Chapter 1
Corsets were something she despised with her whole being. The maids kept pulling the strings tighter and tighter as if they didn’t want her to breathe. A beautiful gown hanging on a hanger staring at her that she loved, but she still hated the corsets.
“Princess Rivers, please be still,” some random maid told her as she just grunted in response, holding tight onto the cabinets in the dressing room.
Her eyes rolled back acting as if she didn’t hold the princess title. Her head maid tried to hold back a snicker knowing her hate for the corsets as she watched her roll her eyes. She was the only one who knew the princess really felt about but knew not to tell a soul for then she might have her head. Rivers turned her head over her shoulder to see how much longer she had.
“I think it is tight enough,” She says, holding the corset trying to catch her breath.
The maids stopped and started dressing her in the dress her father picked out for her. He had news that he needed her dress nice for, but he didn’t tell her that. She thinks she was just given a new dress.
Her hair was long with a rich color of blonde that all the girls envied. Nothing that had to be died to get it that way, she was just born with it. Her eyes were border lining the color of white and blue. Her eyelashes didn’t need much mascara to be long. Her height isn’t as tall as other girls, but the height to meet a good man’s shoulder. Her beauty couldn’t compare to any other girls in the kingdom or even any in other nations.
“Alright, miss, it is time to go see your parents,” the head maid informed as the other maids finished their work on Rivers.
“Oh, Lilly, don’t you think we could take the long way?” Rivers asked as she turned around with her hair swung around with her turn.
“No miss, your father said it was urgent.”
Rivers sighed hating urgent things because it seems everything is urgent lately. Ever since she turned eighteen, her father wouldn’t stop talking about marrying a good man. A man who could help her take care of the country and make us richer than we were before. She didn’t think he was thinking about what she wanted, indeed he wasn’t. Her mind wandered to when she was younger running the endless halls of the castle. To have the breeze in her hair reading outside in the gardens. Now, she is always being called to these urgent meetings in these useless corsets.
Two guards bowed as they opened the door to the throne room where her parents were sitting there relaxed in their velvet red chairs. Rivers walked in casually with her maid on the left and her guard to right.
“What do you want, father?” She asked, standing in front of them.
“Rivers we taught you better than to walk in like that,” her mother said sternly disappointed in her daughter.
“No one is here,” She retorted back, “I was taught how to walk when someone important was here.”
“My child, we have some news for you,” her father started ignoring all the wrong she had done. “The Prince from Epheoris should be here soon, and as you know, their kingdom is in very need of another country to help them with their trading as they have many resources we need so I am hoping you see where this is going.”
Nothing registers in her mind. “No, why does it matter to me if he is coming.”
Her mother, tired of how her daughter doesn’t see the hint, comes out and says, “You will be marrying him in the next three days.”
Rivers mouth dropped. She couldn’t believe this. All her life she has dreamed of getting out of the castle, marrying a boy she knew, and starting a regular life away from here. Now, she is tied to the castle and there is no way of escaping.
Prince Cruise looked over the ship to see the blue waters filled with creatures of their own choice. Her parents forced this upon him but he knew it was what he had to do. Moving away from his beloved land to a forgein place would help them get more resources and make their nation stronger. However, he was leaving the only place he had ever known. His head boy was sitting next to him looking away from the not a huge fan of the sea.
“Charles, you should go down the layer so you don’t get sick on the top deck,” Cruise told his head boy as he rubbed his back.
“I think that would be a good idea sir,” he choked out the word trying not to throw up.
“I will sit with sir,” Guard Richard Simmons stated knowing it was his job to do so.
He has been protecting the prince since he was 5 years old. He knows things that nobody else knows and he takes secrets to the grave.
Silence came among them as all you could hear were the waves crashing into each other causing a ruckus. Cruise didn’t know what he was getting himself into as he saw an outline of a kingdom ahead.
“Do you know anything about the Northern Iles?” He asked his guard hoping he knew something.
“We used to come visit them all the time,” He answered standing up looking ahead.
“Was this them? I remember getting on a ship during the winter to go somewhere but I didn’t know it was them.” Cruise remembered.
Years ago, both kingdoms would visit each other because they had a very good relationship with each other. Nothing has changed, they just don’t get to see each as much as they used to. They both had this marriage at a young age set up secretly so the children wouldn’t make a fuss about it all. Rivers and Cruise when they were younger would play with each other and would never stop talking. Their memories have faded of that but they used to once have a spark.
Cruise vaguely remembers the outlines of this town. There wasn’t much difference between the two kingdoms, but it wasn’t his homeland.
“We are about to make land,” Guard Richard annoces as he turns to the prince. “Your parents are about to come up, look presentable.”
Confusedly, he looks down at his shirt and straighteners as the King and Queen come up out of the chambers they were resting in.
“Son, fix your hair, you are about to see your wife.” Is all the king says as he looks ahead to this new found future.
Cruise takes his hand through his hair obeying his father as he always does. Just like every other thing he does, it is all to obey them. This marriage… all to obey them.
