His Betrothed: An Arranged Queen

Chapter Two

Princess Eleanor's Point of View

Marriage? An arranged marriage? I thought I was different from everyone else. But guess I was wrong. I misled myself believing that I was different because my father didn’t let me get married to all the suitors that had come to request my hand in marriage.

If only. Oh. If only I can just run away from all this.

Wish it was a dream. Am I dreaming? Is this my reality?

I stood in my room frozen thinking about what just happened with my father.

I lowered my head in anger as I tried to fight back the tears that threatened to fall. I swear to never let myself be with a man who is a murderer.

Is this what I kept my body sacred for? To be someone’s wife? I mean…

“My lady…” Esperanza brought me back to reality as I turned to look at her. She looked worried.

“Is everything alright?”

she questioned me as I nodded my head reluctantly.

“Then why are you crying?”

She questioned again and I quickly wiped my tears off my face as I looked away. How could I let my emotions out for people to see?

“I am fine. No need to worry” I convincedly said to her but I think I was convincing myself?

I moved away from her and went to stand by the mirror to see how I look. She made me wear a red dress and the straps tightly tied behind making me feel uneasy.

“Are you alright?”

She asked me as I nodded my head faking a smile when we heard the horn.

“Are they here already?”

I questioned her and she excitedly nodded her head going to the window to check the people who had just arrived.

“Goodness me! We are late. Oh lord, we will be in trouble if you are not there to welcome him” she said hurrying to me and fixing my hair.

“Esperanza?” I called her gently holding both her shoulders as she tried to fix me up while panicking.

“My lady? The king insisted that...” She wanted to say and I chuckled softly looking into her eyes.

“Take a deep breath!”

I said and she shook her head in disagreement wanting to talk/

“Just a deep breath,” I said to her taking a deep breath and letting it out while she also sighed. I smiled at myself moving away from her.

“Much better. Now shall we meet my betrothed? He must be an interesting man” I said to her walking out of my room heading into the hallway.

“Are you fine with all this? I mean the king always promised you that you would…” She wanted to continue talking and I stopped in my tracks and she lowered her head knowing that I would do something that would make her shut up.

“Can we not talk about this?

I am about to meet my betrothed, do not make me more nervous than I am already, do you understand me?” I said to her and she reluctantly bowed her head in agreement and I turned around heading down the stairs.

“Well, there’s my beautiful darling sister!” Edward my brother exclaimed as soon as i reach the bottom of the stairs, he was dressed modestly and Diana wore a dress that just said elegant with her by his arm.

“Did you know?”

That’s all I asked with tears in my eyes.

“Oh, Eleanor! Believe me darling that I had no idea that you were betrothed.” He said to me as I fought back the tears looking away and father came to where we were before I could say anything to Edward

“Father? Mother?” the three of us bowed our heads as tears fell from my eyes, my bloody eyes betrayed me.

Why?

“Oh! Eleanor” My mother-the queen. Walked over to me brought her hand to my chin lifting my head.

“You will be fine. I am certain no man wants to see his bride crying when you are just meeting him for the first time” she said to me as I moved my head. My mother and I have never actually seen things eye to eye, she is more of someone elegant while I am someone who does not care what my appearance looks like.

“Esperanza?” My mother turned to her and she quickly ran over to me coming to fix my makeup, I swallowed hard the words that threatened to come out and moved away from Esperanza.

The five of us walked to the front door to welcome the man that my father just told me that I was about to get married to.

I turned to Esperanza, and she smiled vividly giving me a thumbs up before I turned to look away.

My father stood in front of us with my mother and me. Edward and Diana stood a few feet behind adjacent me on my right.

We heard the sound of horses neighing and I straightened myself making sure that I put on a happy face and not have him thinking I was just some weak woman that he was marrying.

I turned to my father to see his expression and he seemed very happy with what was happening. He was smiling from ear to ear and kept on nodding his head.

The gentlemen on the horse finally came in view with their king in front of them as I swallowed hard. I could not believe what my eyes saw, the kind of man that I was getting married to.

He wore his knight outfit on his horse as he proudly rode in like a knight in shining armor. Of course, he was a knight what was I saying?

He finally came to a stop and got off the horse stepping down from the horse as I smiled at myself. He wasn’t bad, I mean he didn’t even look like people had described him. I thought he might be coming in his grand luxury carriages that I hear people of Celidan are forced to make.

He walked over to the stairs, his eyes blue like the ocean Despite dawn being upon us, you could see the beautiful color of his eyes. His eyes looking calm and welcoming, his lips screaming come to me.

The perfect Masculine body with a bit of muscle.

“I guess he didn’t decide to grace us with his presence” I heard Diana mutter something under her breath to Edward who just nodded his head.

“Well, I guess that’s how much he values her” He responded to her just before the man could take a bow before our father.

“Your majesty?” He said to my father who smiled vividly giving him an affirmative nod. All the men behind took a knee as I looked at them.

“This is not King Michael?”

I asked Edward my brother and he shook his head.

“That’s his right-hand man – Lukas” He responded as I swallowed hard, I had admired the wrong man. What the hell was wrong with me? I cannot believe what was happening right now.

“Welcome to Alarenna!”

My father said to the men as they all stood up standing in line, why did they only come ten of them? This was driving me crazy.

“Where’s King Michael?”

I questioned as I heard gasps come from people that were waiting with us, women in our beautiful kingdom didn’t have the right to speak when the king is there.

“Eleanor!” my mother exclaimed, I decided to ignore her because I wanted to know if the man was going to make me stand here for nothing.

The man looked at me briefly before bowing his head. “My lady? Your beauty exceeds what has been said of you” he said to me as I frowned. What was he doing?

Did these people know who I was? What was he doing right now?

“We just had to make sure it was safe before his majesty could come” He explained to me as I swallowed hard looking away.

“Didn’t he think that we would be waiting here?” I questioned him

“Please forgive my daughter, sometimes she speaks without thinking” My father quickly stepped in before I could say more to him.

“You have met my daughter already, Eleanor Mary. This is my son and his wife, Edward and Diana, and my wife, Queen Anne-Marianna” My father informally introducing us as he glared at me.

“It’s a pleasure,” he responded as I rolled my eyes.

“Please come in, you have traveled many lands. I am certain you must be wary and would like to relax” My father said to the man who looked at me before turning and walking away.

“You have met m

“Thank you, your majesty,” he said to my father as they all walked back inside, I sighed heavily looking at Diana and Edward who just shook his head in disagreement.

“So, when do we expect King Michael?” My father questioned as I lowered my head following him behind, I felt like crying but I was much stronger than this.

If the man thought I was coming back here to welcome him as well then, he was wrong.

We walked inside and went to the throne room where a table was set up, my father went to sit on his throne with my mother on the side then Edward and his wife, and then there was me at the other side on the right-hand side of my father.

“What were you thinking talking to a man who is not your husband?” My mother whispered to me as I sighed heavily.

The men walked to the table and sat down; I knew this was going to be a long night so I just decided I would ignore my mother knowing she was going to be talking about this the whole time.

We all sat up there elegantly waiting for the King of Celidan and wondering

The doors opened widely and I heard mumbles as the man walked in. From a distance under the dim light, you could see the man wasn’t just an average man.

Lukas, the knight stood up and walked over to him giving him a head bow as I sighed heavily.

I knew this man. But from where? His face was so familiar but I couldn’t think of where we might have met before.

“King Michael? Welcome!”

My father exclaimed happily getting off the throne going to greet the man with his arms wide open ready to welcome him.

Esperanza ushered me up with her chin from my side so that I can stand up to greet the King.

He looked quite different from the man I met earlier, he was muscular, tall, and had dark skin with look shaggy hair. I would say the first man Lukas was the king, and probably this one was one of his men.

“Please meet my daughter, Eleanor” My father turned to me as I stood at a distance taking in the man’s physical appearance.

I swallowed hard as I walked over to where he was. “My lady, such a pleasure to finally meet you,” he said coming over where I was. I gave him my hand and he gladly took it with a smile on his face.

“Welcome, Your Majesty,” I said to him holding to my dress as I bowed down my head. He had no emotions on his face but just bowed his head shifting back his attention to my father.

How Embarrassing. I just wished the ground could open up and swallow me right now. The man was way older than me and older than Edward my brother but had no manners.

Was this why my father didn’t say anything to me?

“Why don’t you have something to eat first before we can have our talks about the tournament?” He said directing him to the diner so that we have our dinner.

We all walked over to the dining room that had over a hundred people that came from different kingdoms, I couldn’t even believe that father had all these people waiting for King Michael.

We walked to the front of the table and they all stopped their chatter looking at him. I sighed heavily looking at everyone.

“Welcome everyone, I hope you were able to rest for those of you that came a few days earlier. Tomorrow we begin our tournament, why don’t you for now eat and be Merry!” My father said lifting his cup of wine as everyone cheered him on and then taking their seats.

Esperanza pulled my chair as I sat down getting ready, to eat as I sat next to Diana while all the men eat.

“Your majesty, may I also suggest something while we fight for the title tomorrow?” One of the men from Ralend shouted as my father broadly smiled at him.

“Go ahead! Willard,” My father replied as he munched on the beef on his plate.

“May I suggest that also the princess is included on the replied prize? The winner can take her hand in marriage?” He suggested as I choked on the wine I was drinking.

What in God's name was he suggesting? My eyes ran from the man who had suggested that I should be put up as a prize for their tournament to my father waiting for his response.

I took a deep breath gulping down the words that threatened to come out of my mouth. My father chuckled softly drinking from his wine looking at the man who suggested it.

“Unfortunately, she’s already betrothed,” My father said without making mention of the man I was betrothed to. I would have preferred to get married to any of the people there than Michael.

The man wanted to say something else but King Michael spoke first before he could utter any word.

“I think that would be more interesting. I wouldn’t mind fighting for my bride” he said as I moved my eyes to look in his eyes.

Was he joking right now?

He would easily give me up like that? I scoffed softly before standing up from my chair walking out of the dining room. I needed to get out of here before I lost my calm.

I hurriedly walked out as Esperanza followed me behind with some loud footsteps.

“Is this what he thinks of me? Someone he can gamble? What does he think I am?” I complained while pacing around the garden without looking at the person who was following me.

“I think you are worth fighting for” I heard the deep husky voice come behind me as I turned around to look at the person who had just walked in.

I couldn’t believe my eyes. King Michael.

I stood there froze not sure where to go from here. His voice commands respect and authority as I looked at him inhaling sharply.