by Leslie North
“I want to relax today. It was a busy week,” Macee replied as she sat at the table.
“Yes, it’s a good idea. You need to recuperate.”
That afternoon, Macee was sitting on the balcony enjoying the sun and painting. Her father had finally brought over some of her stuff. She felt so relaxed. She had missed these simple things, like having her wavy hair tumble down her back. Every day, the maids tucked and pinned her hair up. She had also missed painting and simply enjoying the sun and breeze. If life was that tiring now, it was going to be much more difficult when she was the queen.
Macee heard someone clearing his throat. She turned around and found Prince Louis standing there with his hands behind his back. He completely caught her off guard. She stood up immediately with her eyes wide open.
“Prince Louis, I did not expect to see you,” Macee said and bowed her head and then quickly curtsied. She still got confused as to which one was the right one to do. Even though Bridgette had told her to curtsy and showed her many times.
“How have you been?” he asked as he studied her. She had some paint smudges on her face, which reminded him of the first time he saw her.
Does he really care? Macee thought to herself. And why was he looking at me so intently? “I have been well, considering the fact that I was dragged here without my consent,” she said.
What makes her think she can speak to me how she pleases? Prince Louis asked himself. Ignoring her comment, he pulled out a chair and sat down. “You paint?”
“No, I’m sky diving.” Prince Louis looked at her with a raised eyebrow. “Yes, I paint. I find it relaxing,” she added.
“You are still not delighted to be wedding me?”
“Your highness, I barely know you.”
“Does it matter?”
“Yes, it does, it matters a lot.”
“Why?”
Macee narrowed her eyes. How could the prince not understand that you cannot simply marry someone you barely know? She sat back down and picked up her paintbrush. “Don't you think I am too unkempt to be your bride?” she asked. By now, she thought she would have put him off.
“You can always be taught how to look and act your best,” Prince Louis answered calmly. His voice was a smooth as butter.
“Would you not like to marry someone you actually love?”
Prince Louis shrugged his shoulders. “As the Crown Prince of Monaco, I have no time for love. I have to marry for the benefit of my country.”
Macee laughed and turned to face him. “Marrying me would definitely not benefit you or the country.”
“Elaborate.”
“While I may come from a good background and a family as old as yours, I have not been trained for the position. I have no interest in becoming the queen. You would have been better off marrying my sister. She’s the one who really wanted it.”
“I have made my decision and I will not marry her.”
“Why not?”
“She is not suitable.”
Macee frowned. “She has been training for this since she was ten; she is far more suitable than I am.”
“Why haven’t you?”
“Why haven’t I what?”
“Trained like your sisters?”
“This was their dream, not mine.” Macee exhaled loudly. The conversation was not going anywhere. She still did not understand why he wished to marry her and she doubted that he understood why she did not want to marry him.
“Macee, this marriage is happening whether you like it or not. You are mine. Your parents were eager for one of their daughters to marry me. So you have no choice but to comply,” Prince Louis finally said.
“Well, I do not like it,” Macee muttered.
“Tough luck, ma cherie,” Prince Louis told her as he rose to his feet. Macee looked at him. How could someone so handsome be so arrogant and lack understanding. Prince Louis turned on his heel and left.
Chapter 8
It had been a few days since Macee and Prince Louis had spoken and now they were meeting once again. The wedding date was drawing close and they had to get their measurements taken for their wedding attire. Even though Macee did not want to be in the same room as the prince, it was far better than spending half her day with Bridgette and Charles.
“Good to see you again, princess Macee,” Prince Louis said mockingly. Macee did not appreciate his sarcasm.
“The pleasure is all mine,” Macee returned the sarcasm.
Bridgette, princess Katherine and the queen came into the room and Macee greeted the other members of the royal family with the deepest curtsy she could. Before the seamstresses started taking their measurements, Macee saw Prince Louis looking at her. “What?” she asked.
“Nothing,” he replied. He found it harder and harder to keep his eyes off Macee. Women never normally affected him this way and he’d have to bite down on his libido before it got out of hand. “The wedding date is fast approaching.”
“Such is life.”
That was not quite the response he had expected. On the occasions they had spoken, she made it clear that she did not want to marry him. Now that they were being fitted for their attire, he assumed she would be infuriated by it.
“So you've come to terms with everything?” Prince Louis asked.
“I have, but I am not pleased.” Macee kept her voice low so that the others would not hear their conversation.
“You should be pleased.”
“Are you?”
Macee turned to look at the prince. They held each other's gaze neither one of them was going to look away first. Princess Katherine turned her head and saw them staring at each other. “Look at them flirting with each other,” she said to her mother.
The queen laughed. “They seem to be growing fond of each other,” she said.
“It would seem so,” Bridgette said, unable to mask her displeasure. Earlier that morning she had suggested a different bride. She even had a name in mind, but the queen was fed up with her bringing it up all the time and told her never to mention it again.
“The wedding night is around the corner,” the princess said loudly with a mischievous smile. She was suggesting that they were in a rush to get their hands on each other. Macee's jaw dropped open. She looked to the side. The wedding night was one thing she did not want to be thinking about right now.
* * *
A few days later, as Macee came downstairs to work with Charles and Bridgette, she was surprised to see them going through the contents of several boxes. Curious, she walked over to see what all the interest was. Picking up a tea cup, she was shocked to see an artistic picture of Prince Louis and herself in their wedding attire, which wasn’t even finished yet.
“What? What’s all this?” she finally managed to blurt out as she looked at cups, plates, charms, scarves and other items with their image and wedding date printed on it.
“Examples of commemorative souvenirs,” Charles replied as he continued to check each item carefully. “We thought it important to review the prototypes before they were produced,” he added as he continued to work.
“Why do we have to have them?” Macee asked. She was horrified at the idea of seeing her picture on something people drink from.
“Silly child,” Bridgette said scornfully. “Of course, there needs to be souvenirs. You ARE marrying the Crown Prince.”
“So, everyone keeps reminding me,” Macee replied as she sighed. As the two continued to act as if she wasn’t there, Macee decided to take advantage and take the day off. Backing away, she left the room and headed back upstairs. Hoping for some sisterly support, she called Liane who started laughing. “It’s NOT funny,” Macee said with a pout.
“Oh, but it is,” her sister managed to say as she doubled over with laughter. “Please,” she sputtered, “Please make sure father picks up a tea set for me,” she finally managed to say, as she roared with laughter.
With a huff, Macee slammed the laptop closed and tossed it to the end of the bed.
>
* * *
The official dinner presenting Prince Louis and Macee had arrived. Representatives from some of the oldest families in Monaco along with high-ranking officials within the government were in attendance. Macee felt apprehensive about the dinner as her maids helped her into her A-line princess style gown. It was a beautiful shade of burgundy and complemented her hair and skin tone well. At the very least, the gown wasn’t as tight as most of the skirts she was expected to wear and she was able to walk comfortably in it, although sitting might be a whole different matter as there certainly was a lot fabric.
Prince Louis showed up to escort her to the ballroom. Macee couldn’t help but admire how handsome he looked. If he was anyone else, she might be interested in him, but being a member of royalty came with too many rules and expectations that Macee wasn’t interested in. She would definitely like him more if he wasn’t so arrogant. As he gestured for Macee to link her arm around his, she looked at him. She wasn’t sure how she felt about this bodily contact.
“I can walk on my own,” Macee said.
“Nonsense.” He took her arm and linked it around his as Macee groaned in complaint. She was far more stubborn than he had initially thought.
The walk to the ballroom was a quiet and awkward journey. Macee tried to think about something else to take her mind off the fact that she was walking arm in arm with the Crown Prince but her thoughts were distracted by his scent. He smelled delightful. She sighed with relief when they finally arrived.
Charles announced their arrival as everyone stood up and bowed their heads until they had reached their seats. The room was full of luxury, from the high marble ceilings to the long elegant mahogany tables. Grand chandeliers hung down over hundreds of fashionably dressed guests. It was obvious no expense had been spared for the new royal couple.
“It is good to see you all. Please be seated,” Prince Louis said. He held Macee's hand as she sat down. Princess Katherine was watching them. The more she saw them together, the more she felt like they made a great couple.
Macee wanted to greet her family properly but the situation did not permit it. Her mother was staring at her in disbelief. She couldn’t believe how elegant her daughter looked. These last few weeks of intensive training had improved her behaviour, but she knew that it wasn’t enough to change Macee into an appropriate match for the prince.
Colonel LeBlanc was happy to see his daughter. She had not spoken to either of her parents since they forced her to come to the palace. He was relieved that Liane had kept in contact with her because he was worried about how she was getting on. He was happy to see her looking well. Francesca had given Macee a small smile. This should be my life, Francesca thought to herself. She too had been speaking with Liane and she felt bad about the way she had been treating her sister. Macee was the carefree one who did not want these things for herself and now she was getting them and more and Francesca was decidedly jealous.
The dinner went well. Although it was difficult for Macee to tell as she spent most of her time concentrating on her food. She felt as though she was under a microscope and was terrified that she would do something wrong. Most of the families were surprised to find out that she was Colonel LeBlanc’s youngest daughter, as she never attended any of the public events.
Right after the dinner, Macee pulled Francesca to the side. “What do you wish to speak about, your highness?” Francesca asked Macee.
“Why are you calling me that?” Macee asked.
“I can’t very well call you Macee now.”
“Frannie stop it! I am still your sister. Why are you acting this way?”
Francesca shrugged her shoulders. “This lifestyle is not you.”
“But it is you, right?”
“You knew I wanted it.”
“It wasn’t as if I had a choice.” Macee's suspicious were now confirmed. Francesca blamed her for being chosen by the crown prince.
“You always have a choice.”
“And what was the other one? Because if there is one, I don’t see it.”
“Figure it out.” Francesca turned her back and started walking away. Macee pushed her.
“What do you want me to do? Slit my wrists?”
“Don't be dramatic,” Francesca pushed her back.
“THEN WHAT ELSE CAN I DO?” Macee was getting frustrated and annoyed with her sister. How was it that she was not understanding her situation? “Is money, power and status that important to you that you would treat me like this?”
“What seems to be the cause of this dispute?” Prince Louis asked as he approached them.
“Nothing, your highness,” Francesca said and gave him a deep curtsy. “Have a great evening,” she turned on her heel and walked off. The prince looked at Macee who still breathing hard. She looked furious.
“Are you alright?” he asked her.
“You should have just married her,” Macee said and stormed off.
Prince Louis watched as his soon to be bride walked away. He had known that she was unhappy about the wedding, but he did not realize how much of it pertained to her family. From what he could tell, the only person who seemed happy that she was getting married was her father. Everyone else seemed to be at odds with her.
Chapter 9
It was the morning of her wedding and Macee didn’t want to get out of bed. After considerable prodding by her maids, she finally made her way to the bathroom and got into the tub. The water was warm and the flower petals gave off a nice fragrance, but Macee couldn’t relax. She was too nervous. After the bath, Macee slipped into a corset and a lace stockings. She sat on the chair in her bedroom. She was truly dreading her wedding night. She didn’t love the prince and had no idea if she would ever grow to love him. Princess Katherine continually assured her that he was a good man, but she had yet to see that side of him and wondered if she would. And then there was the fact that she would one day be queen, but that was far down the road. She still had tonight and she was incredibly nervous as she had never even kissed a boy let alone done anything else. What was she to do? She desperately missed her sisters. Liane was off in hiding and Francesca hated her.
“Porcupine.” There was only one person in the world who called her that. She looked up to see her sister Liane standing there.
“Annie, you came,” Macee ran to her sister.
“Of course, I came; I would not miss your big day.”
Macee frowned at her. “You have not called me porcupine in years.”
Liane laughed. “That is because you are looking like a kid right now sitting there pouting.”
“Now would be a good time to run away, will you come with me?”
“It might not be that bad. You never know, keep an open mind.”
Macee narrowed her gaze at her sister. There was not going to be a brighter side to all of this. “Anyway, are you okay to be here?” Macee looked at her sister. She was wearing a peplum dress that hid her stomach well.
“Yes, the morning sickness has stopped and I am not showing that much, you would think it's fat.” Liane smiled and rubbed Macee's cheeks. “Let's get you dressed,” she added.
The maids had been standing there idly waiting for the sisters to finish. Macee exhaled loudly and nodded. Liane traced the intricate gold embroidery on the wedding dress. “It's gorgeous,” she said. Macee shrugged her shoulders. She did not have the capacity to appreciate such things.
“Is mother coming to help you get ready?” Liane asked.
“No, I asked her not to, as I did not want the fuss. Anyway, I have plenty of helpers.”
“Francesca?”
Macee shrugged her shoulders and told her sister everything that happened after the dinner. Liane was shocked at what she was hearing. She had tried to speak to Francesca about it but it was futile. She could not believe that Francesca was taking it that bad.
“Well, there is nothing more you can say. We all know what happened, if she wants to be a baby about it, then so be it,” Liane said. It was
about time Francesca stopped being a brat about the entire thing and grew up.
A team of hairdressers and makeup artists walked in and bowed to Macee. Macee felt more like a doll than a human, as they guided her through it all. She had her eyebrows threaded, and then a facemask was applied and left to set for 30 minutes. During that time, she received a manicure and pedicure, as her nails were painted in a light pink shade. She wanted a darker colour but they told her that it was not appropriate for the occasion because she was the crown princess.
After they took the facemask off, she touched her face and smiled. It felt as soft as silk. Even her skin was very smooth. She wondered what else they had put in the bath. The makeup artists then began to work. They were going for a natural look. As Liane sat there watching them work, she couldn’t believe how far Macee had come in such a short time. It was truly a miracle.