Chapitre 18: Game (1)

"I would appreciate it if you stop looking at me as if you want to kill me. Someone who doesn't know we're sisters would believe you want to hurt me. I've done more than enough by not mentioning that the prince asked me for a dance. I need you to remember from now that I am not here to help you win," said Hazel.

Helena knew that they were both competing but since she was doing well and Hazel disliked the prince, she just thought that naturally, they would push for her to become the next queen. The attention she had from the ball was drying up quickly.

What if the prince were to suddenly be interested in Hazel? Then Hazel would be the centre of attention again. It was hard to step out of her sister's shadow no matter how hard she tried. If only Hazel was already married then Helena wouldn't have to compete with her.

"I'm more interested in becoming queen than you are. You don't like the prince," said Helena.

"I'm eager to become the future queen. It is only that I do not express it like you do. The prince and I have not seen each other for a long time. I will walk with him and try to get to know him. I would like for you to be happy for me just as I would have been for you. We made a promise to our mother to not let this selection ruin our sisterhood. Or have you forgotten already?" Hazel asked.

"I have not. I'm sorry that I ruined your moment and I wasn't excited for you. There is only one prince so it makes me extra competitive. You should have fun during your time with the prince. I want to be with my friends. Excuse me," Helena said and then left to find her friends.

Helena felt guilty for not being happy for Hazel in a moment like this and knew that their mother would be disappointed. She would try to get rid of her jealousy and congratulate Hazel later. She wanted to be more mindful of her feelings to not upset Hazel.

She shouldn't make requests with Hazel to tell the queen she didn't want to walk with the prince since this was also Hazel's time to compete. To step out of Hazel's shadow, Helena knew that she had to be better at impressing the queen and prince. She already had the queen's interest so it wouldn't be hard to rise above Hazel.

This was only the beginning and as of right now, there was still attention on her to make use of.

Hazel knew that what she said was not properly understood by Helena. Her sister was already too convinced that the seat of queen belonged to her and Helena believed that she was already in love with the prince when she had never had a conversation with him other than when they danced.

"I am suddenly happy that I am the youngest and I have no sisters. You know that she craves attention and always tries to compete with you," said Linda. Luckily, no one tried to compare her to her brothers as no one expected her to use a sword to join a war. "The prince is coming to us."

Hazel watched Tobias come back to the garden with a smug smile on his face like he was up to something. Before he came to her and Hazel, he stopped to speak to the queen's maids.

The two maids then hurried off somewhere like their jobs were at stake. It left Hazel curious about what he said to them.

"Now that's taken care of, we should hurry off before they find out that I lied to them. Follow me," Tobias said as he walked by Hazel and Linda. It wouldn't be long before his mother's maids would catch up to her or simply realise that they had been lied to.

Linda and Hazel looked at each other, both wondering why he was in a rush when they were given time to speak with him. Still, they followed Tobias to the other exit of the garden. They shouldn't be scolded since they were just following the prince's orders.

They walked far away from the garden to a place Hazel couldn't recall visiting in her youth.

"Your Highness," Linda said, no longer able to wait for him to tell her why she was picked. "Might I ask why I was your first choice?"

"You are a Henson. Why wouldn't I pick the woman who has family ties to the army? I want to have a close relationship with you in the future along with your brothers. Don't tell them about the relationship I want to have with you. They are a pain in the ass with how overprotective they are," said Tobias, already seeing them picking up a sword to send him away from their sister.

"Could you blame them?" Hazel asked, but then bit her lip as she didn't mean to let her thoughts be heard.

Tobias stopped walking and turned to Hazel. "What more is there you want to say to insult me, Hazel? What other rumours have you heard about me in the palace? Hazel the prude who looks down on everyone. I am not the only one with rumours about how I am."

Hazel frowned, disliking the description of herself. "Who said that? I have not heard anyone say that about me," she replied.

"That's because it's a rumour I plan to spread. You're the first to hear about it," Tobias said, enjoying the way she glared at him. She showed her anger, not caring that he was royalty. She was the same way as in the past where she would let it show that she disliked you.

Now that he stood close to her again, Tobias saw how much she had changed. He got to enjoy the woman she had become. He wouldn't mind if his mother would push Hazel as her favourite instead of the younger sister.

"Must you play this game because I didn't accept your dance? You should have picked someone you wanted to spend time with. I wanted to be picked because you were interested. Not over you getting back at me," said Hazel, letting him know that this wasn't right.

"You're in the palace now, Hazel. Not even the royals get all that they want so why should you? I picked you first because out of all the other women back there, you are the most normal and I get to annoy you," Tobias said, smiling to purposely bother Hazel.

He didn't have to hear about his mother and stand with someone who was in love with him when they knew nothing about him. Most of the women in the selection loved him for his face and his title. Hazel spoke to him as if he was not a prince. Something he enjoyed.

Hazel started to think it wasn't about him toying with her but then he ruined it at the end.

"You insufferable bastard," Hazel muttered, hoping he didn't hear it as she walked off to be ahead of him.

Tobias watched Hazel walk off, still saying insults about him under her breath. He chuckled, knowing he would have some fun. Before he could follow Hazel, he was reminded of Linda standing beside him. He couldn't properly enjoy his time with Hazel with someone else present.

"You like Edgar, don't you?" He asked, deciding to make an offer to her.

Linda blushed, surprised by his sudden question. "I-I don't. I'm here for you and becoming the next queen."

"That wasn't convincing. You need to work on lying so my mother doesn't find out. I will help you with getting Edgar's attention if you make yourself lost and leave me alone with Hazel," Tobias proposed a deal.

Linda looked down the hall at Hazel walking alone. "I can't do that if you will punish her for not dancing with you. If you are not interested and just want to get back at her, I beg you to please forget what happened at the ball."

"Not interested? Now why would you think that?" Tobias asked.

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Chapitre 19: Game (2)

To Linda, it sounded like the prince had taken a liking to her friend, but she couldn't see how that was possible when so far the two were bickering when they saw each other. Wasn't Hazel picked today for him to talk about her turning down the dance? Or was it something more?

Linda thought the prince would be a fool not to like her friend. Hazel was who Linda wanted to win the selection and become queen. Not because Hazel would be able to set her up with Edgar, but because she knew her friend's heart. She trusted that Hazel would do what was best for the kingdom.

If Hazel was the one to become queen, Linda would make sure the Hensons kept her protected.

"If you play with my friend, I will have my father and brothers come for you," Linda said, using her family for once.

Never had she thought of using her family's power in the palace army to her favour, but now it was the only thing she could use to protect her friend. She had also heard the rumours about his flirtatious ways and didn't want Hazel to be with someone who would entertain other women. If he was just looking to play with her friend, he had another thing coming.

Tobias was amused by the fact she was threatening him here in the palace. She was bold. Unfortunately, she could be because of the influence her father and grandfather had in the palace. Then her three brothers followed in their footsteps.

This was the sole reason everyone in the palace was pushing for him to marry Linda. Everyone else was just a second option.

"You do realise Edgar will never like you if you try to get his friend killed right?" Tobias asked. As much as his friend liked to joke, an enemy of his was an enemy of Edgar's. He could end her little romance with one word to Edgar.

"I love my friend more than I love Edgar. Now promise me that you will not hurt her and I will try to help you in the future with my family," Linda said, holding out her hand for them to seal their agreement.

"Well, aren't you a loyal friend? Do you think I could hurt Hazel? She looks ready to throw a shoe at me when I see her and I'm not looking to get on the bad side of the family who makes our weapons. You have nothing to worry about as long as you disappear right now. She's getting suspicious," Tobias said because Hazel was now looking at them. "I'm not going to shake your hand because that will make her more suspicious."

"Edgar might be in the palace tomorrow. Run along," Tobias said, shooing Linda away. She was wasting precious time he could have alone with Hazel.

There was a sudden excitement to be around Hazel and if he knew it was going to be this fun, he wouldn't have left her last night. He would have used his power to get her to dance with him or at least make her not run off.

"That is not enough. If we are to work together, you must tell me where he will be and find a way to bring him to where the queen will have us tomorrow. I am leaving you alone with my friend. That is not cheap," Linda said.

She would have to hear from Hazel later about leaving her alone with Tobias.

"Fine," Tobias said and then walked off to join Hazel. He wouldn't be able to get Edgar anywhere near the selection group because his mother would be telling Edgar about marriage and Edgar was never in the mood to here about getting married because of his family drama, but Linda did not need to know that.

"Where is Linda going? Is it over already?" Hazel asked, confused as to why Tobias was walking toward her and Linda was walking away.

"You look disappointed that it might be over. I didn't know you were so eager to spend time with me. I'm touched," Tobias said, touching his chest.

"My eagerness is to leave. If it is over, excuse me," Hazel said, curtsying before she would walk away.

Tobias grabbed her arm to stop her from leaving. "It is far from over, Hazel. I need to take turns spending time with you and Linda. She will come back when it is her turn."

"That doesn't sound right. The queen said you were to spend time with the two of us. I'm sure she meant at the same time and why did it look like Linda was going to shake your hand? Please don't tell me you two made a deal," said Hazel. She hoped it had nothing to do with Linda's crush.

After a moment of silence, Hazel asked, "Why aren't you talking?"

"You said not to tell you," Tobias replied.

Hazel stared at him and then walked off to get away from him. "Do I really want to be here?" She muttered.

"Why not? You don't want to be my wife like everyone else does? I thought all the women coming in here were hopelessly in love with me," said Tobias. He followed Hazel to wherever she was going. He wondered why she wasn't going where Linda walked off.

"They are hopelessly in love with you because they don't know you. I've heard about your past and present with women. There was a big scandal from the first group that you were caught with a lady. I also knew you when we were younger. You're a-" Hazel stopped herself before she further insulted him.

"What do my past and present have to do with you when we are not together? Be the one I get married to and I just might tell you," Tobias offered.

"No thank you. I'm only concerned about your habits after you get married. Will you stop being a flirt?" Hazel asked. She didn't want a husband who would be sleeping around and as the king, there would be nothing she could tell him.

"I act as I do because I am not engaged or married. I plan to be a loyal husband which is why I will not marry someone I won't have feelings for or attracted to. I don't care what woman the palace thinks would make the best pick. That is my decision," Tobias answered.

"I hope that remains true for whoever you married," Hazel said, wanting his ways to change.

"Speaking of yourself?" Tobias teased, putting some space between them after Hazel glared at him. "Did you have a little disagreement with your sister?"

"How did you see when you were out of the garden? My sister doesn't understand why you picked me today after dancing with her at the ball. Only her. To be honest, if not for knowing you want to tease me for not dancing with me, I wouldn't understand it either," Hazel said.

Tobias regretted the dance even more now that it was causing these problems. "Now that this is happening, I regret not going straight to you. The only problem was you standing near Linda and her brothers."

Hazel stopped upon hearing this. "Your first pick wasn't Helena? If I was not standing with Linda, would you have truly picked me?"

"Yes. Why would I lie about it? I wasn't in the mood to approach you two to deal with her brothers so your sister was the next best thing. Unfortunately, my mother has her eyes on Helena now. I wonder why your parents put you and Helena together to have you compete. I'm not interested in your sister. You on the other hand," Tobias said, looking down at her.

Hazel was so distracted by thinking about what he said about his first pick that she did not hear what he said at the end. If Helena were to know this, Hazel would have more whining to hear. "Please do me a favour and never tell her that," she begged.

"And why would I do that? If I revealed you were my first pick, I could get rid of the younger sister and focus on the older one. What the fuck, Hazel!" Tobias exclaimed because Hazel kicked his foot.