Chapter 5 The Father's Return

• Ariana's POV
• The next morning, I woke up to a thunderous knocking on my bedroom door. I opened and there was my father.
• "Father? You're back," I greeted him.
• "Indeed. You and I have unfinish business to address, Ariana. Get dress then join me in the breakfast room afterwards. It's not wise to keep me waiting for very long because my patience is hanging by a thread. Do you understand?" Father said with a wrath. Without waiting on an answer, he was off.
• I prepared myself then went into the breakfast room as he had ordered. He sat at the head of the table per usual and Victor sat down at his right this time. I sat at the other end of the table just as the freshly made meals were presented by the maids.
• "So, my adorale daughter, what have you been up to while I was away?" he questioned.
• "Why ask such when you've already been inform by Sir Victor?" I questioned back which made my father chuckle.
• "You know, I've always wish you were a boy instead of a girl. You're stubborn, rebellious and self-centered. You're your mother's daughter and barely mine. You'll make a terrible ruler and I'll be even more ashamed of you. Therefore, in order to fix that, I've took the liberty in finding you a husband."
• "You did WHAT?" I was shellshocked.
• My father nodded in someone else's direction and I turned around in my chair and noticed a young man standing in the corner. He wore a corky smile on his face and his court suit was of purple and rather very proper in fit and compliment. Although he stood across the room, his eyes were a light brown color but seemed cold like his demeanor.
• "Allow me to introduce your future husband, Prince Preston of New Guinea. Prince Preston, my 'cross to carry' of a daughter, Ariana," my ruthless father introduced.
• ______
• Preston joined the table for breakfast then I was commanded to give him a grand tour when all I wanted to do was to get away from everyone and from everything. It was slowly beginning to settle in that my father had arranged an entire marriage and an entire life for me instead of me having a choice or say-so in the matter. It was my life but it definitely didn't feel like it.
• "Haven't you heard me?" someone asked.
• I snapped myself back to the present and realized I was still showing Preston his way around the castle.
• "Oh, I'm sorry. Have you mentioned something?"
• "I said you've already shown me this room. Where is your head?"
• I couldn't tell if he was being rude or concern by his last question. "Then let's continue."
• "Let's not."
• "Excuse me?"
• "You're obviously distracted and I'm not in the mood to be going around and around in cicles with you today. Perhaps you wish to get off your feet and have a seat now so let's do that instead and get to know each other a little better. After-all, you are going to be my wife very soon,"Preston said with such confidence.
• "You're very certain on that?"
• "You've no interest in marrying me?"
• "No."
• "Too bad I'm not here to please your pathetic interest."
• "Wouldn't you want to get marry for love and all the right reasons than to someone who already hates you?"
• "Ah, so you hate me, then I guess I'm doing a wonderful job so far, Princess."
• "You getting a thrill out of this and probably a zipper is what is pathetic, Prince," I responded and pointed at his lower trunk. He flushed and I laughed as I walked away from him.
• ___________
• I disliked Prince Preston. He was very rude towards me and had an attitude of a controlling man. We would made an egregious couple.That was already evident. I walked through the main hallway, I ran into my father.
• "Where's Preston?"
• "I left him behind."
• "Why?"
• "He was being rude to me."
• "So you left him to find his own way?"
• "Yes!"
• "Ariana, I'll speak on this only once. Ff you ruin this, you'll ruin your throne."
• "Excuse me, so you're telling me that the only way I'm getting to be queen is if I marry that outsider?"
• "Watch your tongue! That outsider is your future husband."
• "I'm not going to marry him. I don't even like him."
• "I don't care."
• "But you should. With all due respect, Father, you ought to be ashame of yourself for even treating me in this manner. What have I ever done to you to deserve your harshest treatment?"
• "Harshest? Oh darling, you haven't even seen that side of me as yet."
• My eyes welled up with tears and I holding on to the possibilty that my father would reconsider.
• "PULL YOURSELF TOGETHER! Weaklin'! Just like your mother. Nothing but water-works. Always wanted things handed to her, always wanted things to be easy and kind-spirited and gentle and sweet! She died and left it all to you. You and her make me sick!" He huffed and stormed passed me.
• ______
• It had always been that way. My father disliked me as his own daughter. His child. His flesh and blood. He spoke with wrath and hatred towards me and I tried to remember the last day my father smiled towards me or said something nice. I couldn't recall and I couldn't stop the tears from flowing down my face.
• "Here." Preston found me and handed me his handkerchief, "I eavesdropped on the conversation you and your father were having. I do wish to apologise for being rude towards you. It wasn't my intention and that was not the first impression I wanted to make of myself. I hope we can start over at another day, of course."
• I dried my eyes and looked at him this time. He was handsome and he knew it. Everything about him screamed royalty and power but when it came to my sparks, there weren't any for him and I couldn't see myself trying to generate any.
• "Sure. We can start over at another day. Do enjoy your stay," I said.
• "Thank you, Princess Ariana," he said back. He reached for my right hand and placed a soft kiss there. I forced myself to smile, handed him back his handkercheif then excused myself and went back to my bedroom. I found my journal and began a new entry about the chaos that was my new life. After that, I penned a letter for Joshua, informing him on what my father had done and how awful things had been since.
• I folded the letter neatly before sealing it. I stepped out of my bedroom and was about to silently and secretly have the letter sent to Joshua when I ran into Preston again.
• "Hi. Are you coming to see me again and it that a letter for me?"
• "No." But Preston snatched it from my hand and tore the seal off. I tried to reach for it but my five feet six inches height couldn't match his six feet one inch towering frame.
• "So, who is Joshua and what makes him so special that he's receiving letters from the Princess?"