Camilla sat near her bay window looking out at the cloudy, gray sky. There were light water droplets hitting her window every now and then.
"Your royal highness, his majesty has asked for your presence at the royal lounge," Lucia said as she entered the princess' room.
Camilla did not even glance at the maid. "Tell, my brother that I do not wish to see him, or any of our family."
Luca looked at the teenage girl with sympathy. She felt bad for the young princess, but silently left the room without protest. Camilla brought her knees to her chest as she rested her chin on them. She felt numb. She wanted to cry, but all her tears had been used up.
Another knock came from the door, but Camilla did not respond, she simply ignored it. The door swung upon nonetheless and Camilla could hear the light footsteps approaching her.
"Camilla," Flora called out. This time Camilla looked up, her eyes bloodshot red from all the crying she had done throughout the night. It ached Flora to see her sister-in-law in this state.
"My brother sent you?" Camilla asked with a sour tone.
Flora looked at her hands trying to figure out the best way to explain what she had to tell Camilla.
"The Duke—Dylan—has runaway," Flora said. "This morning the guards checked his cell and he was gone. He only left the royal sapphire he had stolen."
"What do you mean he has runaway?" Camilla asked in shock.
"The guards believe that the person Dylan was working for helped him escape," Flora said. "I know this is hard to believe, but he's gone, Camilla."
Camilla shook her head. "No, no he didn't. He couldn't have. He said he loved me!"
"I'm sorry," Flora whispered as she wrapped her arms around Camilla aiming to comfort her.
Camilla did not want to believe Flora's words. She shook her head continuously as the tears flowed down her cheek. Dylan had promised he would stick with her.
Had it all been a lie?
Rebecca stepped into the room and Camilla was quick to pull away from Flora and wipe away her tears. She did not want to prove her mother right in any way.
"Flora, may I please have a minute with my daughter?" Rebecca asked and Flora nodded. She walked past Rebecca and closed the door behind her.
"What do you need mother? Came to say you were right all along?" Camilla raised a brow.
Rebecca walked over to her daughter. "Why can you not see that everything I do, I do it for your own good?"
"My own good?" Camilla scoffed. "No Mother, you do it for your own good. Not for me, not for Hayden. No, for yours and the stupid image we have to uphold because we are a royal family! Well, I hate being a royal! Having to keep a facade in front of everyone! I'm over it!"
"Camilla Valentino!" Rebecca frowned. "How dare you speak to your mother in such a vulgar manner?"
"I am just telling you the truth," Camilla mumbled.
"I get that you are hurt my child, but it is better this way. That criminal is out of our lives for good," Rebecca spoke. "He is probably already out of the country with that no-good friend of his Hector."
Camilla narrowed her eyes at Rebecca.
"How do you know that man's name?" Camilla asked, but Rebecca looked away. "Answer me!"
It suddenly dawned on Camilla as she put the puzzle pieces together. The royal sapphire that had been left behind and Dylan's sudden disappearance.
"Dylan didn't escape did he?" Camilla asked as she cocked her head to the side examining her mother. "You helped him leave. Did you make some deal with Hector?"
"It was the only way to get the sapphire back,"Rebecca said as she swallowed the lump in her throat. "He is gone now and that is all that matters."
"You gave the man I love to a monster!" Camilla cried out. "I hate you!"
Rebecca did her best to hold back her tears. "You may hate me all you want but I did it all for you. That man is out of our lives with no trace of a scandal."
"No trace of a scandal?!" Camilla could not believe her mother would stoop so low. "Hate to break it to you, but you told the world I was engaged. How will people react when they find out my fiancé has gone missing?"
"I have got that covered, my dear," Rebecca replied. "I announced your engagement, yes. However, I never said who the princess was engaged to."
Camilla furrowed her brows together. "What are you planning mama?"
Before Rebecca could answer, the door swung open and a familiar figure walked through the door. Camilla broke into a huge smile upon seeing the familiar face.
"Grandma!" She called out as she rushed toward her grandmother who she had not seen in ages.
Her warm embrace gave her all the comfort that she needed in that moment.
"My beautiful child, you have blossomed into a bellísima bambina (beautiful girl)," Guilia said as she caressed Camilla's cheek, but frowned when she noticed her granddaughter's puffy eyes. "What is wrong, my child? Why have you been crying?"
"Mama, let's leave Camilla to get ready before our other special guest arrives," Rebecca said as she ushered Guilia out the door. Both Guilia and Camilla were utterly confused.
Camilla did not have the chance to ask her mother what she had meant by her earlier statement. Lucia walked in shortly after the two elder royals left the room.
"I will help you get dressed your highness," Lucia said as she walked into the closet and pulled out a dress for Camilla to wear.
"Lucia?" Camilla called out to the maid as she was being dressed.
"Yes, your highness?"
"Who is this special guest that mama mentioned?"
"Viscount Guido, ma'am," the maid answered.
Camilla was shocked, but she knew what that meant. Her mother was planning on getting her married off to the second option—Miguel.
"All done," Lucia said as she finished patting Camilla's face with makeup. Camilla looked refreshed and there was no trace of her distress from the night prior.
Camilla walked toward the royal lounge and found her family there alongside Miguel. He looked ecstatic upon seeing Camilla. Hayden immediately rushed to his sister and pulled her into an embrace.
"Camilla, I do not wish for you to feel pressured into accepting this alternative," Hayden whispered to her as he hugged her. "I know mother is doing it for the sake of the royal image, but I want you to be happy."
The sake of the royal image. Camilla wanted to scoff at the thought. She wish she could change her life, but the sad truth was that she was a royal princess, expected to fulfill her role. No matter how much she wanted to be with Dylan, she knew that her title would never allow her to.
"Camilla, I know that this is all so sudden," Miguel said as Hayden pulled away from his sister. "But I feel like we both have a connection that cannot be ignored. It would be a great honor to cherish and love you for the rest of my life. Would you marry me?"
Miguel got on one knee and pulled out a velvet box. He opened it up and revealed a large diamond ring. Camilla opened and closed her mouth as everyone in the room watched her expectingly. Her mother's were burning into her head.
The duty of a princess is to marry and bring honor to her family. That was all Camilla was born to do.
"Yes," Camilla answered as she lowered her gaze away from her mother's piercing brown eyes.
Camilla did not feel a thing when Miguel pulled her close, kissing her cheek, happy that she had accepted his proposal. Her family walked to the couple, congratulating them. Camilla felt numb inside despite the forced smile she put on for show.
Author's Note
Well... Rebecca is being a bitch, but we have the Queen herself back and we all know she's going to out things in order. I know I said I would be updating more frequently, but I have a lot going on. I have two books on my other account, plus I just started my Fall Semester, so it has been quite stressful. I am going to try my best to get this book finished ASAP, but please bare with me. I will try to upload another chapter this month, I am not going to say the week because I do not know if it'll be possible, but I know that there will be another upload this month. I'll see you then my lovelies!