Love For Another

“Mum!!!”

Aria could not believe the words of her mother. Her parents stare at her sternly as she vibrates internally. She storms out of the living room to her room. She bangs the door as she does so. She sits on her bed and caresses her long silky hair backward.

She sighs.

“Princess, the King, and Queen seek your presence downstairs” Robert the butler walks into her room a few hours earlier

“Is there a problem?” Aria raised her brows

Aria got back home a few days ago after her long stay in Canada. She was away from home for over three years for vacation at first but eventually stayed more than planned for reasons that she has decided to share with no one.

“None that I know of miss,” Robert nodded

“I’ll be down in a minute,” Aria stands

In a few minutes, Aria was downstairs on the sofa staring at her parents as they seemed a bit hesitant to say why she was called upon.

“If you guys wanted to stare at my face all day long you should have just taken a picture and save me the stress,” Aria felt bored with the silence and stares

“You are getting married” King Farris Lumpson, Aria’s father harshly spoke

He was tall and dark. He had cold dark eyes. His hair was black and it had a silky look similar to that of Aria. His tone was rather cold and blunt.

Aria adjusted a bit on her chair and raised her brows. “I don’t understand,”

“What don’t you understand?” Queen Evelyn Lumpson, Aria’s mother sparked

She was fair, slender, and curvy. Aria had most of her physical appearance. Queen Evelyn has a calm and soft tone

“But mum, I just got back what I need…”

“We’ve made the decision you will be getting married in a month” King Farris glares at Aria

Aria’s jaw dropped and her heart sank. “A month? But dad I…”

“Stop trying to explain anything to us, Aria, You will get married in a month and to Lucas,” Queen Evelyn rested her back on the sofa

“Tell me you're joking right? Who is Lucas?” Aria becomes angry

“You must know Lucas, the son of my childhood friend King Frederick?” King Farris smiles

“Yeah, I know who he is dad but I don't want to get married at least not now moreover I don't know him too well to get into a relationship called marriage with him," Aria lost her mind at her parents' words but had to keep composure

“And that's why you both are given a month to do that"

Aria looked dumbfounded. She had no idea what to do. She had numerous friends that were forced to get married to their parent's friend's children for reasons known to them but she never expected it to happen to her and a few days after her arrival back home

“Why? Why this marriage?" She could not help but think

“It will greatly benefit this family and most especially the business"

“I'm lost" Aria looked perplexed

“You getting married to Lucas will increase the bond of friendship we had with his family. They are also a partner in the business, if you both get married they might decide to invest even more into the business" Queen Evelyn paused “We haven't told you but they are thinking of pulling out of the business and they hold most of our capital"

“Why will they want to end the partnership? I thought you all were friends"

“Your father had an argument with Frederick and Frederick said for him not to end the partnership we need to create an alliance"

“And I popped into your minds?" Aria scans their faces “You both seem as though you rehearsed what you just said. My answer is no mum" Aria stands intending to leave

“Sit!" King Farris raised his voice

Aria jolted a bit as she did not expect his reaction. “I said sit Aria," King Farris said with a lower but commanding tone

Aria reluctantly sat. “You will get married to Lucas no matter what you say and we are not telling you as a request but as a royal command,"

“Moreover, this marriage will keep you on a leash after your behavior when you travelled it is uncertain to say you were not into inappropriate things while in Canada," Queen Evelyn glares at Aria

Her statement triggered Aria's anger which made her yell and leave the living room.

Aria is twenty-two years old. She is fair, tall, and elegant. She has wonderfully carved eyebrows, full dark eyelashes, and blue eyes. Her lips are pink and thick. Even though she is the crown princess of Ashela, she loves dressing simple which makes it hard for people to recognize her as the crown princess and she is an ambivert.

Ring Ring

Aria looks around in search of her phone as it rings. She spots it on her sofa and takes the call. “Hello," with a husky voice

The person on the other end laughs for a few minutes. “What the hell did you do to your voice?"

“What's so funny about it?" Aria frowned

Sensing the unhappiness of Aria, the female asked “Is there a problem?"

“Why did you call?"

“You don't want to tell me?"

“I will, just tell me why you called first before I bother you with my problems"

“You know you can…"

“Would you say or not, Freya?"

Freya Weston was the best friend of Aria right from childhood. Freya is from a wealthy business family. She is the only child in her family who has been pampered all her life but she is disciplined.

Freya sighs. “Fine, if that's what you want. You never told me you were getting married soon"

“I don't understand. I just got the news. How do you know about it?" Aria gets confused

“It has been going around the village that our dear crown princess is getting married soon for days now. I just got to find out from a friend"

“Wait a minute, are you saying they got the news before the bride herself?" Freya adds

Aria sighs. “Yes and don't call me that,"

“What?"

“A bride"

“But you are"

“I'm not," Aria tries not to yell. She sighs “Where are you? We need to talk"

“I'm in a local bar. I'll send you the location"

Aria goes into the bathroom to freshen up. She prepares to leave by putting on a pair of blue jeans trousers and a white shirt. She pours her hair to the side and applies some lip gloss to her lip. Within a few minutes, she was ready, with a beautiful but casual look as she had on a white canvas and a white earring with a chain around her neck.

Her phone buzzes, she stares at the screen for a while before staring at herself in the mirror for some minutes and stepping out of her room and out of the palace.

She drove to the location which Freya sent to her. She parked in an empty parking space and cross-checked the location on the phone and where she was before alighting from the car.

She walks casually into the bar. The bar was not full which was not unusual as bars are the best place at night as such it was easy to spot Freya. Freya waved to Aria and she walked towards her. Freya had company, Louis Raymond.

“You never told me you were with someone" Aria glares at Louis

Freya with a smiling face “You never asked"

“Nice to meet you too, Aria," Louis smirks as he stares at Aria's angry face

“I thought I've told you to refer to me as Princess, not by my name" Aria retorted

Louis smiled. “I apologize, Princess,"

Aria smiled and sat across from Louis. Louis is a close friend of Freya. They met in high school but for some reason ever since Aria and Louis met they have never gotten along. Aria was not fond of being referred to as Princess but for Louis, she made it mandatory. Freya has tried to make them let go of their differences but the more she tried the more they got worse.

“That's better, I would appreciate it if you don't forget next time. Remember what happened last time" Aria smirks

Louis smiled and adjusted a bit, stretching and relaxing his arm on the table before them as he stared into the eyes of Aria.

“I would not but…" he pauses

Louis had come visiting with Freya at the palace some years back. Aria welcomed them into the palace but while they were interacting Louis got flared up and argued with Aria. Along the line, he mentioned her name without her title, and unluckily for him King Farris was in a bad mood and he heard his words. He for one feels disrespected because Louis is from a middle-class family but he could not address his daughter in the right way.

With that, he ordered that Louis be beaten up. Aria was satisfied because they disliked each other but was disheartened because he was treated as less of a human because of class differences.

“You look beautiful by the way. Pouring your hair that way brings out your lips"