A Snowbarry Fairytale

Chapter 6

Daybreak came and the two families found themselves back in the dining hall with a breakfast spread prepared by the servants.

Caitlin was drinking orange juice trying to stay awake. She got no sleep at all and the "late night snack" did not help. She had to avoid Barry as much as possible.

"Did everyone sleep well?" Barry asked.

Everyone nodded and Caitlin nodded slowly, avoiding eye contact with him.

"This may have just been my sleepiness talking, but I swear I thought I heard someone in the kitchen after all the servants went to bed." Nora said.

Caitlin froze whilst Barry glanced at her, "That was me mother" Barry replied, "I couldn't sleep so I went to get my glass of water...and a little snack." He continued suppressing a smirk.

"Well, I hope it was what you needed." His mother said warmly.

"Yes, it was most fulfilling" he said and Caitlin choked on her glass of orange juice.

"Sorry" she muttered silently cursing Barry in the process. Amelia looked at the two. Something seemed very odd.
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Later that day, Caitlin and Amelia were walking around the palace together occasionally picking flowers along the way.

"How have you been? I know mother is thrilled that I may become the next queen but how are you?" Amelia asked Caitlin after a long silence.

"Don't worry about me Amelia, I'm quite alright here." Caitlin assured her. Amelia nodded and Caitlin bit her lip, unsure if she should ask her what's been on her mind. "Amelia, do you" she gulped, "love Barry?"

She sighed, "I have taken a liking to him Caitlin, and I thought that maybe if we spent more time together it would grow into something more. But I now realize that I don't love him like that. And to be quite frank, I don't think he loves me like that either. Not like how he loves you." Amelia replied.

Caitlin stopped in her place as the last sentence left her lips. She opened and closed her mouth as if she was about to say something but nothing came out. "And I know you love him." Amelia finished smiling.

"W-what! I-I do not!" She exclaimed, "And h-he does not love me."

Amelia rolled her eyes, "Caity don't be coy. I see the way you two look at each other. Did you meet at the ball?"

"Not necessarily...when I went on a ride into the meadow we almost crashed into each other. And he said that I could call him Barry and  we talked some more before I left. But I did promote you and say he should watch out for you at the ball, but then he said that he'll watch out for me more. And I thought he was just harmlessly flirting but it turns out he feels some sort of connection between us and I denied it at first but now I-I think I feel it too, but I would never ever do anything to hurt you Amelia. It just sort of happened on its own." Caitlin explained quickly not taking a single breath, "Oh...and we may have kissed last night." She said clasping her hands over her mouth. "Passionately. Very...Very passionately." Caitlin groaned. She was talking like Felicity now.

Amelia's jaw dropped at her sisters words and she screamed in delight. "Caity! That's wonderful!"

"I-I don't know" Caitlin said wearily.

"Caity, you're my sister and you deserve to be happy! If being with Barry makes you happy, then you need to stop pushing away your feelings and just go for it!" Amelia encouraged, "Stop following the rules and look deep inside your heart and follow that."

Caitlin contemplated what she said. She did like Barry. He was perfect. Kind. Sweet. A gentlemen. Handsome. Looked very nice without a shirt. And those eyes...those emerald eyes that made her heart melt. But most importantly, she felt butterflies in her stomach every time she saw him. She wanted to kiss him and hold him and never let him go. And if that's not love...then she had been going about this all wrong.

"I think that I love him" Caitlin whispered softly.

Amelia smiled at her sister, "Then, let's go tell mother and get you your man."

"But what about you?" Caitlin asked. She still felt bad about taking away her sister's "prince."

"Caity, don't worry about me. Besides, I have taken a liking to that Cisco Ramon character" she said blushing, "He's the princes best friend and we met in the stables."

"Amelia that's great!" Caitlin said.

"Thank you. Now, let's go!" The two girls set off giggling hoping that all would go their way.
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Caitlin didn't really hear all that went on between Amelia and her mother, but from the angry muffled voices outside the door...she could safely assume that it did not go well.

Amelia then came in slamming the door shut and fell into her sister sobbing. "Caity, I'm so sorry! I have no idea what's going through that cruel woman's head! It's just not fair!" She continued to sob.

"Shh...what happened?" Caitlin asked soothingly.

Amelia wiped her eyes and met her sisters eyes in great pain, "I told her. I told her that I don't have feelings for the prince and that I love someone else. I wasn't going to mention you until after she approved, but that's the thing. She didn't approve! She said that I had to marry the prince! And that it didn't matter if I loved someone else. She kept saying that in time we would learn to love each other, but-but that's not possible Caity! We love other people!" Amelia wept shaking her head.

Caitlin was holding back tears for her sisters sake, "Is that all?"

Amelia shook her head while taking a breath, "No. There's more. I told her that the prince may love someone else-I still didn't mention you-but she still did not care. She said that even the king agrees that we must get married. I threatened to walk out but she yelled at me and said "don't you dare!" She says she's doing this for my own good, but I don't believe it for a minute. I don't know Caity. Everything is just ruined. I'm so sorry." She said throwing her hands around Caitlin.

Caitlin closed her eyes. This was it, she thought. She was stupid to think she could ever be happy. How could her mother be so cruel!  This fairytale may not have a happily ever after  after all. A tear slipped from her eye and more dripped down after that. She could taste salt on her trembling lips. Love. Love will always just be a fantasy for Caitlin. Nothing but a faded memory.