The Royal Agreement

Chapter Fourteen

Ciella

You know, the palace servers are all fortunate. I shook my head and prevented myself from thinking how they were. Maybe little did I even know that they work here to make ends meet. I stood up from the bench and went back to my room. I’m still enraged by what happened. I need to find a way to escape this.

Maybe I have to talk to my parents?

Back in my room, I ran and threw myself on the bed. I stared at the grand chandelier hanging from the ceiling and just really emptied my brain for a moment. I seriously won’t agree to this agreement.

Then I suddenly remembered Paige and Jamie. I haven’t even told them I left. They probably have noticed by now. I need my friends, I was about to reach for my phone from the bedside table when I thought of how I ever explain what was happening to me right now. Why do I feel alone?

I bit my lip and when I felt a tear running from my eye, I heard the double doors of my room open. I wiped the tears away, but I didn’t like to see the person who went into my room.

I felt the edges of my bed occupied and a hand caressed mine. I looked beside me and saw my mother, the other side sat my father. These two people, my parents above all! Tried to sell me off.

“Ciella…” Mom started. “I—I don’t know how to start explaining because we have no idea about this agreement.”

“Then if you had no idea about this, why agree to sell me off?” I scoffed.

“No, Ciella… we aren’t selling you off. This was an agreement between your grandfathers.”

I sat up and if I could only spit venom right now, I would’ve even if they were my parents. “Kindly explain everything.”

“We… don’t know…” Mom was suddenly silent.

I sneered. “If you refuse to explain everything to me, then that also gives me the right to refuse this agreement. Dead men cannot even argue regarding this matter anymore.”

“Graziella Ciella!” I was taken aback by the tone Dad used. It was toned down but it was full of force. “Respect your elders! That agreement was made between Victor’s grandfather, King Nohr, and your grandpa. This agreement came to be after Ida gave birth to Victor. Our family is of nobility and holds a great background that dates back many centuries. Our families have always been tied to the Danish Royal Family, they have been our friends and only friendship has been the bond between the families. King Nohr thought that this was a perfect time to strengthen our bonds. Our family needed the Danish Royal Court because of the threats to our heritage.”

“What threats? This transaction is only payable by marriage?”

“Your marriage is a promise to the everlasting alliance between our families but the threats you asked earlier, I cannot disclose at the moment. Ciella, we have to do this.”

“Why?” I exclaimed. “Why can’t you even tell me right now what threats they are.” Then I suddenly remembered that I had an accident I cannot even remember five years ago. “Is this all tied with the accident five years ago?”

“Oh, honey…” Mom started weeping. “Let’s not recall that unfortunate accident anymore. It pains us to remember.”

“Then that really had something to do with my situation right now?”

“We cannot tell you right now, dear. Please trust us. We’re already taking steps to ensure the safety of everyone involved.”

I shook my head pushed myself back to the bed and turned my back at them. I cannot be bothered right now. This really had something to do with what happened to me and they won’t tell me. I pulled my blanket up and after some moments, I heard them sigh and the door closed shut.

What would Victor even do? How did he react? I mean he was as equally surprised when they announced it right in front of our faces, right? I pushed the blankets off and I went outside the room. I decided to find Victor to talk about this matter. I need to know his input before I do something rushed.

As I walked along the corridors, I stumbled upon a tall elegant woman. She carried that proud vibe around her and she held her head high like she had everything in the palm of her hand. This was eerie for me to think of, so I brushed it away.

She noticed me and then turned to curtsy. Why does she have to do that? “Good afternoon, my lady. I am Alvah Holm, the Crown Prince Victor’s chief assistant.”

I nodded and gave her a grunt of acknowledgment. I was about to turn when I suddenly called her. “Alvah, have you seen Victor?”

She gave me a questioning look. I am intimidated by her mere presence. “I haven’t seen the Prince around, my lady.”

“Oh. Okay, thank you.”

“If there is anything you need, please don’t hesitate to ask, my lady.”

“Thank you. I may need some help adjusting to this court life even just for a bit because I never even dreamed of meddling in this kind of setting.”

She gave me a slight smile. “Anything for you, my lady.”

I returned her smile with a sheepish one from me. She then turned and I was left to gawk at her presence. She really felt so cold, proud, and arrogant. She just looked tall because of the stilettos she was wearing but I still feel like there’s something off about her, I can’t even pinpoint it.

This is nonsense. I continued my search and I happened to stumble back in the garden where I was from earlier. I walked through and I sat on the bench and observed everything around me. These workers, some making ends meet, and some just really wanted to serve the royal family with everything they had. If I were to be married to Victor, I would be handling the people around me. f**k. I don’t want to begin thinking about it.

I’m already in Denmark and this marriage was included in this trip. I smiled to myself and thought of my plan to try and recover some bits of pieces of me from this place. I know in my heart that this country played a huge role in why I’m in this ordeal, but I don’t know where to begin. There is something about this place, I will uncover it. Would this marriage actually help me uncover the secrets behind who I really am?

I feel so helpless at the moment, my mind is a huge mess. Deciding right now isn’t going to help even. I stood up from my seat and when I turned, I noticed a huge fountain nearby. The fountain felt familiar. Everything felt familiar. Why?

I stared at the fountain longer and I felt a nerve snap in my head. Then I was instantly flushed with warmth and the growing painful throb in my head. I closed my eyes and I suddenly saw an image fill my head.

Two kids sitting on a picnic blanket beside that very fountain and they were laughing. Then another image was them making a pinky promise.

“I will marry you when we grow up, Ciella!”

What was that?

The images immediately got blurry and the throbbing in my head became worse. This pain is comparable to the one I experienced some weeks ago. I stumbled my way back into the palace to find my room. I need to get a hold of my medicine as soon as possible.

While making my way back, I instantly heard loud ringing in my ears and I pressed my hands to my head hard to try and stop. I was already on the second floor when I felt like floating, dizzy and I wanted to empty the contents of my stomach. I limp my way through the corridors. I was already near my bedroom door when I saw a tall silhouette running towards me. This person probably is calling my name, even shouting but I can’t even make out what the person is saying because of the tremendous ringing in my ears.

I could not contain the pain I was feeling, I was crying and I wanted to scream. I was trying hard to suppress the pain, but when I was about to reach my door, all of a sudden, everything went blank. Though, before I fell, I felt strong arms around me. This feels so warm. Warm like the arms I felt in the puzzle pieces of memories my brain was trying to remember.