Page 4 of A Royal Arrangement
Charlotte:Thank you so much! I’m happy to report my honeymoon with my HUSBAND is going splendidly.
Charlotte:*GIF of man waggling his eyebrows*
Bridgette:*rolling on the floor laughing emoji* Please spare us all the details.
Bridgette:In all seriousness, you’re going to be the most amazing queen. We love you! *red heart emoji*
Charlotte:Thank you *face holding back tears emoji* I love you too.
Sienna:Does anyone know if Rosalie made it back home okay?
Bridgette:I haven’t heard anything from her.
Charlotte:Me neither.
Rosalie sighed. She hadn’t responded to their text messages all week. How does one reply with enthusiasm for her best friend’s new marriage and coronation and then tell them she’s been basically sold into an arranged marriage and none of them are invited to the wedding?You don’t.She didn’t want to rain on her best friend’s parade. This was Charlotte’s moment, and she didn’t want to take away from that.
A new message from Charlotte—to only her—popped up, and Rosalie clicked on it, pressing her lips together as she read it.
Charlotte:Ro, I may be on my honeymoon, but I will be on a plane to Findorra if you don’t respond in the next five minutes.
Rosalie should take it as a compliment that her friends cared about her so much. That they wanted to make sure she was okay. Heck, Charlotte was the queen of Wistonia now. She may not be joking. She really may be readying a private jet right now to fly over and check on her.
Clicking back over to the group chat, Rosalie started typing a response. It was short and to the point.
Rosalie:Sorry it’s taken me so long to respond. I have some…unexpected news. I’m getting married today.
She reread the message a few times before hitting send. Rosalie knew her friends would have a million questions,but she didn’t have the energy to respond. So, after she hit send, Rosalie shut off her phone. She didn’t want to see any responses from her friends. There was only so much she could handle, and talking about her impending wedding ceremony wasn’t something she could currently discuss without falling apart.
Rosalie leaned back onto the plush pillows, closing her eyes and trying to clear her thoughts. She didn’t know how long she had been lying there when a knock at the door forced her to finally sit up.
“Come in.”
Her head lady’s maid walked in, her footsteps light and her expression timid. “The king sent me to fetch you.” Her eyes fell to the ground as she said, “It’s time to leave for Edgemont.”
Rosalie put on a brave face, thanking her lady’s maid as she passed her. Although she couldn’t change her current circumstances—no matter how much she wanted to—she could change her attitude about the situation.
After all, she knew better than anyone that words held power. So, she told herself the words she needed to hear.
Everything is going to be okay.
King Colin will love me.
I will make a wonderful queen of Edgemont.
I will be a caring wife and stepmother.
Everything is going to be okay.
She repeated the last sentence in her mind the whole journey to Edgemont. Maybe saying the words enough would make them true.
Chapter Two
Colin
Seven Days Ago
Colin rubbed his eyes, removing the sleep from the corners.If only I ever actually slept.The workday never truly ended for the young king of Edgemont, especially when he was also a single father to his adorable four-year-old daughter, Addie.
