Anything For Rachel

Chapter Twelve.

"I'm sorry to have brought it up again." Master Marco said and I kept my face down to make sure the relief that he bought my lies wasn't obvious. I was also thanking God that I had decided to leave Rose out of the books, and not having anything personal on my websites.

"This is just even more reason not to force her to stay here." Calvin said. "She shouldn't be forced to be with someone who she doesn't want either. I think she has made enough sacrifices for our people. It's time for us to let her go."

Marco and the rest shook their heads lightly. "I'm sorry, to the both of you, but the council was formed by you so that we could make decisions together, and there are just more votes for her majesty to resume her reign than there are for her to be relieved of her duty."

"She never even had a coronation!" Calvin snapped. "Why are you people so dead set on forcing a human girl to live out her life here?"

"Are you trying to imply that there is something wrong with this place?" A man at the end of the table demanded angrily.

"Or are you just trying to say that because she is a human that she is too good to be here with us?" Angela chimed in with a smile.

Calvin slammed his fist down on the table in frustration as he stood. "Of course I am not saying those things!" He said. "But think what you people are doing! I have told you I don't want to be with her, she has told you how much pain being near me puts her in, and you all know the things she went through before coming here to be with us, only to end up back home at no fault of her own, and now she's here again and you want to keep her. She isn't a toy, she is person."

"No." Angela said. "She is a queen."

"This is all a joke!" Calvin laughed angrily.

"With all due respect, you certainly sound like you care more about her than you are willing to let on." Master Marco said lowly, hardly above a whisper.

I finally leaned back in my seat, crossing my arms over my chest. "I don't get a say in this at all?" I asked. "In my own life?" I looked around, looking each and every person in the eye. "I never wanted any of this. I never asked to be here, I didn't aspire to be a queen, not even after I was brought here for the competition. I was publicly shamed for saying exactly that, but then I fell for him." I said, pointing in his direction without looking at him. "I thought I was in love, and I agreed to marry him, and in turn become your queen because I wanted to be with him, but that was before he threw me away like trash, and before he stood in front of all of you people to tell you that he didn't want me and that he'd had an affair with one of my friends." I reminded them all. "How can you honestly expect us to just go back together like everything is fine? How do you expect me to just turn my back on the life I've been living the last five years?"

Octavia was nodding her head at my side, but the rest of the room seemed unmoved by my speech. "This is the decision that we've come to." Marco said evenly, hands still folded on the table in front of him.

"This is bullshit!" Calvin yelled and he got s a few disapproving glances, but I wanted to agree with him.

"We can't change it now." Angela shrugged. "The people want a queen, and they loved you."

"What if the people could have a queen they liked even more than me?" I asked suddenly, my own mind not even catching up to my mouth before the entire statement was already out and there was no taking it back.

"What do you mean?" Marco asked and I could feeling Octavia's and Calvin's gazes boring into me.

"Oh, um, I only meant...Well, I was found because of the competition." I said.

"Rachel!" Calvin said my name but I couldn't look at him.

"No, I think I might like this idea." Marco smiled at me and I felt like garbage.

How could I have possibly suggested such a thing? I know for me to get Rose back I have to get out of here, but I never would have guessed that I would come up with something like that.

Angela looked incredulously at me. "You're suggesting we hold another competition to find a replacement for you so that you might be absolved of your duty?"

"I, um...well, I-." I began to stutter, my mouth refusing to work at all anymore. I am literally turning into the eighteen year old girl who was here before. I wanted to stand up and kick myself.

"That could work." Marco nodded.

"You can't be serious!" Calvin shouted. "You're all mad, the lot of you!"

"I like the idea too." Another woman agreed. "The highest all around moral we ever had was during the competition." She said. "King Gordo may have been a lot of things, but he was a good entertainer, that is for sure."

Marco nodded his head. "All those in agreement, raise a hand." Everyone around the table expect for me, Calvin, and Octavia raised their hands. "Very well." He smiled. "We will run the idea by the public and if they seem willing, we will go with your idea. If not, then you will be resuming your rule." He said plainly. I chanced a glance over at Calvin and he was sitting down again, his elbows on the table and his face in his hands. "I don't want as long of a spectacle as last time though." Macro said. "I think a three week period would work."

"Three weeks to find a girl he wants to spend his life with?" Octavia asked.

"Oh, dear, I don't plan to bring in new girls." He smiled and Calvin shot his head up glaring at Marco with black eyes. "His majesty himself said he had feelings for another, and I do believe that she is still staying here, is she not?"

"She is." Calvin spat and my stomach sank even lower than I had imagined possible. I wanted to scream, cry, and vomit all at once. What the hell have I done?

"Very good." Marco smiled. "Then I will suggested the idea of a completion between Miss. Lexton and Queen Rachel for the heart of the king and the rule of the land."

"You can't do this." Calvin said evenly. "I won't allow it."

"Then you will have to be the one to tell your people that you have decided to disband the council." Marco said smugly, and though I am sure Calvin wants to too, I wanted to punch him right in the pinched up face. "I don't see the big issue." He said. "You claim not to want to be with Rachel, she claims not to want to be with you anymore either...So to me, this issue is easily rectified. The people get a show, you get a bride, and Rachel gets freedom. All you have to do is pick Lexton." He said to him then turned to face me. "And all you have to do is lose."