Y/N's POV
Sleep in her room? What is she even talking about? I realized I was alone in the garden and decided to follow her.
"Hey, Lauren, what do you mean by sleep in your room?" I asked still confused when I reached her at the lounge of the palace. She was sitting on the couch with a magazine. She faced me when she heard my question.
"First of all, it's Princess Lauren for you. And second, you're supposed to stay here during a week to get to know me," She said in an obvious tone and my eyes widened at the response. "I can tell that you didn't know that, just by your surprised face... Well, deal with it." She said and turned to her magazine again.
"What? Why didn't anybody tell me about that?" I asked still shocked and tried to reach my phone to call Emma or dad, but I realized it was not in my purse as I couldn't find it there.
"Look, I don't know. They just told you were gonna be here for a week to stay with me, including sleep with me so we could get along and kind of learn what our marriage life will be like, but I don't think you want to sleep with a drunky, right? Don't worry, I told Ally to get you another room, we have plenty of those in here." She replied, now annoyed by me and stood up facing me.
"You can't blame me if it is you who puts up this attitude." I said and crossed my arms also facing her. "Ugh, I can't believe dad did this to me" I sat down on the couch and groaned. "God, why me?"
"I seriously don't understand why you're complaining if it's me who's suffering. It's a privilege for you to even get to know me."
"Oh, yeah? Enlighten me with the reason why, please?" I raised an eyebrow at her while she sat by my side.
"If you'd just stop acting like you already know me because of the news, and start actually getting to know me, you'd figure the reason why by yourself." She answered in a smooth tone and not so aggressive anymore. I instantly felt guilty. I was indeed judging before really getting to know her. Maybe I should just give her a chance. I'll need to live with her anyway in about months...
"Ok, I'm sorry. It's just really difficult not to judge you. And I'm really confused and mad about this situation I was put into." I said and reached for her hand, which she pulled away quickly.
"It's ok... I don't blame you, though." She looked at me "But it's just the way I live my life. I'm not like you, at all, and I don't want to change either. My life is perfectly fine just the way it is." She said looking at me in the eyes, but I could tell she was lying by her body language.
"If you say so..." We heard footsteps coming down the stairs and we looked up.
"Lauren, I'm sorry, but Y/N can't have a separate room. She'll be sleeping with you. Orders from King Augustus." It was Ally and she spilled the news. Lauren made a face and groaned, but seconds later she smirked and I frowned confused.
"Ok, Ally. It's not a problem anymore, right Y/N?" she turned to me and raised her eyebrows still smirking.
"I guess..." I simply replied confused by her change of heart.
"Well, good. It's already 1pm and the lunch is served. You two can go eat whenever you want." With that said, Ally went outside and left us alone.
I heard Lauren sigh and look at her phone. "I don't wanna have lunch. You can go if you want..."
"Wow, I was expecting better manners coming from a Princess, as you like to remind me every five minutes." I said and she rolled her eyes at my comment "Didn't your mom teach you how to be polite?"
"Well, she could have, if she were alive. But I think you're aware that she's gone." She said and I face palmed myself inside feeling guilty. Again.
"I'm sorry, I didn't mean that." I tried to apologize and I saw her glassy eyes, hurting me inside. She can be one of a kind, annoying and everything, but I'm not mean like this. And she still has a heart, after all. At least I think she does.
"It's fine. I'm going to my room. You can do whatever you want." She ran upstairs not giving me a chance to protest. God, I'm such an idiot.
Lauren's POV
I wake up by the sound of my phone going off. I grab it and see it's Dinah calling.
D – "Hi, Laur."
L – "Hi, Dinah."
D – "How are you? Did you meet your future wife? Is she hot?" I rolled my eyes at her comment. Well, that's my best friend.
L – "Well, yes, I'm fine, and, yes, I met her, and, yes, she is hot. But it's none of your business. Actually, how do you even know about that, anyway? I just found out this morning."
D – "Interesting. I know it because Ally is my gal pal and she told me, duh. I want to meet her, can I come over?" I rolled my eyes again.
L – "Dinah, no. Stop trying to get my wife. I even think I can hook up with her later..."
D – "Well, she's not your wife yet. This... What's her name again?" I sigh and roll my eyes again.
L – "It's Y/N. But she will be and it means having sex with a hot chick every night." I smirked at the thought of her naked in my bed.
D – "Ew, Lauren. I don't need to know about your sexual life. Anyway, where's this Y/N now? Wasn't she supposed to be with you?"
L – "She is supposed to be at the palace for a week. Doesn't mean she has to be with me. She must be somewhere else at the palace, I guess. I don't really care."
D – "Well, if you say so. I have to go now, see you tomorrow?"
L – "Yeah, see you, Dinah"
D – "Bye, Laur."
I hang up the phone and saw it was already 4pm. My eyes widen and I go to the bathroom. I see my reflection at the mirror and I look horrible. Messy hair, puffy face and red eyes. When I came to my room, I remembered about my mom and that made me cry. She was killed 3 years ago when she was coming home from a party. I remember how great of a person she was. She would always put the other's welfare before hers, and she would take care of me. I loved her so much. I started drinking and partying nonstop after her death. I know she wouldn't be happy with me living the life the way I do. She would be disappointed. Nevertheless, she's not here anymore. I snap out of thought when I hear someone knock at my bedroom's door.
"Come in!" I shout coming out of the bathroom and making my way towards my bed. When the person didn't come and knocked again, I sigh and get up to open the door.
"What do you want?" I said when I saw who it was.
"Well, hello to you too. Geez, someone's in a mood..." Y/N said looking up at me, and her face immediately changed.
"What do you want?" I repeat, having no time for her complaining about me.
"Ok, but first, can I come in?"
"Yeah, whatever" She makes her way to my bed and sits on the edge. I close the door and cross my arms waiting for her to speak.
"I came to apologize." She looks at me and I just nod signaling for her to continue. She takes a breath and continues her speech while I take a seat in front of her. "I just... I'm sorry for coming up with your mom earlier. Moreover, for judging you without even knowing you. That was not my intention. I didn't mean to make you cry. I was just a little mad at this situation I have to deal with and... I'm sorry." She sighed and looked down at her lap when she finished.
I look at her and frown. "How did you know I was crying?"
"Your face says it all." When she answered, I frown again and she meets my eyes. She does have beautiful eyes and her red full lips are an invitation for me to kiss them.
"It's ok. I know you didn't mean it." I answer honestly and see her sigh in relief.
An awkward silence fell between us and I decided on making conversation again. We have to get to know each other, right? She told me about her parents and her older sister, Emma. She also told me about her brother, Spencer, who died when she was 15. We talked about everything and nothing. Now I know a lot more about her and I'm thankful because she's not a pain in the ass. It was now 7pm and I remembered I've been sleeping all day long.
"Hey, I've just remembered." I said sitting up on the bed and she looked confused. "What have you been doing all day long while I was asleep?"
"Oh, don't worry. I've been talking to the guards, walking on the huge and beautiful garden you guys have and Ally showed me around the palace, too. She is adorable."
"Too bad you have to marry me, not her." I said with a smirk.
"True, I would rather marry her. But you're not too bad yourself." She said also smirking. I punch her arm playfully and she laughs. I don't know why, but that made my heart beat faster.
"Seriously, though... You're not the way I thought you were. You're kinda cool." She said when our laughter died.
"Oh, so you think I'm kinda cool?" I teased and saw her smile widen and she nodded. "It's not because I don't believe in true love that I'm an asshole, you know." I said honestly and she frowned a little.
"I know. I was quick to judge. I don't think you're a drunky." She said a little nervous and I shake my head dismissively.
"You don't need to explain. I'm not mad." I said honestly, "I'm sorry you have to marry me, though." She locked eyes with me "You won't be able to find true love."
"It's ok. It's not like I could find even if I weren't about to marry you, anyway." She said and looked upset about it. I felt bad and tried cheering her up.
"That is not true." I said taking her left hand in my right one and she looked at me surprised. "You're beautiful and have a big heart." Her face softened and she smiled. "Anyone could fall in love with you. If you believe in such thing, of course." She chuckled a little and that made me smile, too.
"Thanks." She said and suddenly hugged me. I was shocked first, but then reciprocated embracing her slim waist. "I'm relieved because you're not the person I thought." I heard her say in my ear and that made me shiver. "You're actually a good friend."
She let go when we heard her stomach making noises. "I guess you're hungry." I chuckled and she blushed embarrassed. "Let's go downstairs and have dinner, shall we?" I said and pulled her downstairs with me. She's too cute for hooking up. It wouldn't be that bad being her friend, though.
"Lau-, I'm sorry, Princess Lauren, can I go home and take my clothes? I haven't brought any, as I didn't know I would be staying here." Y/N asked me as soon as we reached my room after dinner.
"You don't need to call me 'Princess Lauren', you know that, right?" I said and chuckled at her apprehension. "You don't have to grab clothes because I'm sure Joey brought enough for one week." I was already shirtless and turned to see an embarrassed Y/N who quickly turned her back on me. I smirked at her action and waited until she responded.
"Oh, uhm, I didn't know." She said and kept her gaze far from me.
"Your clothes are all placed at that side of the closet." I said pointing to the other side of my closet. "You can look at me now. I'm all dressed." I said approaching her and turning her to face me, and her eyes widened.
"Okay, thanks." Her cheeks were flushed and I smiled at the effect I caused on her. "I'm gonna take a shower, then." She said and practically ran to the bathroom. I smiled to myself and jumped on the bed. I was tired from last night. Maybe I'm getting too old for dancing and drinking. Ok, who am I kidding, I love dancing and drinking.
I was almost asleep when I felt someone lifting the sheets and lying beside me. I remembered it was Y/N. There was a long space between us, though. I fall back asleep and almost instantly, I was deeply sleeping.
I wake up at the sound of soft crying and rub my eyes. I look at my side and see Y/N shaking and sniffing with her back turned to me. I frown and have a discussion with myself. Should I try to talk to her? No, it's better if I just go back to sleep. I don't even know her! But she's crying, what if she just needs a hug? Well, yeah, I'm gonna try and talk to her.
"Hey, Y/N, what's wrong? Why are you crying?" I ask and touch her shoulder so she pays attention to me. She quickly starts wiping her eyes and laughs humorlessly.
"It's nothing. You don't need to act like you care either," She said and this time looking at my eyes and I can see sadness through her beautiful Y/EC orbs. I didn't like seeing her like that.
"I know there's something. And I do care. You know, you can tell me anything. I'm your friend, right? You said so, earlier. Now tell me, what's the problem?" I asked and wiped some tears still falling from her eyes with my thumbs. I feel this urge to protect her, I don't know why, though. She just seems so vulnerable and helpless.
"Well, if you really wanna know," She said a bit harshly and took my hand off of her face "You are my problem." I frown when she starts crying again and wait for her to continue. "The problem is that I'm in this bed which is not mine, in this palace which is not my home, beside someone I don't even know, which is supposed to marry me." She buries her head in her hands and keeps talking while I just listen. "That's not what I imagined my life would turn into. I just wanted to be a normal 18-year-old girl. Go to college, fall in love with someone, find a home to live in, get married to my significant other and adopt some puppies." I felt bad for her. I didn't know that's how she felt. "And now my life is all changed. I don't get to decide which choices I'm gonna make and I'm stuck with you for the rest of my life." I'm not gonna lie, that last part kinda hurt. "My life sucks." Then she breaks down sobbing violently. I just hugged – or tried to – her. Her face was buried in my neck and I could feel her tears falling on my skin.
"NO!" She was punching my chest and tummy trying to get rid of the embrace, but failed when I just held her tighter. "You don't get it. YOU are my problem. If I'm suffering then it's all your fault." Her voice cracked and I felt my eyes tearing up, too.
"Sshhh, you have to rest. Just close your eyes and let sleep take over your body." She stopped fighting and tugged on my shirt crying freely. That would leave a stain, but I didn't care about that. I might act like I don't care, but once I was just like her. Just a girl full of dreams and faith. It's not because I've changed my life choices, that she has to have her dreams crushed. I see a younger me when I look at her and I feel the need to protect her from becoming a person like me. Hopeless, drunk and frustrated. I'm snapped out of trance when I feel Y/N hold me tighter and bury her face deeper on the crook of my neck. She's not crying anymore. I smile at the view of an asleep Y/N. She looks younger and in peace. I play with her hair and hear her sigh contently.
I need to protect her from the bad things. I need to protect her from me.
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Here it is. Second chapter. I don't even know if you guys are enjoying it, but I love writing, so... Just tell me if you like it or not, so I can improve something. Oh, and English is not my native language, so I'm sorry for the mistakes. I appreciate you all that read it. Seriously, thank you so much.
Lots of love -C