It Never Happened

Chapter 10: Prince Charming

Aurora ate everything delicately like any other princess, nibbling too slowly, even though she probably didn't eat anything for years, or decades, or even centuries. She was even polite enough not to acknowledge the Grand Duke examining her with his monocle, leaning as close as he was.

"Sire, are you sure this is the gir-"

"Dance!" I stood up from my seat, knocking down a plates of food. In seconds the maids reset the table as Aurora kept nibbling quietly and as the Grand Duke was giving me a suspicious look. Meanwhile, my father looked back at me in amusement.

"Yes son?"

"Me and Aurora never got a chance to dance since the night of the ball," I gave him the cheesiest smile.

"Princess Aurora," she spoke, then kept nibbling.

"What?" my father asked as I mouthed to her to shut up. Of course, she kept talking.

"OH I mean not that I'm a princess, of course not, I was a poor peasant my whole life! Well not my whole life, like until my family sold those pigs and we became all rich, and I finally got my own room to sleep in, I mean don't you consider that so extravagant! And after that my father WHICH I DON'T HAVE BECAUSE HE DIED SO YOU CAN'T MEET HIM...called me Princess Aurora!"

She was standing up with the same cheesy smile I had, the maids already setting up the table again after she had spilled more food. Huh, I guess it runs in the family.

"So, may we be excused?"

"Of course!  Well, move on! Don't forget to ask the question! The question I've- I MEAN YOU have been waiting your whole life for! The four word question! About marriage! Do you want me to remind you on what it is?"

"No! I'm sure I remember, I'll be back with her in an hour!"

With that, I dragged her off a good distance so no one could hear us, though I wish my father wasn't looking at us so we didn't have to dance through all this.

"So," I started, dancing at a snails pace.

"Look, we need to figure out something so I don't get married to my great great and even more greats grandson"

"Yeah, look. We've spent a few days here already right? That leaves us with a little more than two weeks to fix this. How about I send a search party for your prince and hopefully by then he'll come back to you. We can even find a place for you both to stay. Good? Thats all fixed then, so how about I go ahead and ask you to marry me and you fake your happiness and tears so we can get this over-"

"Wait, he's..." she glanced down.

"He's...?"

"My prince, he's probably dead by now"

I looked at her and she shrugged with a sad smile. She was only around 15 and yet she took this so well.

"Are you okay?"

"I mean, I was upset as soon as I realized it the first day I came here, that's why I was all closed up all the time, remember? Of course you were busy talking to your father about the wedding and all to notice, but it's fine. I'm all good now! I'm just happy I never really got to know my one true love"

"I'm sorry"

"Yeah"

We both avoided eye contact, but when I looked at my father he was making so many hand gestures, so I guess I'm going to assume he want's me to make a move.

"Well, atleast you get to experience how a wedding is planned first hand from your big brother"

"Big brother?"

"Well, uh, we are somehow related, and although you are technically older than me, you look around 16 and I'm 19 so big brother?"

She stared for a second and all of a sudden started laughing, and as she did I went down on one knee.

"Aurora, will you fake marry be and become my little sister"

She laughed harder, which from my dad's point of view probably looked like happy tears, even though he made it so obvious she was getting married to me the entire time. She gave a nod, and in the background I heard bottles being opened and cheers. And as the party went on, and as she was laughing, my heart sunk. Because one way or another, I had to tell them that she wasn't the one.