“The media makes stories out of nothing. Remember the time I had the audacity to wear a sundress in November?”
“So you didn’t punch a human in the face last year?”
“He slapped my butt, dad. Would you rather I give him the impression that that is okay?”
He couldn’t be stern with me. Even now, his lips were curving into a smirk.
“You know what I mean.”
“Dad, I’d never do anything to harm your position in the Council. I always knew the Council would choose a husband for me.”
Dad studied my face.
“Sometimes I forget that you’re an adult now.”
“I’m going to choose to take that as a compliment.”
“I want you to be happy. I don’t know if Blaine will make you happy.”
“Maybe, maybe not. You and mum were happy.”
“We got lucky,” dad insisted. “Arranged marriages aren’t meant to be about love. They’re meant to be about an alliance. Marrying Blaine is beneficial for both families but I can’t promise it will be… what you’re hoping for.”
“I know.” I rolled my eyes, even though the idea of having a loveless marriage didn’t appeal. “If marrying Blaine will help keep the media off your back and keep the Council happy, then I’ll do it. I knew I’d never marry for love. And who knows? Maybe I’ll get lucky like you did.”
Dad rewarded me with a big smile.
“I hope you do.”
I lay on my bed, twirling one of my brown curls through my fingers as I contemplated the bombshell my father had just dropped. I’d always known it would happen eventually, but it had still shocked me.
I hadn’t even met my soon-to-be fiancé.
My phone vibrated on my pillow and I looked at it. Rick’s name appeared. I picked it up and hesitated. I wanted to believe our friendship would be the same after I told him the news, but I wasn’t stupid enough to really believe it.
“Hey,” I said when I finally answered.
“Any new gossip for me?” Rick asked.
“Um… yeah. I guess.”
“What’s going on?”
“I’m engaged.”
Silence followed my word. I winced as I waited for Rick to digest my blunt statement.
“What?” he managed to say, his tone suddenly hard.
“The Council have arranged me a marriage,” I said, letting out a sigh.
“Who?”
“Blaine Morgan.”
“Never heard of him.”
“He’s a Commander of one of the patrol units in London. I’ve never met him.”
More silence.
“Are you going through with it?” Rick asked quietly.
“I have to. It’s my duty.”
“It’s archaic and stupid.”
I gave him a dry laugh.
“It’s not stupid. It’ll give the media something else to focus on other than the Impius attacks. Humans are all about royal gossip.”
“It’s not right, Ash. You shouldn’t have to marry someone you’ve never met because the Council says so.”
“It was always going to happen. I’m surprised it took them this long.”
“You can say no.”
“I could but what would be the point? I’d piss them all off and my father’s reputation would take a hit. He might be King, but he relies heavily on the Council.”
“This is your life though. Your future.”
“I’ve already agreed. It’s happening.”
“So you’re just gonna marry some guy you don’t know? What if he’s an asshole? What if he’s abusive? Have you really thought this through?”
“Give me some credit. If he turns out to be anything more than I can handle I will tell the Council to shove it. But I doubt it’ll come to that.”
“I can’t believe this,” Rick mumbled. I pursed my lips, hoping it didn’t turn into an argument. Rick muttered under his breath for a few moments.
“Look,” I sighed. “It’s not the end of the world. And it’s not set in stone either. I’m not going to anger the Council by not giving it a chance. Maybe I’ll like this guy. Only one way to find out.”
“We’re not talking about a date,” Rick argued. “We’re talking about the rest of your life.”
“I’m aware.”
“Why are you being so… relaxed about this?”
“Because I always knew it would happen. I’m the heir to Avaria. Whoever I marry will be the King consort.”
“And you’re okay with being in a loveless marriage for the rest of your life?”
“My parents’ marriage wasn’t loveless. And even if mine is, it’s a sacrifice I was always going to have to make. I made my peace with that a long time ago.”
“You’ve been brainwashed.”
“Excuse me?”
My tone halted his argument right there. He fell silent, realising he’d crossed a line. He may be my best friend, but I wasn’t about to let him talk to me like that. His feelings were clouding his judgement and I’d had enough.
“This is my decision. Just because you don’t understand it doesn’t mean you can insult me. I’m not just some girl. I’m the Princess of Avaria. My duty is to our realm, not my heart.”
I heard him take a deep breath.
“You’re right,” he said, though his tone made it clear he didn’t believe I was right. “When are you meeting this guy then?”
“On Friday. The plan is for us to get to know each other and for the media to see us together in public before we announce our engagement.”
“Smart.”
“The Council has thought this through.”
“Do I get to meet him?”
“Of course. But not yet.”
“When?”
“I don’t know. Let me get the first meeting out the way for now. It’s going to be awkward enough.”
Rick dropped his disapproving comments for the rest of the conversation, though his replies were vague and I could hear the discontent in his voice.
When our call was over I climbed off my bed and strolled over to my vanity. My room was simple but elegant. Dad hired a designer for the entire house. The mansion was built in the nineteenth century and though there were modern touches, it still felt old and grand. I liked that. It reminded me of my true home.
A painting hung on the biggest wall, showing the Avarian Palace. It was all light grey stone and ivy covered towers. I’d read an article on it once and everyone had described it as something out of a fairy tale. I couldn’t blame them. But Avaria wasn’t a fairy tale. It was a war zone.
Despite the growing issue of Impius entering the human realm, our own one was in the midst of its own problems. My uncle had tried to take the throne, claiming he should have been named the King. As my father’s twin and a powerful Fae, he gained a lot of support. But my father was the rightful King, being born over an hour before his twin.
And he’d prevailed.
My uncle had died during an attack on the palace.
And so had my mother.
Humans were fascinated by the Fae. We looked like them but we had magic in our veins. We could manipulate the world around us and aged slightly slower than humans did. Really, we weren’t that different, not that they saw it that way. Though it was hard for me to believe it, they’d never known of our existence once upon a time. Fae had been using portals to cross realms for centuries but Avarian law forbade them from revealing the truth to humans. When they did learn the truth, strict laws were put in place to protect both kinds. For the most part, it worked.
There was a knock at my door, distracting me from my thoughts.
“You still up?” dad asked, peering in through the door.
“Yeah,” I said, rubbing my eyes. “I just got off the phone with Rick.”
“Ah. And how did that conversation go?”
Something in his eyes told me he knew exactly how it went. I narrowed my eyes and he chuckled.
“Oh, sweetheart. I may be a bu
sy man but I’m not blind. He loves you.”
“I know.”
“Do you love him?”
“Like a brother. He’s been my best friend for years. I don’t want this to ruin that.”
“He’ll come around. His father will eventually arrange a marriage for him as well.”
“He will?”
“Yes. Devan once asked me about the two of you.”
My eyes popped.
“Wait, what? He wanted Rick and I to get married?”
“Yes. But it’s not a sensible alliance. Neither of us would gain anything from it and the public would see it as a biased move. Devan knew I’d never agree but I imagine he knew Rick cared for you. He was just trying to be a good father.”
“And why is marrying Blaine a sensible move?”
“His family is rich and powerful. They have always served us well and Blaine is being groomed to take over the as Commander of the Avarian Armies one day. Joining our families secures our reign and the security of our realm.”
“I guess.”
“But you still have a choice. I would never force you to marry someone you don’t want to.”
“I know,” I said, believing him. “I guess I’d better prepare to meet my future husband.”
“You don’t need to prepare. He’ll fall head over heels for you no matter what.”
If only that were true.
Chapter 3
I tapped my fingers on the table, wishing I wasn’t so nervous. I had to act like this was natural and that I already knew Blaine. There were humans scattered around the quaint café, glancing in my direction and whispering. Sometimes being famous sucked.
“Excuse me?”
I whipped my head around and saw a little girl standing beside me with a book tucked under her arm. She was blonde and looked super shy.
“Could you sign my book?” she asked, looking up at me nervously through her lashes. My shoulders relaxed and I smiled at her. She was adorable.
“Of course,” I told her, holding my hand out. She beamed and handed me the book. I recognised it as Peter Pan, with a drawing of Peter Pan and Tinkerbelle on the front. I pulled a pen out of my purse and opened the book to the first page.
“Do you have wings?” the girl asked eagerly, her shyness ebbing away.
“I don’t have wings, but I can do magic.”
Kids always loved to hear about magic. I supposed if I was from a realm without it, I’d be fascinated by it too.
“What magic can you do?” she asked eagerly, her shyness ebbing away. “Can you make me into a Princess?”
“I can’t do that,” I explained as I began writing in her book. “But you’re so pretty you should be a Princess. What’s your name?”
“Sally. Can you show me magic?”
I glanced around the café. We weren’t supposed to use magic in this realm casually, but I couldn’t deny this cute girl a little magic.
I looked at the wilting flower in the glass vase in the middle of my table. I lifted my hand up and let magic fill my veins. The air between my fingertips and the flower shivered, barely visible. Then the flower began to straighten up and its petals became more vibrant as life filled it again. The girl watched with her mouth hanging open.
I dropped my hand and handed the book to her. She took it, staring at the flower.
“That’s amazing,” she whispered. “Can you teach me?”
“It’s not something you can learn. But you can tell all your friends that you saw real magic. They’ll be so jealous.”
She beamed and looked down at her book. I’d written: Sally, you can do anything if you believe in it. Follow your dreams, from one Princess to another. Ashley Romar.
“Thank you!” the girl said, a big grin on her face. She hurried back to her parents to show them her book. I smiled to myself as I put my pen back in my bag.
“I suppose rules don’t apply to royals.”
I looked up and stiffened. Blaine sat down opposite me, his eyes studying me sceptically. I swallowed hard.
“What do you mean?”
“You just used magic.”
“There are no reporters around,” I countered. He made a sound like a snort and glanced around the café.
I took his distraction to scan him. He was very handsome, if you liked arrogance. His blonde hair wasn’t terribly long but still managed to look like he’d just crawled out of bed. He was lean but looked strong and was pretty tall. His blue eyes returned to me.
“Drink?” he asked. He said it politely, but there was resentment there. I gave a small nod and he flagged down a waitress. She hurried over and gave him a big smile.
“What can I get you?” she asked.
“I’ll have a black coffee, no sugar,” he answered. I wanted to roll my eyes. How boring.
“I’ll have a chamomile tea, please,” I told the waitress. She nodded and scribbled our orders on her notebook.
“Anything else?”
We both shook our heads and she departed. Blaine returned his eyes to me and I felt the hair on my neck stand on end. If the look he was giving me was anything to go on, this was not going to be fun.
“So,” I said when he failed to speak. “I guess we should get to know each other.”
“I already know plenty about you,” he replied, leaning back in his seat. I raised an eyebrow.
“You do?”
“Yes. The papers all love and hate you.”
“Oh. So you’ve read about me? You know the media couldn’t get a story right to save their lives?”
“Maybe,” he conceded. “But I’ve got a good idea.”
“Go on then. Dazzle me.”
“You’re a party girl but you like to pretend you’re not,” he began, his eyes remaining on mine as if he was challenging me. “You don’t have a lot of friends but you hang out with lots of different people for your image. You’re a daddy’s girl, though that’s a given. You don’t like being told what to do and think the sun shines out of your ass.”
I opened my mouth in surprise. I thought he must’ve been joking but his expression told me otherwise.
“Wow,” I said, narrowing my eyes. “If you really think so little of me, why agree to this arrangement?”
“I didn’t really have a choice. Neither did you, Princess. This is what everyone wants so might as well be honest. If you’re looking for someone to pretend they love you then you’ll be disappointed. I’m sure your father will pull some strings and get us both out of this.”
I let out a laugh because he was so sure he had it all figured out. If he pissed me off, I’d go running to daddy and he’d pull the plug on this arrangement.
“Sorry to let you down, but I’m not screwing my father over because you’re a bit of a dick. We’re both here because our families want this and I know that you don’t want to disappoint yours either.”
His lips became a thin line. I smirked. Gotcha.
“So instead of being an asshole, why don’t you take your head out of your ass and talk to me like a normal person and not a piece of crap.”
His eyes scanned my face, clearly not sure what to make of my answer to his shitty introduction. The waitress arrived with our drinks but left quickly when Blaine failed to look up at her.
“You’re really willing to go through with this?” he asked me.
“I’m willing to try. Are you?”
He seemed stumped by my question. I guess he had assumed I’d be so offended that I’d walk out on him. He might think all those things about me, but I’m sure many others did too. He didn’t answer me so I turned my attention to my drink and began stirring it.
“You’ve known about this for a long time,” I stated. “You’ve clearly done your research on me. But I’ve done my research too. As much of an ass as you’ve been since you got here, I know you’re smart enough to know all those articles on me are a load of crap. So why are you so hell-bent on giving up so quickly?”
“I don’t want to be King.”
> “You’d be King-consort, not King.”
“My duties are to the Avarian Army, not politics.”
“You want to be the Commander one day,” I said. “You can still be that and King-consort. In fact, it might help your career along.”
“I don’t take shortcuts.”
I tapped my fingers on the table, irked by how badly this was going. I’d been expecting some awkward conversations but not for him to be so… rude. I’d dealt with plenty of people who had been rude, but I’d been able to walk away from them. I was supposed to marry this asshole.
“If you really hate this that much, then walk away. I don’t want to marry someone who hates me and will resent me for the rest of my life. There’s the door.”
I gestured to the door and folded my arms. He didn’t budge, though he looked like he was tempted.
“No?” I asked him sweetly. “Good. Then stop treating me like the enemy. We can either try and find common ground and see if this can work or give up now and disappoint everyone. Your choice.”
His lip twitched as he eyed me. He was no longer looking at me with dislike, but calculation. I guess I had taken him by surprise.
“Fine,” he said, folding his arms as well. “I’ll try. But I can tell you right now that it won’t work.”
“And why’s that?”
“Because we’re a match made in hell, Princess. We may be able to find common ground but we’ll never be happy together. And we’ll never be in love.”
“I was never so optimistic to believe I’d have a love-filled marriage like my parents,” I said, even though his words filled me with disappointment. “But this marriage isn’t about love. It’s about alliances and what’s right for the realm. And I’m willing to put the realm first.”
“I find that hard to believe.”
“Why’s that?”
“The media might twist a lot but not once have I seen your name involved in any of the big deals made between the realms. If you were so committed to the realm, why are you not involved in the peace treaty between Earth and Avaria?”
“I’m learning the politics,” I replied icily. “My father goes over every agreement, every deal and every document with me in his personal time. I attend more meetings than the media is aware of and they aren’t interested in the party Princess they’ve made me out to be when it comes to politics. They’re only interested in my father. So you won’t see my name in the papers when it comes to those things. But don’t think I’m not involved.”
The Avarian Chronicles: A Tear In The Veil Page 2
