by Maggie Lee
“You don’t need to study that hard. You aren’t going to be queen next week, and anyways it can’t be that difficult. You just smile and listen to what Arden says.” June’s tone comes out patronizingly.
“I don’t plan to just roll over, June. If I am queen, I will be a queen.” My tone is filled with warning and when she rolls her eyes, I harshly set my utensils down and push away from the table.
I leave before saying something I’ll regret. Wanting my space, I don’t stop when I hear loud thudding footsteps behind me the whole jog to my room.
I didn’t ask to be queen, but it is my future and I won’t treat it like a joke. June may possibly be the smarter one of us. However, I am intelligent enough to know that every girl growing up in our kingdom is going to be looking up to me one day, and I have to be a queen worthy of them.
I slam the door shut behind me and lock it before turning around and leaning my back against it. A knock sounds and I waver a little, but lean back harder to put more pressure on the door, like my force will keep him out for just that much longer..
“Open up, Makenzie.” Arden’s voice is soft, just above a whisper.
I don’t answer, but instead slide my body down the door. It makes enough of a sound to let him know that I’m there. My heart hammers when I hear him sigh.
What if he expected a more compliant queen? He said he knew I was different from my father’s perception, but what if that doesn’t matter. He’s going to get sick of my temper tantrums soon.
“Mackenzie.” The door knob rattles and I push myself up. Ready to answer the door and face him. Face the uncertainty.
“I’m sorry,” is all I say when we’re face to face.
“Don’t be. Just tell me what happened.” He steps inside and shuts the door behind him.
We’re inches apart and to be honest I’m not sure what happened. His presence confuses me at the same time as it startles me. If he was anything like my father, I would be getting punished right now for my childish behavior and dramatic exit.
“I’m not sure.”
He closes the distance between us and pulls me into his chest. I cling to him and he pulls me just that much closer. His smells of metal and musk calm me and let me think through the whole scenario.
“I think it was her degradation of the position of queen. My mother was a wonderful queen. I think June forgets that.” June has always been father’s favorite, but she never had the relationship I had with our mother.
“I remember your mother. I remember the kind things she did.” I snuggle in closer to his chest, breathing in his scent.
“She was so kind, she made my father a kinder man,” I say needing to hear it said out loud for myself. Remembering a time when father wasn’t what he is now is soothing and saddening at the same time.
“I won’t ask you to rule with me, if you don’t want to. But, I don’t expect you to just sit behind me as I take over the country that is yours to rule. We’re in this together. If that's what you want.” His voice is gruff, and the vulnerability in his statement surprises me.
He’s leaving my role in this whole thing up to me. How can my father, someone so cruel, choose someone so kind as his successor?
“Thank you.” I choke out the words and hold onto our embrace for another minute or so before letting him go.
“You look tired, do you want me to go?” he asks me.
“You don’t have to. I do want to get ready for bed though, I think Alexis should be up soon. I don’t want to wait for her. I want to shower now. Will you stay, just for a little bit?” He gives me a nod, remaining at my odd request. I’m not sure what makes me want him not to leave, but so far, despite our forced arrangement, he has shown me nothing but kindness.
“I’ll let her know if she comes while you shower. I can stay for a little bit.” He walks over to the seating area on the far side on my room and takes a seat on the wingback couch, getting comfortable to wait for me.
I take a shower, my body relaxes in the hot water. My mind follows suit and by the time I get out of the shower, I feel silly for the whole thing. June’s comment was rude, but it shouldn’t have set me off. I think my emotions are out of whack with the events of the last week.
Arden’s head is tipped back against the couch and his breathing is slow and deep. Poor guy is exhausted. He was wide awake when I went in, and I couldn’t have been much more than ten minutes. I clutch my towel tight while searching for clothes I forgot to take in with me.
I change quickly and try to dry my hair a little with the towel instead of blowing it out like Alexis does. After I put it in a quick braid and tie it off, I step back out to find Arden in the same place I left him.
I grab the supplies he will need to sleep and walk over to him. If he wants to stay, I want him to be comfortable. Light on my feet, I move as quietly as possible to him. I lay the pillow down and unfold the blanket, spreading it at where his feet are going to go.
“Arden, wake up,” I whisper and rub my hand up and down his shoulder.
He opens his eyes and looks at me with a smile before closing them again and falling right back to sleep. I wait a second to see if he is going to reawaken and when nothing happens I rub him again and then rest my hand on the side of his face.
“Arden, lay down for me. Please?” His eyes open and he absently nods before flipping his body over into a lying position. However, he went in the opposite direction than where I set up the bedding. I reach over and grab the pillow for him and decide to just lift his head for him. When I reach over to grab the blanket from in front of his head, I lean across his chest and he wakes up a little. His hands reach around my back and he pulls me down to rest against his chest.
Like an electric current, tingles run through my body from the places we’re touching to my core. I let out a humph as I land against him, but snuggle in for just a moment. After his breathing deepens, I lift his hands and try to squirm out.
“Stay,” he says, his voice laden with sleep.
“I can’t.” His arms tighten around me at my response.
“Why?” I laugh at his question. There are so many reasons, but somehow, the longer I lay here, none of them matter.
“Because this is quite the compromising position, and this couch is small. We could have at least slept on the bed,” I tell him, mostly joking by the end.
“Then let’s go to the bed.” Arden’s arms scoop me up as he stands.
Like I weigh nothing, he carries me across the room. I bounce on the fluffy top when he drops me and dives in after. His arms swarm around me and I let out a chorus of giggles batting at his hands. The sound of his rich warm laughter lights up the room and everything seems like it may just be alright.
Once he has me in his grasp, I lay my head on his chest again and close my eyes. I feel a kiss pressed against my forehead as his whispers, “Goodnight.”
I hug my arms around him and say it back before letting go and falling into a restful sleep.
Chapter 6.
When I wake, the sun is streaming in and I’m alone. Arden is nowhere to be found as I search my chambers for him. I do find a note, with neat handwriting.
Have a good time in your queenly classes, I will visit for dinner during the weekend. Behave. -Arden
I laugh at his note. The ‘behave’ is fitting as it seems I’m the rebel child without Teijan here. I sit on the bed and think back to the events of last night, and feel a little bad that Arden never got to finish his dinner because he chased after me.
A knock on the door startles me and I instinctively hide the note in my pajama pants pockets before opening the door.
I find Alexis waiting with breakfast, “Good morning, miss.”
“Good morning, Alexis,” I say, opening the door wider, so she can enter.
“How did you sleep?” Her knowing smile makes me giggle and I look away unsure what to say.
I eat in a hurry and get dressed quickly, so I’m not late for my class with the advisors. When I ge
t to the study, everyone's waiting on me, but I am not technically late based on what the clock says.
“Good morning everyone,” I say with a big smile.
After a chorus of greetings, Lynn dives right into our lesson and I spend the day taking notes. The only time my mind isn’t on lessons about our monarch and governing the country is when we break for lunch. We have one of my favorite meals and I spend the whole time thinking back to last night. It’s odd to think that I spent the first night with my future husband.
It’s not as though I am completely pure, I have had dates before, unbeknown to my father of course. Although, usually once they find out who I am, the dates don’t continue on for too long. Girls used to flock to my brother to be with a prince, but it’s funny how many boys do not like the idea of being with a princess. At least, not the boys that are within my world. Our palace walls, and old traditions keep us away from most people, but the ones who have come around have never shown me much interest. Whether that’s because of me or my father, I’ll never know.
When lunch is over we start our lesson again and I realize I’m learning more than my mother ever did. They are teaching me about my father position as well. The knowledge of that makes me try that much harder, and drives me to succeed. As they tell me more of the ways he’s adapted the system and rules our other kings put into place, I wonder how he’s gotten away with it all.
Class passes quickly and other than watering my plants, I spend the night in, relaxing. Morning comes and I’m still in the same good mood as I get dressed and sit through more classes. With each passing minute I feel better and better about my future position. I feel prepared and almost excited to make changes. Our country has been in disarray of sorts for years, and my father fights it with violence. His people aren’t happy and that was something I was blind to growing up, but now, I know. With the caste system making the divide among our people that much wider, we need to unite.
Although, I also feel a slight bit of anger at my father for not letting me start these classes prior to now. I should have been learning this all along like my brother did. He had been given an opportunity of time that I would never get.
The weekend comes and June stops to say goodbye as she leaves for her trip away like she said she was going to. I don’t sway when she tries to talk me into going, and eventually she leaves me to myself.
The first day I spend alone and studying, not even eating the meals Alexis brings. The ladies left me with books to read and study from, plus my notes. So I quickly become engrossed in everything around me, too focused to stop for something as trivial as food. I sleep on the floor among my scattered books and wake only a little when strong arms scoop me off of the floor and carry me to my warm bed.
“Silly girl,” a deep voice whisper into my hair and I open my eyes just enough to barely see Arden’s dark stubble. I rub my face against his neck until I’m settled in tight to his hard chest. His arms tighten once we’re both snuggled into my bed and a safe feeling takes ahold of my heart as I fall back asleep. With Arden’s warm body and metallic smell, my rest is peaceful.
The next time I wake, a hand is lightly caressing my back. I peak open my eyes and find myself pleasantly surprised that Arden is here with me. Him picking me up off of the floor feels like a dream.
“Good morning.” Arden’s voice comes out in that soft gravely tone I’m beginning to pine for.
“Morning,” I reply, but snuggle in closer to his chest.
“You have to get up, Princess. Alexis should be back with breakfast any minute and then I was thinking we could take all of your books and study together for a little bit, before I take you on an adventure.”
I get dressed quickly and we eat breakfast together, like it’s a normal occurrence in our daily lives. I sit back in the center of my disheveled pile of books and start studying as Arden stays at the table looking through his own set of stuff. We sit in a comfortable silence, both content on what we’re doing, occasionally we steal glance at each other, but for the most part I get a lot of things done that I needed to before Arden starts packing and tell me it’s time to go.
Arden instructs me to change into a comfortable day dress, instead of the relaxing pant outfit I had on. I change without question, since this is his adventure and not mine. I don’t actually feel a heavy curiosity until he leads me to a beat up old red pickup. The kind that have been preserved for years and remind us of the rock and roll period. The one where people themed restaurants off of it. Everything in our world here is so different than the America of that time. With World War four and then our second civil war splitting us up, we aren’t anything like what’s been taught in our history books. The country that once was back then has disbanded after a large costly war and instead of the concrete jungle the world was becoming, this country has taken a more organic approach.
The inside of his truck smells like him and old leather. It’s welcoming and comfortable. We ride in a silence until we leave the city and I finally ask where we are going.
“Lunch,” is all he says, his tone final.
I look at him and see that the gentle Arden I’ve come to know isn’t there. He’s stiff and I’m not sure why.
“Where are we having lunch?” I press my luck and get a look from him. It’s evident he doesn’t want to tell me. “Have I been there before?”
“No. I doubt it. It took me days to get this approved by your father, I doubt he would have let you go without me.” With every word he seems grumpier. I’m not sure what I’m doing wrong and I haven’t seen the harder side of Arden yet, although I’ve suspected it was there all along.
“Is it somewhere you like?” My voice is playful and it’s clearly the wrong direction to go when he throws another look my way.
What a jerk, is it really that hard to have a conversation? If only this handsome jackass would actually talk to me. My eyes rake over him again, appreciating the way his shirt and jeans fit. I wasn’t aware gruff was attractive until now. I’ve always imagined my father would pick someone from his prestigious set of friend’s sons. A soldier is a surprise. The fact that Arden’s clothing is so casual while he is in such a mood makes me smile.
“What?” he asks when he sees my smile.
“Just appreciating you, your outfit and whatever it is we are going to do.” Confusion crosses his face before he looks back out of the windshield.
Something sparks in me, and I keep going. “Arden, tell me more about you.”
“You’re about to learn plenty.”
“Tell me about your family? Have you dated before?” Arden looks around nervously and his bad mood finally makes sense. He said I was about to learn about him. He’s taking me home?
“I have three brothers, and my parents passed years ago. I’ve dated before, but I haven’t had time since joining your father’s militia to attempt a relationship.”
“I’ve dated too, not much. Most people aren’t interested when they find out that I come with a country. So, I haven’t really had a date since before my brother abdicated the throne.” He gives me another look before turning down a dirt road.
“I don’t want to hear about your past dates,” he grumbles and I worry about how he’s acting so standoffish.
“Ok then. What's your favorite book?”
He doesn’t answer me at first and it’s hard to tell if he is thinking about it or ignoring me. The road we go down is quite bumpy, but he pulls to a stop just outside of a cabin.
He reaches over after shutting the truck off and hands me a little worn book. I flip it over in my hands a few times, recognizing the title instantly.
“Character is defined by actions made when no one is watching. That is my favorite quote,” he tells me as he climbs out of the truck. The book sits in my hands feeling heavier than before. I wait as he crosses over and opens the door for me.
As he stands in front of me, I open the book to the page with the quote he just told me. I love this chapter, it’s my favorite part of the book.
“Many days I read through this same book, just to hold a little sanity in the fact that I have to be a leader one day, when I don't feel near fit," I admit absently. It's no secret that I wasn't meant to be our next leader, but here it is. Dumped in my lap, or well, I guess in Arden's lap also.
"You are not alone." His whole face relaxes and he softens back to the Arden I’ve come to know.
I close the book and sit it gently in my lap. He’s correct, now, I am not alone.
Arden helps me from the truck cab and then places me coat around me. He takes my hand and we walk down a narrow pathway on the far side of the cabin. The path isn’t too hard follow, not with Arden’s strong arms to help me every time I stumble.
Chapter 7.
We break out of the trees into an old settlement with tents and cabins all around. People are all over and I'm a little shocked at the sudden envelopment of walking into the crowd. Where we just came from seemed so quiet and secluded, to find this kind of crowd is almost overwhelming. People of all ages wander about, dressed in a modge-podge of clothing. Some in older outfits with petticoats and cotton dresses remind me of pictures from my history books and some dressed in the casual jeans and shirt fashion of today.
He tightens his muscles and that brings my attention to him, I look up and his face is mere inches from mine, looking back down at me,
His dark brown eyes, looking almost black, hold a smile. "Welcome to the Pioneer Settlement."
"You mean, like—"
"One of the original thirteen colonies. Yes. They still have a set up here and hold the old traditions. My grandfather used to live here."
I take that tidbit of information and tuck it away, but really what was more important is how he said it. His grandfather was important to him.
"So this is where we’re having lunch?" I ask as we continue to walk through the settlement. People are moving around and it quickly becomes apparent that this is a festival of sorts. The smell of many different foods drifts through the air and even though I ate not too long ago, my mouth waters.