Kiss me

Two

Dear diary,
Last night I couldn't sleep.
I threw up whatever I ate and spent the late hours watching the stars in the sky, begging to those above to not let me marry so soon.
My father hadn't even been dead for over a day and I am already required to be married to a man I don't even know, all because they believe that as a woman I cannot run a kingdom.
The plans I had were large, progressive and rational. I was more than ready to initiate change, starting with the unprecedented idea of being a female King.
Jen set out a dress for me already.
It laid lifeless on my bed.
A silk pink day gown with embedded crystals at the cuffs of the sleeves.
Mother always told me how pink looked beautiful on my brown skin and how it complimented my personality well.
She wouldn't have approved of me being married off this soon.
Who could have done this?
Jen came into my room every now and then, reminding me to get dressed just in time for the mystery man's arrival, but I didn't budge from my mattress.
I hid myself under the cool silk covers and squeezed my eyes shut, wishing to be anywhere but here.
The double doors swung open and Jen's heels clicked violently against the floor as she rushed over to me, ripping the sheets away from my embrace.
I let out an annoyed groan.
"They're here, we need to get you dressed now."
She started to help me undress but I waved her off and did it myself ever so slowly, trying my best to stall.
"They? There's multiple men that want to marry me?" I cocked a brow and struggled to put on the item, arms stuck at the torso of the dress.
Jen pulled it down at the hem and helped get my arms into the sleeves.
"No, it's just one man from one kingdom with his sister to accompany him."
His sister?
"Why? Is she willing to marry me as well?" I giggled.
Jen gasped while she worked on my hair in a hurry.
"Jokes like those can get a mob started you know"
She warned.
"Did you find it funny or not?"
"No"
"That small grin says other wise."
She rolled her eyes and finished my hair off with some golden accented jewelry.
"They're downstairs waiting for your arrival, I can only stall them for so long. Please come down the moment you get your shoes on." She pleaded, a desperate look in her eyes before curtsying and walking away.
I hated when she did that.
She's the only friend I have and still behaves as if I'm my father.
Glancing over at my mirror, I got a slight view of how I looked.
How they wanted me to look of course.
I shook my head and headed down to dine with the mystery siblings, no shoes at all.
They can smell my stinky feet for all I care.
When I finally made my way into the dining hall, two figures were seated at the elegant table, decorated with flowers and fancy breakfast.
I spotted some gifts such as gems and golden accessories.
For the guests I presume.
Jen stood beside my seat at the end of the table and gave me a small smile as she let out an audible sigh of relief, excusing herself when the two figures stared at her.
"Our Princess has arrived!" She announced, holding back a cheer as she fiddled with her apron.
I stared at the two, making eye contact with the first one when he turned to look at me.
His eyes were a deep blue and he had a head full of ginger hair.
He gave me an unenthusiastic smile and bowed as I made my way over to him, placing my hand in his before he brought them to his lips, barely kissing it.
How was I expected to marry a man that wouldn't even kiss my hand.
"This is king Finneas, he comes from the Kingdom of Rae." Jen informed me.
I nodded and mirrored his facial expression.
"Very excited for be marrying you king Finneas." I blurted.
Surprisingly, he laughed in response.
So hard to the point where he turned red, and because he was laughing, everyone else in the room felt obligated to join.
Everyone except who I presumed to be his sister.
Once the laughter died down I made my way toward her and I was taken aback.
Her eyes were just like those of her brother's but they were much more piercing and clear, her lips full and pink.
I gulped while curtsying, intimidated by her her looks.
"This is princess Billie-" Jen began before being cut off.
"Billie. I am just Billie." She gave me a lazy bow before her brother cleared his throat, making her change her greeting into a curtesy.
I avoided eye contact with her, completely afraid with the irrational thought of her reading my soul with those eyes.
"I apologize for the long wait, let's all eat you must be starving." I spoke into the air while I took my seat at the end of the table.
My subjects remained in their positions until I spoke again.
"I meant everyone."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I hated it.
We ate in silence and I couldn't stop feeling the eyes of that Billie girl on me.
She slouched in her seat and sucked on her fingers after she finished her plate, no sense of care.
Finneas constantly gave her a glare and apologized for her behavior, but I didn't mind.
How refreshing was it to see someone do something so different and controversial.
I was determined to find out more about her, I was more than sure we shared the same ideas judging by how she even refused a title such as "princess."
We finished our meals and Jen helped the two guests set their things in place.
Although I was not happy to be married off to Finneas, I was more than happy to know that he would be sleeping in his own quarters.
I spent the rest of the day searching for Billie, she evaporated into thin air after breakfast.
I asked my royal subjects but they gave me nothing but blank stares and shrugs.
Finneas was nowhere to be seen either but I wasn't necessarily hoping to run into him and chat about marriage.
I checked every corner of the palace, searched high and low until I saw her.
She was seated by my koi pond, surrounded with lavender plants, hiding her from anyone who was simply passing by.
She hummed as she fed the fish and even attempted to pet one but jumped and let out a scream when it leaped away from her.
"They'll get used to you I promise." I giggled as I wove through the tall plants and sat beside her.
She let out an annoyed sigh, clearly not happy to see me.
Silence.
I glanced over at her, studying her side profile as she stared down at the fish, infatuated with how they swam over one another other for the smallest bits of fish food.
"Have you ever tried fish food?" I grabbed a handful and offered some to her.
"You're strange." She cocked a brow, a smile tugging at her lips.
"You may think that, much like how people may think you're odd for not acting like a princess should ." I shot back, offering some of the dry brown pebbles to her one last time.
She took one.
"So you're willing to try?" I smiled in triumph, dumping all pebbles but one into the water, making the koi fight each other for a bite.
She nodded and let out a giggle while bringing it up to her lips.
I did the same and we bit into the fish food at the same time, spitting it out immediately from the foul taste in unison.
"Is this what you fancy?" She sneered.
"Absolutely not, I just wanted to see if you'd try it with me." I snickered.
She wiped her hands against her dress before I pulled a handkerchief from in between my bosom and offered it to her.
She rejected it.
"I don't care much for this dress, or any dresses at all." She shrugged.
"So what would you prefer to wear?" I tilted my head but quickly averted my eyes away from her as she attempted to make eye contact.
"I've tried my brothers clothes on before, I prefer those." She admitted.
"Clothes made for men?" I questioned.
She nodded and stared at me.
"What do you prefer?" She asked.
"I love my dresses, all of them, especially if they're made of silk like this one." I closed my eyes and allowed for the bright sun to warm up my face.
"Why don't you wear men's clothing if  you fancy it so much?" I questioned.
"Finneas tells me they'll behead me if I was ever caught dressing like a man." She rolled her eyes and frowned while attempting to pet the fish again.
"I promise you Billie, you are allowed to wear whatever it is you'd like in this palace." I glanced over at her, blushing when I noticed her eyes were still on me.
She had the brightest most beautiful smile on her face.
"Really?" She sat up and pulled her hand out of the water.
"Of course. Visits to the village will be different but as long as you're in the palace, your guilty pleasure is safe with us." I smiled and stood up, wiping the back of my dress.
"I'll see you at supper Billie." I finally met her eyes and my soul nearly left my body.
"Right?"
Her eyes twinkled in the sunlight, the bright smile never leaving her face as she nodded.
She was breathtaking.