Royally Screwed

17

Philips first cousin Arianna sat beside me, a girl with light curly brown hair and lighter brown eyes who looked nothing short of regal even as she applied a darker shade of eyeliner than the make-up artist did. 

Her light brown eyes met mine in the mirror and a smile appeared on her delicate pink lips, "I like it dark," Arianna commented.

"It looks nice on you," I said as diplomatically as I could. My mother and friends had been forced out and to take their places as we got ready for the final hour before the ceremony.

Arianna rolled her light brown eyes, "it better, can't look too gothic for a royal wedding without looking pretty too." She closed her eyeliner cap and turned to me, a warm smile on her face, "So, I bet you're thrilled to marry my cousin."

"It is an honour." 

Arianna crinkled her nose, looking critically at me in a way that made me want to be anywhere else, "What's on your mind? You look doubtful. Getting cold feet?"

"A little," I admitted because I wasn't a fantastic liar and I didn't need to piss off his cousin. I played with my fingers admiring the natural nails she did while trying to avoid meeting Arianna's eyes.

"You can still talk to him," Arianna said, "His room isn't too far off."

I blinked, startled. Wondering how much she saw on my face. I forced a smile, and stood up. I was about to head out of the door when Arianna's voice called out, "It's bad luck for him to see you in your wedding dress." 

I turned around to see her, and she tilted her head to the large black coat that hung nearby. I said my thanks grabbing the coat before I headed out. 

My knowledge of the palace was far from great but I could still navigate enough without getting lost and enough to know which room was Philips. I wasn't sure what I'd say or ask, but I needed him, I needed to know that I could love him or know that we're just going to be friends for the rest of our days. 

I was about to knock his door when the sound of two voices stopped me. I knew there would be people in there but there was two, and one of them was female which was enough to send alarm bells ringing. 

Maria had this code, that if no one was going to tell you what was going on, it's time you find out yourself, unethically. So I faltered, part of me wanted to knock and enter but the larger part of me, stayed silent as a mouse as I eavesdropped. 

"I love you," were the first words I heard in Greek after a length pause, I recognised the words. I'd googled them out of curiousity before. The rest was harder to make out, "I'm sorry, Philip, I should have said it sooner but I love you."

"Why are you telling me this now?" Philips voice sounded real and in pain. I held my breath.

"Because I don't want you to wed her,"  the female accented voice comes out with a spit towards my name. "You need a reason to leave her, let me be the reason."

My heart fell. It felt to surreal to be true, but so has everything in my life this past month. I hadn't discerned the moment my life had turned to a soap opera but. But I knew this part of any well enough. The scene before the wedding, where someone, often the opposite sex who was very much in love would approach the bride or groom giving them the one reason that mattered enough for them to leave the wedding, for them to run. 

I'd been looking for my reason, for my escape but I didn't have any. But now that Philip had a reason, I didn't want him to leave, to escape. I was selfish. I wanted him to stay with me through this. My heart didn't break but it came close, but I had my answer for this wedding and that was what I was looking for.

There was silence on Philips part but when he spoke, my heart skipped a beat. "I love you, but I promised to marry her."

No, I wanted to say, Marry the love of your life. I opened the door without knocking because I was sure that this girl in the room was Destiny, the one Philip had admitted he loved. I saw the two of them, holding each other, Philips head resting on her shoulder, they were about the same height -

My heart stopped.

The two of them were separating as their limbs hastily broke apart, I recognised the girl.

Destiny.

My brunette bodyguard.

"Alana!" Philip's voice was embarrassed, astonished and worried.

"It's okay," I said hastily, one hand on the coat and the other in the air. "It's not like I didn't know what we were, Philip," I added.

His body didn't relax, he was as tense as a tightly woven cord. 

Destiny, to her credit, looked embarrassed, she refused to meet my eye looking away from the two of us. 

"I love Destiny," Philip spoke softly in english, walking towards me warily, "but I won't leave you on our wedding day Alana, you didn't want this and we'll be in this together. It was both our mistakes."

I hated myself in that minute for being so selfish, for wanting him to marry me because I didn't want to have the child alone, I didn't want to fall in love with the child as it grows up and have it taken away from me to live in the palace. "I wish things were different," I told him, honestly. 

I wished I wasn't so selfish, I wished I could give him the chance to break his promise to marry her. To find happiness with her while I find mine. Philip gave me a small smile, I supposed he was surprised that I wasn't screaming, that I wasn't crying but he didn't realise that just as he closed himself to me, I was going to close myself to him. 

Philip was weary but he took my hand in his, his hands were warm.  "I'll escort you back into your room."

He didn't turn back, ignoring the love of his life.

And selfishly, I was glad he didn't.

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END OF PART ONE

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