For centuries, the royal family of Aridia has hosted The Choice, the competition where the eligible daughters of the Nobles of Aridia, come together to vie for the hand of the heir to the throne. This year, Prince Carlos is the heir to the throne a...
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"Farewell Madeline," Caroline said, as she clambered into the carriage.
"Will it be safe for you in Colgate?" I asked. The worry from the day before hadn't left and I still felt a horrible feeling of despair.
My mother looked grim. "Almost all the nobles have gone into hiding. We'll stay in your aunt's chateau in Arundel until everything has blown over."
"Stay safe Madeline, and keep your eyes and ears open. The palace is not what it seems," My mother said, before climbing in after Caroline.
Instead of waving, I watched as my mother and sister's carriage rode farther and farther away into the distance until it was just a dot in the horizon.
***
To make matters worse, the Ladies were expected to eat lunch together. Along with the fact that all 5 Ladies hated me, including my ex-best friend. I wasn't in the mood to hear their silly chatting, especially when my home was in danger.
"My sister is a pain, she thinks she's going to grow up to be prettier than me," Esme rolled her eyes, inspecting her nails.
"But you have to admit, Eva is quite stunning for her age," Katherine offered.
"They both look like the same person," Isadora muttered, as we took our seats.
I tried to tune out the Ladies chattering and instead tried to relax, focusing on the afternoon breeze blowing my hair out of its bun. I focused instead on the light chirps of the birds and the distant voices of the palace workers.
"Lady Madeline, can I have a word?" A familiar voice startled me, breaking my "trance".
Only then did I realize the table was quiet and all the Ladies were giving me evil stares. I had no idea why until I saw Amancio, the owner of the voice.
My heart leaped as soon as I saw him but I remembered just in time to remember where I was.
"Uh...yes, Lord Amancio," I stuttered, before following him to a part of the garden where the nosy Ladies wouldn't hear us.
"Oh, Amancio, I'm so glad you're ok," I sighed.
He looked like he'd been through a lot. His dark mass of hair wasn't as neat as it used to be, instead it looked like he'd ran his hands through it too many times. His eyes didn't have their usual spark and underneath it were dark bags that weren't there before.
"I have good news. And bad news," He said.
"I'd like to hear the good news first."
"We managed to reclaim Colgate. Your father and everyone is safe for now," Amancio explained. "We were able to send the rebels further north."
"Thank you so much Amancio," I let out a breath I didn't know I was holding.
"The bad news is, the rebels are a much greater threat than we thought. They're trying to take over the duchies, counties, the towns and villages. Soon they'll want to take over the capital city...and then the palace. I don't know how much longer we're going to have to keep them a secret," Amancio ran his hand through his hair.
Despair settled in my stomach once again. Since I was a child, I'd always known Aridia to be a peaceful place. While surrounding countries got into wars and disputes, Aridia remained neutral. But, we failed to realize that the real problem with Aridia was on the inside.
"So what do we do?" I asked.
"I'll talk to Carlos, maybe he'll find a way around the King. But for now, act like nothing is wrong. We don't want the other Ladies getting alarmed," Amancio suggested.
I rolled my eyes. "They need someone to burst their perfect bubbles."
Amancio chuckled, "The only bubble that'll be burst is yours if I don't leave soon. By the looks of it, they're not too happy I singled you out."
I made sure not to turn back to see for myself. I could already feel the bad energy radiating from the table.
"Don't forget to give me an update?" I asked.
"I won't," Amancio assured, before walking away.
I dreaded going back to the table because I knew one of the Ladies would say something. I could bet money on it being Esme but I wouldn't put it past the others.
"Well, well, well. Is Prince Carlos tired of you already?" Esme narrowed her eyes.
"I'm not in the mood, Esme," I sighed, closing my eyes.
"It's so embarrassing how you're the play toy of Prince Carlos and his best friend," Ashley scoffed.
"I'm not anyone's play toy," I fumed. "Just admit it, you're jealous because the Prince and Lord Amancio don't even give you the light of day."
"Seriously, Madeline?" Fiona asked in disbelief.
I shrugged, "I've tried to tell you it's not what you think but you cease to believe me. This is what you assume, so this is what you hear."
"Mark my words, Madeline, you will not be Queen of Aridia," Esme seethed.
"Well thank God," I spat, before stomping away.
I wasn't far from the table when the emotions rushed out and I kicked the ground below me, sending patches of grass and soil flying. I didn't bother to see the Ladies' reactions as I stomped away, furious.
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Last chapter of the day! Tell me what you think of Fiona. Do you ship Madeline with Carlos or Amancio? Don't forget to read, vote and comment. And wear your masks!
