Apricots - Ruel Van Dijk

Chapter 18 - Drool

Ruel's POV

I would love just to be stuck to your side
Not with anybody else, anybody else
It's enough just to keep us occupied
Please don't go

I stared at the silver jewelled rings on my fingers, anything to avoid my father's gaze. He hadn't said a word to me since we got to the throne room, which was somehow more concerning than him screaming at me. He had directed Ed to show the girl out and then sat across from me at a table in the foyer. He hadn't said anything for the past 25 minutes, and it was now scaring me. Usually if I did something like this, he would've screamed so loud at me my eardrums burst. So it was strange he hadn't said a word. I knew it wasn't because he was pleased. If anything he was thinking up how the fuck to kill Teliah and ground me for the rest of my existence.

"Before I say anything, I want you to know I am not happy about this," he suddenly said out of nowhere, surprising me with the somewhat quiet tone he had used. I glanced up at him, seeing his features to be peculiarly neutral. His sour frown was not there, and his eyes were blank. He looked almost unrecognisable without the angry glint in his eyes. "And I would've preferred you get married to Arelia. But I do think it is wise to be engaged to the young lady that was in all of those pictures. So I will leave the decision to you on whether you would like to be wed to Tahlia."

"Teliah. Her name is Teliah," I replied automatically. I was happy about his response, but confused. Usually he would have never agreed to this at any extent, I was honestly expecting him to say 'How dare you get engaged to a street rat?!'.

"But you must let me know if you have decided to marry her or not by tomorrow, as we will need to announce the engagement," he continued. I didn't know what I wanted to do. I really liked Teliah, I wanted to be with her as more than just a friend, and certainly more than what we were now. But marriage? We had met like 2 weeks ago. But if I didn't get married to her, she would go back to London and I'd have to be married to Arelia, and I didn't really want to do that. I'd met Arelia a couple times and though she was beautiful she was rude and shallow. She only wanted to marry me for money and power. If I wanted to marry anyone, Teliah would be my best bet. But I knew she definitely did not feel the same way based on the looks she was giving me earlier.

"I'll give you some time to think, you can take the rest of the day off. Just make sure Tah...Teliah has dinner with us tonight," he sighed. I wanted to be surprised about how nice father was being, but I was just too worried about what Teliah would say about the whole thing. I subconsciously got up from where I was sitting and started to walk towards my room.

Thinking it over as I walked, I decided I couldn't force her to marry me. It was selfish of me to expect her to. I couldn't just bind her to my side forever, she'd be miserable. No matter how much that hurt to admit to myself. She didn't want to spend her life with me, and that was the sad truth. She had a life and friends and probably a new boyfriend back in London. I couldn't make her leave all of that for me. I couldn't do that to her. Even if it meant I would have to marry Arelia.

I absentmindedly pushed open the oak door to my room only to see Stella standing there, talking to the closet door.

"Come out! I promise you will look great!" she pleaded, making me raise an eyebrow. Who was in the closet? Before I could think or ask Stella what she was doing, the door creaked open and I swear I forgot how to breathe.

Standing there was Teliah. She wore a floor length black velvet with mesh sleeves, to which I recognised to be my mother's. It hugged her figure perfectly, outlining each curve of her torso, but widening out just slightly at her hips to bring it to the floor. Her makeup was natural, enhancing her features but light enough that her freckles were still visible. Her lips were a shiny pink, her eyelashes curled, tickling her cheeks when she blinked. Her cheeks were dusted pink, her cheekbones highlighted just a tiny bit. Her hair was straight and shiny, framing her face perfectly. She looked beautiful. Perfect.