Betrothed

Since that day she hadn't set her eyes on them but she was told they were fine. She shouldn't believe the Queen, she knows but what choice does she have she could only put up with whatever they had made her go through these last months with the hope of keeping those little ones save.

Her morning clean up routine didn't take long. They might have taught her how to imitate the princess but there was still one thing she couldn't get right no matter how many times she had been tortured for it. Being haughty. She who was brought up kind and Servile could never get it right with acting high and mighty. So now the whole world knows that the princess has changed.

In order to patch up their story, Queen Jordyn staged an assassination attempt on her. From there they announced she had lost a part of her memories and also was going through trauma, so the news of her sudden change of character didn't come as a surprise to anyone. People just concluded that she had changed due to the attempt on her life.

Gwendolyn herself was grateful for the cover up story, at least she could be herself around people and they wouldn't have suspicions about her.

"Would you like it tied up or let loose?" The voice of the maid rang into her ear.

"What?" Gwendolyn was lost. She wasn't paying attention to anything the maid had said earlier.

"Your hair princess, would you like it tied in a bun or let loose?" The girl repeated.

Gwendolyn looked at the figure in the mirror. She was stunned but her astonishment gradually turned to confusion. Something didn't seem right, her face was dolled up till she could not recognize herself, she was used to getting a little make-up on her face every morning but this morning seemed to have been done in excess and that too on purpose. She can't help but notice how her facial features had been meticulously enhanced with makeup.

"This is too much" she complained uncomfortable.

The maid girl shook her head "no my princess, I was told to get you ready for the tour"

The Tour? What Tour?

Before Gwendolyn could ask that question, a familiar voice answered her thoughts from the door.

"The prince of Rylica awaits your presence for the Tour... My princess" Gwendolyn turns and sees Floyd, Queen Jordyn's right hand man standing at the door. She shudders a little in fear of his presence.

'when did he get in?... No that's not the question, What Tour? and why Rylica?!'

"Excuse us" he hurriedly usher the maid out, the maid takes a small bow then walk out the door, closing it behind as she leaves.

"The King has arranged for a meeting with the prince of Rylica, he is to take you on a Tour round the palace castle, the Queen has ordered you to agree to this arrangement and I have sent word out on your behalf" The man nonchalant pours out all the information like a metal robot, every iota of respect he showed few seconds again when the maid was around disappeared like dust in the wind.

"Why am I seeing the prince of Rylica? Since when have Rylica and Greecia been on a friendly terms to go on tours in each other's kingdom?" Even when she had lived at the outskirts of Greecia all her life, she was fully aware of the gross animosity that had existed for long between Greecia and Rylica.

So them sending her to Rylica... Was it to be a bait?

"Since now" There was a mischievous smirk on his lips as he said this. Gwendolyn's heart surged seeing him smile like that.

"As of three months ago, the Princess of Greecia has been officially betrothed to the Seventh Prince of Rylica"

Crash!

That was the sound of her heart falling to the floor and smashing into smithereens just like the nail polish she had mistakenly swept off the dressing table in shock.

Three months ago? That was exactly the time they captured her!

That means... That means this was why she was made the Princess replacement.

Gwendolyn instantly felt faint. She just received two bad news at the same time.

Betrothed to a prince of Rylica! Not only that but the Seventh Prince!

...

"Stop right there!" The whole palace of Rylica shook with the King's holler. People who heard this angry yell could only shake their heads in exhaustion and return to their activities, there was only one person that could make the King this angry.

Prince Arvcan.

"Prince Arvcan how dare you try to walk out on the King?" An equally furious Queen sat on her throne glaring at the young man who was a half step away from the palace door. He wasn't bothered to turn around and look at her neither did he seem to have the intention to give a reply.

His face unexposed, only his back figure but the rigid back exuded an overwhelming amount of arrogance and superiority. The young man's whole build was submerged in an aura that was as sharp as spikes. One would feel suffocated by just looking at him alone.

The Elderly king sighed when he saw this. He knows just how stubborn this son of his could be, and like always he was helpless. Prince Arvcan wasn't not an average prince.

He was what was meant to be a blessing but then turned to be an inconvenience. Long story cut short, he was the result of a complicated affair between the King and a freeborn. A Bondmaid to be exact. The whole world was against him so he was shipped away to a far away land . But destiny had a different plan, the young man grew up on his own and ended up growing up into someone who became the stronghold of the kingdom that once loathed him.

The name Arvcan was a global name, one that instilled fear in the hearts of men and one that had considerably kept Rylica's enemies away for all these years.

"Arvcan, you would not back out from this marriage, it has been decided by the Council of Five and that is that" The King ordered sternly, albeit one could notice the doting in his eyes. Despite the circumstances round the birth of this son of his, he had always loved him unconditionally, it pained him greatly when he had to send him away and didn't hesitate in the slightest chance he had to bring him back.

"My king you don't have to condescend so low as to coercing him, if he is unwilling you could pass the responsibility to Prince Mavka..."

"That's enough!" The King cut her off agitatedly, "Arvcan is getting married to the Princess of Greecia, that is an order" the Queen could only bite her lips to quell her anger. While the young prince glanced at the people sitting on the high pedestal from the corner of his eyes before storming out.