Royals and Rebels 1: The Queen of Coleum

Chapter 2

Two

If Gitmo needed a way to torture someone, they should have put them in some kind of haute couture dress. After hours of taking off and putting back on, Everly and I finally settled on a gauzy, light blue dress. It was very modern Cinderella, which was fitting because I was in a world that was not mine, that I definitely didn’t belong in.

Everly’s world involved expensive, plush couches, drinking champagne during fittings and simply being able to tell them to “charge” things. It wasn’t a world that I understood at all. My world had involved working after school at the local multiplex, cleaning out popcorn machines, and scrubbing bathroom toilets while studying for finals. I was a girl from a small, midwestern town in the middle of nowhere. The biggest thing that usually happened there were football games on Friday nights.

I was in a fairytale world right now, and after everything I had been through, I deserved a little fairytale. Even if it meant that the dress that I was in was killing me because I couldn’t breathe in it.

“You alright?” Everly was in a pretty, pastel pink thing and looked like she belonged on the cover of Vogue. I, meanwhile, was pretty sure that I looked like I belonged on the cover of a Khol’s catalogue.

I grimaced. “I’m okay. I won’t be eating anything tonight, but I’m okay.”

The Royal College of Coelum had pulled out all of the stops. It was held in the college ballroom, which was actually a thing. Complete with a chandelier, and golden awnings. Everyone was dressed in their finest formal wear. The men in suits, the women in dresses that probably cost more than my college education combined. Champagne flowed, an orchestra played, and people were actually waltzing.

It was gorgeous, if a little opulent for my taste. Like a scene from a modern Marie Antoinette.

The whole time though, I couldn’t shake the feeling that I didn’t belong. Everly floated right on through the crowds, smiling at everyone, looking exactly like she fitted in.

I looked wistfully towards the large, French doors which led out to the college gardens.

Everly smiled. “You want some fresh air, don’t you?”

“Desperately,” I said with a nod.

“Go on,” she told me, “just make sure you don’t spend you’re whole evening hiding. Anyway, there’s someone that I’d really like for you to meet later on. I think the two of you will hit it off.”

“Okay,” I said, “I swear, I won’t be long. I just want to…. breathe.”

“I get it,” she said, “these events can be a little overwhelming. Come back when you’re ready.”

I smiled and managed to sneak outside without anyone noticing. Not that there was anyone to notice. Except for Everly, and her security guards, the obedient watch dogs that they were.

Outside, there were four, roman pillars, holding up the grand ballroom. I sat down, leaning up against one, and promptly took off the horrible, high heeled shoes that I was wearing.

“What on earth are you doing?” a voice asked.

I glanced up and standing there was one of the most handsome men I had ever laid eyes on. He was tall, with slicked back brown hair, and deep, chocolate brown eyes.

I immediately stood. “Sorry,” I apologized, quickly putting my shoes back on.

“No, not with the shoes,” he said, with an amused smirk, “out here. Shouldn’t you be inside, enjoying the ball? I thought that balls were something that every girl wanted.”

I laughed. “The accent wasn’t a tip off?”

“A tip off that you’re American, yes,” he said, sitting down next to me, “if anything, that should make you more into it. For a country that wanted to escape royals, you’re strangely obsessed with them.”

“Well,” I said, brushing back a stray, brown curl behind my ear, “people always want what they can’t have.”

He grinned. “I suppose you’re right.”

I stared at him. “What about you? Why aren’t you inside, joining the festivities?”

His face fell. “Strictly speaking, I wasn’t technically wanted. But my mother forced me to come. She said that it was important that we had someone to represent the family.”

“At a college event?”

“It’s The Welcoming Ball,” he reminded me, as if that were supposed to mean something, “the royals are here. Both the Prince, and the Princess. The Royal’s sort of control my life.”

I stared at him. “Can you tell me something?”

“Tell you what?” he asked, a strand of his own brown hair falling into his eyes.

“What kind of Royals are they?”

“What do you mean?” he asked.

“I mean, are they the Harry and William type of Royals that everyone loves for the most part? Or are they the kind people want to overthrow?”

He raised an eyebrow. “What makes you ask?”

“I’m here on scholarship because of them,” I admitted, “I wanted to know if it was going to be more E! News or CNN during my stay.”

He shrugged. “Coleum is a small island, in between Scotland and Ireland. It’s so far removed from society, we even managed to escape occupation during World War Two because no one knew or cared about us. We weren’t big enough for them. It’s why we still have leaders, actually. But…”

“But what?” I said. “Don’t use the word but. Nothing good ever comes from it.”

“For centuries, the Scottish and the Irish used this place as a way to escape. One side claims it as their own, another side claims it as theirs. It creates constant friction with the people. Back in the fifteen hundreds, there was a revolt, staged by a man called The Bastard King. He overtook everything, and it’s his family, Prince Apollo’s family that sits on the throne now.”

“That conflict between the two sides still exists, doesn’t it?”

He nodded. “It isn’t an easy thing. Some say that Prince Apollo’s family has no claim to the throne. There’s a whole group of revolutionaries called The Guillotine that want them dead.”

“Do you think I should worry about being involved with them?”

“Orion!” Everly’s voice called, startling me from behind.

I glanced over, and saw the Princess standing there, her pink dress bathed in moonlight, making her look prettier than even before. Next to her, there was a tall, young man. He had blond hair, eyes that were almost golden, and a tall, imposing, muscular form that was only made more obvious in his form fitting designer suit.

He looked from me, to the stranger whose name was clearly Orion, his eyes blazing with the passion of the sun. There was only one person this could be. Prince Apollo.

Everly ran to the stranger sitting next to me, wrapping her arms around him in a tight embrace. “What are you doing here? Father didn’t seem like you were coming.”

He smiled softly. “Mother insisted. Besides, I had to check out your new roommate, didn’t I? Make sure she wasn’t insane.” He glanced over at me. “She seems really lovely, by the way.”

I stared, shocked. “Who…who are you, exactly?”

Everly grinned and looked conspiratorly between the two of us. “This is my brother, Orion. He’s my half-brother though, so he doesn’t live at the palace, but father tries to keep him part of the family as much as he’s able to. I’m so glad you met! I thought you’d hit it off.”

“Don’t sugar coat it, Everly,” said Apollo coldly, “if Miss James is to survive here, she should know the truth.”

He stepped forward.

Everly released Orion and shot a warning look to her brother. “Apollo, don’t. Not tonight, please.”

“I’m the future King of Coleum,” he said, “I’ll do as I please. Besides, Miss James should know exactly who she’s dealing with. We wouldn’t want her left in the dark, after all. For your information, Miss James, the young man that you are speaking with is my father’s bastard. Born of an affair with one of the maids my father knew as a young man, before he married my mother. Why don’t you tell Miss James how you spent your teen years, Orion? Since you seem so keen on sharing tonight.”

Orion looked miserable and seemed to be fighting the urge to punch Apollo. I couldn’t say that I blamed him. If he weren’t a royal, and my roommates’ brother, I might have punched him myself.

Orion sighed. “I’m only getting reinstated to the family. I spent my teen years working for the revolutionaries, for The Guillotine, until I lost someone, someone I loved because of it. I came back because I see the error of my ways now.”

“Yes,” said Apollo, “because he’s finally learned his place.”

I glanced at Everly, who looked as annoyed as I felt. But she didn’t say anything, and I was under the distinct impression that she couldn’t.

Orion clenched his jaw, then stood up. “Yes, well brother, we all know I am merely a lowly star in your universe, and you are the sun. If you’ll excuse me, I’ve done my duty, and I’ll be leaving now.” He gave his sister a goodbye hug, then looked back at me. “Miss James, it was nice to meet you finally. I’ll see you around, I’m sure.”

To my surprise, Orion winked, leaving me stunned as I watched him leave. When I turned to Everly, I found her smiling, like a cat that had caught the canary. I didn’t like it. I didn’t like it one bit.

Of course, her smiling was preferable to Apollo’s look of pure contempt and murderous rage. “Come with me,” he hissed.

I stood, confused. “Sorry?”

“You heard me,” he said, “and don’t think you can choose not to come. If you don’t, I will drag you myself, or have my security guards do it.”

“Listen, I’m not sure what you’re used to, but I am not some docile, submissive---”

His eyes flared, like the blazing sun god he was named for. “Everly.”

Everly sighed. “You’d better go, Rose. It’s alright. Apollo knows better than to hurt someone I care about.”

I wasn’t certain he knew how to not hurt anyone, after that little display with his brother. But I was too worried about what would happen if I didn’t. So, I followed the angry, young, crown prince, having no idea if he would yell at me, kiss me, or kill me.