The Choice

42

I was wrong to think that I would be able to get away from the Ladies after the garden walk. Somehow, rats had invaded my room, meaning I couldn't be in there until the rodent problem had been taken care of. It wouldn't have been an issue if Carlos and I were able to meet and I could escape to the royal library. 

But, because of the recent happenings, I had to go to the Ladies' Salon- where the Ladies spent their time. As I couldn't consider the Ladies my 'friends', I planned to pick a book from the sad selection and read on my own, careful not to draw any attention. 

The Ladies' giggles could be heard even before I opened the door. Taking a deep breath and saying a quick prayer, I walked in. As always, the conversations stopped and the Ladies looked at me, different levels of hatred on their faces. And even though it hurt to say it, it seemed there was no redeeming Fiona and I's relationship. I knew she thought I was a horrible liar but she didn't give me the chance to explain myself, which led me to question how solid our relationship was in the first place. 

"Well look what the cat dragged in," Ashley smirked, though her eyes were filled with venom. 

I rolled my eyes, deciding to ignore her as I took a seat at the far end of the Ladies' salon, making sure to not make eye contact with any of the Ladies- even Fiona. 

Not fully invested in reading, I pulled a random book of the shelf, just to realize it was the type of books we were given to read in Finishing School. A boring tale of submissive Ladies, climbing their way up the social ladder by being obedient and courteous- everything I wasn't. 

I couldn't even read past the first chapter, thanks to the Ladies' obnoxious chattering. I didn't expect Fiona to join in their conversation but she seemed to be having a good time. Maybe I didn't know as much about Fiona as I thought. 

"Tell us about your walk with Prince Carlos yesterday, Fiona," Isadora urged. 

"No one cares about that, Isadora," Esme snapped, rolling her eyes. 

"Come on, Esme. We all want to know what it was like," Katherine squealed. 

"Did he tell you why he picked you of all people?" Ashley arched an eyebrow. 

"Jealous much?" Isadora rolled her eyes. 

"The Prince was amazing. He's so funny and he has the most amazing eyes. He was really nice to me," Fiona smiled shyly. "I kept the daisy he gave me." 

"What did he talk about?" Ashley probed. "Did he talk about any of us?" 

"No," Fiona shook her head. "But, he's even more dashing when you talk to him. He made me feel like a princess. I want to gift him some of my family's infamous butter cakes." 

"Butter cakes, seriously?" Esme was unimpressed. 

"They're his favourite," Fiona shrugged. 

"Carlos' favourite pastry is scones," I corrected, before realizing I had made 2 mistakes- calling the Prince by his first name and mentioning what shouldn't have.  

"On top of being a complete slut, you disrespect the Prince by addressing him without his title?" Esme shook her head, disgusted. 

"Why do you keep pretending you're the expert on Prince Carlos? If he liked you so much, he'd have asked you to walk instead," Fiona burst. 

"Well, well, Fiona- I think we might have more in common after all," Esme smirked, before the Ladies left the Salon, leaving me all alone- as per usual. 

*** 

As the days drag on, the competition became more intense and I had to admit, my relationship with the other Ladies wasn't getting any better. I hadn't spoken to Fiona since the 'incident' in the Salon and the others didn't spare me from their gossiping and giggles. It was clear they hated me but I had no idea why. I was done justifying their reasons. They obviously didn't care to listen, to know what really happened between Carlos and I and I was done trying to tell them. They obviously just wanted a reason to dislike me. 

Speaking of Carlos, I'd rarely spoken to him as well. When I'd see him in the halls, we gave each other curt nods or waves. It definitely felt bad not being able to communicate like we wanted, but I didn't want to risk raising any more eyebrows. I'd already made it so far, I couldn't get kicked out for something I didn't even do. 

But I couldn't ignore the fact that Carlos was constantly on my mind. I found myself thinking about him before I went to bed, at random times like breakfast. Once, I even giggled, remembering something he'd said. Though I didn't want to admit it to myself, it was obvious that I had some sort of feelings for Carlos. Every time the thought crossed my mind, I mentally slapped myself. How could I be so stupid? To fall for not just anyone, but Carlos- the heir to the Aridian throne- with 5 other better candidates vying for his hand. 

Besides, I was almost certain Carlos didn't feel the same way. I wasn't nearly as pretty as any of the other Ladies, I lacked decorum and grace and I just wasn't ready to become a Queen. My mind pushed on. What about the kiss? I dismissed it. Carlos was probably heavily influenced by his emotions. If we were under different circumstances, I doubt he'd have kissed me. 

To make matters worse, Amancio and I saw each other more often, as I had no other friends. As we became more comfortable around each other, I had to admit, just thinking of him brought a smile to my face and spread warmth through my chest. How could I be so stupid? Falling for not only the Prince, but his best friend- a Duke. 

I was certain that my feelings were only temporary and nothing more would come out from them. But, as the competition moved on, I realized there was a lot more in store and so much that I didn't know about Aridia. 

I'm pretty sure the next 2 chapters will be very eventful. Don't forget to vote, comment and share! I'm publishing chapters 43 and 44 tomorrow so make sure you add this to your library to get notified whenever I publish. 

Lots of love, stay safe <3