Royal Arrangement

XIV

Daniel

For once (and as selfish and spoiled as this sounds) I am actually happy in my life. It's a completely foreign concept to me. Sure, I have the riches and the titles and the women, but I was never truly happy with where I stood. My life was always about finding the next lay, the next fleeting thrill to fill the surprising void I was never truly ready to acknowledge.

But as I stand in front of my brother and hear him speak of the past I suddenly feel red hot uncontrollable rage. It's like all that I was once happy about has suddenly disappeared from my life.

Things take a turn for the worse when I realize that it's because I can no longer see Annie. She was once with my mother and now she's been led away leaving my brother and I alone. It's a crowded event but as I stand before Michael it feels as if we are the only two people in this ballroom.

"All I'm saying is--"

"I know what you're saying," I interject. "I know because it's the same goddamned thing everyone's been saying."

Michael sighs. "Daniel..."

I roll my eyes. "This conversation is over. You and all the other prying eyes have nothing to worry about. Everything with my new wife is, and will be, fine." It's a f*****g lie but he doesn't need to know that. No one else needs to know about how in a year, she'll be gone.

I freeze.

It's not a year. It's been three months.

Damn. Has it really been that long? f**k, has time really flown that far by?

I panic. No. It can't be true. It seems like just yesterday we were married.

He looks at me doubtfully for a second. "Are you okay?"

I nod my head even though it's a lie. "Fine." I grit out. Now that damn tightness in my chest is back. I feel something close to fear. I'm also irate. I can't think straight let alone have to deal with my brother.

He's suspicious. I don't know why he's 'helping' me. After all, he's after the crown too.

Michael raises a brow. "I know you. Something's wrong."

I sigh. If I don't tell him something, he's going to pry at this all night until I have nothing left of my sanity. "I'm just... shocked that it's been so long since I married Annie."

He smiles. "I know. It's been a few months, hasn't it?" When I nod he continues. "Has the newlywed bliss worn off yet?"

I want to joke around with him about how it's never been that way, about how I hate being shackled in marriage to one woman, but I can't. I can't lie to him because, the truth is, I've never been happier since I met Annie-let alone married her. Since we've been together, I've been content.

Hell, not just content, I've been thrilled. Walking on air. The world is my oyster. I feel like a lovesick teenager.

I bite back a chuckle. Well, I know one thing it's not. I'm not in love with her. There's no way I can be.

If anything, we're best friends.

Instead, I tell Michael the truth. "No. I love being married to Annie."

He smiles. "You really love her, don't you?" I can't say the words I'll never say so instead I nod and plaster on my best camera ready smile.

Michael laughs and claps me on the shoulder. "Damn! I never thought I'd see the day when my brother settled down with one woman. I'm happy for you, man."

I grimace and falsely laugh alongside him. He has no idea, but like most of the kingdom, he'll be crushed when Annie leaves.

Regretfully, I'm starting to believe that so will I. I'm going to miss her companionship. I think that I'm going to tell her that after all this, I'd like to stay in touch. I can't imagine losing her friendship. I think that if I wasn't able to talk to her, I'd go insane. I've become so accustomed to her being around that her leaving seems almost unfathomable.

I didn't think I would, but I actually enjoy having Annie around.

I'm in a good mood until Michael goes and opens his mouth again.

"I've got to ask; does she know about Vanessa?"

I'm so sick of this question. "No. That's all I'm going to say."

He cringes. "Are you sure that's a good idea?"

I nod. "I'm positive. She'll never know."

~~~

Annie

It's her. After the Queen dragged me away to speak to some other important noble who's name I can't think to remember, I saw her. Standing across the ballroom in her stunning grey dress, her long hair piled high on her head, it's Vanessa. I'd know her anywhere. I can still remember what she said to me. I've been lucky, this being the first time I've seen her since then. We run in different circles I suppose.

But I know it's her.

I can pick that RBF out of a crowd anywhere.

Daniel's mother is far too occupied with some stuck up older gentleman so I stand there and watch her like a complete creeper.

It's fine. I don't mind being a creep. Radiohead made it work, so why can't I?

So here I am, standing still and nursing my glass of champagne, watching my husband's ex-lover.

It's only weird if you make it weird.

She's talking to some other noble woman. I recognize her from the first party I went to. She was definitely part of Vanessa's posse. Her fan club. Ugh. I don't even know why I hate her. I tried to give her the benefit of the doubt and she squandered it. She could've just been nice to me. Instead she had to be a b***h.

I also think I hate her because Daniel hates her. But... We aren't going to focus on that. We're trying to fall out of love with him, remember? That little voice in the back of my brain whispers. We should be condemning him, not defending him. You can't love him!

I tell that voice to shut up even though I know it's right.

I see her throw her head back and laugh at something some other noblemen has said and I clench the stem of my champagne glass.

"Woah, easy Your Highness. You don't want that to shatter."

I whip my head around, completely ready to tell who ever this is to politely f**k off when I meet familiar green eyes. "William!" I exclaim and immediately feel my grip on the glass loosen. I'm excited to see him. We've seen each other but we've only shared passing words or glances since the wedding-my wedding. "I told you to call me Annie."

He smiles and his eyes sparkle. "My apologies, Annie."

I shake my head and smile back. "Don't worry about it, how have you been? I haven't seen you since my wedding. It's been so hectic that I've barely had time to sleep let alone see friends." I giggle.

He chuckles. "Of course, of course, the job of a princess is never done." William motions down to my champagne flute and then his eyes follow to where Vanessa is standing. "Ah. I see."

I frown. "Huh?"

He nods over to her. "That's Lady Vanessa. I am familiar with the... past, much like everyone in this ballroom."

That's the thing. . . "Not everyone." I don't mean to sulk, but it comes out that way.

William's eyebrows rise and his eyes widen before he schools his features. "Ah. I see." I can tell he wants to say more, but he takes a sip of his own champagne. I know that trick. I'm very familiar with it. It's Daniel's go to when he doesn't want to say anything more on a subject.

It also pisses me off.

Looks like these two went to the same school of etiquette.

"What?"

His lips purse. "Nothing."

I shake my head. "You can't just do that. You clearly have something else to say and as your Princess, I demand you say it."

William shakes his head and narrows his eyes but I can see the corners of his lips pulling up into a smirk. "That's low."

I shrug. "Definitely." But I'm sick of being in the dark. I'm tired of this hanging over our heads. I'm ready to move forward and this can't be in the way for this-whatever this is-to work between the two of us. "I don't care. You're going to tell me."

He cringes. "I... don't think I should."

I'm not sure what got into me. This is one of those situations where I should've stopped and taken a step back in evaluation. It's just like how me not knocking, got me into this mess. Of course, I don't care.

"Fine." I spin around on my heels so I'm facing away from him. "If you won't tell me, then I know someone who will."

I can't see him, but based on the direction I'm facing and the way this conversation has gone, I'm sure he has an idea. "What? No. Don't." There's an underlying thread of panic in his voice that almost causes me to stop but I ignore it. In hindsight, I probably should've headed it.

But I'm too far gone. I start walking away.

"Annie!" I hear him catching up to me and then he places his hand on my shoulder. I look into his eyes and see them wide and wild with... fear? What could be probably be afraid of?

"Trust me. You don't want to know, and certainly not from her."

I shake my head. I'm tired of the dramatics. I need to know. I shake his arm off of my shoulder and head right into the dragon's lair.

Vanessa's dark eyes meet mine and they widen a fraction before she smiles. The woman she's with subtly backs away, no doubt remembering what happened the last time we had an interaction. "Annalise! What a pleasure it is to see you here!" She says as if it's her castle.

I resist the urge to scoff. "Likewise." I grit out.

She brushes an imaginary wrinkle out of her dress. The rhinestones catch the light and I have to admit that she looks absolutely stunning. I hate that. "How have you adjusted?"

I smile saccharinely back at her. "Fine. I enjoy living in the palace more than I thought I would."

She lifts her nose and stares down at me. "Of course, you invite a dog inside and they're going to want to stay."

I'm shocked that she has the guts to speak to someone of my position this way. No matter my birth, I'd never speak ill of a royal. I'm shocked into silence.

"Seems this dog hasn't quite learned the speak command yet." She muses.

"I can speak just fine. In fact, that's the reason why I'm here."

She rolls her eyes and I struggle to figure out how she was ever Daniel's girlfriend. It seems this woman would be spanked every day. I'm even more shocked to realize that that is now my new normal. Damn. Am I too far gone?

"I'm not looking for small talk. I don't need to lower myself to your standards."

I narrow my eyes. "I want you to tell me everything that happened between you and Daniel."

Her lips tip upward into a slow smile. Vanessa takes a step forward and speaks quietly. "Oh? He lets you call him Daniel? I thought you were nothing but his pet."

I clench my teeth but opt to remain silent.

She cackles. "Of course, you're his wife. I'm just shocked to see that Daniel's into equality all of a sudden."

She's trying to bait me. I won't let her.

She sighs and all earlier amusement disappears. "Daniel's not who you think he is. I know you're aware of his preferences."

I nod.

She bites her lower lip and briefly looks around the room before returning her gaze to mine. "We can't talk here. Let's go to the balcony."

I go to follow her but she shakes her head. "Even someone like you must understand the implications of us seen together." She rolls her eyes. "Follow me in five minutes. Make sure no one sees you." She disappears into the crowd and I'm left wondering why this has to be so dramatic.

~~~

After she leaves I wait like she said for a few minutes. It's in this moment that for some odd reason, I hesitate. Do I really want to know? Is this something I want to do?

I shake my head. Of course it is. I'm tired of being in the dark.

I look over at Daniel and see he's deep in conversation with some other noble, this one a woman. I bite back this strange feeling of jealously when I see her touch his arm with her smaller hand. It's stupid. I love him, I know that now, but I also know that he doesn't love me. Daniel doesn't care about me so why should I care about him and that other woman? We have an agreement, and that's to not cheat. I know him pretty well, and I know he's a man of his word. He won't cheat on me, but it still hurts.

It's for this reason and this reason alone why I turn away and follow Vanessa off into the balcony. William gives me a strange look and shakes his head once. It's subtle but I see it clearly. I shake my head back and head outside.

"Huh. I didn't think you'd come."

Vanessa turns around and slowly stalks towards me. She stares down her nose at me and grins. "Do you want to know what happened between you and your master?"

I can feel my face heat.

Her teeth flash. "Oh, there's no reason to be embarrassed. I was like you once: A docile little submissive lusting after her master like a dog." She barks out a humorless laugh. "Isn't that how it always goes?" Vanessa searches my face with narrowed eyes for a moment before she smiles again and steps back, seemingly finding what she's looking for. "I see, you're in love with him, aren't you? How's that going to work out with your little arrangement?"

My eyes widen and I sputter out words of shock. "H-How? Why? What do you--?"

She rolls her dark mocha eyes. "Oh please... I know all about the little contract you have with Daniel. Tell me, how does it feel to be a w***e?"

"I'm not a whore." I snap. I've been clenching my teeth so tight that my jaw is starting to ache.

She laughs. "Of course you are. You're quite frankly the definition of it." I open my mouth to curse her out but she raises her hand and shakes her head. "Save it. You and I both know Daniel wouldn't want you to say what you plan to."

The mention of Daniel sobers me. We're getting off track. "Enough. Tell me what happened between you and my husband and then leave me alone."

She huffs and crosses her slender arms across her chest. "Fine. It's about time you knew anyway."

I nod once, encouraging and silently threatening her to continue. We both know I'm tired of her games.

Vanessa sighs and then opens her mouth. "Daniel and I weren't in a relationship. I'm sure you know by now that he doesn't do those." The barb hits close to home and stings. I see a small smile crawl its way over her lips before she continues to speak. "I suppose the proper terms would be dominant and submissive. Our relationship was nothing but physical."

I raise a brow. "But, weren't you two public?" I remember hearing about them briefly.

She nods. "Yes. Publicly, we were in a relationship, but behind closed doors it was purely s****l. Nothing more than two people finding release through each other."

I'm not surprised. I know Daniel isn't one for that kind of thing. I figured from the beginning that he never truly loved her. It hurts, but it's the truth; Daniel never loved Vanessa, and he'll never love me.

She continues. "Of course, I was okay with that. I didn't want or need a boyfriend. Daniel as a dominant was more than enough, as I'm sure you're aware of. He can be a bit... much."

I nod.

"But, then, much like you, I foolishly began to love him. Everyday I found some other naïve reason to fall in love with Daniel. Whether it was his kindness or his voracious s****l appetite, or even his dominance, I was spellbound."

I know that feeling all too well and I'm shocked to recognize the obvious parallels to my current situation. If I was sitting down, I would clearly be on the edge of my seat.

"I didn't mind his dominance. In fact, I grew to crave it. He would... punish me, but after he'd be kind and sexy. I wish I knew then what I know now. Then, maybe all of this could've been avoided." She bit her lip. "Daniel... he's violent. He isn't a good man. He's a monster."

I feel my blood boil. Sure, I thought that once, but now I know that isn't the case. Daniel isn't just some cruel guy. He isn't evil. Sure, he's done some evil things, but I know he didn't do it to be malicious. If anything, Daniel's like a child. He's so used to getting his way, that he's completely oblivious on what to do when someone tells him no.

I just happened to be that someone and, foolishly, I'm starting to wonder if I truly regret walking in on Daniel after his shower. I'm not so sure anymore.

"You're wrong... he isn't like that." I mumble almost numbly. My thoughts are a conflicted jumble in my head.

Vanessa sighs. "Honey, I once thought the same." She twists some fabric of her dress between her slender fingers. "I remember it all so clearly. I knew how I felt. I was going to tell him that I loved him and that I wanted more. At the time, I was so convinced that he felt the same."

I feel my palms begin to sweat. My legs begin to shake and I feel my heart racing in my chest as I wait for her to speak.

"I made him a nice dinner and put on a fancy pair on lingerie. I wanted to impress him and then, I'd tell him my true feelings. When I tried, he got angry. He shoved me down on to the bed. I-I tried to get up, but he kept his palm flat on my back." She stares down at her hands and my mouth goes dry. "He ripped off my lingerie and beat me. He brought the belt down again and again as I begged him to stop. When he was satisfied, I felt him move away. I tried to get up but he yelled at me to stay back down."

Tears are streaming down her face and I find my eyes stinging. It can't be. Daniel would never do such a thing, would he?

"He returned again with another implement. I think it was a paddle. I can't remember. All I remember is the pain. I remember begging him to stop."

I bring my hand up to my face and practically hyperventilate into my hand. "I laid there, crying into the mattress. He left the room. I broke up with him the next day and tried to file charges, but he threatened to tell everyone how much of a slut I was so I had no choice but to drop them."

I can feel myself shaking and I know I'm crying. It can't be true. This can't be the same Daniel who surprised me with my parents on my wedding day or the Daniel who gifted me Baxter.

She reaches out and clasps her cold hands in my own, pulling my right one away from my face. "Please, get out while you still can. I don't care what he's offered you, stay away from Daniel Windsor."

"I... I.." I have nothing to say so I mumble and stutter over and over. My hands shake in her own. I can't believe it. It seems too impossible. Daniel would never be that cruel.

I shake my head and collect my thoughts. This is Vanessa. I know Daniel. I know he'd never do anything like that. I wrench my hands out of her grasp and angrily wipe the stray tears from my cheeks. She's lying. She's manipulative. She's cold. Daniel's... the love of my life.

I love him and he deserves the benefit of the doubt.

I need to talk to Daniel, and I need to tell him how I really feel.

I shake my head and take a step back. "I'm going to talk to Daniel."

For a split second, her look of pity and concern flashes with disgusted rage before her mask of sympathy drops back into place and I know I'm right. She's lying. Daniel didn't do any of that, and based on the way he reacts when I mention her name, I think Daniel's the true victim.

I narrow my eyes. "You're lying and I'm going to find out the truth."

In more ways than one. I'm going to find out what truly happened between these two.

And then, I'm going to tell Daniel that I love him.

I'm not naïve. I know I'm in the same boat that Vanessa was in. Only, looking back on it, I'm starting to think that Daniel loves me too.