don't worry about it."

"I can order my father to make you tell me," I threatened, continuing to glare at his retreating figure. As he opened his mouth to protest, there was a knock at the door, and one of the older maids entered, holding up a dress cover with obviously something in it's contents. Jay took this moment to slip out the door at top speed, his fast footsteps echoing off the stone walls.

"Here you go princess, your mother picked it out, and I must say, it is very lovely. It will look great on your small figure," The maid said, smiling so much more wrinkles appeared on her aged face. She laid it gently down on the edge of my bed, careful not to wrinkle it as she started to back out the door.

"Thank you, m'am!" I called to her, shooting her a thumbs up and a bright smile as she closed the door, leaving me all alone again.

 The smile instantly erased off my face as I was sure they older lady was gone. The frown returned to my features, the same one that had been there when Jay had come to tell me what I would be doing for the night. Another thing that bothered me, Jay. He was acting really weird, especially around me, ever since Liam had come. But there wasn't time to worry about my personal butler acting like an asshole. I need to get readdyy. Cue the annoying girly voice over from a chick flick movie.