The Arrangement
970 Words
As I walked into the throne room, everyone but my father, the king, stood as I made my way to the throne beside my father, where I sat down.
The appeals to the king were mainly just farmers needing compensation or settling disputes. It went on and on for hours.
Until, finally, my father called the disputes to an end.
"And now, I'd like to present King Leviathan to the court!" he announced to my surprise.
The doors opened to reveal a man, with icy blue eyes and hair so black it was almost blue.
King Leviathan was the ruler of the other kingdom in our realm. Once, there were nearly ten kingdoms, but slowly, under my family's rule, we united them all except one.
"King Avon, it's a pleasure to finally meet you in person." Leviathan smirked like a cat that had won the cream.
"It's also a pleasure for myself and Princess Amoria," my father smiled graciously.
"She's as beautiful as you said," Leviathan looked me up and down, as if he were a child looking at a new toy.
I looked at my father as I finally realised.
He knew in that moment that things had not gone how he planned, "I request a private audience immediately!" he bellowed, and within seconds, the court room emptied until it was just me, my father, Leviathan, and their bodyguards.
"Amoria," my father looked to me, "King Leviathan is to be your husband."
"Excuse me!" I gasped and stood up, forgetting myself.
"You will stay seated!" Leviathan glowered at me.
I turned to my father, but he did not say anything about Leviathans tone towards me.
I sat back down.
"Amoria, you will marry me, and you will be Queen of not just your kingdom, but also mine. We will unite the realm under one monarchy." Leviathan looked from me to my father, May I have a walk in the palace Gardens with Amoria?" he requested.
"You may," he nodded before giving me an expectant glance.
I stood and followed behind Leviathan.
"I'm coming to understand that the king did not give you any warning of this arrangement?" He spoke with an air of cold authority.
"Yes, I'm sorry for my reaction. If I'd had some fore warning in private, I would have been more prepared." I apologised.
"Well, in the future, you will need to have more self-control." he huffed as we strolled through the rose garden.
"Your majesty, may I ask, when the wedding ceremony is set for?" I stuttered as I willed myself to hold back tears.
"Tomorrow morning, then we will journey back to my palace where we will live."
There was no question about it, I would only be allowed to do what he bid me do.
"If it pleases you, your majesty." I tried to offer a smile.
"You're not good at hiding your dominant nature. You will also need to work on that." He added
Later that night, I lay awake fuming. How could my own father do this to me?
He knew that Mama wanted me to marry for love.
I decided that I didn't care about the 'rules' anymore. I put on a fur lined cape and left to find Reed's house down in the village.
It took a while, but I knew what his house looked like, I'd gone there only a handful of times when I was much younger.
I knocked on the front door. To my surprise, a small child answered the door.
"Is Reed in?" I asked, and the little boy nodded his head as he rubbed his eyes.
"REED!" The kid screamed through the house.
A shadow moved through the dark hallway until I could see Reed. He stood wearing nothing but some shorts. His smooth, tanned skin marred from the years he'd spent working since he was only ten years old.
"Amoria?" he looked at me in disbelief before ushering me inside.
"What's she doing here?" The little brother whispered.
"Shut it and go back to bed." Reed steered the childling back to bed.
"What're you doing here?" Reed pulled me into his room. I'd never seen such a small room before.
We sat down on his little bed, "My father has, in fact, arranged a marriage. My marriage." I finally let myself cry as Reed held me.
"To who?" Reed wondered.
"Leviathan," I gasped.
"Leviatha?"
"King Leviathan!"
Reed went silent for a moment.
"Don't marry him!" He burst, "I love you, I always have!" He stood waiting.
"I know," I admitted, "And I might have feelings too, but my duty as the princess comes first."
Tears streamed down my face as I finally admitted to myself that I had slowly grown to have feelings for Reed.
When I woke up each morning, he was the one I thought of. When I was doing something boring, I wondered what he was doing.
I hadn't realised how attached I'd become to him.
"Leave with me, please?" Reed begged me, "We can run away, live outside the boarders. Marry me, not him!" His pleading eyes held a seriousness I'd never seen in him before.
"Reed, I can't do that, you know this." I stood up, "This was a mistake, I shouldn't have come here, I can't talk to you anymore. I don't think we should be friends anymore either." I realised that it was inevitable any way.
"What! No! Ria, don't do this! I can make you happy!" Years began streaming down his beautiful face.
"I know you could, you do, I just.. I have to go." I found my way out of the house and ran back towards the palace.
"And just what are you doing!?"
I felt someone firmly wrap an arm around my waste.
I turned to face him before I froze in horror.
- Writer
