The Startled Princess

♕ Chapter 2

   

          "What the hell?" Rose howled, her hands slamming onto the coffee table. She couldn't believe what she had just heard. "So, you're saying that my grandfather and the prince's grandfather arranged our marriage?" she repeated their words, her eyes sharp on them.

       "Yes, Miss Humphrey," one of the men replied. He was black haired, middle-aged and wasn't as tough as the other bodyguards. "That's what the late King George Larston's last will was; to see his grandson to marry his best friend's granddaughter..." he said, pausing for a moment before he gave a warm smile. "That’s you." 

         "Oh, God..." Rose stood up from the couch and circled around. She turned her eyes sharply, towards her parents and brother, who hadn’t stopped giggling and high five-ing each other when they heard the news. "Will you stop doing that?" she howled, hands on her hip.

        "I'm not going to marry him. Not for you, not for the King!" she made up her decision, which made her family gasp. Her mother tip toed towards her, and placed her hands on her shoulders. She gestured her towards a corner. 

            "What are you talking about, Rose?" she whispered as slow as she could, so that the bodyguards wouldn’t hear them. "This is the chance to change our lives! If you agree, you will become a princess! Isn't that what you wanted?" Jen Humphrey exclaimed, her hands wrapping around her daughter's shoulders.

        Rose frowned. She never thought that her mom would do this to her; selling her own daughter!

      "That was when I was nine years old! Mom, I can't believe that you're into this!" she screamed out loud. Mrs Humphrey gasped and covered Rose's mouth using her hand. They turned themselves towards the crowd and realized that they were staring at them. "Everything's alright!" she lied. 

          "Have some tea, Mr Jameson," Tom Humphrey offered him some tea, to distract him from looking at the pair of mother and daughter. The man nodded and took the cup from his hand. "KEEP QUIET!" he mouthed at them as Mr Jameson was busy sipping his tea. He then faked a smile, pretending like nothing happened behind him. 

          "Darling, please. You know that we're desperate right now. We have to vacate the house if we don't have the money to pay the bills. And the shop is doing awful since teenagers like ice-creams more than sandwiches!" Mrs Humphrey pleaded. She held her hand, "You've said that we'll figure something out. This is it, Rose. This is something."

            Rose looked down. She didn't have the heart to say no to her mother but this, this was way too big. To get married at the age of 19 is a big deal. It would destroy her dream to become a ballet dancer and get into London School of Ballet. The place where she had been dreaming to go since she was just a kid. That was her ultimate life dream. And now, she had to let go of everything?

           "Please, Rose. Do it for us," her mother beseeched.

           Rose lifted her head and looked at her mother. 'Why me?' she kept repeating these words, whispering to herself. 

           She motioned toward the couch and took her seat. Tom inched closer to her and her mother joined them, sitting at the other side of the couch, sandwiching on it.

            Now, Rose was stuck in between her parents, that kept staring at her, waiting for her answer. She even thought that her parents were more excited than the man called Mr Jameson, who embraced himself as the King's most trusted confidante.  

             She brought her hand together, and cleared her throat, "The thing is, I need some time," she spoke. "I need to think, Mr Jameson. This whole thing... Its..."