The Vindication Gents

Chapter 1.2

Kathleen Remes’ POV

“I’m sorry. I think you must have mistaken me for someone else,” I said politely as I smiled at him. He was still skeptical of my answer as he was eyeing me up and down.

“Sorry, you’re right. I must be. I am sorry to disturb you, ma’am,” he said before he went out of my way. He turned to look back at me over his shoulder. I smiled again as I nodded at him before I walked up to the door that was leading to the main private room. I was about to go inside, so I grabbed the handle before the guard stopped me.

“Excuse me, but this area is reserved for the royalty of Finland only,” he said before I looked at him. He gasped as well before he bowed to me. I guessed everyone would be gasping tonight after they knew who I was.

“I’m sorry, Your Highness. I thought it was someone else,” he said as he bowed at me. I waved my hands dismissively.

“Good work. Keep it up,” I said before I went inside the room. There was no one there as I was looking at the recently opened champagne bottle and used glasses. I looked around the room when I heard a voice coming from the other side of the room. I went to listen but there was a hole between the walls. I took a look and found out that Katherine and Chris were making out. She was moaning out loud as Chris was kissing her neck.

“Oh, Chris,” she moaned before she pulled him up to claim his mouth again in a passionate kiss.

“Peeping around is not good, you know,” a voice that was coming from behind made me startled as I jumped to my feet. I held my heart as it was beating so fast after being scared like that. I turned around to see who it was and it was the same man that was asking me in the ballroom.

“Do you have to be everywhere?” I said as I was looking at him.

“I don’t know. Maybe I’m just there whenever you want to do something dangerous,” he said as he crossed his arms at me. I rolled my eyes at him before making my way to the door.

“Now, where are you going?” He asked. I stopped in my track before looking back at him.

“I believe that is none of your business, isn’t it?” I said before I got out of the room and I slammed it. I went to search for my parents but it was no use. I went to the guards and asked them where my parents were.

They said that they were in the dining room, making some last preparations for the engagement ball. I thanked them before I went to the dining room. I looked at the huge dining hall doors as the servants opened them for me.

“Thank you,” I said as I walked inside the room. It was busy as bees. The servants were everywhere as they were moving to fulfill all the requirements that the guests asked for, which my mother had been requested, no doubt.

“Now, I want this to be served right away. I don’t want anyone to starve. We will have the main course exactly at 2030 hours, people,” my mother’s voice was echoing in the room. I went to the end of the room to see that she was busy arranging the bouquet to its finest.

“Okay, now a little more to the left. Okay, okay. Perfect!” She said before the servants pushed the cart out into the ballroom.

“I see that you’ve been keeping busy,” I said from behind, which made her jump to her feet.

“Who dares to—” She said before she turned around and looked at me as I was standing in front of her.

“Oh my!” she exclaimed as I bowed to her.

“Your Majesty,” I said, as I bowed to her humbly.

“Oh, come here you,” she said before she pulled me into a bear hug. Yup, when I said that, it meant no air supply would be getting to my lungs.

“Hello, mother,” I said, strainedly.

“Oh my! I haven’t seen you in forever. You look so thin, Kathleen,” she said after she released me from her bear hug. I smiled as she was holding my hands in hers while her eyes were looking at my face.

“It’s nothing. Just keep fit,” I said as she put her hands on my cheeks. Some tears were about to escape her eyes.

“Oh, mother. Please, don’t cry. I’m here now. It’s all that matters,” I said as I was wiping her tears.

“I know, I know. It just…I haven’t seen you for the last 5 years. Your father forbids me to—” she said before she was interrupted.

“I forbid you to do what?” The voice was echoing inside the room. My mother was startled to hear it. She turned around to look at my father, who was standing with all his might. I rolled my eyes as I was looking at his dramatic entrance.

“Your Majesty,” my mother said as she bowed to him. My father looked at me as I was crossing my arms at him.

“Well?” He asked as he looked at me. I arched my eyebrows at him.

“Well, what?” I replied as I still stood on my feet.

“Bow to me, child. Bow to your king,” he said with authority. I scoffed.

“That king is my father. I have no other reason to bow to him,” I said before I was about to walk out of there.

“Kathleen Remes, wait,” he ordered me. I stopped in my tracks as I just stood there.

“What do you want to do now? Send me another 5 years in prison?” I said sarcastically.

“Kathleen,” my mother said as she came to my side. My father sighed before he spoke.

“Kathleen, you know why I have to do that,” he said before I glared at him.

“Please, enlighten me with your reasoning for that,” I said as I looked at him. He looked at me murderously.

“You do not speak to me with that tone, young lady,” he said as he pointed his finger at me.

“Oh, sorry. I forgot all the things that I have learned to be a Princess after I went to hell,” I said as I bowed sarcastically at him.

“Kathleen,” he said as a warning. I just rolled my eyes at him.

“Enough, both of you,” my mother said as she spoke out her mind for the first time that night.

“You,” she pointed her finger at my father, “do not bring up the past and you,” she pointed her finger at me, “do not make it more difficult than it is,” she said as she was looking at us both. I sighed as I crossed my arms in front of my chest.

“Fine, whatever,” we both said before my mother clapped her hands.

“Now, beloved. Tell her about the good news,” she said as she went to my side, holding me in place. I looked at my father and my mother. What have they planned now while I was away? Surely, it was not about me, right? My father signed before my mother looked at him. I arched my eyebrows at him.

“Kathleen, you have come of age to be eligible to marry. I have found the proper suitor for you. His name is Kai Virtanen from the House of Virtanen,” he said as he closed his hands behind him, looking regally like the king he should. I blinked my eyes at him.

“Virtanen? As in The Virtanen Empire that controls most of Finland’s wealth after the royal family?” I asked as I looked at him, disbelieving by what he had just said to me.

“Yes, dear. He has been engaged to you since you were 15 years old,” my mother added.

“Since I went to prison,” I said as I looked at both of them.

“Yes, that is true. He is willing to marry you, so you don’t have to worry about anything,” my mother said. I got out of her arms as I looked at her.

“You expect me to believe that him, Kai Virtanen, the most notorious person from the House of Virtanen, has agreed to marry me? You must be joking. That man loved his bachelor life so much that he did not just agree to an arranged marriage,” I said as I looked at my mother. My mother was about to say something before my father cut us off.

“Enough. You will meet him tonight and get acquainted. No more question,” my father said before he went to the door of the dining hall to exit. He stopped before he looked over his shoulder at me.

“He might be the last chance for all of us to survive,” he said before he disappeared through the door. I was dumbfounded after he said that, not having any clue about his statement. I looked at my mother as I tried to comprehend what had just happened.

“Mother, what did father mean by that?” I asked her before she also went to push me through the door.

“You’ll see, but now, let’s get you into something more appropriate for the introduction,” she said as I looked at my dress. What’s wrong with my short spaghetti strap dress?

Kai Virtanen’s POV

After that woman stormed out of the room with a heavy bang, I winced. What did she eat that made her act like that? I shook my head as I went to sit on the sofas. My cousin, Chris, and his fiancée, Katherine, were having some private time in their room before the big announcement.

“Oh, honey. You’re so adorable,” Katherine said as the door opened. Chris’s face lightened up as he saw me.

“Cousin, what a pleasure to see you here. What brings you here?” He said as he bro-hugged me and I patted his back.

“Nothing. Just an invitation from a grandfather that asked me to go to your engagement party,” I said as I looked at him and Katherine.

“Good evening, Your Highness,” I said as I bowed to her. She giggled before speaking to me.

“Oh, please, we’re practically family now. Just call me Kate,” she said as she held Chris’ arm.

“Yes, cousin. Why don’t you enjoy dinner with us?” Chris said as I looked at my watch. I would be late for the inevitable as I shook my head.

“I loved it too, but I have to. Something urgent has come up,” I said before I was moving toward the door, cutting Chris to say anything else.

“Very well, see you at home tonight then,” Chris said as he hugged me again and I kissed Kate’s hand. I nodded before I went out of the room and went to the rooftop as the king had instructed me to.

“Here goes nothing,” I said as I went up the stairs after I passed the guards and showed them the king’s seal for the special introduction to my future bride.