Arranged Love

Chapter 2

(Pic of Xavier on the right ->)

I wake up in the morning to an empty, angry stomach. I get up and change into a different dress, this one being a red dress with some black tints, and comb my hair. I leave my room and walk into the throne room. I walk in when the guards open them and walk down to the front. Carol is the only one standing, my parents are sitting on the thrones. I stand next to Carol as we wait patiently for Zane. The air in the room becomes tense as I remember the drama that unfolded yesterday. I don't replay the memory. The doors open and I hear rushed footsteps coming towards us. Zane then comes to a stop next to me.

"Good Morning, you three," my mom says, "I expect you know that Ally is leaving today," I'm leaving today? They didn't tell me that. Once again I didn't let them tell me that. Carol and Zane give me a confused look.

"Well, I guess that means she hasn't," my dad says, "well, today she is leaving for the Northern Kingdom because she is engaged to Prince Xavier," I don't need to look to know my sister is wearing a look of shock. Zane is probably just happy knowing that I'm out of the way so he can be king.

"We all will be leaving soon to go to the Northern Kingdom," my mom says, "so don't make any plans," we all nod, bow, and take that as our cue to leave. Once the door closes Carol turns me to look straight at her.

"You are marrying Prince Xavier!" She yells quietly, "oh I am so jealous and happy at the same time," I turn back forward and start walking towards my room.

"Why are you happy?" I ask Carol, "it's not you who is marrying him,"

"I'm happy because I get to meet him in person," she explains, "you should be also,"

"Carol, the engagement was arranged, " I tell her, "so is the wedding," she shrugs her shoulders.

"So?" She says, "I wouldn't care as long as I married him," I roll my eyes and walk into my room, closing the door, leaving Carol to fantasize of boys. I begin to get ready, like packing a few clothes and stuff necessary. When I'm finished, I take a short nap before we go.

--

A huge bump makes the carriage leap into the air. I'm in a carriage, yes. There are two carriages taking us to the Northern Kingdom. The first one, a black carriage pulled by palomino horses, was the one my parents and I are in, while the white carriage is pulled by brown horses with Carol and Zane inside. My parents sit together on one side of the carriage while I sit by myself, watching the forest go by. The tension is strong inside, which is really annoying and makes me actually, regretfully, wish that we will arrive at the Northern Kingdom in any second.

"Ally," my father says suddenly. I turn to look at him as he talked. If he wasn't the king, I wouldn't have looked at him, just continue to glare out the window, "you do understand why we are doing this, right?" This confused me. I thought they were selling me off to marriage, forced marriage, might I add, for money. I shake my head slowly and wait patiently for their story.

"Have you heard of the War of the Four?" My father asks again, when I shake my head, he continues, "we'll, it happened ninety years ago between all four kingdoms: Northern, Western, Eastern, an Southern. They fought for land and power. The war went on for five years, no kingdom showed signs of retreat. Until the Northern Kingdom talked the other kingdoms into signing a treaty, saying that no guards or army of any kingdom is allowed to step foot onto the land of another kingdom, unless granted permission from that kingdom. Ever since then, the Four Kingdoms have lived in peace,"

"Why does this matter?" I ask.

"The reason we are having you marry Xavier is to keep the peace between the Western and Northern kingdom," my father answers, "kingdoms do marry off their princesses to keep the peace strong,"