Arranged.

He's been ignoring me ever since the moment he saw me. It's not fair. I'm throwing everything for him and he's being the rudest prince I've ever met. Well... I've never met a prince before, but he's changed my way of how I think of them. Completely!

"May I go home now?" I whispered, looking down at my feet. The small woman frowned at me and shook her head. She turned her attention back to my closet, choosing an outfit that was more respectable for the royal family. The servant––whose name is Miranda––held up a black tuxedo against my frame and nodded.

"I think I've found something that suits you, sir." Miranda smiled.

"Please, call me Elsie." I replied with a warm smile––remembering my manners as Miranda had taught me. Not that I didn't have any, she just wanted to make sure that I knew how to behave properly in front of the royals.

Miranda nodded and smiled once more before handing me the tuxedo. I just stood there and looked down at it, confused, as I unbuttoned the blouse. "You don't know how to put it on, do you?" Miranda asked. I shook my head. Miranda laughed and pulled me into the dressing room.

She helped me get into the tuxedo and tied the bow tie for me. She made me turn around so she could make sure there were no wrinkles or flaws on the tuxedo. After she was positive there were no flaws she took me down stairs to meet the royals.

I shook hands with the King, received a warm, welcoming hug from the queen, got a playful hug and a peck on the cheek from the youngest prince, Nentel and a very un-welcoming glare from Prince Tezacacoatl.

"Tez... remember what we talked about." The queen hissed.

"Yes mother..." Tezacacoatl mumbled. He put on a fake smiled and hugged me. Before releasing me he whispered, "Welcome to hell, bitch."

I stood back and looked at Tezacacoatl in shock. That's when I snapped: "Do you think I want this, Your Highness?"

"Elsie, you're out of line." Miranda warned.

"You know what? I don't care! I didn't want any of this. I'm not going to let him sit there and call me a bitch for something that's not even my fault. If you want to make my life a living hell, you've succeed! My life has been a living hell since four o'clock this morning when my mother told me I was being forced to live with people I don't even know, let alone the fact that I was supposed to marry that," I pointed to Tezacacoatl. "Thank you very much Your Highnesses, but I can't do this. I understand if you want to send me back to Germany."

Everyone just stood there and watched me as I caught my breath and tried to calm myself down. I wiped my eyes with the tissue Miranda had given me and looked down at my feet.

"We're not going to send you back, Elsie. I'm sorry you feel this way, dear. But what's done is done. We've had this arranged since your mother was two-months pregnant with you." The Queen said softly––just like my mother would have. "And as for you Tezacacoatl, you're grounded. Your father and I gave you strict orders to at least try to be nice to Elsie. But obviously that was too much to ask."

Tez looked at me and his mother. He huffed and stomped up the marbled stairs, slamming his door and soon after we heard his music blaring. The Queen gave me a sympathetic look and hugged me. The small prince pranced over to hug me as well. "Nentel, why don't you show Elsie around? Let him get used to the castle."

Nentel nodded and took my hand as he pulled me around the castle, literally screaming the names of the rooms and what their uses were for. "This is my room," Nentel squeaked as we entered a room that took my breath away.

"I-it's beautiful." I complimented. I looked around and felt the bed spread.

"Thank you. Would you like to see yours now?" Nentel asked.

"I'd love to!" I smiled for the first time since I've been here.

"Follow me!" Nentel pulled me down the hall to the next door over from his. He opened the door and let me in first. I almost passed out.

The room was absolutely gorgeous.

"Nentel..." I gasped. "I-it's gorgeous!"

"Your mom told us that violet was your favorite color... I decorated it myself." Nentel blushed.

"Thank you, Nez!" I hugged him and did a belly flop onto my bed, squealing.

"I'm glad you like it, Elsie." Nez smiled. "I'll leave you to get ready for bed. Good night."

"Good night Nez."

"You can never come back, Elsie. Do you understand?" Mama asked.

"But why?" I cried.

"Because, you just can't!" She screamed, making the whole earth shake. A crack in the road got bigger and bigger until it became a trench full of flames and screams. "Go to hell!" Mama screamed again. That's when the trench swallowed me. I screamed as I fell into the flames. I could feel the heat against my skin. I continued to scream as the flames engulfed me.

"Mama!" I yelled, shooting up out of my bed. I looked around at my surroundings and saw that it was in my room. I was breathing heavily and I was all sweaty.

I made my way out of my room and down the hall to Nez's. "Nez?" I whispered. When I got no reply but snoring I sighed and made my way back to my room. Before I entered my room, I looked over at Tez's room and sighed. I walked away from my door and over to Tez's.

I knocked lightly before opening the door. "Tez?" I whispered.

"Hmm?" He groaned.

I shut the door behind me before crawling into bed with him. "I had a really bad dream." I sobbed.

"Aw, Ellie, c'mere." He mumbled, keeping his eyes closed. He wrapped his strong arms around my frame and nuzzled his face into the back of my neck as he pulled me closer to him, pushing his hips up against my bottom. He pulled the covers over me and hummed a soft little tune in my ear. "Go to sleep Ellie... you'll be okay. I promise."

I nodded and closed my eyes, sighing in content.

I like Tez alot better when he's half-asleep...