The Rogue

Chapter One

As soon as Amelia heard the news she snapped. She had had just enough of her family choosing everything for her; what to say, how to act, even what to eat, and now this: who she got to marry. That, at least, should be her own decision. Or so she figured. But, honestly, what could she expect, as she had been dreading this her whole life. As a member of the royal family she could not deny the request of a suitor.

She stormed off to her bedroom chambers, up past the maids and servants who glanced at her nervously, and slammed the old wooden door. Maybe she was acting like a child, but she didn't care. She never had a say in anything that happened in all nineteen years of her life, and she was sick of it.

Once in private, she could not tear her eyes away from the letter.

Prince Gregory of Isles is to be wed to Princess Amelia of Windsor on Tuesday, the twenty-seventh. The wedding ceremony will take place along the coast of...

She nearly scoffed before finishing it, not believing how ridiculous it sounded. There would be over two hundred servants just to serve the food. How outrageous!

Amelia crumpled the piece of paper and tossed it to the floor. She shifted uncomfortably as her corset had suddenly tightened even more, if possible, after her outburst just moments earlier. Her mind raced and she couldn't stop considering the fact that she should've just run away while she had the chance.

Nothing was stopping her... except, of course, the fact that she was to be married in twenty days. But at this point, she was willing to take that chance.

There was a relentless loud pounding at the door, and whoever was behind it did not seem to care to wait for her permission. Amelia's father barged inside and began to yell, but she stood there stiff.

"How dare you behave this way and disrespect your own father?" The King demanded.

"I'm just so tired of this!" Amelia shouted, face fuming. "I do not want you and Mother making all my life choices for me! I can handle things for myself, especially getting married! You cannot do this, I forbid it."

Her father scoffed. "You may not forbid anything, seeing as I hold the power in this country. Amelia, you are a princess, which means you have to marry a prince of our choosing. You have to understand that especially now... these are horrible times for us."

"Please enlighten me," Amelia said, bored.

"The money is running out," he explained in a hushed voice. "You already know this, but the public does not. And we would like to keep it that way. Do you know why?"

He did not wait for a reply. "We would be kicked off of the throne immediately if anybody found out. Is that what you want, for us to live a poor life on the streets, begging for money? Do you know what shame that would bring upon our family?"

Amelia did not answer.

"That is what I thought." The King cleared his throat and spoke up again after a brief moment of silence. "So, this is what you will do. And listen carefully. You will marry him, and you will be happy about it. You will not complain to me ever again about this. Do you understand me?"

"Yes," Amelia answered bitterly, spitting out the word like it had a sour taste on her tongue.