Chapter 2: The Fiancee

The sound of breaking glass from outside woke Meredith up. She wanted to ignore it but she could hear people murmuring from outside of her room.

Too early for gossip.

She shook her head and calmly stood. Meredith, in her white silk nightgown, walked toward her vanity mirror. She met her own black orbs in the reflection of the mirror, her long black hair was also a bit messy from the sleep.

Meredith's attention turned to the person who entered her chamber. Her nanny, Caroline, walked with her head down. Meredith squinted her eyes but they widened suddenly as she looked at her nanny even more.

"Good morning, My Lady," Caroline greeted, forcing a smile and looking away when her lady stared at her intently. Her lady's gaze was on her left cheek and she couldn't help but flinch when her lady tried to touch it.

Meredith's fist clenched. Her eyes still did not leave the swollen cheeks of her nanny. "Where is my father?"

"The Duke is in the dining hall, Lady Meredith."

Without a second thought, Meredith marched out of her room and went to where her father was. She halted and took a deep breath at the sight of her father, the Duke, wobbling around the dining hall with a bottle in his hand. Meredith just watched her father in his drunken state for a moment. Her body trembled knowing that her father was the reason for her nanny's swollen cheeks.

The Duke stopped moving when he felt Meredith's presence. He grinned. Meredith has been an obedient daughter to him. He knows that the youngest daughter of his would bring more fortune to him and Von Trapp's household and he was right about it. However, after what happened at the banquet, after all the gossip going around in town, he got nervous.

"Lady Meredith!" Caroline gasped.

Everyone in the room looked away. Meanwhile, Meredith was expecting it already. She gritted her teeth and ignored the burning pain on her cheek. At least, she also got what her nanny received from her father early in the morning.

The Duke looked down at her. "You are the fiancee of the Crown Prince of El Famia, Meredith. But why does Prince Damian keep on inviting that lady from the house of Marquess Solomon? Why are you unbothered about it when everyone is now talking about the probability of your engagement failing?"

Meredith shut her eyes at the sound of his father shouting in front of her. She took another deep breath before she opened her eyes and faced the Duke.

"Why don't you sit down first, Father?"

Duke Von Trapp glared but did what his daughter told him. He almost tripped but Meredith was fast to catch his arms and carefully guided him to sit.

This is what he couldn't understand with his daughter. Meredith was so calm that he sometimes got intimidated by his own daughter. But he knows that she won't fight back, especially when he holds her nanny as his hostage. After all, the Lady of the House of Duke Von Trapp has a soft spot for her nanny. Caroline was the second nanny she had in the house. Of course, if she disobeyed him, she would experience losing another person she treasured. Just like how she lost Caroline's mother, the first nanny of Lady Meredith.

Although Meredith was capable, she was still powerless when it came to his father.

Meredith curtsied. "I will talk to Damian about it, Father. Don't worry."

When the Duke didn't reply, she took it as a sign and left the drunken Duke.

*****

"It was rare for you to request an audience with me."

Meredith rolled her eyes. She could sense the mockery in her fiance's voice. Although they weren't close, Meredith knows the personality of the Crown Prince and how he looked down on her and her family. But she also knows how to annoy him; ignore him and his sarcasm.

A forced smile plastered on her face. "And it was an honor that you accepted my request, Your Highness."

When the Crown Prince clicked his tongue, Meredith could hear trumpets in her ears. She won, again. Damian sat on his chair and opened a book, letting his fiance roam around his study room. It wasn't the first time that the lady was here and she liked looking at every book in the room. During the time they were together, she just read the book she liked from his shelves.

"Did you come here just to read one of my books, again, Lady Meredith?"

Meredith glanced at him before she gracefully sat on the chair in front of the Crown Prince, her eyes gazing at the book he was holding. A smirk plastered on her face because she already knew the book he was reading. She read it multiple times already which helped her gain recognition from the Duke.

She let him read while she talked. "Don't you think you've been inviting Lady Beatrice too often for breakfast?"

"What's wrong with that?"

"Are you perhaps playing with the poor Lady?" Meredith's brows rose when Damian scoffed at her question. Her eyes were sharp as she stared at her fiance. "You are the Crown Prince and I am your fiancee, Your Highness. Oh well, I am sure you already know that you and your invitations for the Lady of the House of Marquess Solomon gained too much attention."

Silence surrounded the room and the two only stared at each other for a few moments. Meredith felt suffocated being alone with Damian but she just sat there with her head held high. She made sure that she was composed and didn't want to back down at the staring contest that suddenly commenced.

A knock interrupted them and announced the arrival of Lady Beatrice Solomon. The Crown Prince didn't respond but Meredith could tell that his Knights know what they'll do with the Lady who just arrived.

Her glare towards the guy in front of him deepened but her eyes blinked at the sudden movement of her fiance. Damian stood and walked towards Meredith. He leaned towards her, his hand was on the table while the other was on the back of the chair of Meredith. The Lady's heart stopped for a moment as his nose almost touched hers, his eyes scanning her for any reaction. When the Lady didn't even move, Damian pulled back and stood behind Meredith.

She flinched a bit when Damian carefully stroked her hair from behind.

"Are you perhaps anxious, My Lady?" His deep voice was full of sarcasm. "I was just inviting her out of boredom. She was gracious enough to accept my invitation, unlike the person I am engaged with. Perhaps I was lonely for being rejected too often by the person I am about to wed in the future."

Before Meredith could realize it, her hands were trembling, and that she was holding her breath. She inhaled deeply and shut her eyes for a minute before she quietly stood and faced Damian who was grinning at her.

"For the sake of our image and for the sake of the reputation of our families, I will fulfill my duty as your fiance," she shot him a sharp look. "I won't ever reject your future invitations as long as you don't seek the other Lady's companion."

She didn't wait for his reply and stormed off because she couldn't stay with him any longer. Meredith could sense danger from the Crown Prince since they first met. However, he was only calm and composed whenever they were together. The only thing that she hated the most was his sharp tongue and the way he could intimidate her.

Meredith let out a heavy sigh. Her breathing was still uneven as she recalled Damian's mocking tone and the way he touched her as if she was a doll fragile in his hands.

She continued walking when her eyes caught Lady Beatrice walking towards her. She wanted to ignore her but the lady waved her hands excitedly to Meredith so Meredith waited for the lady to approach.

So she stayed in the garden.

The Lady from the house of Marquess Solomon greeted her with a bright smile once she stood in front of Meredith. Beatrice curtsied and Meredith did the same, except that Meredith didn't offer any smile to the lady in front of her.

Beatrice's bright smile turned into an awkward one when Meredith gave her a blank look on the face. The Lady from the House of Duke Von Trapp radiates power and class as if she were already the Empress of the Empire. Indeed, she matched the aura the Crown Prince was giving whenever he was in public. The two may seem gentle and kind but their gaze could put everyone in the right place.

"Lady Meredith Von Trapp, right?" Beatrice gulped. "I am Beatrice, the only daughter in the house of Marquess Solomon. I wasn't able to introduce myself to you at the banquet."

"Don't worry, I am well aware of your existence and I am even aware of your activities for the past few days after the banquet."

The maids around Beatrice winced at the remark of Meredith but the two ladies were only staring at each other.

"If you have nothing to say and just wanted to introduce yourself, I shall take my leave," Meredith faked a smile. "After all, you shouldn't make His Highness wait."

Just like earlier, Meredith didn't wait for any reply, instead, she walked out with her head held high, glancing at all the maids who were gossiping. The confrontation she had with the Crown Prince and the famous Lady in the House of Marquess Solomon made her irritation flare.

Meredith was fine with the sudden existence of the lady but not when her goal was being threatened. She, of all people, knew that Damian could manipulate anything to get what he wanted. She knows that her engagement with him was in danger and she won't sit back to watch everything crumble in front of her.

*****

The moment Beatrice Solomon entered the room, a hand wrapped around her waist. She wanted to turn around but Damian held her in place as he leaned closer and placed his chin on her shoulder.

"We were just together yesterday, but I missed you badly," he mumbled, burying his face on her neck.

Beatrice sighed. "Damian," she called his name but then pursed her lips. "I mean, Your Highness."

"Come on, you can call me by my name," Damian chuckled.

"But I won't be comfortable anymore, You Highness. You are the Crown Prince and a person who is already engaged at that."

The Crown Prince pulled back and faced the lady in front of him, Her lips were in thin line, eyes refusing to meet him. He took a deep breath before he grabbed her by her head and placed it on his chest.

"I'm sorry, Beatrice," the Crown Prince apologized, his voice softening. "I didn't mean to hide it from you. But, I have a plan to tell you everything once I settled the things I need to do, including my engagement with Lady Meredith Von Trapp." He held her tighter. "You are the only person that I want to marry and I will make sure that's going to happen."

"But what about Lady Meredith?"

"Why worry about her? We were just engaged because of our families. She can handle herself."

When Damian heard a sigh from the lady's lips, he frowned and looked at her. "What's wrong?"

The lady stepped back and looked him in the eyes. "Lady Meredith was intimidating but she also looked kind and caring. I actually want to be friends with her."

Lady Beatrice remembered her first time seeing the lady from the House of Duke Von Trapp. She was captivated by Lady Meredith's presence and beauty. The young lady may seem intimidating because of the confidence she was radiating but Beatrice could tell that Meredith looked kind and caring. She observed how Meredith smiled warmly at her nanny and how she looked worried when Duke Von Trapp glared at her nanny. Beatrice could tell that Meredith loved her people.

"My Lady, I know this will be weird of me to request of you, but please don't associate yourself with Lady Meredith. You may view her as that but she is dangerous. Her family was dangerous. I am engaged to her and I am worried that she will show her true colors to you. I don't want to put you in danger, My Lady."

Beatrice pursed her lips but nodded at what Damian told her. She wants to still be friends with Lady Meredith but she also can't let Damian worry about her. He was the love of her life. He will come first before anyone.

Damian on the other hand wrapped the lady in his arms, again. He caressed her hair softly but his gaze was sharp as Meredith's face flashed on his mind.