Shh.. Secret Princess ;) (Under Major Heavy Re-Construction)

Part 22 - A Reserved Solution

Dedi to YunFeng XD Haha.. She was right on track, mostly.. Not telling which ones she said were spot on though. :P She had the closest and most detailed guess. Haha..Some of you were very close, but not quite. ;)

Song on the side is "Change" by the one and only T-Swift. :D

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Part 22

Chance's POV

Dad was pissed. More than pissed. I have never seen him that mad, really. He never gets mad; and he never was that mad. Of all the years I've known him, he only had one outburst, seriously. He was disappointed, angry, pitiful, outraged, annoyed, stern and anything else related to that. I didn't expect it.

We went to the library, where no one could have heard us. It was sound-proof, and we were alone. I was surprised, and he looked like he was, too. He was more mad about me hurting Annie and confusing her --which I didn't believe-- than me being betrothed to Gis what's her face. 

Dad always had a soft spot for Annie, she was always just too adorable. And she always seemed so innocent. Jase had a completely different personality than her sister's. She was younger, but she never looked innocent all the time.

After Dad's long 'talk' with me, the paper was faxed to us, and Attorney P studied it. We, Dad, Mom and Atty. Peterson, were in the library, waiting for his verdict. When he looked up, I held my breath. He was across from me, and he was frowning as he shook his head. Mom and Dad sat on either sides of me.

"Sorry, Your Royal Highness. The only way to get out of it is if she herself backs out with a valid reason to do so."

I put my head on the table and groaned, and I didn't get to see my parents' reactions. Annie left earlier. When I asked Mom where she went, she just shrugged me off. It was frowned upon in public, but our family members are like any other person on Earth when we're not being watched.

In the back of my mind, I knew there was something. I just knew there was a solution to this, but I couldn't pin point what it was. Back out, I scoffed at that thought.

"I got it!" I said abruptly, raising my head from the table.

Mom scrunched her brows at me, and Dad was giving me an indifferent stare. Attorney nodded his head for me to continue. But I'm not sure if it will work. I was sure Annie took the copy with her; and what were the chances that it would still be in her possession?

"When we were younger, Annie and I copied a movie. It was about a prince marrying a commoner, and she said she wanted to ride on a horse into the sunset, too," I said, my face heating up.

This was very embarrassing, and it wasn't something you say when you're almost 18.

Mom raised an eyebrow at me, and Attorney nodded his head again.

"Well, we were 9 then. And she and I, um," I said and scratched the back of my neck.

This was embarrassing, but it's the truth.

"WesignedabetrothalandMomandAuntElsignedit," I said hastily and covered my face with my hands.

That was embarrassing. We were kids, and we didn't know if they signed it like in the movie, we would be really betrothed. We knew nothing about that then. And I hadn't thought about it or remembered 'til now.

Mom's eyes widened as she gasped, putting a hand on her chest. Attorney scrunched his eyebrows together and rubbed his chin, seeming like he was in thought. Dad also scrunched his eyebrows and frowned as he looked at me. I squirmed in my chair, uneasy.

"I think I remember that! You and Anna barged in while I was talking with your Aunt El. We were too preoccupied with our discussion that we didn't realize what we did," Mom said and frowned.

I shifted my gaze around the room, seeing hard-bound books and paperbacks, nervous.

"It could very well be valid, sir. But do you still have the papers?" Attorney said, looking straight at me.

I shook my head.

"I left it with Annie. But I doubt she still has it," I said, but Annie has always been sentimental.

She keeps anything and everything that she gets, like contestant numbers and name tags. She has a closet full of papers and receipts in her room at their house.

"And I doubt, even if she did have it, she would even agree to that, Chanceon," Dad said, making me wince.

They have been calling me Chanceon all day, and I know it's because of what I did. My face scrunched, and I saw Mom nodding her head.

"After what you did, I expected her to fly to Paris immediately," Mom said and shook her head slightly.

I sighed. She didn't even react like she was hurt earlier, but I knew she was deep in thought. Why did I have to fall for my best friend who refuses to acknowledge that she believes in love?

"And I wouldn't want her to be tangled up in your mess," Dad said, giving me a stern glance.

I squeezed my eyes shut. My heart felt heavy inside my chest. I didn't intend for anything like this to happen.

"But I will ask her just in case," Mom said, making the heaviness lighten.

"Excuse me, everyone. I will inform Elisa about all this then find Annalisa," Mom said and stood up, Attorney Peterson bowing, and she left.


***Anna's POV***

I was sitting on the beach, the sand entering my denim shorts. The waves sounded so calm and peaceful, smoothly meeting with the shore. And the wind was so cool, even though the sun was rising to the middle of the sky. The clouds were scattered around though, so the heat didn't reach me.

I could hear faint chirps of birds, and they reminded me of the camping trip. Chancey actually went out with Amanda just to keep his 'feelings' for me a secret? I still question his sanity at times. But he's the only one I can find true comfort with. It could be that it's because we're 'birth siblings'. I just love calling it that. Even though it doesn't have a valid meaning in our actual reationship.

I have always been myself. I don't get what's so different now for him to believe he's 'in love' with me. I sighed and circled my hands around my bent knees and put my head on top, looking at the bright horizon. I closed my eyes and the sound of the water filled my ears.

"Dear?" I heard Auntie's voice say.

I looked up and looked behind me, seeing Auntie in her yellow dress, her shoes off her feet.

"Auntie?" I said and tilted my head to the side.

She briefly smiled and sat beside me, extending her legs. I eyed her curiously, and her now very light green eyes met mine.

"I know what my son did was very wrong. And this could very well ruin his own image and all of ours if he does not fix it. He was blinded. He believed whatever he could to keep the pain away, to lose it even for the briefest moment. His dream clashed with reality, and it didn't end well for him. He was irresponsible for going out like that, but we both know we can not really blame him. He is a male, dear," she said and laughed quietly.

I gave her a small smile and looked at the horizon again as she did the same.

"The world is messed up and full of faults. But every good and bad occurrence balances the world. Everyone makes mistakes. Everyone usually has regrets. Each and every one of us have natural instincts, and we lean on them. To live a full life, we have to learn from our mistakes. No matter small or big, they are mistakes all the same. But it doesn't mean we can't pull out of it. We usually find the right in the middle of a sea of wrong. We can never fully grasp the exact meaning of life, and there is a reason for that."