Chaotic Kingdom: Entangled With Two Princes

CC heard the question and heard herself answer. Who could say if she meant it or not? The poor girl was having her heart broken as she spoke the word. The CC that had said yes to Prince Troy’s proposal of marriage and the sealing thereof with a kiss was watching Bart have their magical moment with another woman.

Prince Troy was not the kind of man who made moves without permission and he certainly wasn’t the kind of man who forced himself in between a budding romance. He was, however, the kind of man who took what he was promised. Someone not to be ignored.

It really hadn’t been his intent to get so swept up in all this. He’d honestly been leading CC into a rejection. He even knew that she was distracted and didn’t mean what she was saying, but damn if her red lips weren’t calling out to his. The perfect prince convinced himself that she had meant it after all and went in for the kiss.

By the time CC realized what she’d done, Prince Troy’s lips were on hers, his hand holding onto the back of her head. Just like that, she had had her first kiss, the one she’d been saving for Bart. As she pushed him away, she felt her heart break all the way. Her eyes flew up to Bart, but his back was already turned to her. He had seen and everything was over before anything could even get started.

Seeing CC push Prince Troy away with tears in her eyes, Aaron went up to Prince Troy and, without a second thought, punched him square in the face.

“Wedding’s off!” Aaron yelled angrily.

If CC and Prince Troy hadn’t already created a scene, Aaron certainly had. Aaron took CC’s hand and rushed her out of the Arden residence before King Henry and Queen Mary could get wind of what happened. No words were exchanged as Aaron bundled CC into the backseat of the limo.

“What the hell just happened?!” Aaron screamed once they were on the road.

CC was crying silent tears, staring melancholically out of the window.

“I agreed to marry him,” she answered blankly.

“What?! Why?!”

“I don’t know! I don’t know.”

Aaron dragged his hand over his face and sighed.

“Well, for better or worse, the wedding’s off now.”

“I lost him, Ronnie.”

Aaron looked at his sister and smiled. No one knew better than him what unrequited affection looked like. CC’s was decidedly not unrequited.

“Believe me, the way he was looking at you, the only one losing it was Bart.”

Even as the words came out of his mouth, Aaron knew that it hardly mattered. Bartholomew Arden would never date, nevermind marry Caroline Condor. Their fathers would sooner burn Terres Somnia to the ground than see it happen. Perhaps for the first time, Aaron finally understood. CC didn’t have a thing for Bart. She was in love with him, had been for nine years. As he sat next to her trying to figure out what they were going to do about the angry Prince Troy, he put his arm around his sister.

“Why did it have to be an Arden, CC? Couldn’t you be into literally anyone else?”

“If only. There will probably never be anyone else. He’s my yesterday, my tomorrow,” she said, the tears streaking her cheeks, making her makeup run.

Shortly after their arrival at the palace, Aaron and CC were sent for by their parents. Sitting up there on his throne with Queen Mary at his side, glaring down at his children, King Henry looked every bit as imposing as he intended to.

“Before, your marriage to Prince Troy was an option. Now, it’s an order,” said King Henry, his ruthless voice bouncing off of the walls of the near empty throne room.

With that, King Henry rose and left the room.

“Mama!” CC cried.

“After the stunt the two of you pulled, Warlanda is threatening war. There are no alternatives Caroline. You will marry this man,” Queen Mary informed her daughtercurtly, promptly following the king out the room.