Chapter 2: Pretty
1545 Words
“You know, you may like him.”
“I highly doubt that, Teresa,” Eiley said, adjusting her hair in the mirror.
Annabelle handed each of them a glass and said, “He’s supposed to be really handsome!”
“Where are you getting rumors out of Reslandia from?” Eiley said, playfully slapping her friend on the arm. “The borders there are closed. We have practically no gossip about the royal family.” In truth, Eiley had tasked many of her servants with collecting information about her intended since she first heard the news. Many of Annabelle’s and Teresa’s as well, but no one had found much of interest.
“There’s practically no gossip, but what gossip there is all agrees that Prince Warren is extremely attractive.”
“Except for the parts that say he’s extremely cruel,” Eiley said dryly.
“Hey!” Teresa admonished them. “He can be both at once.”
Eiley sighed. “I’d rather they both be untrue,” she said quietly into her wine.
“You could do worse than a foreign prince you know,” Annabelle said with a giggle.
Eiley drained her glass and said, “Oh yes, and I have done much worse.” She cringed at the memory of some of her past relations, most of whom were not times she wanted to revisit.
“Remember how long it took you to get rid of that Captain?” Teresa teased.
Eiley balked. “I need more wine.”
“Right away, your highness,” a servant said, appearing beside her with a bottle to pour.
“He was an insufferable mistake!”
“But he was my mistake to make!” Eiley said.
“I still think you should have had his regiment sent to the borderlands,” Annabelle said, holding her glass out to be refilled. “I could have arranged it, you know.”
“I love and appreciate you, but I was not going to let you put him and his entire company in harm's way. Even if your father does control the military.”
“Is this how you get rid of all of your suitors, Annabelle?” Teresa asked.
“Only the ones that annoy me.” Annabelle let out a sparkling laugh.
“So all of them,” Eiley joked.
Annabelle simply winked at her friend and returned her attention to the makeup on the table before her. “So if you’re to meet your future husband today, I want you looking your best!” Annabelle considered the color palette before her then began painting Eiley’s face.
Eiley closed her eyes with a happy hum. Annabelle was extremely talented at doing their makeup, so they all usually relied on her for it. They could have called for a lady’s maid, but this way, they could limit their gossip circle.
“What if he truly hates me?”
“Stop moving your face.”
“If he hates you, isn’t that exactly what you want?” Teresa asked.
“Maybe…”
In truth, many people had told Eiley that the arrangement would be good for her. She’d never given much thought to marriage, and had had her share of flings since coming of age.
“Doesn’t it just feel like my parents have sent away for a suitor who’s too far to have heard my reputation?” Eiley said against the lipstick Annabelle was applying.
Annabelle wiped her mouth where the lipstick had smeared and said, “Would it matter if they did?”
Eiley swallowed hard. Her reputation didn’t bother her, usually. She wasn’t ashamed of any of her past, but the fact remained that it made things harder for her father, and to a lesser extent, her brother. She wrinkled her nose at the memory that she and Ronan had much the same romantic history, but it was only a problem for one of them.
As if on cue, Ronan walked in, not bothering to knock. “Hello, ladies!” he announced with a dramatic bow.
Annabelle giggled behind her hand, but Eiley and Teresa just rolled their eyes at him.
“Careful, Ro, one day you may walk in here, and we’ll all be naked!” Eiley teased.
He took the wine glass out of her hand and took a sip. “Have you ever considered that may be the point?” He winked at Teresa, but it’s Annabelle who’s face flushed.
Annabelle turned away and made herself busy organizing her makeup collection.
“What are you doing here, Ro?” Eiley asked him pointedly.
“I’ve been sent to get you,” Ronan said, as he waved Eiley’s glass for a servant to refill it for him.
“Doesn’t Dad have someone he can pay to do such a job? Or have you finally been demoted?” Eiley said with a laugh. “Get me another glass too!” she ordered, not bothering to look at the servant.
“Miss, are you sure? I’m sure His Highness would like you to be alert for meeting the visiting Prince this afternoon.”
“Yes, I’m sure!” Eiley snapped, turning a forceful gaze on the servant.
The servant bowed her head and said, “Yes, Miss.” She curtsied and darted off to get another glass. When she handed Eiley the full glass, she curtsied again.
“You’re dismissed,” Eiley said, waving her hand. She took a large swallow of wine and held it in her mouth a moment before swallowing with a sigh. “Where were we?” She looked between her brother and her friends, “Oh yes, Ro’s demotion.”
Ronan rolled his eyes. “You should have realized by now that this might just be more important than you’ve been treating it thus far.”
Eiley balked for a moment, feeling the blood rush to her ears, but she quickly covered it with a smile. “Nonsense! This is just another one of the King Father’s attempts to marry me off for a political alliance. I should be proud that he had to reach so far to find someone who might agree to it.”
“Eiley,” he sighed.
“Everyone knows you’re beautiful. You know any dignitary should count himself lucky to be invited to court you,” Annabelle said. She reached up to adjust Eiley’s hair and smooth back a curl.
Eiley made a pretend pout. “It sure doesn’t feel that way.”
“Eiley, we need to go,” Ronan said, starting to get annoyed.
“Oh, let her finish her wine,” Teresa joked, refilling Eiley’s glass.
“No,” Ronan said, taking the glass from Eiley’s hand for the second time that morning. “You’re going to be alert for this, and I’m not going to get in trouble for you being late.”
Eiley scowled at him in earnest now. “And if I say no?”
“I know you won’t do that to me, Eiley.”
Her expression softened at his words. It was true. She wouldn’t do anything to jeopardize his position. “Fine.”
Ronan sighed in relief. “Good.” His face broke into a practiced smile and he stood up, offering an arm to Eiley.
She waved him off. “Can I just have a moment alone?” His suspicious look prompted her to go on, “I promise, I’ll come in a minute. I just want to be alone. I am to meet my betrothed today.”
Ronan could surely see through her words, and he agreed because he knew she needed it. “If I have to come back for you, I’ll carry you out,” he said, patting his sister on the shoulder.
“I like that you think you’re strong enough to try,” Eiley said.
Ronan shot her a joking glare and turned to her friends. “Ladies?” he said, offering an arm to each of them. Annabelle accepted and they waited for Teresa to stand. Once the ladies had both joined him, he started walking towards the door of Eiley’s suite. “One minute!” he yelled to her, not bothering to turn back.
“Yes, brother,” she answered dryly.
She waited until the door closed behind the three of them. Once she was alone, she turned to look in the mirror. She stared into her own eyes for a moment, then made a face at herself. She contorted her lips and her eyebrows until her image looked ugly then she looked away, smoothing her complexion.
“Why, me?” she muttered.
Eiley had never regretted her choices, but that doesn’t mean she didn’t resent the rumors. Ronan was widely known in court as a brilliant political strategist. Eiley was widely known as pretty.
She closed her eyes and took a deep slow breath, then calmly released it. When she opened her eyes again, she fitted her face to the mask of her practiced smile. She checked her lipstick once, and adjusted her tiara.
She swiftly walked out the door, calling, “Come, Thomas,” as he fell instep behind her.
Maybe the Reslandian prince would be different, but he would never be her choice.
- Writer
