Chapter 14:
I woke up to a slight ache in my legs and arms. It was still light out showing that I hadn't passed out for long. Anita's craziness even followed me in my dreams as I felt a shiver down my spine.
A knock came in through the door as I called out a small come in. the door pushed open revealing him in all his glory. A man so perfect one's eyes could fall out just for staring for too long.
Zachary made his way into my room with Susan behind him, hot on his heels, holding a tray of food. Susan came up to my side ready to serve me.
"How are you feeling?" Zachary questioned.
"I'm well your highness," I said with a slight bitterness in my tone.
Talk about delayed. If he was even a minute late, I would have probably been scarred in Anita's hands. What came over her, I could not understand, she didn't really seem …okay. Talk about being crazy.
"Why were you in such a panic?" he asked, "It was almost as though you were being chased by someone, was there something going on before I had arrived?"
"it's nothing…" I said trying to turn a blind eye to it.
Zachary simply looked at me with no emotion as though already knowing what was happening but chose to say nothing.
"So, did you get permission for a proposal?" I questioned.
"Who do you take your husband for?" he bluffed making me huckle.
"Well then, I am guessing you did. Though it must have been difficult trying to get everyone to agree," I sighed.
"I do not need anyone's opinion or agreement,"
"What do you mean?"
"What I mean is you shouldn't either, and whether they oppose or not has nothing to do with us." Zachary said, "So just rest, you'll move into my palace within the next two days, so make sure you are well and healthy by the time you come,"
"Has the marquis agreed to the marriage proposal?" I asked quite worried.
If anything, I was almost certain that Anita would do whatever it was in her power to make sure that this marriage between the crown prince and I would never happen. And the marquis would try to rather have Anita engaged to his highness, then me. I guess pure blood runs thicker than filthy blood.
"Can he oppose? Unless he wishes for me to take you forcefully," Zachary questioned daringly and for a moment my heart beat quickened at his sudden words.
"Well then, I am assuming the proposal was a success," I smiled.
The plan of changing my fate had already progressed and I couldn't help but let out a sigh of relief. That was one obstacle obstructing my path out of the way. But I couldn't breathe leisurely just yet, knowing the duke, who was wrapped around Anita's finger, they would probably scheme, but with this drastic change I had witnessed, what they could scheme, I didn't know. What I really needed was the house of Monroe to fall, but looking back to what I could remember, there wasn't really anything shady that they had been conspiring. There was only one incident that I remember that the perfectionist Anna had been involved in that the marquis did everything in his power to bury, what it was exactly, I couldn't remember.
It was in moments like this that I wished I had been more attentive than lovesick with a man who would never love me the same way after learning of my birth. It was funny how status held importance in this aristocratic society.
"Your highness, I have a small request to ask of you,"
"What is it?" he questioned directly.
"I'm looking for someone, but I do not know their name, only their appearance,"
"You are looking for a person you know nothing of, may I ask why?" he questioned.
I did not know how I was supposed to tell him that they may know what anna had done in the past in order for the marquis to help her, in the future. He would probably think I had gone crazy from what had happened earlier.
"They are someone I'm acquainted with, and they know about something that I need to acquire," I explained in the best way I could without looking suspicious.
Zachary simply looked at me, trying to look for any clues my face would give out. He seemed like the observing type. And a dangerous one. He smiled and nodded, making me lift my eyebrow at him, it was almost as though he knew what I was thinking when in all honesty he did not.
"Well, since you only know of their appearance and where they may be, it is going to take a while before the information you requested is found, but I shall see to it that what you have requested is fulfilled,"
*
Anita had flipped her dressing table upside down in a fit of rage. She could not understand how the crown prince, known for his ruthless and cold self, would suddenly come to like a girl as plain as Winter.
She ran her hands through her hair as she pulled at it, trying to figure out just what was wrong. The naïve and manipulative Winter was suddenly acting out and she couldn't understand why. Her plans were beginning to slowly collapse, and she couldn't have that take place or she would surely go mad.
Winter needed to pay for all the suffering she had brought in her life and Anita was ready to make her do that by slowly leading her to death's door. But the girl had suddenly annulled her engagement to the Duke and had suddenly been engaged to the crown prince, something was amiss and all of these sudden turns of events made little to no sense.
People do not suddenly change, and Anita knew that more than anyone.
'Yes, there was definitely something off,' she thought to herself as she stood agitatedly, thinking deeply as to what could have changed.
What was Winter trying to do? She needed to decipher that before taking her next steps, and surely, she would succeed, she was not just anyone, she was Anita, and nothing could stand in the way of her goals.
Winter had a storm coming and one that not even her sudden beloved prince would be able to calm.