Cristiano Augustine loved me. Prince Augustine - the Prince of Delmar – Your grace. It was like something out a book my mother used to read to me. He was the royal blooded, handsome, prince and I was the poor, good hearted pauper. The lamb and the lion – The lion had fallen for the lamb. Everything was happening so fast and it was almost too good to be true. Cristiano showered me with love and affection, constantly proclaiming how much he loved me. He moved my mother to his villa, having one of the royal doctors keep a close watch on her. He paid all of my hospital bills off, and even offered to pay for me to go back to college. I refused of course.
I argued with him when he paid the bills off and he certainly didn’t want to argue with me over my education. The only thing looming over my head was the selection. Cristiano was expected to pick his fiancée soon. It was all over television and he hadn’t even as much as mentioned it to me in conversation. I guess I had to be the one to bring it up.
I caught Cristiano in the living room of his villa, meeting with Daniel, one of his royal advisors. I entered the room cautiously, not wishing to disturb any particular business matters. A grin spread across Cristiano’s face, as soon as he saw me.
“Daniel, could we take a break?” Cristiano suggested. Daniel nodded, exiting the room swiftly, his eyes flickering to mine, before he left. I waited until the door shut, before I sat down beside him on the couch. Cristiano immediately wrapped his arms around my waist, pulling me onto his lap.
“Cristiano,” I said firmly as he planted a kiss on my lips. “Stop treating me like a woman.”
“Fine! Fine! Fine!” he chuckled letting me go, but not before kissing me again on the lips.
“I wanted to talk to you about something,” I began fidgeting a bit with my fingers out of nervousness.
“Anything,” he said lifting my chin up, so my eyes were focused on his. I hated when he did that. He knew the effect he had on me, and my eyes were always a dead giveaway. He grabbed my hand in his hand, squeezing it tightly.
“It’s about the – Well, you know about - ,” I said stumbling across my words. I could barely talk when he looked at me like that.
“Just tell me,” he said planting a soft kiss on the top of my hand.
“The selection,” I said finally getting it out. Cristiano sat back, letting out a deep sigh, before he said anything. Cristiano always said what was on his mind. When he didn’t answer a question right away, then that meant something was up.
The selection was a terrible ordeal – It would be a huge party – where Cristiano would tell all of the royal families/ noble people who he selected to be his bride or groom. Usually the individual whom was chosen was the son or daughter of another royal family or of nobility. I was neither, which made the situation, as I feared, slightly complicated.
I’m sure his parents would never approve of Cristiano marrying me. I was a poor nobody, with not even a dime to my name.
“Don’t worry about that,” Cristiano said kissing me on the forehead. “I love you and that’s all that matters.”
That wasn’t exactly the answer I was hoping for and I was actually baffled by Cristiano’s coolness with the entire situation. What did he mean by that? Love didn’t always prevail in every scenario. Did he not understand that there might not be a way for us to be and stay together? How could he have so much faith in our relationship?
Before I could say anything, Cristiano was taken away by his assistant Daniel.
“Cristiano,” I sighed as he stood up, sliding his jacket on.
