As I made my way back through the palace grounds, the meeting with the Empress Dowager still fresh in my mind, I accidentally crossed paths with Crown Prince Alexander. My breath caught in my throat as I took in his striking appearance. He was every bit as captivating as the Empress Dowager, with an aura of confidence that seemed almost otherworldly.
'If this were the modern world, and I had run away from the altar, it would have been easy to consider us nothing but exes, someone I could simply avoid or ignore. But this was not the modern world. He saw me, and I saw him; it was inevitable that we would have to acknowledge each other. At the very least, I should offer a polite greeting, given his status as the crown prince.'
With a composed nod, I greeted him. "Your Majesty."
He grunted in response, his expression a mixture of annoyance and curiosity.
"You ignore my letter and appear here in the palace? What tricks are you playing, Celeste?"
I felt a pang of panic. "I am not playing tricks, Your Majesty. I didn't receive a letter—"
Suddenly, a realization hit me—'The letter!' The one Sir Zeke had stolen from me. My heart raced.
"Remembering it now?" Alexander's voice cut through my thoughts, laced with a hint of satisfaction.
I swallowed hard, struggling to maintain my composure. "I didn't receive a letter..." I said proudly, "or at least, it was taken away." and continued but on whispering way.
Alexander's gaze narrowed slightly, but he said nothing more. I could feel the weight of his scrutiny, but I stood my ground, determined not to let him see my unease.
Before I could process what was happening, I found myself being dragged through the palace gardens. We arrived at a secluded gazebo, where Alexander gestured for me to take a seat. I complied, though my irritation was growing.
'What does he want? I mean I know what he wants but. Can't he just let me go? It's already tiring to entertain his grandmother, now him? Why not all the royalties be my acquaintance in just one day?!'
Alexander paced back and forth, his frustration evident. "Why are you playing tricks with me, Celeste? The Aristocratic Faction is in shambles. Nobles are questioning every action, and yet here you are, strolling carelessly through the palace grounds."
I tried to remain composed as he continued his tirade.
'I seriously do not know why he is going on and on with this fuss! He doesn't want to get married with me, so do I! Why such a worry rat?'
His words were starting to grate on my nerves. Finally, I had enough and cut him off. "Your Majesty, I am here on official royal business. The Empress Dowager requested my presence."
His eyes narrowed, but he finally stopped pacing, his posture slightly more relaxed. "Official royal business? That explains your presence here, but it does not excuse your negligence in responding to my letter."
I took a deep breath, trying to keep my voice steady. "I assure you, I did not receive your letter, it was beyond my control."
Alexander's expression softened slightly, though he still looked skeptical. "Very well. I suppose we must address this misunderstanding another time. For now, you may go, but do ensure that any future correspondence reaches you."
'That easily? He drags me here. Now he's just letting me go? Sweet!'
I nodded, relieved that the confrontation was easing. "Thank you, Your Majesty."
As I left the gazebo, the weight of the encounter lingered, but I was determined to focus on the tasks ahead. The royal business I was here for was too important to be overshadowed by personal disputes.
As I prepared to leave the gazebo, Alexander's voice stopped me in my tracks. "So, when are we going to have the wedding again?"
The question hit me like a cold wave. It seemed Alexander had not grasped that I had no intention of marrying him. My irritation flared. "Your Majesty, I have no intention of marrying at this time."
'Is running away from the alter means nothing to him?'
His expression darkened abruptly. The charming facade fell away, revealing a look of genuine anger and frustration. It wasn't the kind of anger born from personal feelings for me; it was more calculated, driven by a pressing necessity.
"I must marry you," he said, his voice low and intense.
'Must. Even just by inhabiting this body, even though I am not really celeste. Must?! I know very well why he must marry her.'
[A week before the wedding. Alexander invited Celeste to the palace.
The young lady of the Rosenfield Household was delighted and looking forward. She do not care even when she find out about him having affair with his nanny, Stella. She's alright, she figures, he's just playing with that nanny of his. But soon enough, she find out she was wrong.
"There are plans and political machinations at play. This marriage is not just a personal matter; it's crucial for the stability of the kingdom and for securing my position. You have to understand, it's not a choice I can make lightly." He says, the nanny sitting beside him, looking down on the floor like a child. While he didn't even care if Celeste sits or not. For him, everything is beyond personal matter. She is just a royal affair, an obligation.]
The revelation struck me like a blow. I had always imagined the Crown Prince as a charming, albeit conflicted, romantic lead. But now I saw a twisted, obsessive side to him—one that saw marriage not as a union of hearts, but as a strategic move to advance his own agenda.
I realized that my escape from the wedding was not just a personal act of defiance; it had thrown a wrench into his carefully laid plans. Alexander's desire to marry Celeste was less about affection and more about fulfilling a calculated scheme.
'Why do I feel my face burning? Is it anger?'
The weight of his fixation was overwhelming. He wasn't just disappointed; he was driven by a sense of entitlement and necessity that bordered on obsession. The illusion of a romantic hero I had built up in my mind crumbled, leaving me with a stark, unsettling truth.
I felt it. As if I am one with Celeste more than ever.
'How did she endure a year being wed to him? When just standing right in front of him, I felt my lungs closing and reaching for air. I felt my blood running to my face, and soon enough, tears would come out too.'
"Your Majesty," I said, my voice trembling slightly, "I understand the importance of political alliances, but I cannot be forced into a marriage. Not when it's clear that you view it as a mere strategic maneuver."
"May I remind you Your Majesty, I am the daughter of the Duke of Rosenfield, I am Celeste Rosenfield. I understand you do not seem to care for honorifics, and I respect that. But maybe, just maybe, as a woman, as a human being I—!"
I felt my emotions going out of control, and I find my right hand forming to a solid fist.
"You do not toy with one's emotion. You do not wed to someone and tell them you love someone else. And you do not ever talk to me, as if I am nothing but a political strategy."
"I am, Lady Celeste Rosenfield. If you can treat Ella or whatever your Nanny's name is, this way, guess what? I am not your nanny to just give in to your tantrums."
Alexander's eyes flashed with a mix of anger and his veins popped on his leg and on the temple of his face.
What I said maybe out of line. But he has not treated me with respect, dragging me with my wrist to the gazebo is not enough, he forgot that even though he is the Crown Prince, he is the one who needs me more than I need him.
As I walked away from the gazebo, I felt the full weight of his obsession bearing down on me. The path ahead was fraught with danger, and I knew I would have to navigate it with care and determination. The prince was not just a figure of romance; he was a formidable and dangerous opponent in a game of power.