Her Royal Pen Pal

Chapter 16 [An Unexpected Turn of Events]

Elise had to smile, "Thanks, I think."

"Well if you're his girlfriend, then you probably don't like me," Catie joked.

"What? Why wouldn't I like you?" She asked, thinking that this jovial girl was very likable.

"Because I'm Leonidas' betrothed," was the stunned, matter of fact reply.

Elise's head felt light, and the blood was rushing all over her body, "I'm sorry. WHAT?!"

***

Catie stared at Elise. Shit! She didn't know!

"Shit! You didn't know!" flowed out of her mouth, echoing her thoughts. 

"That Leonidas is betrothed? No. I believe no one knew the Crown Prince is betrothed," Elise said getting up, and turning to her, "Are you some kind of scam artist?"

"Whoa! Hold it right there," Catie stood up also, "I'm no scam artist! And this 'Betrothal'," she shuddered as she said the word, almost like it was poison, "--is something I just found out about. And I can assure you, I want nothing to do with it!" 

"What do you mean you just found out? Who just, so out of the blue, finds out they're betrothed to the Crown Prince?" She shrieked and Catie did not appreciate the condescension in her voice, but didn't comment on it. 

Seeing as she just told the girl what she told her, Catie was surprised Elise didn't punch her out. But then again, looking at her, she didn't look like the getting physical type. She'd probably be the type to talk through things and rationalize everything. And seeing as she just found out about this so called 'betrothal' it looked like Catie would be the one she talked it thorough with. Oh Joy! She couldn't help thinking drily; she'd rather just take the punch instead!

"Listen, I'm sorry you had to find out this way. I honestly thought, as his girlfriend, His Highness would have told you about it already. It just came to light, a few days ago, and it's not exactly public knowledge." Catie explained calmly, "It was some doing of His Royal Elder, and I'm not even certain it's legal. I'm just here to clear up this whole mess, and break off whatever it is."

She was quiet for a while, and Catie thought she was just processing what she just told her, all the while hoping that she didn't think for one minute that Catie was after the Crown Prince. Hell no, she wasn't! She opened her mouth to tell her just that, when Elise spoke again.

"Okay, what you told me sort of makes sense of the last few days," she said calmly, "I'm sorry if I went a little ballistic there, but, honestly, it was more for the situation than you. I just wish Leonidas had told me," she sighed heavily, dropping back into the seat she had just stood up from.

"I wish he did too, and then maybe you could have explained it to me," Catie said, also resuming her seat. 

"Yeah. Since I'm the one who's in the dark, do you mind telling me what you know?" 

Catie sighed. She's been thinking about what she knew since His Royal Elder's unexpected visit to her home in the country side, Wednesday morning. Maybe speaking it out loud and having another person to hear would help her to better grasp the situation. So she told her all she knew. 

"His Royal Elder Erland showed up on my doorstep this past Wednesday morning, and it was the surprise of the century... Or so I thought at the time, but little did I know that that was just the tip of the iceberg. I nearly fell through the floor when he said that 'His Royal Highness Crown Prince Leonidas Erland de van Wells was betrothed to Catalina Del Gado.' Hardly anyone calls me Catalina these days, so I knew it somehow involved what my father told me on his deathbed about not trusting the Royal Elder, and if he ever contacted me, I must seek King Grisham's help. But I thought it was all drunken babble. But I did blame His Royal Elder for my father's drinking habit and it pissed me off to see him standing in my doorway, to the extent that I almost threw him off my property, but he's royalty, so I couldn't. Apparently, my father was coaxed or conned into striking a bargain with the devil, so to speak."