the arrangement | ethma

5

Emma

We walked into the banquet room, my sister finding her place with our other siblings, and my mother standing next to my father.

I found my place standing in the middle next to Ethan, and then the banquet started.

"We would like to welcome all of our guests here to celebrate the engagement of our daughter, Emma Catherine Elizabeth Chamberlain to Prince Ethan Dolan of New York Island. We gladly host the Dolan family in our home this week for the celebration," my father announced.

"We are so proud of the beautiful young woman we have raised, and now we celebrate this new beginning in her life," my mother said, sending me a smile. I couldn't help but tear up a little bit. It was still another eleven months before the wedding, but I was already thinking about how much I was going to miss her.

The party started, and guest started buzzing about, some stopping to visit with me, and others just quickly saying hello as they rushed to find my mother and father.

As I walked around visiting with guests, I spotted Ethan talking to my mother. I watched for a few seconds before I felt two hands on my shoulders. "What do you think they're talking about?" Lia said.

"Goodness, Lia. You scared me," I said. Lia laughed.

"What? Did you think I was Father, and about to yell at you?"

"Honestly that's not far from what I was thinking."

"Did you know that Prince Kristan is here?"

I smiled, rolling my eyes at my sister. "Lia, it's not likely that Father's going to choose him for you."

She gave me a grin. "But what is he asks for my hand before Father gets the chance to think about it?"

Prince Kristan (pronounced like Chris-tahn) was Lia's biggest crush since we were little. He was the Prince of Massachusetts Island, so our families were well acquainted.

Lia would be lucky if she was able to marry Kristan. Massachusetts Island wasn't as heavy into the mafia, so she'd be a lot safer there. Kristan was first in line for the throne, his father being the King of their island.

If that marriage were to happen, it's be one of the only marriages of the royal mafia to be a marriage of love and not negotiation. There was peace between Massachusetts and California.

The deal that I would marry Ethan was so that New York and California would have something to tie them together, and create a bond.

There were still some mafia groups left in The States that were traitors against us generations ago. The Islands needed to keep peace within themselves, so they could fight off enemies elsewhere.

We didn't exactly have room for civil war here.

I smiled at Lia. "What are you doing? Go talk to Kristan."

She blushed as a smile crept up onto her face. I think she was the only one out of our family to ever develop a crush for someone that could potentially marry her someday.

As Lia walked off to find Prince Kristan, I felt a hand slip onto my lower back. I looked up, and there Ethan was, looking at me. I noticed that around everybody else he seemed tough, but he seemed to soften a little bit when he was near me. Not enough to read him, but enough to have hope that our marriage could work.

"Hi," I breathed out, relieved it wasn't someone who I dreaded talking to.

"Are you enjoying the party?"

"Yeah," I said. "I'm gonna miss this place."

"You have time. Enjoy it here, and once we're married, I'll make sure we visit."

I nodded, thankful at Ethan's words. A lot of Princesses don't get the luxury of visiting their family after they get married.

"Thank you," I said. "That means a lot."

"I can tell how much you love your family," he said. "It's admirable."

"Are you close to your family?"

"Close enough to take a bullet for them, but different enough that things will change when I become King."

"What do you mean?" I asked.

"I mean my father is a terrible businessman, and I'm going to turn things around when I step up to the throne."

I nodded. "I don't know much about business," I said. "My sisters and I were never taught anything about it."

"You'll be well acquainted with my mother," Ethan said. "She'll help you learn everything you need to know."

"Want to come get some hors d'oeuvres with me?" I asked. "I haven't eaten since we got done picking the wedding menu."

Ethan nodded, and he held out his arm for me to hold on to as we walked across the room to the appetizer table. The appetizers were all of the same dishes we tried earlier, so I took a couple of sweet potato slices.

A couple of those and two lobster rolls later, I was full again.

"Emma! Emma! Emma!" Lia said, rushing over to me.

"Hey. Slow down a little," I said, giving her a look. "We have guests."

"Kristan's talking to Father!" she said, a huge smile rising onto her face.

She was only fifteen, so even if it was going to be arranged, it'd still be another year before they'd officially get engaged, and another two years after that before they'd marry.

"That's great, Lia!" I said. Even in this sheltered life, she somehow managed to fall in love the right way. Yet my hand in marriage was shook on in a deal to keep The Islands at peace.

Still, I was hopeful that the best could be made out of my situation. Just because Ethan and I aren't in love now doesn't mean we can't fall in love at some point.

He did mention wanting a happy marriage. Wanting to try.

At least I was starting to feel like he was genuinely trying to care about me. Maybe he was.

I went to sleep that night praying that I wasn't going to end up in a loveless marriage.