Chapter 7

My breath clouded as it left my lips. Even my thick coat couldn't protect me from chilly winter wind.

Snow crunched under my boots as I followed mother along the pavement toward the brick building, which harbored the most luxurious wedding store in the country.

Uncle Raven trailed closely behind, my constant shadow. Another of my father's soldiers made up the rear, behind my sisters.

Revolving brass doors let us into the brightly candle and lamp lit inside of the store and the owner and her two assistants immediately greeted us. "Happy birthday, Princess ," she said in her lilting voice.

I forced a smile. My eighteenth birthday was supposed to be a day for celebration. Instead it only meant I was another step closer to marrying . I hadn't seen him since that night of our engagement.

He'd sent me expensive jewelry for my birthdays, new year's, Valentine's days and the anniversary of our engagement but that was the extent of our contact in the last twenty one months.

I'd heard rumors about him with other women through the many sources, but even that would stop today when our engagement would be announced to the public. At least in public he wouldn't flaunt his lovers anymore.

I didn't kid myself into thinking he wasn't still sleeping with them. And I didn't care. As long as he had other women to screw, he'd hopefully not think about me in that way.

"Only six months until your wedding if I'm correctly informed?" the shop owner piped. She was the only person who looked excited. No surprise really, she would make a lot of money today. The wedding that marked the final union of the Aroma and the Atmos royals was supposed to be a splendid affair. Money was irrelevant.

I inclined my head. 166 days until I had to exchange one golden cage with another. Victoria gave me a look that made it clear what she thought of the matter, but she kept her mouth shut.

At sixteen and a half, Victoria finally learned to reign in her outbursts, mostly.

The shop owner led us into the fitting room. Uncle Raven and the other man stayed outside the door.

Lily and Victoria plopped down on the plush white couch while Mother began browsing the wedding gowns on display. I stood in the middle of the room.

The sight of all the white tulle, silk, gossamer, brocade and what it stood for, corded up my throat. I'd be a married woman soon.

Quotes about love decorated the walls of the fitting room; they felt like a taunt considering the harsh reality that was my life. What was love but a silly dream?

I could feel the eyes of the shop owner and her assistants on me, and squared my shoulders before I joined my mother. Nobody could know that I wasn't the happy bride-to-be but a pawn in a game of power. Eventually, the shop owner approached us and showed us her most expensive gowns.

"What kind of gown would your future husband prefer?, My lady" she asked pleasantly.

"The naked kind," Victoria said, and my mother shot her a glare. I flushed, but the shop owner laughed as if it was all too delightful.

"There's time for that on the wedding night, don't you think?" She winked.

I reached for the most expensive dress in the collection, a dream of brocade; the bustier was embroidered with pearls and silvery threads forming a delicate flower pattern. "Those are platinum threads," the shop owner said. That explained the price. "I think your groom will be pleased with your choice."

Then she knew him better than I did. Crown Prince was as much as stranger to me today as he had been almost two years ago.

The wedding would be held in the vast gardens of the Rousseau church in the HudsonValley. Everyone was already abuzz with the preparations. I hadn't set foot into the church or even the premises yet, but my mother kept me up-to-date, not that I'd asked her to.

The moment my family had arrived in Atmos capital a few hours ago, my sisters and I had huddled together in our suite in the Swans Hotel in Main Street. His highness The king had suggested we live in one of the many rooms in the mansion until the wedding in five days, but my father had declined.

Two years of tentative cooperation and they still didn't trust each other. I was glad. I didn't want to set foot into the mansion until I had to.

Father had agreed to let me share a suite with Lily and Victoria, so he and mother had a suite for themselves. Of course, a guards were stationed in front of every of the three doors to our suite.

While resting in the suite , Lily abruptly asked " Do I really need to attend the first bride-to-be ceremony as I am still a child? "

Lily snorted.

To this Victoria taunted saying "Yes of course we have show that the fourth princess is a happy bride ".

"Sure." She sat up abruptly. "I'm bored. Let's go shopping."

Uncle Raven wasn't enthused about the suggestion, even with another of my father's guards at his side, he claimed it was almost impossible to keep us under control. Eventually he relented as he always did.

We were shopping in a store that sold sexy and chic like outfit dresses that Lily desperately wanted to try on when I saw a messenger with message from Crown Prince Nikos.

It was the first time he'd contacted me directly and for a long time I could only stare at the letter.

Victoria peered over my shoulder in the dressing room. "'Meet me at your hotel at six. C.P.Nikos."

"How nice of him to ask." Victoria again snapped.

"What does he want?" I whispered. I'd hoped I wouldn't have to see him until May 10th, the day of our wedding.

"Only one way to find out," Victoria said, checking her reflection.