Chapitre 34: Chapter 34: Collect then select I
Serena sighed after being seated in her car. Finally, she was out of the public's eyes. Although she still revels in the positive attention, there were days when her cheeks would hurt with all her smiling.
"Why are you sighing your highness? Is it because of what his royal highness did earlier?" Annalys being the 'concerned' and cheeky friend that she was portraying herself to be, teased.
Serena, recalling what Geoffrey did a while back, couldn't help but smile again. Geoffrey understood her main agenda for displaying their love to the public, and though he would get over the top at times, it's very reassuring that he supported her.
Anyhow, answering Annalys, she shook her head. "No, it's not that. I just thought that I would miss him these coming days. By the way, why are you addressing me as your highness this moment? It's just the two of us now."
Annalys gently knocked her head with her fist. "Oh yes. Sorry, Serena. It's just that I get confused at times and am afraid I get it wrong in public." She said with laughter in her eyes.
Serena chuckled at Annalys' antics, "The great blunder. Not that I would mind. Annalys, I'm glad that you're here. Without Geoffrey by my side, especially with the upcoming Season next week, I would truly be lonely in my lonesome company."
Annalys looked at Serena unbelievingly. "I highly doubt that. Whenever you show up for any event, everyone would vie for your attention that even I find it hard to breathe with them hovering around you."
Serena shook her head with a smile. "It's different. Anyhow, talking about the upcoming Season, I think that Geoffrey leaving couldn't have come in a more opportune timing."
Annalys cocked her head to her left. Why was that so? she seemed to ask without voicing her question.
Serena grinned. "Well, you're 22 this year. Don't you think it's high time that you start considering marriage?"
Annalys blushed. "That's for my parents to decide…"
"Hmm… though I know that your parents would never decide on a match that won't be good for you, I believe that your input is also just as important. You're the one who will be spending the rest of your life with your prospective husband so don't you think you should also consider your options by yourself?" Serena baited.
"You know who I have always wanted to marry…" Annalys said in a voice only slightly louder than a whisper.
Serena knew that Annalys was pertaining to Charlton and that's why she always stopped venturing on this topic in the past because she did not want to talk about him.
When Annalys first became her lady-in-waiting, there were days when she would want to talk about Charlton because she knew that the two of them worked closely in the music industry in the past.
Sometimes, it's both a blessing and a curse that Annalys did not know. A blessing because if she did, with how obsessed Annalys was which thankfully reduced with time, she doubts that they would have a relationship as good as they had now. A curse, because whenever the name Charlton was mentioned, she could go on and on about how perfect he was in her eyes.
Serena was over Charlton. She admits that she did think of him from time to time, especially that her first pregnancy was his. However, as Celine Dion's song said, 'but you were history with the slamming of the door' in this case, he. Gods, she can't even remember how many times she sang that song in her head as she hoped against hope. However, in the end, her desperation won, and she clung to Geoffrey.
Yes, she did wrong Charlton, and though it was also because she thought he wronged her too, she understood his choices. They fell apart because they could not overcome their situation. So, she already let go of whatever bitter feelings she had for him.
When she learned about his father's death, she felt bad for him but was not able to send her condolences. She has been on bed rest when the news came out and she did not even know of it until she returned to society and even then, she just lost her baby in a miscarriage and so was busy with her own problems.
Aside from that, she was part of the royal family, and she knew that the primary suspect was her father-in-law. Though she highly doubts that he committed anything of sorts because the king, for all his inadequacy, was not that stupid. Also, despite him being a bully to Geoffrey, he was not that evil either. Perhaps it was truly a natural death. She just hoped that Charlton truly let the matter rest like what she has been seeing so far.
In any case, whatever happened to Charlton had nothing to do with her. He lived his own life, and she lived her own. She did not want to think of him, hear of him, talk about him, much more see him for the rest of her life. She hopes that they continue living their lives the way they were doing now. Parallel to each other, never intersecting again. Fortunately, though nothing in the original novel ended the way they did on her end, Charlton did not return to the royal capital. Hopefully, it would remain that way till the end of their days.
Now, back to Annalys. Though she did not want to continue the conversation especially that Charlton was a topic they would inevitably touch, she had to face it. In all actuality, it's not that she didn't like Annalys to have her happy ending with Charlton.
Ok, so maybe she really did not. However, though there's some personal reason intermixed, it's largely because if the union were to happen, the combined military forces of the Daniels and the Cross family would become large enough to compete with the military forces of the royal family. Perhaps it would have been alright initially, but given everything that happened to Charlton, from his father being sent to prison, then dying in prison, she wouldn't take it against anyone to think of the possibilities.
By the way, that's also why she began having a newfound respect for the king. Looking back, it was when he saw Duke Argent Cross approaching Charlton that he tried to pair Charlton with Emily during the 88th Charlotte's ball. She did not understand his reasons then, but being part of the royal family, she could only think that he was king for a reason.
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TBC
Cadeaux
-- Cadeau
reçu État de l’alimentation hebdomadaire
-- Classement
Power Stone 
-- Power
stone