《Arranged Love (Currently Being Edited)》Chapter 4 - Trying to Get Out of It
Advertisement
Eva was a hopeless romantic and wanted to marry someone that she was madly in love with, just like in all the stories she read and the movies she watched. Since she was a little girl she had daydreamed about meeting a sweet man that was romantic and caring and handsome, that talked to her for hours and understood her completely because they had so much in common. She dreamed about falling desperately, head over heels in love with him and of the perfect fairytale wedding they would have.
She imagined seeing this man that she loved more than anyone else in the world wearing a black tux, waiting at the end of the aisle for her while she walked towards him in a beautiful gown. She would be crying happy tears and he would start crying too and they would be so excited about spending the rest of their lives together and starting a family.
She took a deep breath in, hung her head and sighed, because her daydream would never come true. She could never have that. Maybe her Dad was right and love was just a luxury for normal people, but she wanted love more than anything in the world. Just thinking about that made her so sad her heart started to ache.
She heard her phone ding so she got it out of her clutch and saw that there was a text from Astrid. She had been in the audience at the ceremony earlier but she hadn't talked to her since.
'So, the prince is REALLY hot huh? You're so lucky! What's he like?'
'Well he might look like one but trust me, he's no Prince Charming. He said this arranged marriage is the last thing he wants and then he just refused to talk to me and we sat in complete silence for 20 minutes.'
'Oh no. I'm so sorry Eva. Well, maybe he'll be nicer once he gets to know you. Literally everyone who knows you loves you.'
'How is he going to get to know me if he won't talk to me?'
In the quiet she overheard her Mom say to the Queen of Spain, "I can't believe the wedding is tomorrow. It's so exciting isn't it?"
"Yeah, real exciting," Eva rolled her eyes and grumbled under her breath sarcastically, quiet enough that no one heard.
Queen Victoria smiled at her Mom and said, "Yes it's very exciting. You know Paulo is my husband's only living male heir so if something happens to him, the crown would leave our blood line and go to my husband's brother and his son. He's a horrible, selfish man that the people of Spain hate and his son is just the same. To see them ruling would absolutely break my heart. Hopefully by this time next year we'll have another male heir to the throne of Spain so we won't have to worry about that happening."
Advertisement
"We're in the same predicament. Kristoff is our only male heir, but like you said, I'm sure by this time next year that won't be an issue any more. With Paulo being twenty two and Eva being twenty one, they're at the perfect age for getting pregnant. There shouldn't be any fertility issues," her Mom added with a smile.
"Hopefully not. With any luck we'll have another heir very soon!" Queen Victoria told her Mom with a smile, clinking her wine glass against hers before they both took a drink.
Eva felt overwhelmed by the pressure of needing to give Spain and Norway male heirs as soon as possible with a man that wouldn't even speak to her and acted like having to marry her was the worst thing that ever happened to him.
She turned back to the piano and started playing again to drown out their conversation. She couldn't stand to hear any more. She closed her eyes as she played and got lost in the music and imagined that she was anywhere else in the world but here at this moment. She exhaled deeply, letting out the breath she didn't realize she had been holding in.
She heard someone very close clearing their throat and she opened her eyes to see her brother Kristoff standing next to the piano.
"Can I sit?" he asked.
"Sure," she said, scooting over on the bench to make room for him.
He sat down and started playing Beethoven's 5th symphony and she joined in, playing it as a duet with him like they did pretty often when they were bored.
She noticed that Prince Paulo was across the room talking to the Kings and they seemed to be deep in discussion.
"Eva," Kristoff whispered as they continued to play the piano. "I just talked to Paulo and he said you two weren't hitting it off. You've got to find a way to make this work with him. We really need this marriage to happen because the trade deals with Spain have already been signed and they'll set our countries up financially for generations."
"How can I make it work? He won't even talk to me. What am I supposed to do?" she whispered back as they both continued playing.
"I don't know. Do what other women do. Use your charm to make him fall for you."
Eva laughed. "You do remember that Dad's never let me date right? I don't know the first thing about how to charm a man, especially not one that looks like him and has probably dated supermodels."
Advertisement
"It's not that hard. Just go over there and talk to him, flirt, smile, say something funny and make him laugh, give him a compliment. Guys love that," Kristoff suggested. "Now go. Try," he said, pushing on her shoulder and giving her a fake smile as he motioned his head and eyes in Paulo's direction.
She looked across the room at him, standing there talking to the Kings, laughing with a bright white smile on his perfect, handsome face and that made her feel nervous and the thought of flirting with him tied her stomach up in knots.
She laughed, looking down at her hands. "I know it might sound silly but I'm scared to flirt with him. I don't even know what to say."
"Just say anything. Hey, you could talk to him about polo. He loves polo."
She laughed and raised an eyebrow. "Kristoff, I don't know anything about polo."
He rubbed his chin and thought for a second. "Politics! You know more about politics than anyone I know. And it just so happens that the kings are talking to him about politics right now, so here's your chance."
She let out an exhale. "Fine. I'll try," she said reluctantly, letting out a groan like she was being tortured, before getting up and walking slowly across the room towards where Prince Paulo was. She felt like her feet were weighed down with cement blocks the closer she got. He was in a trade discussion with King Hans and King Ferdinand.
She stood beside Paulo and listened as his father was telling them, "We're negotiating lower wheat and beef prices to China in exchange for access to their tech exports."
"Why would you do that?" Eva cut in and King Ferdinand looked over at her, surprised by her question.
"What do you mean?" he asked. "Why wouldn't we do that?"
"Because China just got hit with their worst drought in 100 years so their wheat crops have been totally destroyed. This is the time to raise export prices of wheat to them because demand is so high they'll be willing to pay more."
"Well if that's true then that will just let us use wheat as more of a bargaining chip to get access to the tech we need from them," King Ferdinand told her.
She shook her head and said, "But the tech that comes out of China is mostly manufactured in sweatshops and the quality is low and unreliable. Japan has much higher standards in quality control and they just recently had a huge outbreak of swine flu that took out most of their local pork suppliers. What you could do is sell wheat at the higher rate to China, and then negotiate a trade deal for tech with Japan in exchange for your Pork exports at a high price because they're desperate for it. You make a lot more money that way all around and have a higher quality of tech imports."
King Ferdinand and Paulo looked at her with their jaws on the floor, clearly impressed.
"That actually sounds like a great plan pumpkin. You see gentlemen, my daughter is not only beautiful but she got her mother's brains as well," her father King Hans told them with a proud smile, wrapping an arm around her shoulder and kissing the side of her head.
Paulo looked stunned. He nodded and said, "Yeah that's actually brilliant."
She looked over at him and said, "You might be surprised at all the clever things I have to say if you took the time to actually talk to me."
He turned his head towards her and studied her face before saying, "I'm sure you're very clever Eva and you're probably a great woman but the fact is, I don't appreciate being forced into a marriage with anyone, no matter how great they are."
He looked over at his Dad and said, "Can you please reconsider this arranged marriage and let me pick my own wife? I'll do anything," he begged. "I'll go to every royal function for the rest of my life and not complain a single time, I swear. And all the shit you're always nagging me about, I'll do. I'll stop cussing and drinking and smoking and driving my cars too fast. I'll even start going with you to mass every Sunday without complaining!"
Advertisement
- In Serial49 Chapters
Cell Mates (boyxboy) (Book 1: Behind Bars)
Arrested for a crime he didn't commit, eighteen year old Riley Parker is thrown into a maximum security prison to carry out his sentence. He expected a cold hard life, filled with danger and uncertainty, what he didn't expect was his cell mate Nathaniel Grayson; he was gorgeous and more than a little frightening but Riley soon finds himself feeling much more than attraction for this hard man, only, you can't fall in love in prison..can you?ALL NAMES,PLACES etc USED IN THIS NOVEL ARE PURELY FICTIONAL.NB: NOT YOUR AVERAGE PRISON SETTING.THIS NOVEL HAS BEEN PUBLISHED and is now AVAILABLE FOR PURCHASE at select online stores (links on my profile).Cover design by: Ally_the_Secret Ninja
8 288 - In Serial43 Chapters
Loving You Differently
Aria Adkins only cares about three things: 1.) the bills piling up on her kitchen counter.2.) getting her sister out of their dead-end hometown and off to college.3.) keeping the bottle of Jim Beam out of her heartbroken, alcoholic mother's reach.Closed-off and content as one can be with a never ending routine of crappy part-time jobs and the task of cleaning up broken whiskey bottles, Aria is used to dealing with things by herself; especially after her father runs off and she's forced to step up to the plate and solely care for her dysfunctional mother and younger sister. At twenty-one, Aria sticks to herself and has no time for men, romance, and most of all, love. After witnessing the demise of her parents' train wreck of a marriage lead to a cycle of adultery, addiction, and abuse, she swears to herself that she wants no part in any of it.That all changes when she crosses paths with tall and tattooed New Orleans native Austin Delaney, who weasels his way into Aria's heart and refuses to let her maneuver life alone. First, he offers her a job. And then? The promise that he's not going anywhere.• Highest Ranking: #1 in New Adult Romance, #4 in Adult Romance, #22 in Romance •
8 147 - In Serial28 Chapters
Alpha Mate
When Morgan Carter's pack is under attack by rogues, the only thing she can do is leave with her young niece, Lilian, in order to get them to safety. It is then that she runs into the territory of her alpha mate, Calum Barrens. Morgan has always wanted her mate, but can she accept him when he makes a big mistake upon meeting her for the first time. Forced together in such circumstances, Morgan and Calum will have to learn to forgive and love each other if they are to stand against an enemy who wants to tear them apart.
8 255 - In Serial45 Chapters
It All Started With A Lie
You've got one boy.One girl.One pretty little lie.A perfect relationship.The perfect boyfriend.The perfect girlfriend.The perfect dates.The perfect gifts.And the perfect surprises.That gives you our golden couple of Sunset Westwood High.But what happens when it's all a lie?One boy.One girl who needs desperate help.One pretty little lie.That sounds more like it.When Olivia's ex is bothering her and rubbing it in her face at a party that he moved on after dumping her, she sees her nemesis, Ethan walking by and she uses him as her ploy, but the move isn't so smart when you think about it. I mean, how easy can it be acting lovey-dovey with your enemy?.....ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
8 149 - In Serial27 Chapters
Pistols and Petals - TH
Olivia Miller is a 23 year old kindergarten teacher, she dreams of falling in love, having kids, and living a good life, even if her family is so separated. When a family mix up occurs she finds herself in a situation that changes everything. New house, new family, new friends, new life.
8 89 - In Serial67 Chapters
Always
Book 1What do you call a innocent girl who lives in the shadows of others and a boy who had a horrible temper and attitude that is keeping secrets from everyone? You call it a disaster waiting to happen. Zyria is the girl you don't see. She is always constantly in the shadows of other people especially her twin brother Zaire. She doesn't have many friends because most people were fake toward hers to get to her brother. She is a nobody. Knox is someone you don't want to mess with. He is always angry and seems to hate the world. He only had a small amount of friends and planned on keeping it that way. What can Zyria do when this angry yet handsome boy comes into her life causing her to rethink her morals and value?
8 146