My Reverse Fairytale

Chapter 5: Plan in Motion

Knock! Knock!

The sound jolted my body to a sitting position. I waited, letting my heart beat slow at the realization of where the sound originated from. The door. Again. Shuffling out from under the covers I slipped on a robe and pulled it tight across my chest. Opening the door revealed Beth. In her hands was a tray of breakfast.

I grinned, "What a pleasure to see you."

"Good morning," she said the greeting delicately with a nod and stepped into the room, placing the silver platter down onto the table.

I slumped into the chair and clasped my hands in my lap. I watched as she began to dish food onto a small plate. Her face contorted awkwardly, like she was trying to hide the emotions from appearing on her face.

"So your wedding is in six days. I have convinced the King to let you select your own dress."

I scoffed. Permission granted, how generous. I slowly lifted a bun to my mouth, the butter rich on my tongue. Ignoring Beth's anxious look on her face I swallowed down a large gulp of milk. Since I was born, my meals pretty much consisted of bread, corn, and the rare piece of old sausage. Who was to say I couldn't indulge in riches? It was the least the King could do for me, really.

Beth seemed to get that. She seemed to understand the feeling of getting placed into a suddenly richer life. She waited until I was leaning back in my chair before she spoke, "Get dressed."

"For what?" I asked, once again avoiding her eyes as I picked up a strawberry.

"You have a meeting with the Prince. The King wants you two to be friendly with each other by time the wedding comes." She rose, beginning to stack the dishes into a pile.

I sucked on the strawberry seeds in my mouth as I hopped over to the closet. I pulled out the first thing that caught my eye, a light blue cotton dress that tied in a bow at my chest. The sleeves ended at my elbows, subtle extravagance.

I slipped the gown over my head, letting it fall down onto my body before I pulled my hair back into a messy ponytail. Beth let out a loud sigh and clasped her hands in front of her chest, smiling widely. She turned me around and tightened the tie in my hair. I pulled my locks down over my shoulder and gave a weak smile to Beth.

We walked down the corridors in silence. Reaching our destination, I entered the large room. Large probably did not do it justice. I continued walking behind Beth until we reached Prince Carter on the far side, his tall form hovering over a long table. He bowed and I curtsied. I was getting better. We took our seats. The soon-to-be-wedded couple sat in silence as Beth and Carter's guard argued quietly amongst themselves for a few moments. Suddenly, they left. I sat across from Carter, staring at the steaming cup of tea in front of me. The hot air rose up towards the ceiling and disappeared. I felt envious that it could escape so easily.

"How was your sleep?" he asked, his attempt at being casual a little too obvious. I shrugged, finding myself to wonder why it was that people could not just enjoy the silence.

"It was fine."

"Better than home?" Apparently he did not enjoy silence. I took a slow sip of my tea, ignoring the obvious heat as it bit at my tongue.

"Nothing is better than one's home," I answered.

He let out a breath, more than likely regretting asking the question in the first place. "How are we going to do this?" he asked. There was more confidence in this question, but the fear was obvious.

"Do what?"

"This plan, your idea. I mean, how can you expect that we can defeat the King with passive protest? Or even at the very least make him care at all?" His fingers fiddled with the saucer in front of him. He seemed to have a fidgeting problem.

I hadn't noticed that my teeth had been sinking into my lip until I tasted the metallic taste of my own blood flood against my taste buds. Finally, I shrugged. "Pretend we hate each other, not give in to his plan of a happy marriage. People all over the land will think he's a monster for enforcing such a travesty.”

Glancing up, I watched as Prince Carter thought it over. Then he smirked, a subtle and glorious smirk. It wasn't like his father's smirk, an evil, power-seeking, tyrant smirk. It was one of play, one that captured attention, made him even more smashingly attractive. One that made you smile. I let out a short laugh, waiting until he broke into a grin as well. We laughed for a few moments.

"What do you think of the wedding?" he asked.

His question surprised me. I waited, indecisive about which answer I should give. The real one, the mood killer, or the one that may just make the Prince smile. I decided with the latter. "I guess that depends. Will there be dancing?"

He gave a chuckle, proving that my choice had been the better one. Carter placed his tea cup down and rested his gaze on mine. "Of course. Do you like dancing?"

I laughed, "How else do you think us maids occupy ourselves?"

Carter smiled as he rose to his feet. He reached his hand out to me, my hesitation more obvious than I wished it had been before I allowed him to take my hand. "Then I expect you to be quite a professional."

He winked at me, and I could not help but blush. I promised myself I was still not gushing. I bit my tongue and let it rest between my teeth as I smiled. We walked hand in hand to the middle of the room. Spinning to face me the Prince lifted our already clasped hands into the air and placed his free one onto my waist. I shrunk away at his touch, nibbling the inside of my cheek as I placed my hand gently on his shoulder.

His heat instantly radiated into me. Carter tugged me forwards, and I let my feet fall into step with his. My smile was immediate as we began to dance to the imaginary music playing above our heads. He twirled me each way, dipping me to the floor every other second, each time catching me off guard so I would let out a loud giggle. The Prince twirled me towards him, pulling hard. My body slammed into his. Our chests rested against each other, the sudden contact turning my cheeks a rosy shade. His smirk returned to his face as he spun me back away from him, not even trying to hide the enjoyment of his little trick from his face.

Another few spins made way into the dance. Halfway through an inward twirl Carter wrapped his arm around my waist and lifted me high into the air. I let out a squeal, echoed by the Prince's deep laughter. I braced my hands on his shoulders as he began to turn. The entire world seemed to twirl with us, launching us into another life entirely.

Then dizziness overtook us. Carter fumbled across the tile in a desperate attempt to regain his footing, my small body still captured in his grasp. His attempt failed. He turned to the side, his left knee connecting with the ground before he thrust himself backwards. His back cracked against the floor, my chest crashing on top of him along with the rest of my body.

My hands still rested on his shoulders, his body flat against the floor with my own pinning him there. Our eyes locked together as our chests heaved in a struggle for air. His breath was hot on my chin, smelling of mint and tea.

"Do all your hobbies include two left feet?" he asked, not suppressing his chuckle.

I nodded as I began to giggle before rolling off of him, leaving us both lying on the floor of the room. The loud bang brought us both to attention. Each of us sat up, our glances falling on the doorway where the King stood, a scowl spread across his grave face.

"Carter, off the floor this instant." An order.

Carter jumped to his feet without hesitation and clasped his hands behind his back. I gave a frown as I slowly lifted myself up and brushed off the front of my dress. We exchanged glares. Hateful glares.

Noticing this, the King spoke: "What happened?"

"I am unsure what your son is worse at, Sir, dancing or being a gentlemen. He is quite incapable at both." I stepped forwards and curtsied at the King. "That is what happened, my King."

"As she is incapable of being a Princess. I do not believe they teach maids what manners are." The Prince took his turn.

"Enough!" The King's shout echoed loudly in the nearly empty room. "I do not have the patience to deal with your childish arguments. Whether you two are in love or want to stick the other with a knife, you will marry. So I strongly suggest that the both of you learn to close your mouths and act like you are young and in love."

"Why must I? Why do you decide who I marry and who I should fall in love with?" The question spilled from my mouth before I could contain it. This was not part of my plan with Carter. This came from my heart. "I was taken here, certainly not by choice, but by force. I will not just marry some random stranger for no reason, with no explanation for why I was brought to this bloody castle." My anger reached its surface, incapable of containment. The questions came crashing out like waves hitting a rocky shore. My mind craved the answers.

The King's glance flickered to his son for a moment before landing on me. He took a slow step towards me. "Miss Janice Fields. You are here because I sent for you. Your choice matters little, and neither does your damned opinion. You can think whatever you shall like inside that little head of yours, but regardless you will do as I say and you will keep your mouth closed while doing it. No questions asked, because I do not have to give you any answers. Do you understand me?"

My eyes began to blur. "Yes, your majesty." The words came out in a mutter before I nodded and turned to leave the room.

I whisked through the corridors through blurry tears until I reached my room. I was breathing loudly and rapidly as I slammed the door shut behind me and collapsed against it. I slid down the wooden surface until I hit the floor and held my knees to my chest. I drifted into thoughts about our plan, and how we had begun to unravel it. But it wasn't just the plan anymore, it was more than that. It was the mere idea that I was being forced into a marriage.

There were so many questions still pounding in my head, and yet the only thing I could do was make the King so unhappy with us that the people would see it, and the people so unhappy with us that they would loathe him. I could only hope that it would create change. It was the only choice I had. The only power I had left.