Royally Bounded

Chapter 18

Clara

At lunch time, I sat beside my mother who was also next to Ida. She took Ida's hand and made comments about what a great daughter-in-law Ida would be. Silas sat across from me, and we exchanged glances with each other. He wanted to find a proper time to discuss with our parents about the marriage because he didn't want to embarrass Ida and her family.

Edmund and his wife, Willow, were seated near my father. My father was at the head of the table to symbolize his breadwinner role in the family.

I looked around for Beatrice, but I had no luck. I swore that my mother purposely had her somewhere else to not interfere with the arranged relationship. Knowing how selfish my mother was, I expected that she wouldn't even let a single mistake fly out of her fingers.

"Clara," my mother snapped my thoughts. Ida and her looked over at me with smiles. They seemed to be waiting for an answer except I zoned out of my thoughts.

"Yeah?" I replied, twirling the spaghetti around my fork.

"We're hosting a charity ball in a few days, and Willow and Ida are still searching for some beautiful dresses. It would be great to have you help them out."

"Of course," I nodded my head, smiling over at them. "Hayden actually hired a stylist for me. Her name is Ruth, and she's excellent at choosing my clothes. The ones I have are from her boutique. She would gladly help with the dresses."

"I don't have a fitting body like yours, Clara," Ida complimented. She was admiring my entire figure from head to toe. "I don't think I would suit the outfits that perfectly."

"Don't be silly, Ida," my mother patted her hand, sending a warm smile. "I'm sure Ruth can help you out."

"If both of you don't mind, we can even spend some time together tomorrow afternoon at Imperos Palace. My friend Rosie is also into fashion, and she could give out advices too." I offered.

"As long as it doesn't bother you, it would be our pleasure, Clara," Willow instantly agreed.

"It's okay. It will be an opportunity for us to get to know each other. Hayden will be out to have a meeting for political matters, and we won't be interrupted."

"That's perfect."

I nodded, letting them return to their conversation as I looked over at Silas. I offered to help him to speak with Ida about the situation. She seemed to be an understanding person, and if I could convince her to decline the marriage, it could be different.

When we finished lunch, I followed Edmund and his family outside since they were leaving too. As mannered hosts, my parents had to lead them out.

My eyes landed on the Tesla parked outside of our house. The rain had stopped, and I didn't have to be drenched in wet, cold temperature. My eyes landed on Hayden who was leaning against the vehicle.

His dark sleeves rolled upwards to reveal his arms, thick blue veins under the light toned skin. With the top of his navy blue dress shirt disconnected, he displayed a glimpse of his muscled chest, and a deep collarbone sinking in. Some loose strands fell to his face, not enough to hide his facial features.

"Oh my God," Ida nearly squealed beside me. "Is that Prince Hayden? He's so handsome."

My fingers tightened around the straps of my shoulder purse. I flashed my eyes over at Ida who was unaware of it. She kept talking to me about how attractive Hayden was.

It was obvious that I didn't need her input.

"You're so lucky, Clara," she flushed, her eyes remaining on my husband. My steps grew heavier as we reached the gate. "Look at his body proportions. It's perfect."