Prince and Prejudice

Three

“Please.” I stood up and took Arkin’s hand in mine, pleading with him not to harm my family in any way. “Please, I beg of you, show us some mercy. I understand what my family has done to you is wrong and I agree with you wholeheartedly, but please do not do anything to harm them.” 

“Don’t touch me!” He tore his hand from mine forcing me to think about the days where he would smile every time I took a hold of his hands. “You think by crying and begging you can make me forget what they have done? They have committed a crime, Raina; they have not only deceived us but have shown a blatant display of disrespect.” 

“I understand that, Your Majesty, I really do. But you have to understand why they did that. This alliance means everything to them. There is nothing they wouldn’t have done for this union to take place,” I told him, hoping he’d understand. 

“Pardon me, Raina, but I fail to understand why it would be so important for the King and Queen of Dossoba to deceive us in such a manner. Why are they so desperate for this alliance?” He questioned, folding his arms across his chest, his eyes demanding an explanation. 

This was embarrassing to say the least. Not only would I be exposing my family’s financial and political situation in front of the man who hated me but I might just be ruining any chance I had of salvaging this situation. But I had no option. Prince Arkin was powerful and if I didn’t tell him what he wanted to know, then God knows what he would do, not only to me but to my parents as well. 

“The Kingdom of Dossoba…” I never knew telling the truth could be so difficult. “…has been going through some difficult times since the past few years. Both politically and economically, we have been suffering from numerous problems. The plague that spread across Dossoba nearly crippled us and we are still trying to improve the situation but the storms ruined the crops which caused a famine. People are dying. There is not enough food available for sustenance. Mother and Father have been trying to revive the nation but nothing they do is helping.” 

“So they decided to sell their daughter just so they can show the world their wealth which they get from her in-laws,” he stated. 

I swallowed hard but didn’t say anything. He was right. My parents sold me to fill their own coffers, but that was not the only reason they washed their hands off me and it was something I wasn’t sure I could ever tell Arkin. So I let him believe the half truth. 

“I don’t think I can accept your reasoning.” He walked over to an arch window with thick, velvet drapes which had been pushed aside to let the light in. 

His words painted gruesome scenarios in my head, not one I could allow to come to pass. I rushed to his side, offering him the only thing I had:

Myself. 

I stood in front of him until he had no option but to look at me. And it hurt me to see the disgust and hatred flashing in his eyes as he looked down at me. Why Arkin? Why do you hate me so much? The accident was not my fault. This scar is not my fault. 

“Please your Majesty, I beg your pardon. I shall do whatever it is that you require of me. Anything. Anything at all. I shall be a slave to you and your family if that is what you wish. You can hurt me, you can beat me; whatever pleases you, you can do to me. I shall never complain. I shall never do anything to displease you. Please, your Majesty, please do not harm my family.” By now I had tears in my ears and was close to kneeling at his feet just so he could understand my desperation. I may not be able to ascend the throne but I would do anything for my Kingdom, even if I had to lower myself to the likes of peasants. 

Prince Arkin remained silent for some time; those blue eyes locked with my own. What was he thinking? Was he considering taking me up on my proposition? What would he do to me if he did decide to make me his slave? I knew how slaves were treated and though my own father had been one to t*****e slaves over something they didn’t do, I was not one to condone the t*****e of slaves. If I could, I would free all the slaves and give them wealth to go and live their own lives. However, I knew Prince Arkin was not one who agreed with me on this. He hadn’t in the past and I was certain he wouldn’t now. 

“You will do anything we want? He asked, as if making sure he heard me correctly. 

I nodded, frantically. “Yes, your Majesty, anything. If it pleases you, you can strip me off my crown and exile me to Forlem Cay forever. You can even lower my status to that of a servant. You can even marry some other woman of noble birth and make her the future Queen of Oyehan, but please, have mercy on my Kingdom. Please do not punish my people for something that is not their fault.” 

My people were everything to me. I may be of no importance to them because of my face and I knew despite my status and noble birth the people of Dossoba prayed for the day I would leave the Kingdom and good fortune would bless them once again, as my departure would bring an end to the period of misfortune currently plaguing the nation. I never understood how the scar on my face made me the source of bad luck until an elderly lady told me how an unsightly princess could bring nothing but ill fortune upon the Kingdom. 

Prince Arkin kept his furious gaze on me, no doubt thinking about the ways he could make me miserable for the rest of my life. But I understood his ire. He had been deceived in the worst way and he had every right to punish me. I deserved no kindness or sympathy from him. 

“Very well, I shall discuss it with the King and Queen and inform you of our decision by the morrow. Until then you are to stay in your chambers and venture nowhere, for I will know if you do. No one here is loyal to you, so make sure to abide by the rules set upon you. If I hear that you have gone against my orders, then the consequences shall be severe,” he said.

I nodded once again as that was all I could do. “Yes, Your Majesty. I shall do as you command. But please, have mercy upon my Kingdom. You can punish me as harshly as you deem so, but please do not inflict harm on my people.” 

He smirked. “Your people,” he scoffed before turning on his heels and marching out of the chamber, leaving me all alone to do nothing but pray that the Kingdom of Oyehan shall decide in my favor. 

What were these people going to do to me? Would they throw me in the dungeons where I could do nothing but wait for death to come for me, or would they try to make an example out of me in front of the entire Kingdom? I’d never known Arkin to be so merciless, but I guess time changed people. The man who couldn’t see me in the slightest pain was now planning on hurting me in the worst possible way. 

With a sigh, I dragged myself over to the bed and sat down, thinking about the old times when Arkin and I were the light in each other’s lives.

“Rain, you must not venture into the herb gardens during twilight,” Arkin said, taking a hold of my hand and leading me away from the herb garden.

“And why not? I particularly enjoy the herb garden; all the different kinds of plants and flowers, it is absolutely beautiful.” I gushed, wanting him to love the herb garden just as much as I did. 

“It is dangerous. I’ve heard there are poisonous herbs there, what if you touch one by accident? I shall not tolerate such foolishness,” he argued. 

“Do not be silly, Arkin; I am well versed in the knowledge of herbs. I know which plant is toxic and which isn’t.” 

“Accidents can still happen. You never know. Now must you argue with me when I have a new place to show you?” 

His words piqued my curiosity. “New place? Where? I wish to see.” 

An excited smile curved his lips. “It is just across the stables. As far as I’m aware no other soul knows about the place. It can be our place; where no one can disturb us and we can share our secrets in peace.” 

“Really?! That would be absolutely wonderful. You must take me there right now, Arkin, for I cannot wait to see our secret place!” I exclaimed.

He did not say anything after that, just took a hold of my hand and took off in the direction of the stables. I’d always wished for a secret place where Arkin and I did not have to worry about the servants catching us and telling us not to get our clothes dirty. Moreover, we could play whatever it was our hearts desired without having the fear of somebody catching us and telling on us. This place would be ours. And I shall make sure no one finds out about it. 

We reached the stables after some time. The sun was just about to take the final leap under, leaving us with nothing but the light of the moon. The breeze had become chilly and I knew it was only a matter of time before the servants would come searching for us, instructing us to get back inside the castle walls until the arrival of the next day. 

“Just a little further,” Arkin said, holding tightly to my hand as we ventured into the forest, being careful not to make too much noise as to alert the wild animals. 

My smile turned into a frown when I looked around, trying to see if Arkin really was taking me to a place I’d never seen before. But no matter how much further we walked, there seemed to be nothing I hadn’t already seen. 

“Here we are,” he announced, letting go of my hand and with a sweeping gesture showed me the place. “Our new secret place.” 

I crossed my arms in front of my chest and scowled at him. “This is not a new place. We have been here aplenty.” 

Color filled his cheeks as he gave me a sheepish smile. “Well, it is new. We have been here before but we never considered it our secret place.” 

“I do not believe you, Arkin. You must tell me the truth,” I demanded. 

He sighed. “Alright, there is no new place which I discovered. I just wanted to get you away from the herb garden and so I made it all up.” 

“Why? I am telling you, I know about all the plants that are present there,” I started to argue but he was quick to speak.

“I am aware of that, Rain, but I am afraid for your safety. Those herbs are dangerous, and I cannot just sit by and let you roam around the garden. You are my friend and I shall be displeased if something were to happen to you.” The look on his face told me that he would not be dissuaded, and so I did the only thing I could do to appease him. I stepped forward and hugged him as tightly as I could. 

“Thank you for worrying about me, but I go to the herb garden with you for I know you will not allow anything bad to happen to me,” I told him. 

He was quiet for a few moments before he pulled away and nodded. “I understand, but we must be careful. There are numerous other places we can go to spend our time; mayhap once in a few days we can also visit the herb garden as you seem to favor it.”

I nodded and smiled at him. “I would like that. The Kingdom is vast, I would like to explore it more.” 

Just as I finished speaking we heard the shuffling of approaching footsteps. Arkin and I placed a hand over our mouths to stop ourselves from laughing and getting caught by the servants and sat down under an oak tree where we stayed until it grew too cold and we had no option but to get back inside the castle.

A lone tear slipped from my eyes as I reminisced my childhood with my dearest friend. Arkin had meant everything to me, he was still the most important person to me, and knowing that he no longer felt the same way about me was pure agony. 

It’s alright. You just need to worry about not dying at his hands. 

My inner voice was correct. I was no longer his friend. I was the one he despised. All I could do was hope for mercy and think about how to spend the rest of my life in or outside of Oyehan. 

Going back to Dossoba was not an option for me, as I knew just how much the people valued me. The people were happy I was no longer there to taint their fortunes, so I would have to go to another place and begin anew. A small village would be a peaceful place to live; hopefully nobody would banish me for my unsightly face. 

The door to the bed chambers opened just as I begun to think about all the villages I knew that were not in alliance with any Kingdom. A young maid who appeared to be a few years younger than me came to stand in front of me, her eyes downcast, whether out of respect or disgust I did not know. 

“Princess Raina, your presence has been requested by the King and Queen. I am here to escort you,” she said. 

My heart jumped to my throat as I realized that they were going to announce their decision regarding my life. What had Prince Arkin told them? Had he pleaded my case or would he stand by his parents decision to punish me in the worst of ways? And he told me that they would have their decision by the morrow, how could they come to a decision so quickly? Was it because they did not need time to think and have already decided to execute me? 

Stay strong, Raina. For your family. For your Kingdom. You must stay strong. 

“Very well.” I stood up. “I am ready. Please, lead me to them.” 

The maid turned around and walked out of the chambers and I followed after her praying for mercy which did not seem to be in the cards for me. 

I did not know whether it was fear or the anticipation of starting a new life but I was not paying attention to where the maid was taking me. It was only when we stopped in front of the royal chambers did I realize where we were and the only thing separating me from knowing the decision made by the King and Queen was a set of giant, double doors. 

Prince Arkin, please have mercy.