"Well mother here we are." I say trying hard to make conversation. 

My voice echoes throughout the large silent room.

 Her bored expression is more visible than the botox markings on her face. 

"Quite." She says.

Her red silk night gown and pasty face suggests that she was in the middle of one of 'her therapeutic sessions' to make herself look younger.

Asher who is next to me keeps twiddling his fingers under the table, it's a skill he developed for when he's trying not to get into trouble.

He looks so...tense I think. The muscles on his shoulders are flexed a bit.

I lean to the side whispering, "Asher, what's wrong?" He looks up eyebrows furrowed, "There's a WIFI password and I can't get into it."

Really. 

"Asher it's inadvisable to do that in front of her. Seriously." I need to emphasize this because Lord knows what this queen can do for disrespecting her.

He sighs and stuffs his phone into his jacket pocket.

Okay at least that's sorted.

I may hate Evelyn's guts but she is still the queen and formality is a really big deal around these parts.

Even if you're her own flesh and blood she will still chain you up in the public square leaving you to be tortured by the citizens whilst she crosses off items on her to-do list.

"So, princess Mia. How is your family."

She says finally fixing her posture and looking down at her with a tad look of intrigue.

Mia was so zoned out, she didn't even realize that somebody was talking to her. "Mia!" I whisper shout.

She sits up straight and forces a smile. "Yes! I mean, my family's great. They are very well."

She earns a slight nod and breathes out a bit. 

"That is good. Would you like to invite them to my dearest's wedding?"

Dearest. The best I've ever gotten was 'buy whatever you want. 

"Mother  they're obviously coming to my wedding." All eyes turn to the beautiful princess who is walking towards us.

"After all she is my little sis's friend."

Like a halo her golden mane gleams curled ever so perfectly, her blue silk gown touching the ground.

Had to be miss perfect of the family.

Perfect hair, perfect shape, perfect fiancée.

Everything about her is perfect! Perfect! Perfect!

She sets her bluebell eyes at me and approaches with a wide smile on her face, it's so fake.

"Lil' sis! You're here after so long."

I roll my eyes and cross my arms.

"Yeah, so?" I ask indifferently.

They don't allow me back here unless there's a reason.

I'm petrified as her long arms wrap around my shoulders in a hug.

Ugh, nasty.

She seriously has to bend down for this.

Her butt is right in front of Asher who I hope is not admiring it.

I shoot him a deathly glare and he just peeps over yawning.

At least.

"Woman get off me!" I yell managing to shove her off.

She stumbles back, blinks three times and recovers plastering another nasty smile on her face.

She walks over to the other side of the table and sits next to the Evil Queen who won't stop adoring her daughter.

"My darling, where is your fiancée?"

She considers her mother's question and replies in the same tone.

"He said he was going to run some errands and will be back shortly."

She sounds as if she's not sure of her answer.

What's going on.

"Alright, that's fine. Guess we'll just have to wait. Tonight we shall have dinner with your...sister and her friends, your choice of menu."

They are literally having a conversation with each other like we're not here.

Typical.

Mia has clearly lost interest and is looking down, she's on her phone probably texting Zac.

Asher is playing candy crush maybe...he is obsessed with it these days.

I am honestly so exhausted from the trip here, the encounter.

It's quite clear to me that I'm not wanted.

Genevieve is going to become queen after this, she's the heiress to the throne.

I am the child that Evelyn doesn't want.

She hates me for a lot of things and being born is one of them.

My grandfather apparently forbade her from marrying my sister's father but she had Genevieve anyway.

He killed him when he found out that she was pregnant.

Some years later he forced her to marry somebody else of Royal blood, my father.

He died later from food poisoning.

She definitely did that, he wasn't the warmest she said.

He beat me she said.

She is one nutcase if you asked me.

She never remarried after that, raised us both alone.

Well she just raised my sister. I was shipped off to the school and haven't been given an okay to return home.

My sister was ahead of me in everything, at some point I looked up to her until I realized my impotence in this family.

All hail Queen Evelyn, the only queen in Europe to go to war.

She loves her guns, after all she is the one who orders the Kingdom's arms and weapons.

"Amber, could you please go and change into something decent. Follow your sister's example."

What's wrong with what I'm wearing?

It's jeans, a long shirt and sneakers.

Okay, nevermind, I forgot that here we wear tutus and tiaras.

I wonder if Asher could fit into one.

"Fine."

"Your friends will be shown into their chambers."

I stand up and walk into the direction of my bedroom.

This was supposed to be my childhood home, so grand and so beautiful.

Yet so many fresh painful memories are burned into my mind.

I just want to get away from this awful place as soon as possible.

later

I hate how there's always an echo wherever I go.

I sound like a dying horse in these heels, my dress keeps tripping me and I think I'm lost.

Where's the dining room again?

It got dark so quickly and the only light here is candlelight.

Why candles?

I hear muffled yelling in the distance and my curious ass follows the sound.

I stop at a door, open slightly and see my sister yelling at William.

"Why do you still talk with her! The wedding is tomorrow, do you not realize the scandal this would bring?!"

"Listen for once! She is still close with my family so I still have her number!"

"Why are you so dramatic!" He continues.

"Well is it my fault for trying to keep our image clean?!"

He groans loudly and I hear steps approaching me.

Ahs shit, he's coming out.

He stomps out angrily slamming the door hard.

I move back slowly but his angry expression fades when he sees me cowering.

"Amber? Is that you?" Ugh, that British accent.

"Yes, um...hi."

He places a hand on his hip and smiles.

"Well I haven't seen you in forever! Wait...how much did you hear?"

I lie, well I try to lie but I'm not a good liar so, "Not long."

Atta girl!

He sighs his shoulders sagging.

"It's just the wedding and the pressure."

"I get it, but she's the love of your life."

"Well..." He trails off.

There's a well?

"Our marriage was arranged some years back. When we first met I thought wow, she is perfect. Now that we're in an actual relationship, I saw how paranoid and short tempered she really is."

" Every time I get a text message she freaks out and asks who it is. It's gotten worse since we got engaged. I want a break from her but I'm terrified. She's the type to kill me in my sleep. Besides, this is a union between two kingdoms, it'd stop the endless feuds with each other."

Wow, this is a lot to take in.

Genevieve isn't perfect!

I actually feel bad for her now that I know she's human.

"Well, love can't be forced. She needs to understand that. But you love her right? So it's fine."

"I don't love your sister in that way, I'm sorry but you know what?"

"What?" I ask.

"I'm not going to marry her!"

My blood runs cold, please tell me it's not something that I said.

"Don't do something so irrational."

If Genevieve is the person he's describing, she'll definitely do something about this.

"No! Your words are encouraging enough. Love isn't forced. I'm going to tell my parents. They'll understand."

"W...William." But he's already gone like the wind.

Ah jeez.

Oh gosh.

I have to tell her before it's too late.

I take in a deep breath and knock on the door.

"Come in!" She yells from the other side.

I turn the knob and here I am in her lovely room.

She's sitting on her bed eating strawberries with a butterknife.

Seriously?

Who gave this girl a knife?

She's going to butter me to death!

She turns to look at me, her cheeks glistening with tears.

"Oh, hi."

She states blatantly.

I keep my distance from her, all I know she can throw that thing at me with her eyes closed.

I take in a sharp breath and let it out.

"I heard you and William arguing earlier. Are you okay?"

She sighs and sits up straight.

"Of course I'm okay."

This is making my job easier.

"There's something you should know."

"What is it?"

"William, he told me about your relationship, how he thinks you're too..."

She frowns narrowing her eyes into slits, "Too perfect?"

I roll my eyes.

"Too paranoid."

"Go on."

"He's scared of you and I tried to tell him..."

"Speak up!"

Her voice is thunderous and I notice her taking in quick breaths.

Here we go.

My heart is pounding in my chest, I'm so scared right now.

"He said that he's calling of the wedding."

She looks at me wide eyed veins on her forehead bulging.

"How could he say that? Out oof nowhere! What are you not telling me?!"

"Um...he said that h...I said that love isn't forced and that he should love you anyway but he just..."

She grips her knife in her hands her face turning a bright crimson.

"You told him what?!"

I try walking backwards to the door.

"Um...it can't be what I said. He said that he was already unhappy with the engagement."

She walks towards me slowly, looking angrier than ever.

I thought I'd die soon, I always assumed from cholesterol but a butter knife is okay, close enough.

"It's always you! You don't do anything right! You weren't born right! You even messed up my chance at happiness. Don't you understand why you're never invited home?!"

"YOU'RE!"

She shoves me back..

"NOT!" Shove.

"WANTED!" She shoves me to the floor, I land hard painfully.

She breathes hard walking back to her bed and starts to sob.

I'm not wanted.

The weight of those words push down on my self esteem and everything else.

It's settled then.

I begin to sob and run out of her room.

I'm blinded by the tears that keep flowing, cut deep by the continuous mocking in my head.

I collide into something tall and hard.

I look up and see Asher's worried expression and I bury my face in his chest and let it all out.

He wraps his arms around me rubbing the small of my back.

"What's wrong? Are you hurt."

I shake my head and tell him everything.

"Well they can eat a royal pile of shit."

I laugh a bit finally recovering.

I wipe my face with my hands and notice the stickiness attached to them.

"Ew, I covered your shirt with snot."

He hasn't changed out of his casual wear.

"You haven't changed?"

"Nope. We're leaving. Mia really doesn't want to stay here, I came looking for you."

Aww, why?

But his shirt it's white.

"I really want to kiss you but, ugh, my face it's disgusting."

I'm really bummed out about this.

He's so sweet and caring. And oof.

He lifts my chin up and smiles so adorabley.

"I still want to kiss you."

He leans in his lips touching mine ever so gently.

And that ladies...is how you know he's a keeper.