I Choose Her...; WHY ME!!?

The room was silent for a while, everyone stared at him including Killian they were shocked by his choice, many thought the other girls were just to show that the Royal Family was being fair but they knew deep down he would pick the princess but surprisingly he didn't. The silence slowly disappeared with the murmuring and whispering of the crowd.

" Who is the girl Prince Darren picked, she is not a princess neither is she a Duke nor an Elders daughter," someone from the crowd said

" We totally agree with you, who is that girl?" another said.

With all that was going on Adriele could hardly breathe, she was here for her godparents not to be married to this man. When he pulled her out of the group of girls and she reluctantly followed, she felt like her heart was going to jump out of her chest with the way it was beating, she felt weak in the knees and felt like her legs will give in.

" Is she the one?" Jerome asked

" Yes, she is" Darren answered and gently took the veil off her face making her recognizable, at that moment Adriele wished for nothing more than for the ground to swallow her up.

Seeing the nervousness, on her face, Eleanor nudged Norman, and he said " Silverland will be greatly honored if the marriage takes place smoothly, we will have a meeting later about it, but for now cheers" He said raising his glass and so did everyone else. When the feast was over, some of the guests who resided close to the palace and its surroundings left, while others who lived a far way off stayed in the rooms prepared for them in the palace. Clarisse had been crying in her room, looking for reasons why Darren did not choose her,

'He may not have recognized my dress' she thought to herself which calmed her down for a while before she burst into tears again. She had paraded in front of him all evening, there is no way he couldn't remember what her dress looked like, and that bitch, why did he choose her?

What spell did she cast on him? Why does she have to get everything I want? First my parents, now the man I love, ahh...' she continued to sob.

Adriele had quickly made up an excuse and left the hall, Darren didn't stop her, she was angry and confused, she didn't even talk nor look at him since the scene, not that he cared but he had to talk to Killian.

"What was that?" Killian asked

" What was what? I chose a bride, didn't I" Darren answered casually

" Yes, and the poor girl was terrified. When you told I and Dad that you had chosen a bride we thought you both knew each other and you had told her, but any idiot could tell that she was oblivious of what was going on" Killian said slightly annoyed

" Really? Does that mean three-quarter of the crowd are lower than idiots, cause they didn't see it that way" Darren said with a chuckle? Killian wanted to laugh but restrained himself. " Anyway, I wanted to surprise her, she's just shy okay, and I don't know why you are acting grumpy, you'll benefit from this the most" he added in a kind of teasing but serious way.

" What do you mean?" Killian asked

Darren was silent for a long time until he whispered to his brother" I'll have a new playmate so I may but not surely bug you again" Killian gave him a playful blow on his arm pushing it away and let out the laughter he had been holding in " Benefit? I think I'm going to have more work to do than ever before with your emotional drama and arguments you'll have with her"

" It's called love" Darren winked at his brother

" Yeah right, but seriously take care of this"

" I will"

Early the next day Eleanor had gone to talk with Adriele considering her mind had calmed down after last night

" How do you feel Adriele?" Eleanor asked

" Angry, confused, annoyed, I don't know anymore," Adriele answered, she was certainly confused and angry, she only accepted to help the man and now he wants to marry her, without her permission, how was she supposed to refuse now that he had introduced her to both Kings in the presence of everyone, 'arggh I so hate him' she thought to herself

" Calm down dear, beating yourself up won't do you any good. By the way, don't you know him?

" No aunt, I don't" it wasn't like she was lying, she met the man maybe thrice and didn't know him on a personal basis. "Why choose me? I have no interest in him whatsoever, isn't there a way to stop him from marrying me?" she asked with hopeful eyes

" For now dear, there's nothing we can do, the only way to avert it, is if prince Darren himself changes his mind. Why don't you think about it, he is a prince I am sure he'll treat you right"

" No aunt, you know I've always wanted to have a marriage like my parents, one filled with love, trust, tenderness, and care. I don't even know Prince Darren, how could I love and care about him if I don't know him?

" You can learn," Eleanor said but seeing that she was still reluctant to agree she added " I didn't want to tell you this, but I have no choice now" taking a deep breath she said," You must know about the treaty between Kleevland and Silverland right?" Adriele nodded " It is going to expire soon and the marriage is a tool to renew it"

" So you're saying I have no choice but to accept it?" Eleanor didn't respond and after a while, she said " Think about it dear" and she left the room.

----------------

Adriele is in the garden waiting for Darren. There was no way she was going to accept this marriage without trying to save herself.

" Hey, future wife, why did you call me out here? Can't wait for the wedding? It's a little early to show affection don't you think? he said with a malicious grin

Each word annoyed and angered her but there was nothing she could say to annoy him, at least not until he redraws his proposal

" Forgive me, Your Highness," she said with a smile, and she bowed her head " Your Highness if I may implore, why did you choose me as your bride?" she asked

" Why? You know, don't you?" he said with knitted brows

" I seriously don't, but your Highness sorry to disappoint you but I don't want to get married to you, I hope you respect my decision" she paused for a while to look at his expression, but could only see an amusing smile on his lips, she took in a deep breath and proceeded "Don't get me wrong it would be a great honor to marry you but I want to save face for Kleevland. Any lady out there will be excited and willing to marry you, why choose me? an orphan with no background" Yes her parents lived in Silverland and were friends with the King and Queen, but nobody knew where they originated from. She was born in Silverland and lived here all her life but her parents never talked about their parents. She knew no grandparents, not from her mom nor her dad's side.

Darren was quiet for a while and looked at the little lady with slight disappointment. Her life was going to be * ruined* and all she could do was use the cheap trick of being an orphan. But then again he was the prince, and she might know about the treaty which kept her at bay. Knowing her temperament she would have already been scolding him by now. Thinking about this he giggled, he should thank his stars he's a prince, or else he would have been beaten up by this little lady.

" You talk of saving face all the more reason to marry you, you will save face for the Knightdale family and Kleevland, yes you are an orphan, but your parents were well respected in Silverland, even made friends with the Royal Family and that's all that matters. And for the many girls who would like to marry me, none of them are as reasonable and resourceful as you" He answered as he winked at her.

His reply left her dumbfounded, she didn't know what will convince this man and resourceful? why would he say I'm resourceful? She thought for a moment then realized what he meant, it was the cure. He had asked her to make a cure for the sick person, but she had told him it was impossible. Is he deaf? or mentally deranged?

" Your Highness, if you are marrying me because of the cure you asked for then your effort will be in vain, it's impossible to heal that person, I'm even surprised he lived this long."

" Well, I don't care, we will get married and it will be your responsibility to find the cure" and he left her there.

*Responsibility? He didn't take my words that day at the church seriously right? And why? Is he sick? Well, he must be, so as his wife I have to take care of him* With a sigh and feeling of disappointment, she went back to her room to find Cynthia inside with a worrisome look. She guessed she was like that because of what happened yesterday and she ran into her arms for a hug. Cynthia just held her as she sobbed a few minutes later a knock was heard on the door. " Come in," Cynthia said and a maid walked in.

" Lady Adriele, his Majesty requests your presence in the throne room"

" I'll be there" Adriele answered, her voice a little hoarse from crying, and the maid left the room.

" Come on now, fix yourself and look presentable in front of the King, I'll wait for you here," Cynthia said looking at her as she had been crying. Adriele nodded and later left the room. On her way to the throne room, she caught sight of a shadow, standing behind a pillar. Acting as if she didn't notice she continued walking when the person behind the pillar walked out and towards her.

" Good afternoon Princess Clarisse" Adriele bowed. Though she was older than Clarisse and had lived with her for five years, she was still the Princess and Clarisse had never once treated her as a sister, that much she knew and didn't want to give her a chance to complain about her so she just treated her as any other person would do.

" GOOD! How can my life be GOOD! when you keep squeezing yourself into it" Clarisse exclaimed

" Excuse me, Princess but I have to go, I have been summoned by the King your Father " she replied not wanting to cause a scene here.

" Oh you're going to the throne room," Clarisse said, she was walking by when she saw the maid come out of Adriele's room and asked her why she went there. Adriele simply nodded to Clarisse's sarcastic question.

" Come on, tell me how did you get Prince Darren to choose you as his bride?"

" I don't understand you, Princess, we were all covered in veils"

" Yes, we were and he just casually picked you right? I wasn't born yesterday you know, tell me what you did. Did you put a spell on him like you did my parents? Or did you give him your body?"

" Princess Clarisse, that was uncalled for, why would you say such an abominable act?" Adriele retorted

" Ok, it's abominable right, so tell me why a Prince will choose you, a poor orphan who specializes in taking what does not belong to her. First, it was my parents now the man I love, have some shame, will you? If you miss your parents so much go ahead and kill yourself, die and be with them. Just stop prying into other people's lives" Clarisse yelled and before Adriele could defend herself a roaring voice was heard across the hall, which made both ladies startled and they turned to see who it was

" Clarisse!!!" Derick's voice echoed. He was a student of Adriele's parents and always treated her as his sister, which fuelled Clarisse's jealousy towards her even more

"Were you brought up to disrespect your Elders?" Derick asked, anger in his tone

" But..." Clarisse wanted to defend herself but was quickly stopped by Derick

" Leave, now"

Clarisse reluctantly left with a look of resentment at Adriele, knowing her brother had the right to punish her as Crown Prince. and if she complained to her parents they would support him when they heard his reason. They would immediately support this orphan girl instead of her, their daughter

" I've told you not to let these girls bully you," Derick asked her with an * I told you so* look

" I don't want to cause trouble, she's a Princess anyway" Adriele shrugged

" She is human and younger than you for that matter"

" I know, the King is waiting for me, let's go"

"Ok," he said as he walked with her into the throne room