The False Princess And The Beast

~006~ Trouble

"What the hell were you thinking?" Clarisse scolded the moment they were left alone in Vienna's room. "The real princess never would have done something like that, running off to God knows where."

"Where is Vienna?" Cornelia interrupted.

Clarisse stared at her, thrown by the lack of a title, but Cornelia had run out of patience after being deceived not once but twice in a single day.

"She lied to me," Cornelia said. "She promised that after three days we would exchange back and I would return to my life. But that was never what she intended, was it? She wants me to go in her place. To marry someone I don't even know. To live the rest of my life as her." By the time she finished, she was breathless.

Clarisse didn’t even bother denying it. "I told her not to," she said quietly. "I begged her. But she had already made up her mind, and the princess, when she decides something..." She trailed off not meeting Cornelia’s eyes. "It hurt her too, doing this to you."

Cornelia let out a disbelieving breath. It hurt her. But I’m the one who got dragged into this without my permission.

The room was silent until a knock broke it. "Princess. His Majesty requests your presence." Vienna had promised that she would barely see the king, yet this was the second call in a day.

Cornelia didn't move from where she had dropped onto the edge of the bed, hands in her hair, staring at the floor. "I'm not going," she said, exhausted from all the lies. "I'm done. Call Vienna back. This ends today."

"If you don't appear within half an hour, the king will begin asking questions. And it will take longer than that to find Vienna."

Cornelia looked up. "What exactly are you suggesting?"

"Continue impersonating her highness for today. In the meantime, I will find her and tell her that you want to go home.”

“Will you do that?” Cornelia asked hopefully.

“Yes, but we have to make sure the king is not suspicious or we will loose our heads.”

They spent the next twenty minutes getting Cornelia ready. When a maid brought out a ball gown, Cornelia looked at it, not understanding what the occasion was. “Isn’t it just dinner? Do I really need to wear that?"

“Don’t you remember, Princess? The convoy from Astralis has arrived this afternoon to propose to your highness, so you must look your best.”

Cornelia had forgotten the reason for it all.

Soon, she made her way to the hall, with Clarisse beside her, reassuring her. That was when she heard someone call, “Vienna.”

Forgetting she was supposed to be Vienna, she ignored it until Clarisse nudged her. A young woman was making her way toward them in a red gown that screamed money. She was small and pretty and walked with the confidence of a high-ranked noblewoman.

"Lady Odette Pembrooke," Clarisse murmured beside her.

Vienna’s best friend. Cornelia remembered Vienna’s warning regarding Odette, “If there’s one person you might not be able to fool, it’s Odette, so remember when dealing with her, you must be on your guard.”

“Odette is a master at lying, so she knows exactly when someone lies to her.” Vienna said, and she asked, “So how am I supposed to lie to her if she’ll catch me?"

“You don’t.” Confused, Cornelia was about to ask more questions, but Vienna continued. “Just say exactly what you’re thinking.”

Immediately, her back straightened, and she changed her expression to one she’d seen Vienna do.

"Vienna." Odette leaned in and pressed her cheek to Cornelia's. "I heard you had quite the afternoon. Are you alright?"

"Not particularly," Cornelia said.

Odette blinked, not expecting Cornelia’s reply.

"The headache was awful," Cornelia continued, "and I find I am still not entirely recovered. This evening is the last thing I wanted. But here we are."

"You need a drink," Odette said, linking her arm through Cornelia's. "Come. The Astralis convoy brought wine that is supposedly excellent. I intend to find out if that is true. If good wine is the only thing we gain from your impending marriage, we might as well enjoy it."

Vienna had mentioned that half of the time Odette was either drunk or high, so Cornelia wasn’t surprised by Odette’s words.

"I cannot wait to get drunk, and no offense, but you look like you need it too." She patted Cornelia's arm. “Or would you like something stronger?"

Cornelia smiled and gently turned her down. “I need to be sober until this is over, but I might join you later.” She had absolutely no intention of joining her later.

Odette seemed perfectly satisfied with that answer. They soon made their way to the hall, and the butler announced their arrival. As expected, all eyes turned to them as they made their way down the stairs, and they were surrounded by noblemen and ladies of all classes as soon as they reached the bottom. Cornelia felt overwhelmed by the number of people who came to greet her. While she maintained the smile she had practiced countlessly, it took everything in her not to scream.

“Your dress looks quite lovely tonight, princess.” One of the ladies complimented her, and she’d been about to reply when she heard another voice from behind.

“Oh please, you can hardly call that lovely. It screams you’re trying too much. You’re already engaged, your royal highness, you might want to stop being desperate.”

Cornelia didn't need to turn around to know who had spoken. Vienna had warned her. There was only one person in this kingdom who would dare speak to the princess that way, Lady Lucinda Corvin, daughter of Duke Corvin, whose family wealth was said to rival the crown's. Which was, Vienna had explained with barely concealed rage, the only reason her head was still attached to her body.

Fixing a smile on her face, Cornelia turned to face the stunning woman, whose face didn’t match her rotten core.

"Still jealous, I see."

Lucinda's eyes sharpened, but Cornelia continued before she could respond. "Unlike you, who is still searching desperately for someone to take you off the marriage mart, I am already engaged and have no need to compete with the likes of you."

Lucinda smiled. "As if we don't all know how miserable you will be once you are shipped off to God knows where. At least I will remain in the kingdom I was raised in." She tilted her head. "And have you even met this husband of yours? For all you know, he could be an ugly, fat troll."

The ladies nearby began to snicker.

“Ugly fat troll or not, he is the crown prince, and I will be his princess. Do you know what that means, Lucy?” Cornelia stepped closer to her, trying to intimidate the shorter woman. “I will be a queen, and the next time you see me, you will kneel to me.” Lucinda gasped and rushed out, too embarrassed to say anything.

As Lucinda left, the other ladies gathered to praise her as if they hadn’t just been laughing at her moments before. Cornelia felt exhausted dealing with the ladies and was glad when she heard the king call for his daughter.

"Vienna."

She looped her arm through his when she reached him and greeted, "Father."

"There is someone I want you to meet." He said, gesturing to the figure beside him, and Cornelia followed his gaze. “This is…”

Cornelia didn’t hear anything else as her eyes landed on the figure the King introduced to her.

It was him.

The man who had ditched her at the royal treasury when she tried escaping.

The man she thought she would never meet again.

He was standing in front of her with a formal smile on his face as he studied her with dark, focused eyes. How he managed to look completely composed was a mystery to Cornelia, who felt like she was about breaking down.

"Princess," the king said, and she realized only then that a hand was extended toward her, waiting. Quickly, she extended her hand, expecting a handshake, but what he did next surprised her.

He bowed and pressed his lips to the back of her hand. “Lovely to meet you, princess.” He whispered, and Cornelia felt her body shiver from the sensation of his lips against her skin.

As his eyes met hers, one thing became painfully clear.

This man was trouble.