Stranger To King

👑 7 👑

I laughed as I stretched my sore back. We talked for an hour or so. All we did was talk about ourselves the whole time. During the conversation, my brother's voice popped up from nowhere. "MIA!! Where are you!!! Lord Matthew is here to see you!!" his voice rang out.

Anisel hurried back to the other side. He waved goodbye as he disappeared into the brushes. "There you are, Mia. Matthew is here. Hurry, don't keep your future king waiting." Jabrel nudged playfully. I hit him in the arm as he didn't have to say it like that. I fixed myself before greeting my old friend.

When walking into the parlor, Matthew stood up and bowed. "My dear lady, I was worried sick about you."

"Sorry for any inconvenience, my lord. I forget about the time." I said with a gentle smile. With no worries, he took my hand and kissed it. What a true gentleman. We took a walk around the lake, where there was complete privacy. It was good to see Matthew; we hadn't seen each other since the last grand ball. That was years ago.

I hated him since he moved away after that, and we never got to say goodbye. If he had stayed, then I would have already been queen. My parents loved Matthew, and so did I. With a swift motion, he pulled me in closer. I tried to contain the red in my cheeks. Why would he do this?? He knows how sensitive my skin is. We sat down at the parlor.

"Remember the mud fight?? We had it everywhere in the garden, and it took the maids hours to clean it up. Our parents were furious the next day." He said as he sipped on his tea.

Who doesn't remember that fight? My brother still talks about it until this day. It was all in my hair; I thought I had to go bald. When they had to cut it short, I was relieved. My hair is important to me– well, not as crucial as Mikhal or Hamon. They have been my servants since birth. I would burst into a tantrum if they were replaced. Which they almost did.

Matthew laughed, and tea came out of his nose. That's what he gets for laughing at my almost misfortune. I grabbed him a napkin and wiped his face. Mikhal stopped me before I could touch it. I got jealous, so I got up and wiped the rest off. That's when Matthew grabbed me by the wrist.

"What are you doing, my lady? A princess should never do something like that." He stated as he let go. Blushing, I told him he still had tea under his nose. Anyways, lunch arrived, and Mikhal went to receive it. Throughout this whole thing, I will spend time with each participant from breakfast to dinner. They each get time to swoon me.

Sir Mark will take the dinner time, Lord Felix will accompany me tomorrow for breakfast, Lady Mari will have the lunch spot, and Lord Anisel will have dinner with me and my family. So, I better enjoy this time right now until the switch. When lunch arrived, we chatted up a storm.

"The queen recommends your favorite dishes," Mikhal said as he set the plate nicely on the table.

"Fruit tar-tar and finger sandwiches— wow. Just like back in the day, huh, Mia? Matthew laughed.

"Yeah."

My mother still adores him for some reason, and my feelings lessen. The meal was delicious, and I had thirds. But Hamon stopped me as time was running out for us. I swiped my hands and mouth to stand up to say bye. He wanted a hug, but I refused the offer. I do not know who's around; they could be watching us.

We stood like that until I felt wetness on my cheek. Did he kiss me?? I couldn't react to it fast enough. He was gone in a blink of an eye. Staring blankly, Sir Mark walked up to me and bowed. He took my hand and wiped the kiss from my cheek. "That's better," he said.

I ordered Hamon to have him step a few inches away. Nobody can touch me without permission; the only people are family and close friends. I don't know how to let him do that. He just left the wrong impression. We joined my family for an outing, that I needed to figure out where we were going. That's when he became risky.

~ Anisel ~

My heart was beating so fast when I was waving goodbye to Mia. I'm glad I stayed in character; I almost opened up there as we were in our world. I can not let her become between me and the crown. But somehow, it felt like we had talked before– interesting. I returned to the house where Hazel and Joshua were making out.

"You have plenty of other rooms, go find one and use it," I said as I approached the kitchen.

My brother got up and followed me. "Where have you been? Disappearing like that."

"Nowhere. I told you I was taking a walk." I stated. He doesn't need to know what has happened. The more he stays out of it, the less trouble it will be. I snatched a snack from the cabinet and went back to the room. Time passed by quickly as the sun went down. I stared out the window to notice Mia with one of the participants.

My body heated up to a boil. I don't like what I saw. I need to get rid of the others to keep my chances. How about if I visited her now and then-- like tonight. Take her out alone without anyone around. It would give me time to swoon her over, and when she explained the dates, I would become victorious! Anisel Dean, you are a genius.