The Prince’s Unwilling Lover(7)
“I am your mother, young lady, and you speak to me in a more respectful manner!” her mother demanded.
Colonel LeBlanc ran into Macee's room. So many times, he had to play referee between Macee and her mother. “What is going on in here?” he asked.
“Mum is throwing my clothes out,” Macee quickly told on her.
“With good reason,” she defended herself.
“I do not want to marry Louis. Dad, please make this go away.”
“It's Prince Louis.”
“Whomever!”
“Ladies, control your anger. Macee, I will try to speak with him but darling, this is his will and I cannot change it,” her father told her.
“It is not fair.” Macee crossed her arms over her chest. Being born in that family had caused her many problems from day one. It meant she could not live the life she had wanted for herself.
“I concur, speak to him and ask him to reconsider Francesca,” Mrs LeBlanc said.
“Because she is the better child,” Macee stated petulantly.
“That is not true, you are both good,” her father told her.
“Tell that to mum.”
“I never said anything of the sort,” Mrs LeBlanc defended as she stormed out of the room flustered and annoyed. Macee sat on her bed while her father stood there helpless unsure what to do. It was heartbreaking to see them fight constantly. So many times, he asked his wife to be nicer to Macee but it just went in one ear and out the other.
He kissed Macee on the forehead and told her to relax. “Everything happens for a reason,” he said to her. That did not exactly comfort her. She knew that if the prince wanted to marry her, she had no choice but to oblige and the idea killed her inside. She had so many things she wanted to do with her life and getting married to the crown prince was not one of them. Nevertheless, she was going to fight it to the end. She was not going to give up that easily.
Chapter 5
Macee was angry the whole ride over to the palace. Her father had tried to speak to the prince but he had not changed his mind about the marriage. The queen informed the Colonel that he was to bring both daughters to the palace and let the prince see them both once more. She also wanted to meet the girl her son had chosen.
Macee grumbled as she put on a dress; one of the things she detested. Slipping on a pair of low-heeled shoes, she wobbled as she tied her hair in a high ponytail. Looking in the mirror, she declared her appearance good enough as she stomped to the front door. Francesca on the other hand wore a beautifully custom-made tight fitting cream dress. She spent hours doing her hair and wore pearls. She hoped that she could use this chance to impress the royal family. Her sister did not want it, so it was not wrong for her to try to win their hearts.
“Be on your best behaviour,” Mrs LeBlanc said to Macee as they walked into the palace.
“This is really messed up,” Macee complained.
The maid showed them to the room where the entire royal family was. The king and queen had come to help choose their future daughter-in-law. The crown prince, his sister, Princess Katherine and the queen’s sister, Bridgette were all in attendance.
“The LeBlancs have arrived,” the maid announced as they walked into the room. Macee's eyes flew open. She had not been expecting such a large panel. Colonel LeBlanc bowed as Mrs LeBlanc and Francesca gave deep curtsies. Macee attempted to curtsy, but it resembled something between a curtsy and a bow. She had not learned how to do it properly and everyone noticed. Bridgette whispered it to the queen as she nodded, she had seen it too.
The LeBlancs joined the royal family at the table as they indulged in tea and pastries. Macee could feel eyes burning into her skin as she ate. They were watching how she handled herself making her feel extremely uncomfortable; she did not even want to eat anymore. She knew she was not always graceful when she ate or did much of anything else. Macee had to hold back a smirk as she thought, sabotage! This was the best way to show subtly that she was not appropriate for the prince.
The queen asked Francesca and Macee a few questions. It was obvious that she was trying to compare the two girls and Macee knew that her sister’s answers were superior to hers. Prince Louis stared at the two sisters. He was pleased to see that Macee was even lovelier once the paint had been scrubbed off her skin and she was more suitably dressed. While it was clear that Francesca was more prepared for palace life, since the prince suddenly found himself with the opportunity to choose, he liked the idea of being married to someone who had more to offer than proper etiquette and the ability to curtsy.