The Beginning of My Nightmare (2)

"I love you"

The words I wanted to hear from him and not that person.

---

"You are mine, Amiya...."

Those words keep ringing to my ears as the Prince brought me to meet the King.

I can see all the guests are staring at us.

I also saw Solon on the crowd. He look so worried and I feel like he was about to rush and go after me but the lady beside him stopped him.

"Father, I want this girl to be my Queen." the Prince stated.

I looked at him with a shocked expression.

What is he talking about!? Queen!? Me!?

The King was surprised as well but as a devoted father to his only heir, he agreed as if he was spoiling his child.

I couldn't mutter a single word.

"Be responsible for your choice Yuan. I will trust you and I hope you lead a good relationship with the people and your soon to be Queen." the King said.

The crowd was so disappointed with the Prince's choice but couldn't dare to say a thing.

As the party ends, a simple ceremony to announce the engagement was made and I could not remember what happened next.

Things went too fast...

I was just a normal server this early evening then now a soon to be Queen!? Does that even make sense?

The people who criticize me changed and they instantly treated me with respect through gritted teeth and there I am just getting through it with no choice.

As much as I wanted to run away, I could not...

"Aren't you happy?" The Prince asked.

Is it not obvious!?

I just kept silent and then I saw my mother approached us.

"Greetings to your highness... May I speak with my daughter?" my mother asked.

I looked at him and he was wearing an anxious face.

"Why can't you just talk here?" the Prince asked.

What?

I never thought he was this rude. All this time I thought he was kind like Solon but how could he act like that.

"Y-your highness --" my mother tried to say something but he cut him off.

"Get lost." He said.

My heart dropped as he said it. I wanted to hug my mother and cry but she had no choice but to leave me.

Why is he acting like this?

***

Months passed and I continued being a prisoner of the Prince.

He was indeed treating me like a noble but he was always restricting me from meeting anyone, even my mother.

It was almost like I was waiting for my death bed.

***

In the midnight, when the Prince went out for an expedition, Solon went to see me secretly.

This has been our little secret for the days I am here in the palace. He was the only one who dared to disobey the royal order.

Solon would casually tell me stories about his life and the world I left after being engaged to the Prince.

He also told me that he was about to marry that girl who was clinging to her during the honorary ball when we first met.

It was the same case for the both of us. Same forced marriage. No love.

Solon became my strength and I was the same for him.

"Yuan told me... I was the reason why he pushed the engagement." Solon said.

It was faint but I could hear it clearly.

He was holding back his tears.

"If I was not arrogant in the first place, I could've saved you from this hell... I'm sorry." he continued.

I stayed silent.

I knew all of it...

The Prince told me how much he hate Solon. He has everything that he wants. The attention, the great honor, all people liked him but most of all, he knew Solon was the one who catched my eye and not him.

It was not long ago when I remembered meeting him the first time.

Back when we were still young, Solon's mother was still a commoner and was so sick that time. He visited our house from time to time to ask my mother for help.

Initially, I could not remember him as he looked so different from then. But when he showed me the coin with our writing -- the one that I gave him back then -- I suddenly realized it was really him.

He was my first friend, my brother and my first love.

I couldn't even imagine meeting him like this but I am very thankful.

I hugged Solon...

"I should've held back... The moment I saw you on the night of the ball, I couldn't help it... I just wanted to hug you...

Yuan knew how much I liked you from the very beginning... But he said he liked you too... And... He wants you..." he said.

He was already crying...

I couldn't say a word as I know there was so many things he wanted to tell me.

The Prince told me that the first time he saw me was when my mother brought me to the palace to do some task. It was also the time he became interested in me.

I didn't even know he gave my mother some money and jewelries as a reward for some task she finished.

He continue to give overwhelming gifts to my mother not knowing he was trying to buy me from her.

We were both clueless at that time as we thought it was some kind of honest reward but that one night he told me 'I bought you from your mother'.

And there, reality hits me.

"He said if I don't let him have you, he will kill you this is why he forced my father to arranged a marriage agreement to Kana's family." Solon said.

Kill me? Isn't it just the same thing as locking me with just him? Pathetic.

I hugged Solon tightly as I said...

"Let's run away."

He looked at me with a confused eyes then I smiled at him.

"I love you Solon." I said as I kissed him.