CHAPTER THREE

“Don’t be so modest, Carrie,” William said. “You’re very good. I’ve seen you.”

I glared at him.

“Thank you,” I said through clenched teeth. “But I’m really not very good.”

He was embarrassing me! I was blushing so hard. Mother glared at me, and I turned back to William and tried to smile, but I didn’t contradict what I said. William blushed and smiled at me, and then I turned back to my food, while the King began asking Kaya questions.

After dinner everyone went back into the parlour. I looked up at the clock n the wall, it read 8:37. Groaning inwardly, I accepted the glass of wine that was offered to me and took a sip, ignoring the adult’s conversation. Kaya had gone back to reading, Lynn was nowhere to be seen and William was sitting next to me silently.

I stood up and took Gabriel from Mother, who looked grateful.

“I’ll take him outside,” I said, and left the room. The palace grounds were huge, even bigger than our own, but I knew them well. I had spent half of my childhood at the palace, and most of that outside.

“You’re lucky Gabriel,” I whispered, opening a gate that led to a pool. “You’re hardly expected to marry Lynnette. Maybe another child, if they have one, but that’s unlikely. I have to marry that prat William.”

I sat down on the edge of pool, dangling my legs in with my dressed hiked up to my waist. Gabriel smiled up at me, his big brown eyes dancing with joy. He looked like that all the time, it didn’t matter what. As far as Gabriel knew, everything in the world was great.

“Don’t look at me like that,” I groaned, and lay back, sitting my brother on my stomach.

“Hello.”

Lynn was sitting next to me, her legs gently moving in the water. I hadn’t noticed her, but she must have followed me from the palace.

“What did you hear?” I asked sharply.

“Nothing.”

I nodded and turned my head.

“He’s going to propose to you tonight,” Lynn said. “He has to. And you have to accept,” she sighed. “Look, I know you don’t like my brother, or anyone, for that matter, but he’s in love with you. At least pretend to like him, and then, maybe, if you try hard enough, you will.”

I let a tear fall from my face.

“Look Lynn, I don’t like William and I never will. I’ll accept his proposal, but only because I have to.”

I heard her stand up and walk away. Gabriel wiped a tear off my face.

“Ca-i sad?”

I put me hand on his cheek and smiled.

“Ca-i happy.”

CHAPTER FOUR

She was going to accept the proposal! That was all I asked! Will would be devastated and humiliated if she turned him down. But she was going to accept! Who cared if she didn’t love him, or even like him? You don’t have to like a person to marry them. Mother and Father hated each other at the best of times, but she stayed with him and bore his children.

“Have you seen Carrie?” Will asked me, his hands shaking. I put mine over his and smiled at him. I may have been two years younger than Will, but I was by far the more mature and confident one.

“No,” I lied. “She went outside before, but I haven’t seen her since.”

Will nodded and left, going outside to look for her. It was 9:20, he still had over two hours before the proposal.

I stood still for a moment, and then ran out to my brother.

“Will, don’t talk t her just yet. Give her some time alone.”

He stopped in his tracks and looked at me weirdly. He really didn’t know anything about girls, and he was in love with Carrie. The problem was, she wasn’t in love with him.

“Do you think she’ll say yes?” he asked me eagerly.

I rolled my eyes and started walking to my bedroom, where he followed me to. I grabbed my mascara off the dresser and started applying it.

“She might,” I said slowly. “If you stop acting like this. You’re being way too eager, and girls think that’s pathetic. Of course,” I paused and looked at him, “Carrie’s not just any girl.”

Will blinked. If he was smart, he sure had a weird way of showing it. I put my mascara down and turned to face him.

“Stop worrying. You’ll be fine. Of course she’ll accept.”

What I didn’t tell him was that Carrie would only accept because of her parents. Will nodded, and left my room, mumbling something that I assumed was his proposal speech under his breath.