Monday 4th of June.
"Diana, you better get on your knees and apologize to your fiancée this instance" mom ordered.
"What happened to saying hello to the daughter you haven't seen in a while?"
"Good afternoon, your Majesty, Her Royal Highness." I placed my knee on the floor, my hands also as I bent down to greet my parents, this was a sign of respect.
"Good afternoon, you may rise," Dad said as I slowly got up from the floor.
"Darling, how was your journey?" Fred remarked from the side, what was he doing here? Doesn't he understand the words? It's over? Sometimes I do wonder if I am in a freaking TV show because what is this?
"Diana!" he yelled after me as I proceeded to take my seat next to my dad as the next ruler of Ofuland; nothing was going to stop me from becoming the next queen, not even my mother!
"Guards, escort him out before he causes a scene here," I instructed the royal guard; it was about time he was disturbing the peace of the people, my people.
"What's going on? Are you going to allow this?" Mom said to the King furiously as Fred was being dragged out.
"She would make her own decision; we can't force her to accept everything," the king responded.
"Inform the royal chefs we will have a mini celebration when the princess is back!" My dad instructed his secretary and they all began to move accordingly.
"Diana, please talk to me; what's going on? I don't understand why are you being so mean to me?" A message from Fred popped up on my phone; he can't catch a break, can he? Well, how was I expecting him to react? He was supposed to become the next king, and now he is becoming nothing, nothing at all.
What a turn of events! This was the same man that I begged to treat me like a human being when we were both in Bayan City.
"Your majesty, if that's all, I would like to o take my rest," I said tiredly.
"It was nice seeing you, you are permitted," Dad said.
"Mom sounded unhappy. "No wonder she's so spoiled," she said, 'you're always indulging her, "I knew she'd get her way again, just like always does, you are allowing her drag our name through the mud."
Marrying Fred was her idea since he was her nephew; she wanted to add another member of her family to the royal family, and now that I refused, it was as if I was depriving her family of royalty, so I guess her anger was justified. It was rare for cousins to get married but it wasn't frowned upon.
"Be ready to go out by 6:00 p.m. princess," Mom instructed as I walked out of the throne room, I knew it she can't just let me go freely.
"Diana, we need to talk," Idar whispered as we stepped into my room.
"Grace, excuse us for a minute" I instructed.
"What's going on, Your Majesty?" Lina asked; although she was my royal fashion designer now, she has always been a dear friend to me all my life.
"It's nothing important," I scuffed as I lay down on my bed with my puffy gown pressed around my body; it was uncomfortable but the strength to take it off was something I did not have in me.
"I just want you to know that I am fully in support of any decision you make; I would excuse you two now," Lina said encouraging me as she walked out of my room, besides she and Idar were the only ones who knew the true nature of me and Fred's relationship.
"Stay strong; the battle just began," Idar pressed on my hands as she uttered those words.
"You are doing the right thing," idar remarked, I know I was doing the right thing but that didn't mean I was still not hurt but leaving is always better than staying I know, he was never nice to me he treated me like I was less than human, I was getting verbally abused and cheated on everyday so yes I made the right decision even a bat could see that I am better off without him.
(6:00 p.m)
"Take us to Fred's place," Mom instructed the royal driver as she entered the car.
"We would take only one car; I don't want a crowd," she said as the car began to move.
"So Diana, what is it you want from me?" Mom finally acknowledged my presence in the car.
"Why are you trying so hard to embarrass me?" She said again amidst my silence.
"You know Fred is a nice guy and I would love for you to fix any issues you have with him, besides you can't just end things over because of a simple argument"
"This is not good, what would the kingdom think about you? What would everyone say?" She started to rant again, and it was always about her, what she wanted, and how she felt. It was never about the pain she inflicted on me.
"You are such an ungrateful child; I have always known it but you are making it more obvious," she kept on going, i still hadn't said a word.
"Keep quiet when we arrive, just like you are doing now," she instructed. "Don't say a word, besides no one wants to hear anything from you" Her constant belittling was exhausting, and it was no surprise her family followed her lead in mistreating me.
As a child, I'd heard whispers about my parents' marriage being a power play. People said she only wanted the title of Queen. I never believed it then, but now I'm not so sure. The more I thought about it, the more it seemed true. She was always looking for a way to gain more power and wealth, never cares about her people or anyone else.
"Her Royal Highness, my Princess," Fred's dad greeted as we walked into their house.
"Her majesty," Hajara, Fred's mom, rushed to come hug her elder sister.
"Call Fred we don't have time" my mom instructed.
"Fred, Ojaiz, Deeja, your aunt is here to see you," Hajara yelled, calling her children out.
I looked around their house, they were still living in the 2 bedroom apartment my dad loaned them some years back, they haven't paid for it neither are they planning on moving out, the ceiling looked like it was going to fall any minute and the walls looked cracked and the paint looks like it was falling off.
"Her majesty, princess, welcome," Fred, Ojaiz, and Deeja greeted in unison.
"Diana, I would not ask again; get on your knees and apologize to your fiancée and his family for the embarrassment and the stress you put them through," Mom said again.
"Yes, she should do that if she wants my forgiveness," Hajara said in support of Mom.
Was I surprised? No not even the slightest.
"Aunty, I tried to buy a purse today, but they declined me," Deeja said, her voice laced with frustration. "It's all because of the rumors spreading around town."
"No!" I responded in a low but clear tone; it all made sense to me now: none of them love me, they don't even care about me, they are just here for what they can get from this relationship. I don't know why I have been so blind to this but now I see it all.
"What did you say? I am sure I heard wrong" Mom asked furiously.
"No! You are not getting anything from me; if there was anyone that needed an apology, it was me for the way I am being treated,"