For centuries, the royal family of Aridia has hosted The Choice, the competition where the eligible daughters of the Nobles of Aridia, come together to vie for the hand of the heir to the throne. This year, Prince Carlos is the heir to the throne a...
"Father stayed back because he's trying to gather up a small army to fight back. It hasn't gotten violent yet, but it will soon," Caroline avoided my gaze.
I couldn't believe it. Colgate was my home. The people were my people. I had to do something.
"Wait, Madeline. Where are you going?" Was the last thing I heard before I shut the door to my room.
***
"Madeline, what are you doing here?" Carlos whispered.
"This is...this is important," I tried to get the words out despite being on the verge of tears.
Carlos noticed my state and his eyes darkened in concern.
He grabbed my hand and pulled me towards the library.
"What's wrong, Madeline?" He asked.
I gave him a recap of what my mother and Caroline told me.
Carlos ran his hand through his hair and let out a breath.
I quickly wiped the tears off my cheek. "I have to go home."
"What? Madeline, you can't go home in the middle of the competition," Carlos protested.
"My whole viscounty is in danger, Carlos. I-I don't know if I can do this anymore," I sighed.
"You can't go back to Colgate, Madeline. It's not safe. I'll round up a few guards and we'll go," Carlos countered.
"No, I'll go," Amancio's voice startled us. He walked into the library, closing the door behind him.
"We have to keep the happenings of Aridia quiet. You leaving the palace in the middle of Family Day would hint that something is wrong. I'll round up the guards and go to Colgate," Amancio suggested, his eyes darting between me and Carlos.
Carlos paced back and forth in the library for a good second. "Fine. But be careful, Amancio."
Amancio nodded at Carlos and turned to me.
On impulse, I threw my arms around him and hugged him tight. "Please come back safe."
"I will," Amancio stared deep into my eyes, before leaving Carlos and I alone.
"I should probably get back to the nobles," Carlos cleared his throat.
"Wait, Carlos," I said. "Thanks for offering to help."
Carlos looked like he wanted to say more but nodded instead. "We should probably head out."
***
As I lay in bed, the same jumbled thoughts ran through my head, preventing me from falling asleep.
I couldn't help but wonder how Amancio was doing. Was he OK? Was my father OK? Had they managed to chase off the rebels?
But, on a lighter note, I did realize a few things as I stood in the Royal Library. Regardless of how much I tried to brush it off or pretend it didn't exist, I knew I had feelings for Carlos. And Amancio.
I knew the feelings were present but I didn't know what kind of feelings they were yet. But I knew then. As I lay in bed in the dark, I knew how I felt about Amancio and Carlos. And I hated myself for it.
I hated myself for having false hope. I was Madeline Prowess. Not Esme Addington or Fiona Kensley. No matter how Carlos and Amancio treated me, I still wasn't an option.
But the kiss. And the dance with Amancio.
I pushed the thought away. Carlos wasn't himself when he kissed me.
I just couldn't bear to get disappointed and I had a feeling deep down things wouldn't end well. Besides, I was probably the last thing on Carlos' mind. The kingdom was on the brink of a civil war, with The Dark Lords hijacking villages and killing nobles.
My stomach twisted in despair. How was father doing? Did Amancio manage to send the rebels away? Would they stay away?
I tried to push the thoughts away but there was no point, the same dark thoughts kept crawling in, pushing sleep further away.
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
Hi guys! First chapter of the day. I just wanted to say please please pleaseeee vote. I like knowing who exactly's reading this and it makes me vewwy sad when I see the reads going up but I don't know who it is. If you're reading this, please vote and comment your favourite character <3.
