The Fall of a Proud Princess

Chapter 1- "I got sold for a hotel."

DANIELLAH

(3months later)

Wedding day.

My mother is not here. My brother is not here.

I wish I wasn’t here.

“You look dashing, your majesty.” The hairstylist beams as I stand up.

My golden hair is held back in a French twist hairstyle with a few strands falling over my face. My great-great grandmother’s Catherine tiara is clipped on top of my hair as a mesh white veil covers my face.

My lace covered, off-the shoulder custom made Alexandra Wang mermaid style dress hugs my body in the right places. White ankle strap heels with bows in the back pinch my feet as I pick up my small white rose bouquet.

I glance at the mirror and I do look radiant and beautiful. Something I wasn't an hour ago when all hell broke out in this very room.

I don’t have bridesmaids, or a best lady or even a mom to help me move in my dress, so it’s the poor hairstylist’s job to assist me to the car since the makeup girl disappeared once she was done fixing me.

I’m surrounded by blurry faces as I make my way to the church entrance. Cameras are in every visible corner because the entire country is watching me.

Who am I kidding? The entire world is probably watching me too.

It is a royal wedding.

“Don’t trip, don’t cry.”

I repeat the words as my father interlinks our arms. The choir begins a hym along with a violinist as he adjusts his tunic that is filled with medals, gold lacing and embroidery.

He looks like a king today, he's even wearing a crown today.

“Don’t disgrace our family name,” he whispers tightening his grip on my hand.

Don’t trip, don’t cry.

I repeat the mantra in my head as we walk down the long aisle filled with people I barely recognize.

I just want this day to be over.

We finally make it to the altar and my father nods at my groom as he hands me over. I don’t dare look at him though, I just turn to the priest and take a deep breath.

The ceremony begins as my nails dig into my bouquet.

Now I understand why they made my veil so thick. I’m on the brink of bawling my eyes out but I choke it down as the priest recites a bible verse.

“I rather die than watch you get married!” Kai’s words stay with me as Conrad, and I are told to repeat our vows.

“Do you Conrad Hughes Hilton the 3rd, take Princess Daniellah of Denmark as your lawfully wedded wife?”

We're already at this part?

“I do.” Conrad slips the round diamond castle set wedding band next to the icon cushion cut diamond ring that was already on my ring finger.

Adding to the massive weight that is already straining my ring finger.

“I take Princess Daniellah of Denmark, to have and to hold, from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, until death do us part.” Conrad actually smiles.

The priest keeps his face neutral as he turns to me. I bite my lower lip and only stop when I’m sure I’m about to draw blood.

Don’t cry, don’t cry.

"Do you, Princess Daniellah of Denmark, take Conrad Hughes Hilton the 3rd as your lawfully wedded husband?”

There's a long pause as I repeat in my head.

Don’t cry.

Don’t cry.

Don’t you dare cry.

“I do.”

I can hear my father let out a sigh of relief as I slip the thick platinum band, surrounded by tiny white gold diamonds around his ring finger.

“I take Conrad Hughes Hilton the 3rd, to have and to hold, from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, until death do us part.”

My voice cracks in the end but I doubt anyone notices, at least I hope they don’t.

Conrad keeps our hands locked as the priest continues, “it is with my esteem and pleasure that I pronounce you both…” Conrad rubs his thumb over my hand, making me look at his side profile.

"As husband and wife.” The priest is calm as he says, “you may now kiss your wife.”

Conrad lifts my veil and the look in his eyes confuses me as his lips part.

My heart is threatening to jump out of my chest as he takes a step closer to me. His left hand cups my face as the platinum band presses into my cheek.

Music plays as our lips connect in the most chaste kiss I have ever experienced. I feel his thumb wipe away a tear I didn’t notice drop when our faces separate.

I smile and play it off as a tear of happiness as we turn to face the congregation.

I’m married now.

I’m no longer a Le-Chasseur but a Hilton.

I am the girl who got sold for a hotel. The girl who just gained the world but lost herself.

I am Conrad the 3rd’s wife.

Those are thoughts that occupy my head as we stand at the top of the church stairs, waving and smiling to the world. White rose petals fall over our heads as my husband and I walk down hand in hand.

Wow, I have a husband.

His hand is big and oddly calloused. It’s practically engulfing my small one but it’s oddly gentle and light.

I don’t like it.

“Is it always this crazy?” It’s the first thing Conrad says once our car door closes.

He let me go in first and helped with my dress. I appreciated that, so decide to respond.

“No. It’s because of the wedding and all the celebrities that flew out to attend.” I put my bouquet between us, “you’ll get used to it.”

“Used to it?” He lifts my bouquet and twists it around in his hand to read the words on the ribbon.

Through difficulties, to the stars. They're in Danish, so they probably look like gibberish to him.

“I hope not.” He says under his breath, giving up on reading it.

“I’m Dani by the way.” I formally introduce.

Today is the first time I am meeting my husband. I missed all the family dinners because I was preparing for my transfer from Oxford to Yale.

And at our engagement dinner, Conrad couldn’t make it due to an overlapped meeting. We both missed our engagement party as he caught a cold while I just didn’t want to go.

“Conrad the 3rd but everyone calls me Hugh.” He shakes my hand briefly.

“Like Hugh Hefner?” I think the hell not.

I’m not calling him that, plus I’m not everyone, I’m his wife.

“Yes, I guess it kind of stuck in high school after I got the twins—I mean you can call me whatever you want.” He plays with the band around his ring finger.

I bet his doesn’t weigh a ton because they definitely went overboard with mine.

I’ve had my engagement ring on for a month and I’m still not used to the weight of the massive rock.

“How did they convince you to marry a complete stranger?” I sip the champagne they left out for us.

It’s flat but I don’t care because it’s alcohol.

“I was a reckless kid in college. To keep my trust fund and inheritance I was told I had to marry a princess.” He shrugs grabbing a glass for himself, “I saw a picture of you online and I was game.”

Really?

My husband chose me because he saw a paparazzi photo of me online.

“What about you?” He interrupts my thoughts.

I down the flute before I admit, “I was sold for a hotel.”

Before Conrad can ask any more questions or react to my statement, the car stops. After a few seconds, there's a tap before the door opens.

We must be at the venue for pictures.

Someone helps me out of the car and fixes my veil and my tiara. Hopefully now since I’m a Hilton and Kai is the heir to the throne, this is the last time I have to wear one.

After cliché poses, Conrad rolls his eyes before asking for a minute.

“You look miserable,” he pinches the bridge of his aristocrat nose.

“The director is not complaining,” I adjust the bust of my dress.

This corset is killing me.

“Because he is not staring at your soulless eyes,” he bites making me frown.

“It’s because I’m staring at a soulless person.” I say under my breath making him scoff.

“Look, all I ask is you pretend you’re about to kiss someone you love?”

Kiss?

“Why are we kissing again?” I wore matte lipstick specifically for pictures because I didn’t think we’d kiss again.

“You’re a princess that just got married to a family that owns one of the biggest hotel chains in the world, these pictures are going to be everywhere. They need to look real.”

“And they will.”

I have been doing this for a long time so I can pretend to be the doting wife in photographs perfectly.

“Whatever you say,” he pushes his hair back clearly not happy with my answer.

“Let’s continue?” The photographer lifts the camera and we nod.

Conrad wraps his hands around my waist and immediately a smile appears on my face as I imagine myself as someone else.

Someone that didn’t get sold off for a hotel.

I snake my hands around his neck and feel a flash, another follows before he leans in. My eyelashes graze his cheeks as my eyes drop. Our lips connect as another flash goes off, followed by another and another.

The kiss is not chaste like our first one, instead it’s deep and long.

And almost feels real.

Under normal circumstances, I'd let myself get lost in it but these are not normal circumstances.

I separate our lips but his press against my forehead before he brushes a hair strand off my face.

For a moment I forget.

For a moment I am the girl I was imagining and this is the love of my life.

For a moment my heart doesn’t hurt because of Aiden’s betrayal or Kai’s loss.

For a moment I didn’t get sold by my father so he could get shares to a hotel enterprise.

But just as quick as it appeared, the moment fades.

On the last flash my eyes drop when my arms do and I turn away from him.

The car ride to our reception is a preview of our marriage: silent and distant.

I don’t know how we make it through the entire reception, but we do.

Once at the castle, I changed into a looser, less dramatic but similar version of my wedding dress for the reception. Conrad just undid the knot of his bowie and let it hang around his neck.

After ditching the long veil, my father insists I keep the tiara on so I do and let my hair down.

We have our first dance, some food, cut the cake, throw the bouquet and listen to speeches after mingling and talking to our guests. Unlike a normal wedding, we don’t stay till everyone gets drunk.

We gracefully excuse ourselves for our honeymoon after the final toast, made by his father who wished us a fruitful and happy marriage with a tear jerker speech.

I change into a white lacy short dress with a halter neckline, ditching the tiara all together and tying my hair into a messy bun before meeting my husband at the exit.

He is still in his black dress pants, white button-down shirt with some of the buttons undone but the sleeves are folded now, the bow tie is gone and he is holding the jacket in his hands.

I admit, Conrad is a good-looking guy.

He has high cheekbones, a cutting jawline and pale grey eyes that compliment his sharp face. His once sleek back blonde hair is now tousled as some strands fall over his forehead.

The shirt is tight around his muscular lean upper frame and his arm veins are on display.

He must work out because he is in great shape and he is tall and has the perfect smile that shows a beauty spot by his chin.

He looks like a modern-day prince charming.

It is a shame he has to spend the rest of his life with me when he could be making some supermodel or famous actress happy.

We lock hands when the door opens and our guests throw petals over our heads as we walk out. My sweet husband wraps his jacket around me when the late-night breeze blows, making our guests “aww” with admiration.

After hugging his family goodbye, he turns to me and keeps his hand on my lower back as we meet my father by the car. He shakes Conrad’s hand before giving me a nod.

To our honeymoon we go!