“The food was excellent,” I said with a smile, dismissing his comment. “Do we need to help clean up?” I reached for the plate in front of me, rising out of my seat.
Suddenly, the prince burst into a fit of laughter just as a servant swooped in to snatch the plate out of my hands.
“Sit down, Naria,” Lukas called up to me, still chuckling. “Youknow, I was astounded when my father told me my future bride had been living all this time in Honeymeade… Honeymeade! Of all the hovels in the realm!” His head fell into his hands while his shoulders shook with vicious laughter. “Still, I thought, ‘forest princess or not, they must’ve taught you something about class.’ But no, you’re really quite common, aren’t you?” Once he was finally able to contain himself, he leaned forward in his seat. “I wonder what other dirty things your common friends have taught you. I suppose I’ll find out once we’re married.” He took a sip from his wine goblet.
“You’re disgusting.” I scowled, hands clenched at my sides.
“Now, now, fiancée. Let’s not fight.” He lifted a finger up and wagged it from side to side before tapping it against the goblet in his hand. “Let’s speak of more pressing things. You must tell me of your plans once you become Queen.” He extended an arm, gesturing for me to take a seat again.
Still scowling, I lowered myself to sit. “My only plan is to rebuild my kingdom,” I began in a serious tone. “I’m sure you are aware of the many refugees living in the forest village your father built. I want… I need to see them returning home to a rebuilt city.”
Lukas smiled deviously. “Ah… So you wish to rebuild Corlixir?”
“Why wouldn’t I?” I answered, confused that he would even ask. “That is why your father wishes for us to be married, isn’t it? Since he can no longer fulfil his promise? As Queen, and with Drothmore’s help, I can focus on restoring my kingdom while you can focus on yours.”
“Any promises of my father shall be of no concern once I am King,” Lukas shot back in a low tone. “Since it is his dying wish for us to marry, I will grant him that, but I refuse to entertain any of this rebuilding the fifth kingdom nonsense—”
“What are you talking about?” I cut him off, suddenly feelingquite queasy. “To not help Corlixir is simply not an option. Our parents were allies, and Drothmore has always promised my people that when I was of age, my kingdom would be restored.”
“You are forgetting who holds the power here, forest princess.” He leaned forward, his steel gaze meeting mine. “One of us is set to inherit the wealthiest and most powerful kingdom in the realm, and the other is just a little girl in a nice dress that my father paid for.”
Letting his words sit for a few moments, he then settled back into his chair. “Besides, if you are off rebuilding Corlixir, who will be around to plan the festivals and monitor our relationships with the rest of the court? Not to mention, you will need to spend time with my heirs.” At those words, something bristled deep inside me. “We must present a united front. My kingdom needs a loyal queen, so you need to be here, in Drothmore. Let Corlixir fight its own battles. You may be their last princess, but once we are married you’ll answer only to me… as my doting obedient wife.” A smirk snaked its way onto his face, and for a moment, I almost couldn’t breathe – I couldn’t believe what I was hearing.
“What can you possibly even mean by any of that? How can it fight its own battles when there is nothing left of it to fight?” I gripped the wooden table, my knuckles turning white.
“Well then, that makes things an awful lot easier, if you think about it,” Lukas carried on, swirling the wine goblet in his hand. “The kingdom is dead, and we should let it stay that way. One less potential enemy to worry about. From what I’ve read, Corlixir never contributed much to the realm. Perhaps if they’d spent less time researching useless cures, they would’ve been better defended against the Great Blaze.”
I wanted to scream. I wanted to pick up my goblet and hurl it across the room. I wanted him to suffer and understand what it was like to grow up in a hastily-built village, where every dayyou are told about your ‘real home’ as if one day you’ll get to see it, but deep down, you fear that day will never come. I wanted to say something, anything. But instead, I found myself sitting there like an idiot – open-mouthed and frozen solid.
“Don’t you agree?” he taunted with a grin.
Before I could do something I knew I would regret, I bolted up from my seat, letting the wooden chair once again loudly scrape against the floor. Lukas said nothing while I marched over to the exit, but I could feel his cold stare piercing into my back right up until the door slammed shut behind me.
On the journey back to my room, several thoughts bounced around my head, each one sounding clearer and clearer with every step against the palace’s stone floor:
I would not be planning any parties, and I would not be having ‘his heirs’.
My kingdom will be rebuilt, and I would do it without any help from him.
And finally, I would not under any circumstances, or ever in amillion years, be marrying that stuck-up pig of a prince.
CHAPTER 6
Ihardly slept that night. In fact, it was only as the birds began to sing outside and morning light crept into the room that I was finally able to drift off at all.
That was until I awoke hours later, confronted with Raena’s concerned face as she shook my shoulder, rattling the sleep out of me enough to force my tired eyes open.
“Thank the Oceans!” she cried, bringing a hand to her chest. “The servants came to fetch me. No one could wake you. They thought you might’ve been dead!”
I blinked a few times. It took a moment to recall where I was.
Then I saw the lilac gown still hanging from the back of the chair, exactly where I’d thrown it last night, and all the memories came flooding back. This was my life now: the last Princess of Corlixir, soon to be the bride of the Crown Prince of Drothmore, or as he had so bluntly put it – his doting obedient wife.
Ugh.
The mere thought of it all made me want to roll over, pull a blanket over my face, and sleep for the rest of the year.
“Was dinner last night reallythatgood? I bet you couldn’t sleep from all the excitement!” Raena trilled. She brought out her hand fan and fluttered it against her pretty highborn face. “Or is there something else you’re not telling me? Did the prince come back here last night and that’s why you’re so tired?” Her eyes darted from side to side. “Naria, you devious thing. You’re not even married yet.” She swatted her fan at my shoulder, giggling playfully.
