Engaged to who

Chapter 2

I wake to the sound of yelling (yet again), and I'm surprised to see it wasn't a nightmare. It was real. I am really here locked to a bed with sweat covering every ounce of my skin. Dazed I look around me and to my relief, I am alone. There is a chair close to my bed and I can smell the smell of pancakes wafting towards me just in reach. My chained hand gasps for the plate, being locked in the servants quarters isn't so bad if their serving me pancakes, but as I reach out the sound of the lock on my door moving stops me. I yank my hand in just in time to see two faces. Henry and I'm guessing the younger is his son.

The boy is clean-shaven just like his father, however, her has slightly lighter hair more brown than black. As they get closer I see the fullness of his body with his body filling out his clothes. Unlike his father he doesn't wear that same cocky, 'I own you' sort of smile. His shoulders are tense like they carry the weight of the world on them and I guess in some sense they do. He will be King, people will rely upon him. Little too late I realise I'm staring at him and lower my gaze.

Henry pushes him forward towards me "Amera dear heart, meet your further husband and king, my son, Billie." He says opening his hands out and gesturing to the boy. Henry slaps Billie on the shoulder and says "Your full of good ideas son, but for the moment I'll leave you to speak to her, you sure have lots to talk about." he says with a wink then shoots out of the room like an all too egar schoolboy. Before he closes the door he blows me a kiss behind his sons back, then slams the door and to my horror locks it. Billie looks like a younger version of his father, I sit up to get a better look at him. Unlike his father, he is staring at the floor not daring to look at me as I gawk at him. To my embarrassment, my stomach growls and in one sharp movement, his brown eyes pierce mine. Just like that, we are both left gaping at each other. He is the first to break eye contact and as he looks away he clears his throat "I guess I should probably feed you."

"You should probably what?" I ask swearing I miss heard him. Feed me my food is already here. All I need is for him to unlock these blasted chains and I can....

"I don't have a key." he interrupts reading my mind "So I guess that leaves us with one option..."

"Absolutley not!" I say sternly glaring at him, but he still reaches for the plate.

"Look wife to be, my father said you were obedient are you or are you not?" He asks now staring deeply into my eyes as if he could read the answer in them.

Now I'm the one looking away "Why am I here? Why did your father seek me out? But more importantly if I'm to be your wife why am I locked to a bed?"

He breaths heavly as if he wish I never asked "This is all my fault. I didn't want to marry a princess and so he went seeking a prettiest orphan he could find. Turns out that's you. As for why you are chained to a bed.... he thought I would get ... off on such pleasures" He speaks his face burning red, as if in warning. He cuts up my pancake and changes the subject "Do you like blueberries or no blueberries."

I don't respond, I just simply lie back and wish the bed would swallow me whole. He comes closer to me am sits on the side of my bed "Sit up please, I'm not going to let you starve."

"Why do you even care? You don't know me," I whisper and with that he halls me up and places a fork in my mouth. I didn't even realise he had loaded my fork until I tasted the pancake in my mouth. I really am their doll, they kiss me, they touch me, they quite literally feed me, I want to gag and spit it out, but damn. Its delicious! I've never had pancakes this good, my foster mums were always burnt on one side or the other but theses are... exquisite! As if he can read my mind he smiles at me "Their pretty good right!" and I don't have the heart to say no. So I just don't respond and continue chewing.

Once the pancake is gone I lie back on my bed and look at the ceiling, waiting for him to leave. But he doesn't move. "Are you just going to sit their the whole day or are you going to leave me alone, and go back to your pretty little world with all your pretty little food and all your pretty little..."

"In case you haven't noticed I'm just as much locked in this room as you. There is one key for your chains and the door. I will repeat ONE! And if it still hasn't clicked for you I do not have that one key." He says frustrated and gets up to look out the window.

"So when are you leaving?" I ask worried I'm going to be stuck with him forever.

"Once you agree to my proposal" He whispers still staring out the window. I gasp as I suddenly realise what this means.

"But you haven't even proposed to me." I state realising a little to late the square object he's clutching in his pocket. A shiver over takes me as I realise how real this is. Somebody kidnaped me to marry a Prince. "This is crazy," I speak. "What about my home? What about my friends? What about.."

"They will all be just fine without you, and if it makes you feel any better you will be able to write to them."

"But will I ever see them again? They must be so worried." I gasp as it has just occurred to me.

"Amera", he says with this heart breaking look in his eyes. "They didn't want us to tell you but... they needed the money." And just like that my world came crumbling down. "They didn't want to but they had to, its also illegal to deny the prince and future king a... fitting wife."

Realisation washes over me "You choose me! Not your father, you."

He looks away "I might have picked a few options."

"So their are more girls here like me?" I ask.

"Ohh No, no, no, you are the only one who made the cut." he cries with laughter over the thought of him having to deal with more than one women like me. Then he turns and looks me in the eyes "We made you think you were kidnapped so you won't hate the family that took you in." As he runs towards me I sit up still staring at him tears welling up in my eyes, threatening a downpour. "My love don't cry." he says hugging me to him, and even though I feel so... used, I can't help but feel warmth for him. Whilst I thought Henry had been built of pure muscle, I must have been wong. Don't get me wrong King Henry is strong but Billie, was, is and forever will be muscular. His abs are rock hard against my belly and as odd as it may seem that gives me comfort. This warm grows in my stomach, as I get this feeling that Billie isn't going to hurt me.

"Why are you telling me this?" I try ask but it comes out raspy.

"Because my love, we are going to have a full life together and I don't plan on doing anything to deputise that. I'm not going to lie to you, this is your life we're talking about just as much as mine and... I don't want to lie to you." He says looking me dead in the eye.

"Theres no way out of this is there?" I ask with little hope in my voice.

"No" He says wisking me back to the moment. Tears abandon my eyes falling down my cheeks. "Amera Florence Stone," he begins holding my hand and getting onto one knee. "Will you do me the greatest honor of becoming my wife?" I sit there motionless, in shock that he knows my full name. Well of course idoit he sought you out. "I promise to love you, trust you and most importantly never lie to you."

I take a deep breath and I feel like I have no choice. If I say no I dobt they will let me go, and if they do where would I go? I can't go back to my foster family, they sold me off. So, after drying my eyes I look back into his. He hasn't tried to force himself on me like his father, he fed me and whether I like to admit it or not, its not everyday a prince proposes to an orphan. So without further thought I say "Billie? Yes!"