happily every after?

(A/N: English isnt my first language so im sorry if you find any grammatical errors within the story, im still looking for someone who can edit the mistakes out) Elizabeths POV: I roamed around the gigantic castle turning from one corridor to the other, the huge stone pillars towering over my head. The eerie silence was oddly comforting to me because it meant that no one was around, it meant that for once I could be myself. That for once I could be just Elizabeth rather than ‘princess’ Elizabeth of Rimentedon. I looked at the huge portraits of the previous kings and queens that had ruled over this very land. I wondered if they felt the same way I did. Sometimes I wished I could switch my life with someone but deep down I knew that it wasn't possible and that one day I'd end up on one of these portraits too just like the rest of them. I trailed my fingers across one of the vases on a nearby table, my fingers tracing the gold plating. As I mindlessly ran my hands over the piece of china someone crashed into me resulting in me toppling onto the granite floor, the vase shattering into pieces. I fell on the ground with an oomph, the fall knocking the air out of me. I was sure my hands were scraped and my hair was flying in all directions. I tried to get up but I felt weight pushing me down and it was at that very moment that I realized there was someone on top of me and before I could stop myself I let out a blood curdling scream. It lasted for two seconds only as the person quickly reacted and covered my mouth with his hands. They were some huge hands, quite rough too might I add and instantly I knew that they didn't belong to someone noble. Maybe a butler or someone? The person who I noticed was apparently a guard got up first since he was on the top and offered me a hand as he ran a hand through his now messy brown hair. I accepted the help and dusted off my gown as well as fixed my tiara as I got up and stared right into the eyes of the person who had crashed into me. He had beautiful eyes, long eyelashes shadowed his eyeballs as he looked down at me due to the height difference. Green. He had green orbs with brown specs dotting the rim. It almost reminded me of the forests beyond. It reminded me of freedom. It was when he cleared his throat that I realized I'd been staring for too long. “Princess" he bowed his head in respect. His voice was deep and silky, it was enough to make any girl melt. I fixed my composure and nodded signaling that it was fine and then we both parted ways certain that we wouldn't cross paths again but fate had other plans. The selection. It was a life changing event for every prince and princess that was held every year at the start of August. The purpose of the ceremony was to help a prince or princess find their soulmate. The rules stated that by evening, suitors from all over the world would arrive and try to 'impress' me and by the end of the day I would have to choose who I wanted to spend my life with. All of my ancestors had been through the ceremony. That's how my dad found my mom. Then why did the idea of the selection seem so ridiculous to me. I paced anxiously around my room, a million thoughts and emotions coursing through my body. What if I choose someone abusive? Or someone who doesn't care about me? According to the rules once you've selected your partner you can't undo the action. I gripped my hair in frustration as four maids burst into the room. Two were carrying a dress while two carried accessories. They bowed their head in unison as I seated myself on the stool knowing what was coming next. I let my mind drift to the events of earlier today as the girls decorated my hair with all sorts of pearls and powdered my face with so much concentration as if their lives depended on it. I couldn't forget his eyes. No matter how much I wanted to. Those green orbs were imprinted in my mind and I would give up anything just to look into them again. However I knew that I wouldn't be able to see him again, so there was no point in thinking of him. I sighed in disappointment as I thought of the ceremony again. It wasn't a big deal right? Just talk to a few people and then decide who do u like talking to the most. Who was I kidding, it was a BIG deal. How can you decide whose best for you in just a few hours? What if someone's faking their personality? The biggest drawback to everything was that the decision you make couldn't be changed. It was as if everything was being carved on stone. I drew my hand in a fist, as my nails dug deep into my palms. I hissed in pain which earned me a surprised look from one of the maids who had no idea about what was going on in my head. She must've probably thought that I was crazy. It was at that moment that I took a glance at my appearance. My long black hair was pulled back into an elegant up do with a few loose strands here and there framing my oval face. My lips were a darker shade of pink than usual and my features seemed bolder. One of the maids appeared and replaced my usual tiara with a fancier one. It was made out of platinum gold and had a huge blue diamond in the middle with several other gems surrounding it. It was beautiful and I was awestruck at the sight of it. So this is what my mother meant when she said that everything must be perfect on a princess' selection. The crown was paired off with a pair of sapphire earrings and a matching pendant. My gown was strapless and floor length with a sweet heart neckline. It was backless and the color faded to a lighter shade of blue as you went down. There was embroidery around the waist and a bit on the skirt and it hugged my figure perfectly. I quickly put it on and twirled in the mirror, proud of how I looked. I slipped into my heels and set off on my way to my parents' bedroom knowing they'd be happy to see how I looked. Two guards opened the door for me and put their heads down in respect at I walked in, my dress flowing smoothly and my heels clicking loudly. My dad had his hand on the small of my mum's back as I entered however their reaction wasn't exactly what I had in mind. “You look pretty decent dear” my mom said with a small smile and motioned me to sit. Pretty decent? That’s it? All my confidence went down the drain with her words. I had expected a much more enthusiastic reaction. I was annoyed now and I huffed as I made myself comfortable on the bed. There was awkward silence for 2 minutes as we all stared at each other first and then around the room “soooo?” I began waiting for them to say whatever they had to say so I could finally leave their room. It was suffocating to be around my family. You had to be completely formal and had to obey every single thing they had to say and believe it or not but once my mum also lectured me at the dining table for breathing too loud. So in short everything about my life including my breathing was controlled by my parents. “It’s the selection today” my dad said in monotone, keeping a straight face. He barely showed any emotion. I heard these rumors that the only time he showed emotion was when I was born and no it wasn’t happiness or something. He was disappointed and sad because apparently I was a girl and he wished for a boy that could take over the throne after him. My mom was originally expecting twins but I was diagnosed with this rare condition known as “foetus in fetu” which is when one twin absorbs the other during early pregnancy but continues to live inside. My father blamed me for his death and called me the “demons child”. He didn’t even hold me in his arms until I was 2. According to the rumors it was because my mother pleaded him to. He had always wished that my brother had absorbed me instead. I once asked him about the rumors and all he said was “don’t pay attention to what they say”. My mom scolded me later for bringing it up and ruining ‘dinner’ but I could see it in their eyes that I was right. To this day they were distant towards me and I could never be able to explain in words how much I craved parental attention. I know it wasn’t my fault that I killed my brother before he was even brought to this world but I still felt guilty. Like I was a monster? The twin was removed from my stomach a few years back but my heart still felt heavy and my parents weren’t making me feel better about it. I was certain that today they’d be proud of me that for once they’d hold me in their arms and tell me that I was beautiful. I was sure that I’d feel the love from them today but I guess not. My heart was shattering on the inside and I struggled to hold in the tears as I stared blankly at their straight faces. “I know” I replied to his previous sentence. “We won’t take much of your time, we just want to tell you that Prince James from Agai would be visiting today at your selection, and you’re choosing him as your partner”. I looked at them in pure disbelief, did I hear correctly or did they plan to control my selection too? “What do you mean? What if I like someone else? It’s my selection after all I’ll choose him only if I’m interested in him” I exclaimed emphasizing on the word ‘my’. This time my mom spoke up. “No dear you’re not getting it we aren’t asking you to choose him, you have to choose him. There’s no other option. Besides the kingdom of Agai and Rimentedon have been on bad terms for a long time. This could fix all sort of bad blood and the deals already been made Elizabeth”she spat my name. Her tone was firm and I knew she wasn’t going to hear anything from my side. It wasn't like i could disagree with my parents any way. I just nodded in response and kept my head down the whole time. “Excuse me” I whispered and stormed out of the room tears threatening to spill, I didn’t want to cry. Not in front of them at least. This was an important decision of my life, something I couldn’t back out from and they were using it as an excuse to fix some dumb rivalry. Did they not care for me at all? Yes I killed their unborn child but I shared blood with them too. A tear unknowingly escaped my eyes as I leaned next to the balcony, my breathing becoming unsteady by the minute. I knew I couldn’t disobey my parents so all I did was sigh and pray. Pray that James was a good man. I let a few more tears fall after which I decided I was ready to go downstairs. I wouldn’t ruin my special night because of them. So what if everything was decided. I could still have fun. I picked my dress up, sucked in a breath and walked towards the stairs. “Here goes nothing”