Born To Be

24| Revelation

Chapter 24: Revelation (Archer's POV)

"I think we've made a revelation," my grandmother said. 

"A revelation?" I asked in confusion. 

We're having some sort of family meeting that my grandmother demanded we have. "Well, the first being that you look best with Caroline and Evelyn," she nodded. 

"And the second?" my father questioned. 

"That he is going to marry Evelyn," she shrugged. 

"Why is that a revelation? I thought we all secretly knew that," I mumbled. 

"What about Chloe?" my mother questioned. 

We all sighed simultaneously. 

"He doesn't like her, she doesn't like him-" 

My mother cut my father off. "Of course, she likes him!" 

"She doesn't like me, mother. She likes the throne." 

Everyone looked at me. 

"It is unbelievably obvious. She is nice to all of us. The only other princess she gets along with is Carol. The way she treats everyone else is horrible. A queen cannot treat her people badly now, can she?" I asked, giving her a pointed look, remembering the incident Evelyn told me about. "She wants the throne, the riches, the title. She doesn't want me." 

"All those girls are here to be the queen, Archer. Marriage is their only way." 

"I'm not going to marry someone who wanted me for riches," I huffed. "And if they want to be queen so badly, they can marry another prince of another kingdom. Not me." 

She shot me a glare before sighing, pinching the bridge of her nose. 

"He's right, Arabella," my dad said. "This prince is going to be off the market, might as well be with someone he can spend a life with. Because that is exactly what he will have to do." 

"And Arabella." 

We all looked at my grandmother as she spoke. 

"Open up your mind a little more. There are people outside of this palace. Outside of royalty. Evelyn is one of them. She is just as good as a princess." 

"Just as good but she is not a princess!" 

"Neither was I, what is your point?" my grandmother retorted. 

"My point is, Archer is a fantastic prince. He needs a princess with him. One who can handle being the queen. Evelyn will fail." 

"You have to give her a chance," I argued. 

"I know it just by looking at her. The way she left dinner that-" 

"And the way Chloe talked to her? Is that how a queen is? Are you like that, mother?" 

"Archer," my dad said sternly. 

"He's right, Edward," my grandma said sternly. 

I looked at him smugly. 

"Evelyn has not once disrespected anybody. Chloe disrespects all of those girls every single day. She thinks she is superior to them. God, she is just like her mother," grandma sighed. 

"No wonder their kingdom is drowning in debt," my dad nodded. 

"This is not about their kingdom! Chloe is perfect to be a queen." 

"Maybe, but not to be my wife," I shrugged. "Evelyn can learn how to be a queen. It's something every princess has to do. Learn to be a queen. But nobody can teach Chloe respect. Nobody can help her with that."