The Girl Who Loved Two Princes

2018, December 3rd

Caines, Terres Somnia (Zoey)

Three months before the scandal broke

It was dark when we finally arrived at the imposing mansion. Even as I got lost around every turn we took, it was impossible to miss the armed men stationed at every corner as I was shown to a room.

"Be up by five," said Bart, my brand new brother, after which he promptly shut the door on me.

The room was as big as the entire upstairs of the two-story house that I had lived in nearly all of my life in my small hometown Rosa. Its vastness made me second guess my decision to come here, to this place, where I clearly didn't belong.

There were no friends to call as I was something of a loner. My mom and I weren't on speaking terms either. I threw myself onto the bed and stared at the ceiling until the darkest hour of the night, too numb to cry.

At exactly 5 AM the next day, a string of women streamed into the room, all talking over each other, practically carrying me to the dressing table like a doll. It was an icy, cold day, which was bound to bring snow. I felt the chilly air seep into my bones as the women invaded my personal space. The words passed right by me as the women talked. Stylists and hairdressers, and who knows what else had started bustling around me, pulling at my hair and sticking brushes in my face.

I wanted to tell them to stop, but no words came out of my mouth. Still feeling drained and exhausted from all the surprises of yesterday, I eventually gave up and let my mind wander.

Just then, I missed being in a lecture hall, filled with perfect strangers, who wanted nothing from me but silence so that they might all attend the lecture in peace. Turns out I missed my boring, predictable life. Already I felt so far from it. Like this was always my life and that had somehow been the dream.

I was only here to pick up a check and tell my long-lost father off.

The denial I was in regarding my situation was fading. I stared into the mirror. Before my very eyes, I seemed to disappear entirely.

Dearest Lady Zoey Ranger

You are hereby cordially invited to meet with the house of Arden.

This letter is sent to you by the noble house of Arden.

Your attendance will be handsomely rewarded.

Sincerely

Your father

Duke George Arden

This was the letter that had started it all. I knew it line by line. Not only was I sixteen hours away from everything I had ever known, I had left Rosa still furious at my mom for keeping the infamous Duke Arden being my father a secret from me for all these years. Needless to say, I was spiralling.

I knew it was him the moment he entered my room. The duke was a tall man, not as tall as his son Bart, but still a giant of a man with a dignified air and a handsome face.

The years had been kind to him. I hated how good he looked as I drew a breath and braced myself. Everyone in the room bowed the heads. The duke, however, only glanced disinterestedly at the hired help, came to stand behind me and held my gaze in the mirror a second longer than I could bear. Then he marched off.

We all exhaled one after another, like a set of trickling dominoes.

"My lady should not be alarmed by His Grace," said the woman sticking pins into my hair. "Been that way since the day I got here." I tried to turn, but the woman steered me forward again. "Almost done, My Lady," she said patiently.

"Yes, we'll make sure you are a vision for the prince. No one at The King's Fancy will be able to take their eyes off you," hummed one of the other women, as she painted my nails.

"Excuse me?" I asked, confused.

The hairstylist gave the manicurist a look, and the latter promptly quieted down.

From then on not a single word was uttered to me while they went to work.

"Come on then," said a restrained, subdued Bart sometime later.

I looked to the right of me and there he was, even more dashing than yesterday when he had come to pick me up. Bart, all 6'6" of him, standing tall in his tux.

His athletic build combined with his stature could not but overwhelm. Although I knew from the very few words he had spared me up until now that he was only nineteen, he hardly looked it. Hardly sounded it as he took call after call on the drive to Caines.

All I had to worry about at his age was getting into the University of Rosa. I could hardly believe that this man, somewhat standoffish but ultimately perfectly put together, was the son of a father I knew next to nothing about.

Bart gave me a half smile that seemed to make his stern eyes soften, but for a moment, as I took the hand he offered me.

"Stay with me at all times today," Bart ordered in an authoritative voice that did not match his youth.

"My Lord." I bowed awkwardly.

He sighed. "And knock that off. Seriously, quit it. We are the House of Arden. We bow to no one."

I didn't know much about polite society, but surely even nobles bowed to the king? I shook my head. This was the time to ask before something else overwhelmed or distracted me.

"Where are we going?" I asked as Bart ushered me down the stairs.

He offered no response as we made our way to the limousine where his parents awaited us.

An eerie silence enveloped me as I got into the vehicle. The luxury car was like a tomb. While three cold pairs of eyes stayed glued to their phones, my eyes landed on my father.

"Stop staring," Duchess Arden snapped.

I looked down immediately, feeling called out and somewhat embarrassed.

Duchess Arden gave me a once over, then promptly looked away with another snort.

Like it or not, without grandpa's monthly check, my mom and I were broke. I had plans for my life. If I was accepted as a PhD student at the University of Rosa, I would be assigned an advisor for my book next month.

The promised handsome sum to meet with my father seemed an insufficient reason to be in that car regardless.

How could my mother have gotten us cut off by Grandpa? Did she not kn