Impossibly Normal [Book 1 of 4]

(10) Preparations

Queen Raeanne

I walk arm in arm with my new fiancé, towards the kitchen. He wants to make sure the cake will be finished in time for tomorrow's ceremony.

I still can not believe I am actually getting married tomorrow. This is crazy. Mother has really gone off the deep end this time.

We stop in front of the kitchen doors to speak with a nobleman he brought from his country to aid him.

He asks for his things to be moved to a new chamber after the wedding.

I spot Michael walking towards me. What is he doing? Has he lost his mind? He has got to stop getting in to the castle. He could be beheaded for this. I don't want to see him die.

"One moment please." I leave my soon to be husband's side and walk over to Michael.

"Rae- my queen." He addresses me.

"I hate to do this but you need to leave. I can not risk you getting killed for trespassing." I ask politely before I have guards escort him out. I can not lose him.

"You will not have to kick me out. As I have secured myself a job here in the kitchen. Yesterday after I had left, someone mistook me as a servant and now I work here. I will be at the wedding tomorrow. I suppose you came down here to see about the cake. There was word you two might be stopping by." He corrects me and explains his new situation.

I am happy for him. He has a paying job. It may not pay very much but it is definitely more than he was making down in the village, that's for sure. And he has a stable shelter to sleep. He will also always have food so he never goes hungry. He is safe.

"About the wedding-" I stop myself, wondering if it is appropriate for a lady of my title to be talking to a servant while my fiancé stands no more than ten feet from me. "I know you are angry with me for how things turned out. I really did not know that was going to happen. I had no idea he actually had intentions of marrying me. I did not know any of that was going to happen."

"Isn't that how proposals are supposed to work? The lady is not supposed to know. How could you have expected this if it was kept secret from you. No harm done. I got a job so I can be around you more often. That is all I need." He holds his hand out to reach for mine.

I step back. "We shouldn't be talking. My mother saw us sneak out of the ball yesterday. And now I am engaged."

"So?" He asks.

Why does he not understand. Things are different than they were when we met. Circumstances have altered greatly.

"So, you are a servant boy now. And though I do care for you very much, I could be ruined if word gets around that I am having an affair with a servant. Mother would kill me for even looking at you with love in my eyes. No one can know our feelings. I will admit to you now, I hate that we can not be together. I have fallen so hard for you in such a short amount of time. Our time at the lake will never be forgotten. But we can not keep doing this. We need to cut our ties much shorter." I try my best to explain to him without upsetting either of us. I do not want to cry in front of him.

I love him, I do. I feel as if I always will. But we can not be together. I am a queen and he is now a servant. Our worlds are not meant to collide. Even if I wished to marry him, the laws and council would never allow me to do something so crazy as marry someone I love, simply for love and for no other strategic reason.

Michael and I have a connection that no one could ever understand in a million years of searching. The way I feel for him is not something I have ever felt before.

My heart stops beating when he is around. I feel my stomach flutter when he looks in to my eyes. My brain stops functioning. A smile always seems to be able to force its way on to my face no matter how hard I try to not let it break through. I forget all of my troubles. When I am with him, it is just us.

Me and him. Him and I. Us.

Only we exist when we are together.

"I will always remember our time together as well. And for now, just seeing you pass by is enough to satisfy my need for you in my life. It is remarkable how I feel for you." He bows as my husband-to-be looks over. "Good luck to you, my beautiful Queen."

"Until tomorrow." I smile and whisper softly as I turn back to the King of Spain. "He says the cake is being prepared. It will be ready by tomorrow. However, he says we are not to see it until the actual day." I make up a fake conversation so he does not grow suspicious of our speaking.

He reaches for my arm and walks with me back to the regular part of the castle. We have more things to get done before the wedding can begin tomorrow morning as the sun comes up over the horizon.

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