The Arranged Marriage

Chapter 7

There was laughter everywhere, heels clicking as they danced on the floor, arms moving as they played harmony from their instrument, and fine wine glasses in most hands. Diana and Jonathan were welcoming the guests, shaking their hands with warm smiles. Cruise and Rivers were sitting on two white throne chairs on a wall with flowers all around them to attract all the eyes to them. There were dozens of flowers on the wall around them, wrapped around their chairs’ arms, and not one looked the same. It brought the beautiful landscape of the Northern Iles to the ballroom.

Rivers’s eyes roamed around looking for Brayson and his family, and there they were talking with another country. His eyes were focused on her, and when he met her eyes, this fueled his ego as he shot her a wink. Internally, Rivers cringed, but she shot him a quick smile. Cruise picks up on this fast as he puts his hand over hers. He does not want anything to ruin this plan.

“What are you doing?” Rivers quietly asks as she keeps a smile on her face.

“I saw the way you two looked,” he answers back, looking over at her.

“I am just looking around,” she responds, looking at him, and starting to get annoyed.

“Stop,” he warns with his voice going deeper.

Rivers’s eyes widened as she shut her mouth and looked forward. She didn’t want to know what would happen if she continued to talk to him. She knew this was not the time and place for such an outburst of the newly in-line king.

“I am just going to mingle,” She says as she starts to stand up fixing her dress.

She left before he could tell her not to. Cruise likes to be in control of everything and Rivers is testing him; a lot. People bowed and smiled as she maneuvered through the crowd until she stopped at Brayson.

“Have you come to run away with me, princess,” Brayson laughed taking a sip of red wine.

“I have come to make a deal,” She prospered while putting out her hand, “Shall we dance?”

He doesn’t hesitate to take hold of her hand as they head to an empty place on the dance floor. It was packed with viscounts, kings, and queens from other nations. No one seemed to notice that the princess to be engaged soon was dancing with another man besides her father who smiles that his planning is working as he is talking with the King of Antebellum.

“So what is this deal?” Brayson asks as the two dance to the orchestra.

“My engagement is a sealed case that I cannot get out of, but I don’t want to lose you,” Rivers lies but only partially, but Brayson believes.

“How so? How do you not want to lose me, your grace?” He sneered thinking he had her wrapped around his fingers.

On the inside, Rivers wanted to strangle this man until he could breathe to see another living woman, but she just put on a smile. “I don’t know what to say, you’re brilliant and know what we need. If you don’t want to lose me as well, then you are going to have to allow our countries to continue trade and not become an enemy.”

“Anything you want,” He agreed as the song ended Rivers bowed while he took her hand kissing it as a gentleman would do.

Nodding her head off to him, she went in the opposite direction wiping her hand on her dress to get off the germs he had left. When she found her father who was still talking to the King of Antebellum, she lightly tapped her shoulder.

“Hang on,” he says as he turns to her and sternly asks, “What do you want?”

“I did it,” she reassures him confused as to why he could be mad at a ball.

He sighed tapping her on the shoulder which was her cue to leave. As he turned back the King’s daughter was standing next to him.

“King Jonathan, this is my daughter, Noelle,” King Willam introduces as Noelle gives a slight bow.

“It is great to meet you!” Jonathan smiles sticking out his hand wanting his country to come off as welcoming.

This was one of the tactics he used when he was trying to win over another country’s appeal. His father taught him this trick that has been passed down from generation and generation. It was an old Nothern Iles style that nobody has caught on to and they wish for it to stay like that. If you are a welcoming King, then it is easy to make deals with others. Soon, Jonathan will be passing this down to Cruise.

Noelle took his hand and gave it a shake, and her father started to like this country a little bit more.

“As for our deal with you, I think we can come up with something,” Willam prospers as he puts one of his hands on the back of his daughter’s.

“Fantastic! We will come up with a contract later as for today it is time to celebrate!” He cheers and shoots his glass up as the rest follow. “You can stay a few days extra in one of the rooms, so we can arrange this deal.”

“Oh, please Dad! I want to explore the Northern Iles. I have heard they beautiful vast fields!” Noelle begs as she holds her daddy’s arm.

“Rivers will not be leaving the day after the wedding for her honeymoon, so she could take you on a tour while we are discussing our deal?” Prompts Jonathan as he shrugs his shoulders.

“Perfect,” William agrees as he takes a sip and Noelle claps her hand.

As Jonathan turned around he smiled at his wife as she passed arms locked with Samatha. They were giggling to each other as they maneuvered through the crowd, but now they were heading over to where the paintings were sitting out to be seen. She was always sad to see them leave, but she knew it was for a good cause; her people. At Epheoris, there were many of Diana’s paintings because Samatha has been her number one fan from day one - the money always came out of her pocket, and her husband thought they were gifts.

“Beautiful work as always,” Samatha admired looking at the beautiful masterpieces.

“I hope they all sell. I know my people depend on this money,” Diana nervously says playing with her glass.

“They always do,” she reassures smiling towards her.

Samatha is not as talented as other queens- she is just rich. Her parents helped her in a marriage with a king. They pulled a couple of strings and did some unspeakable tasks so their family reputation wouldn’t be ruined. Her brother was in line to marry a duchess, but he turned her down to marry a farmer’s girl. The whole town started to gossip, and their name was starting to go into shame. However, she regained herself when she became queen of them all with two children, especially a son. Cruise did follow in his mom’s footsteps by almost bringing shame to the royal name when his engagement fell out, but Fredrick did not let that happen. The real story between Cruise and Noelle is lying in the ashes of the king’s room.

“Attention, attention,” a guardsman announced clapping his hand and putting a pause to the music, “Please make the center of a ballroom clear so the engaged couple can have the first formal dance of the night.”

Rivers stopped heading towards the dessert table, put a small smile on, and headed in that direction. Cruise stood up from his throne, clasping his hands in front of him and making his way to the center of the room. They both stare at each other and know that this is how life is going to be now. Them two till death due them part.

Cruise bows as Rivers curtsies. Then they come together hands touching skin, but it doesn’t phase them. At least they didn’t show. Rivers wanted to go throw up, and Cruise just wanted to sit down. The weight of him being a king was becoming heavy on him, but it hadn’t hit Rivers yet. She doesn’t think about all the responsibilities that are about to come her way, as she is still trying to come up with a master plan for running away with Nathan.

Her eyes scanned the room until she saw him. Nathan was walking around with a tray of champagne. She started to let go which frightened Cruise; he couldn’t have another girl leave him, so in a quick action, he shot his arm out and twirled her back. That was a real crowd-pleaser. Both parents smiled with joy, and the guests were awed by the young couple. But that wasn’t Rivers’s plan, she then knew, she couldn’t run off and take Nathan down some secret path in the castle. This ball just showed a glimpse of what her life was about to be like.