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“Lucy,” I remember once calling her to tea at the castle for the specific purpose of letting her know nicely that I would rather die than marry her. “I’m glad you agreed to meet me,” I started.
“Why wouldn’t I agree to meet with you, your Majesty. I’m just so happy you finally have deemed me worthy of your company.” Oh, her damned submissiveness, blech.
“Well, about that. I deem you worthy of my company on all occasions, I hope you know that. But, as to the matter of our marriage…” Her eyes lit up with expectation. “I want you to hear it from me rather than from rumor or gossip.” I took a deep breath ready to dash this poor woman’s dreams. “I have no intention of marrying you. I don’t crave the throne so much as I might throw my life away for it. I’d rather abdicate to my cousin than marry a woman I don’t love.” I spoke the whole sentence without so much as taking a breath.
“I don’t think we love each other yet,” her meek voice barely spoke. “But over time we’d grow to love each other as other royals have done before us.” Ugh, even the mention of the word ‘us’ made me nauseous.
“Yes, well that’s the trouble. I have no intention of allowing this to get that far.” I drank my tea to settle my nerves.
“But my father is the Lord of Gloucester, I’m supposed to be betrothed to you, it was arranged when we were two.” It looked as if she was about to cry.
“I know, what terrible business is that? You shouldn’t have been sold out to me at such a young age. It isn’t 1198 anymore. You are a human being born with unalienable rights. You should find someone you love and marry them. I’d never keep you from your true and rightful husband.” The meeting wasn’t going well, but I had to persevere.
“I love you, Liam. I always have.” The poor lovelorn look on her face confirmed her sentiment.
“Trouble is Lucy, I don’t love you. I see you more as a sister I’ve never had. And I cherish you more as a sister than I ever would as a wife.” I was edging ever closer to true honesty.
“But you could learn to love me as more…” The tears began to fall.
“Yet, I don’t want to.” And there it was.
She didn’t stay long after I’d dropped that bomb on her and kept her distance ever since, yet the hopeful gleam in her eye told me she prayed circumstance would force us together. I think I amped up my foolishness with women just to prove to her I meant what I had said. I dated every gorgeous woman on two legs, or so the press reported, of course, it wasn’t true. The kicker was, they were gorgeous. Lucy, bless her, was so horribly plain. Not that plain-faced women couldn’t be sexy, I’d certainly fucked enough to know, but Lucy had an equally lackluster personality to match. While I was still technically bound to her, my birthday was only an agonizingly short ten months away. I had to rev up my search for a wife or be forever doomed. Though marrying the likes of Lucy wouldn’t be a worry for most, it was a death knell for me.
“How do you know the prince of Ireland?”
I looked over at Avery’s sweet button-nosed face as her eyes sparkled and my thoughts of Lucy vanished. “Well my father knows him, they’re very close.” I left it vague.
I found a woman who didn’t know who I was, and I intended on keeping it that way, at least for a while. It was nice having someone to talk to who didn’t just want to be a princess. I was marveling at my good fortune when a woman announced over the loudspeaker that the fashion show was about to begin.
“Sorry,” Avery’s face reddened. “That’s my cue.” She seemed a bit awkward as she set the beer she’d barely drank down. “It was nice meeting you,” she chirped with a note of disappointment. “I hope we get a chance to continue our conversation some other time.”
“After the fashion show, come back to us. I’ll wait for you. I actually have a matter I’d love to discuss.” I made a point to put some heat in my voice.
I certainly hadn’t had enough of the lovely Ms. Johnson. I figured I’d use her charity as an excuse to talk to her more, so as not to be too forward and then find out if she was dating anyone, though I suspected that someone so openly flirtatious wasn’t.
“Of course, I’d love to.” That brightened her up as she left with a nod to all of my buddies who’d watched her out of the corner of their eyes.
