In a Heartbeat

“Daughters, tonight we have guests. The King and Queen of the Zilani Kingdom are visiting with their son and they will be staying the night. I expect you will both be on your best behaviour, especially you Evangeline,” my father ordered a few days after I had met Matthew. “It is crucial that they accept you as their son’s future wife.”

“If Evangeline does not wish to marry him, I will, father,” my annoying sister Abigail spoke in her posh voice. I saw our father glance at his youngest child with a look of slight irritation. He was not fond of Abigail, nor was I. I knew he wanted me to rule the Kingdom and not her, but, if he had to, he would resort to letting her lead our people. Our older brother, Christopher, who had accidentally drowned when he was a child, was our father’s favourite, but then he died and father started to prefer me. I think he was making the correct choice.

“All you need to do is eat all of your food at the feast,” he growled at her before looking at me again, his stern look making me feel uncomfortable. “Evangeline. Do not disappoint me.” I nodded before my sister and I curtseyed and left the room, both of us heading in separate directions to our rooms.

“Brian, I need a dress for tonight,” I said as I walked in. I spotted my slave at my bedside, changing the blankets.

“Right away, my Princess,” he replied, quickly dropping the blanket in his hand and scurrying off to my changing area. “What is the occasion?”

“I have a formal dinner with the royal family of the Kingdom of Zilani.”

“That is with Prince Matthew, correct?”

“Correct.”

“Do you wish to see him?” Brian asked as he came back to me with a dress gently suspended in his arms. “I think you would look stunning in this one, my Princess… for him.” I walked up to him and touched the pink fabric gently, admiring the craftsmanship of it.

“I think it is perfect, thank you,” I told him, making a satisfied smile crawl across his face. “And I am uncertain about my feelings for him. He appeared to be a decent man, but I do not wish for our relationship to be forced and therefore unhappy.”

“I understand, my Princess. I am in a similar situation, myself.”

“Explain,” I ordered in a kind voice. I never bossed Brian around since he was so well behaved and a gentle man.

“My mother and father wish for me to marry a farmer’s daughter, Michelle, but I do not see anything worth marrying in her,” Brian explained and I frowned.

“That is dreadful. I could aid you if you would like?”

“Perhaps. But who else would love and desire me? I do not wish to age and be alone…”

“You will find someone, I promise,” I told my slave, making him smile weakly. It soon disappeared as he looked down to the floor.

“I have found her, but she will never love me back…” Brian scarcely said.

“You do not know that, not for certain.”

“You should get dressed, my Princess,” Brian quickly said, changing the subject as he held out my dress to me. I took the dress and went to get changed. Once it was on me, I gazed in the mirror that had been cleaned by Brian today. The pink material flowed over my curves perfectly, exaggerating them and complimenting my skin tone nicely. I changed into the matching shoes and then stepped out from behind the cover to see Brian back at the bed, fixing the blankets.

“Brian. Your opinion.”

“You look beautiful, my Princess…” he replied with a bow of his head before he got back to work. A small smile was on my face from his honesty, and a tiny blush too, I could feel it, but I do not think he noticed. There was a knock on the door and Brian froze, looking up at me for my reaction.

“Enter,” I called out, the door opening in response. One of the gardeners, James, walked in with a lot of flowers in his arms.

“My Princess, my King has requested that these be used to decorate your room for tonight,” James said with his head bowed.

“Why does it need to be decorated?” I asked puzzled at my father’s request.

“He mentioned Prince Matthew to me, my Princess,” James answered as he moved his gangly body towards my bed. He and Brian started setting up the fresh flowers in beautiful arrangements as I became frustrated with my father. What did he think was going to happen between me and Matthew? A blossoming relationship after two meetings that would make me want to allow him to share my bed? He must be dreaming.

“My Princess, there is a stunning flower that would look perfect behind your ear with that dress,” Brian said, bringing me out of my thoughts. I looked at him as he timidly approached me with a small pink flower in his hand. “May I?” I nodded and allowed Brian to carefully place the flower in my hair behind my ear.

“James, how does it look?” I asked as Brian stepped aside with a tiny smile on his face.

“Absolutely beautiful, my Princess.”

“Please excuse me, I must be going now. Thank you for the flowers,” I politely said to both of the men before exiting my sleeping chambers and heading down to the dining room for the feast with the other royal family. This was not something I was looking forward to…

Brian’s POV

“I cannot believe that she is going to marry Prince Matthew,” I growled after Princess Evangeline had exited the room.

“Nor can I. It is a pity that you cannot do anything about it,” James replied as he set down a branch of flowers on one of the bedside tables. He then ran his hand through his unnatural black hair before looking at me. “Are you going to speak to the Princess about your feelings?”

“Are you joking?”

“No.”

“No, I am not. I cannot. She would laugh in my face, possibly permanently dismiss me from my job and I would be destroyed!” I angrily told my best friend, earning a displeasing look from him.

“So you will just let her unwillingly marry another man and be unhappy?” he shot back the valid point he was always bringing up. All I wanted was for Evangeline to be happy. I wanted to be the one to make her happy. My eyes fell to the floor as I realised he was right, as always. This had gone on for too long. I needed to tell Evangeline how I felt and then make her happy.

“I will tell her,” I whispered before getting back to work setting up the arrangement that my King had requested for his daughter. I could only hope that Evangeline would not allow Prince Matthew to stay in her bed this night and that I could gain a chance to talk to her.