Prologue : Briefly, The Beginning

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Prologue | Briefly, The Beginning

You took all that time
breaking down the walls
to my heart just to choke
the life out of it.

"Daniel, I think it's time we start planning the wedding and telling our families about our engagement." Cèline said as she embraced him and with a kiss pn the cheek.

Daniel stopped the car near their favorite park.

"I want to talk to you, Cèline." Daniel told her, keeping his eyes glued towards the pond, after they took a position on a bench.

"What's wrong?" she asked, feeling confused. He was looking so defeated, she didn't understand the exact reason.

Daniel took a deep breathe. He didn't want to do this. He didn't want to break Cèline's heart. He felt like, his mind was going back and forth between his feelings for Cèline and Miranda and the anger he was feeling towards his mother. But then, Miranda's face appear in his mind, and he knew, which part had won.

"Cèline, I can't... I can't marry you." he said in a defeated voice.

"What?" Cèline asked shocked.

"I am sorry." Daniel had said, while she had been dying to hear "I love you, but I'm not in love with you." He said.

"Is it someone else?" She asked.

"No, Cèline, I'm just not ready and it's not fair to drag you along." He answered.

"Daniel..." She said.

"Goodbye, Cèline." He said.

"Daniel!" Cèline yelled as he got into his car and drove off. Leaving her there alone.

-

"Oh, Cèline, I'm so sorry." Ellie said as she laid next to me in my bed.

"Ellie, what are you talking about?" I asked as I continued to eat my melted ice cream.

"Lady Miranda Andrews and Duke Daniel Of Rosspoin have announced their engagement in The Times after an 18-month romance. The announcement read: 'Duke of Rosspoin and Lady Miranda Andrews are engaged to be married this fall." Ellie said as she read the article off of her phone.

"18 months?" I asked.

"Cèline..." Ellie said.

"He played me." I said.

"Cèline..." She said.

"Ellie, we were engaged." I said showing her the ring box.

"Oh my God! Cèline!" She said as she held the ring box in her hand.

I brushed my tears as I went over and throw away the photo frame of him and I in the trash.

How happy we had looked in that photo!

How happy we actually were!

It seemed like everything was a delusion.

Everything was a lie.

"Cèline, I'm so sorry. I can not believe he lied to you and played you like this." Ellie said.

"I need to be alone." I said.

"Cèline." Ellie said.

"Elena, please." I said.

"I'll leave but please call me if you need anything. You know I'm here for you, Cèline." Ellie said.

"I know." I said.

-

It's been a month since Daniel had decided to leave her, Cèline thought. Today was one of her closest cousins Princess Eugenie's pre-wedding bash and well, she didn't want to attend it.

One of the major reasons was, she was bitter. Lately she had been feeling jealously towards any happy couple. She realized that she shouldn't feel like that, but her feelings weren't in her hands.

The another reason for she was dreading was Daniel's presence. With him being friends with Jack, fiance of Eugenie, there was a slight possibility that Daniel would miss the event. She didn't know how would she react at the sight of him. She had managed to remain strong till now, but time had taken a toll on her; instead of moving on, she had begun to feel more and more vulnerable. She had begun to feel like she could break at any moment. And she knew that Daniel's presence would do nothing but adding a fuel to her feelings.

"Are you okay, Cèline?" Harry asked as Cèline turned to her side to find William, Catherine, Meghan, and Harry all looking at her with concerned eyes.

"I'm fine." Cèline scoffed and walked away to find her best friend, Ellie or at least someone who wasn't Daniel or her family.

She met her many friends from the school after a long time and she felt good. She had begun to feel like it wasn't a bad decision after all to come there, until her eyes fell upon the person she was dreading to see, the person she dreamed to spend a life with, the person she was in love with.

She kept staring at him, who was now having a happy conversation with Jack's family. He looked happy and content.

Suddenly Daniel's eyes met with her, and she immediately roamed her eyes around; she felt like she got caught. She again glanced at him and noticed that he was still looking at her and smiled at her.

She glared at him. He fucking smiled? Cèline shook her head in disbelief.

She abruptly left the hall. She directly went to her car and let out the sob which she had been holding out for... she didn't know for how long.

"Why?" she asked, "Why did he do that to me?"

She kept crying till she could.

Later at that night, she arrived at the conclusion that she wasn't going to spend a single tear on Daniel now onwards.

If he didn't care about her, so could she.

If he could live without her, so could she.

-

"Cèline, are you listening?" The Queen said as members of the firm had gathered in the drawing room to dicuss something that I had toned out.

"I'm sorry what?" I asked clearing my throat.

"I do not know what's bothering you, Cèline, but please focus the King of Norland will be visiting us for a eight day state visit to strengthen our alliances as neighboring countries and I need you on your best behavior since you will be the one to greet him and go on public engagements with him. Do I make myself clear, Cèline?" She said.

"Yes, granny." I said.

"Good, he'll be here tomorrow morning so I suggest you go and get ready and review your schedule for the week." She said.

"Yes, ma'am." I said leaving the drawing room.

"I do not know what's going on with her. I'm worried." Charles said.

"It's been like this for a month, she does not come over for our weekly family dinners and she glares at all of us." Harry said.

"I'll have one of my trusted advisors look into whatever is bothering Cèline." The Queen said.

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