The Marriage Contest

Chapter Twelve - A Changed Man

I have dedicated this chapter to MeepyM because I know how much she swoons over Prince Andrew ;) I also dedicated this chapter to her because she has been through this with me since the very first version of TMC. She also helps me regain confidence in writing! Although we have never met I consider her my friend because of how nice she has been to me! :D

Chapter Twelve - A Changed Man

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Mama told me when I was young
Come sit beside me, my only son
And listen closely to what I say
And if you do this it'll help you some sunny day

Oh, take your time don't live too fast
Troubles will come and they will pass
Go find a woman you'll find love
And don't forget son there is someone up above

And be a simple kind of man
Be something you love and understand
Baby be a simple kind of man
Oh, won't you do this for me son if you can?

Forget your lust for the rich man's gold
All that you need is in your soul
And you can do this, oh baby, if you try
All that I want for you my son is to be satisfied

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When I woke the next morning my eyes were swollen and bloodshot from all the crying. I don't see why she would've rejected me. I mean look at me. I'm handsome. I'm royal. I'm tall. I don't see how she finds me unattractive. I don't know why she rejected me. Then it hit me, of course! How could she trust me? My father wanted to hang her because he thought that she robbed from a nobleman, when in reality she didn't. Maybe she thought that I was no different from my father? Maybe she thought that me defending her was a once in a lifetime thing? Honestly, what king or heir to the throne is nice to his land? They have to be tough. They can't be a happy-go-lucky, carefree, do-whatever-he-wants-to person. It's not possible. You stress over everything to keep your land in order therefore putting you on edge at all times and making you very moody.

I'm not like my father though. I'm nothing like him. Or at least I don't think I am. I'm not a person who kills whoever is charged. I look for justice. I actually care what goes on in the land. He could care less if a civil war broke out in our land. He'd probably carry on reading through his files. I don't see how the land hasn't broken out into war yet because of the war he dismisses his country.

Then I remembered that I had told Aleene to go to Belinda to start training today. I looked at the clock that read ten past seven. I quickly dressed and walked down to Aleene's room. I heard shuffling around inside the room and knocked on the door hoping that Aleene was still in her room. When the door was opened a rush of relief passed over me.

"Hi Andrew, I was just fixing to head over to Belinda's," She whispered just incase anyone was trying to listen in on our conversation.

"Don't," I said curtly.

"Why not?" She asked.

"Can we talk...inside." I nodded my head inside of her room and she ushered me in.

"Why don't you want me to go over and train Belinda anymore?" She asked.

"She, uh, she....rejected me," I said. My voice was hoarse and my sentence barely audible.

"Did I hear you right?" She asked. The tears were welling up in my eyes, but I forced them back. Haven't I done enough crying?

"Depends on what you heard," I said.

"She rejected you?" Aleene asked.

"Yeah..." I said letting the word hang in the eerily silent air.