Rescuing her heart

Chapter Two

It was ocial. I am getting married tomorrow and no one had thought it wise to actually inform the bride to be of her own wedding. I had found out in a very heartbreaking way.

This morning, I walked around the palace looking for Arthur. I've always been scared that I'll walk up to his room and find all his stu gone, just like I did five years ago. It still terrifies me.

I didn't really have many friends in or outside the kingdom and that is solely my father's fault. Thanks to that, Arthur was my best friend. Atleast, whenever he was around, I got to laugh more, go on silly adventures around the kingdom with him and meet new people. Watch him meet new people... new females.

I had gone to his room but no one was there and he wasn't present during breakfast this morning either. I ran outside and checked around for his car but nothing, it felt like I was experiencing a horrible case of déjà vu. I asked the guards if they had seen Arthur and they told me he had left during the night. Just like that, my world came crashing down.

He left.

I couldn't even muster a word to the guards. I turned around and quietly walked away. I was heading to my room so I could cry for hours undisturbed but as I walked, all the maids kept congratulating me, gushing on and on about how lucky I was.

I was going to ignore them but curiosity got the best of me when I spotted my mother heading my way with the royal event planners right behind her.

I approached my mother, tapping her gently on the arm. “Mother, are we having a ball of some sorts?”

“A ball?” She laughed, along with the wedding planners.

I felt like an i***t. What was so funny?

“Silly child, you're getting married tomorrow! Isn't it wonderful? The night of your

twenty-first birthday! This was decided last week, didn't your father inform you?” I didn't answer. I couldn't answer.

They had found a suitor for me and didn't see it fit to tell me about it. Stumbling back and nearly falling over, my mother was quick enough to hold me but no one could stop the tears welling up my eyes.

“Anastasia, are you okay?”

I nodded.

I nodded.

Even though my eyes were blurring, a lump was rising in my throat and I was barely

able to hold myself up, I nodded.

“Are you sure, dear? You could come with us, you know? Taste your wedding cake,

pick out a gown perhaps? It's your wedding after all,” she chuckled.

My wedding.

I stared at her in disbelief, slowly distancing myself from her reach. I was sure she could see the tears in my eyes and yet, here she was trying to get me to pick a wedding gown.

“Anastasia?”

She reached out to me but I stepped back, the expression on my face slowly changing from disbelief to disappointment then I ran.

Tears were already rolling down my cheeks by the time I reached my father's study. I didn't know what I was doing, I didn't even know what I was going to say but I barged in anyway.

“Where is Arthur?” I questioned.

“Am I supposed to have an answer to that?”

“You sent him away again didn't you?”

He shifted his gaze to me, his eyes dark and cold, “Might I remind you, you are in

my presence and you will not use silly contractions in my presence. If you wish to speak to me, you will speak in proper English and not English made for a lazy man.”

I wanted so badly to defy him but I could not. “Where is Arthur, father?” I asked again.

He relaxed into his cushioned chair, obviously pleased I had obeyed him.

“He could burn in hell for all I care, Anastasia. My time is precious and I will not waste it talking about your brother. If you were to talk about more important matters, such as your wedding, I might be generous enough to give you a little amount of my time.”

I followed his eyes and noticed we weren't alone. There was another man seated, watching me intently, a man I knew too well. Prince Noah.

“What is that bastard doing here?”

“Anastasia!” My father barked. “I will not have you disrespect my guest and more importantly...” he smiled at Noah. “Your future husband.”

“Him?!” I shrieked.

“It seems like you both are already acquainted. Good.”

“Yes, your majesty,” Noah replied, getting up from his chair and fixing his suit. “The princess and I go a long way back.”

“Father no! I will not marry him. You can not possibly make him marry such a disgusting man.”

My father was about to speak again but Noah beat him to it. He smiled sweetly at me, “Do not worry, your majesty. Anastasia and I had our dierences a while back.”

I let out a bitter laugh. Nothing was making sense anymore. Everything felt unreal, almost like a dream. Maybe it was a dream, a nightmare and I was praying desperately to wake up.

“Dierences... is that what you call it?”

Noah only smiled at me but it wasn't polite or sweet. Something about his eyes bothered me. The way he looked at me, it was beginning to scare me but I wasn't going to let him have the satisfaction of seeing my fear.

I looked at my father, “I will not marry him.”

“That is not for you to decide, Anastasia.” I noticed his voice was rising again. He was getting angry.

“Father! He is a dangerous and deceitful-”

“I will not have you insult my son-inlaw!” He roared, slamming his hand hard on

the table causing me to flinch slightly. “I am your king and if I say you shall marry him, that is what you will do. End of discussion.”

“But father, I-”

“End of discussion!”

I knew there was nothing I could do or say to change my father's mind. With one

more look at Noah's face, I left the study and headed straight for my room. Crawling into my bed, I laid there and cried. The image of Noah's stupid smirk

permanently stuck to my brain..