Ricardiana

twenty

The party was massive. I could already hear the music playing down in the ball room and the people cheering and clanking glasses. I looked at Delaney, who stood behind me. She smiles at me and I nod. She isn't attending tonight, she didn't want to risk people finding out about the baby. I pick up the skirt of my dress and walk out, the red tulle shimmering underneath the light.

"Princess, wait here. I must alert the guards that you are present." One of the other guards says.

I nod and place my hand on my stomach. I felt like I was going to throw up. The guard returns and smiles at me, and then the music stops. He opens a door, and walks out, and I can hear Julian running up behind me.

"You look beautiful." He whispers.

"I know." I respond quietly.

Julian raises an eyebrow but shakes it off as the guard announces our arrival. Father is already at the barrier, looking over and down at the guests, who are all cheering once Julian and I emerge from the other room.

"Friends, guests, citizens of Ricardiana... I would like to announce that my daughter, Princess Diana, has accepted the courtship request of Count Julian." Dad says, looking at the guests and then looking at Julian and I. "Let us raise our glasses to love and Julian and Diana." Dad says.

I look over the barrier as I hold my glass up. Liam is standing at the bottom, looking up at me. He's holding his glass up, but his face his looks soft, hurt almost. Julian clanks his glass against mine and pulls me away from my thoughts with a kiss on the lips, although that is not what I wanted. I pulled away as the crowd cheered beneath us. I had to get out of here.

"Diana, wait!" Julian calls after me, but I do not stop.

"You do not kiss me like that, sir. If we are going to be in a courtship, we must set boundaries." I say.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to offend you." Julian says.

"Diana!" Delaney calls.

"Delaney." I respond.

"Julian, lovely to see you as well." Delaney says.

Julian nods and looks back at me. "Boundaries. Set them." He says.

"Do not do what you just did out there. Do not make a fool of me or my family. Do not fool around with my family." I say. Julian nods again.

"Diana, I actually need your assistance right now." Delaney says.

"With what?" I ask, slightly angered.

"Telling the father that the child is his." Delaney says. Her eyes are filled with tears. I look at Julian and then look back at Delaney.

"Excuse me, Count. My sister needs me." I say.

"Actually, Diana..." Delaney starts.

"Are you ready to tell him or not? Where is he, Del?" I ask.

I was in a hurry and I wanted to get away from the Count.

"Diana... Julian is the father." She says suddenly and everything stops.

Julian looks at her and my jaw drops, looking between the both of them. Julian shakes his head disapprovingly. "It's not mine. God know's how many men you've slept around with since you and I fornicated."

"Julian, you know I was a virgin when I met you. This baby is yours." Delaney says, her voice cracking.

It was getting hot in the room and I was beginning to sweat. I was feeling faint, and I wanted to smack Julian. He was after the both of us, no doubt, and he already had one pinned. He just needed me.

"Are you positive it is my child?" Julian asks. He's crying now.

"Julian, I wouldn't lie to you." Delaney cries.

"You've known all along..." I mumble.

"What?" Delaney asks, looking at me.

I turn to face Julian. "You've known all along. You wouldn't have gotten close to her if you didn't know. Think about it, Del. He's known that both of us had fancied him for a while. He would get you pregnant, since you didn't want the crown that much anyway. He would marry me so he could get a title. It was double or nothing for him." I say, rambling now.

"That was not my intention at all, Princess!" Julian says.

"Why do you simply call her Delaney and always refer to me as Princess?" I ask.

My cheeks were hot and I was angry crying. I couldn't believe this was happening.

"No answer. Exactly as I thought, Julian." I spat, then turned and ran to find Liam.

He was walking back towards the stable house when I run to him and pin him down again. "Diana, what on earth is wrong with you?" He asks as the both of us get off of the ground.

"Kiss me." I beg.

"Why?" He asks.

"Just do it." I respond.

"You're courting Count Julian, it would be wrong of me."

"Liam, please. I'm begging you." I tell him.

His lips are against mine, suddenly, and for a moment everything feels fine. He wraps his arms around my waist and I wrap mine around his neck, and then we pull apart, our foreheads touching.

"Won't your father be mad you ditched the party?" Liam asks.

"He's too busy focusing on my mum tonight. Plus, he's got another daughter to look out for as well." I say.

"Did Delaney tell you who the father was?" Liam asks.

"It's Julian - he's a sick man, you know. Impregnating my sister, and then planning to marry me. Oh gosh, I can only imagine how Delaney must've felt. I'm such a terrible person." I say.

"Julian... As in... Count Julian?" Liam asks.

"Yes! I also heard my mother arranging plans for him and I to be married as well. I don't want to marry him, though, Liam." I say.

"Diana, just take it slow. One thing at a time for now, okay? Do your parents know that the baby is Julian's?" Liam asks and I shake my head.

"They would murder him if they knew." I tell him.

"Unless they put him up to it."

"My parents would never do such a thing, Liam. It's silly to even think that." I say.

"You're right. I've been reading too many of Bartholomew's books about parents forcing their kids to marry others in China back in the olden days." Liam jokes.

"Oh, have you learned anything useful for that big head of yours?" I ask him and he laughs.

"I can tell you all about it, Princess Diana." He says.

"I'd love to hear it, Stable boy." I remark as he takes my hand.

"I think I still have some of Juliet's clothes here from when she stayed. You're staying with me tonight, Princess." He sounded so... possessive. I liked that.

"Oh, am I?" I ask, walking away from him.

"So you were planning to use me for a kiss, and I get nothing in return?" Liam asks.

"You got to kiss me." I say flirtatiously.

"That's all I get?" He asks, pulling me closer to him.

I shake my head and ruffle my fingers through his hair, then walk towards his house. "Where are Juliet's things?"

a/n: a dyslexic man walks into a bra....