Ch 3: Royal Revenge

Aribella POV

I apologize in advance, Aribella. Terrorizing this girl’s room feels wrong, but I don’t have a choice.

Rummaging through every drawer in her room, I finally found paper and pen.

My mind ran wild trying to remember every name that I’d heard today.

I felt like a madwoman as I dragged the ink across every page.

I’m Aribella Voss, the daughter of Claudia and Aimes Voss. My family owns Voss Ranch, which directly provides and cares for the royal family’s horses.

Rhory Whitehall is the Grand Duke and future King of Sacaris. Mael Whitehall is his younger brother and the Duke, a step below the Grand Duke, and likely to never become King.

Thank God for that.

The men that came along with the Whitehall's were members of the royal guard.

They’re also vampires, which is precisely why they were wearing the high-tech masks over the lower half of their face. Their extremely strong sense of smell needs to be filtered working so closely around humans.

How do I know all of this? Simple, I’ve read it all before in a story. Some of the minor details are fuzzy, but I reread the story dozens of times, and I’m certain of many key points.

Growing up, I loved to read, and just so happened to stumble across a dark fairytale named Royal Revenge.

Rhory Whitehall will become King by the end of the year, but his younger brother Mael thinks that he’s too soft to lead the kingdom of Sacaris. Mael concocts a plan that involves me falling in love with him and him killing his older brother.

He forges a relationship with Aribella Voss, the ditzy female main character, by pretending to be a soft, kindhearted man. She falls for the act, and he proposes, which overjoys Claudia and Aimes.

Mael showers her with gifts and attention, hoping that she’s so blinded by love, she won’t see the darkness that lingers in his soul.

He uses Aribella as a push for his maturity, claiming that a king should take the throne when he’s found his Queen, but Rhory doesn’t budge, nor will he allow his younger brother to steal the throne he’s worked so hard to take.

When his plan with Aribella backfires, and she becomes too clingy and needy, he poisons her, killing her off in the story, and moving in on the second part of his plan; Getting rid of his brother.

After a few failed attempts, Mael finally succeeds in killing Rhory, and becomes the King of Sacaris.

Rhory’s right hand, Emrys Locksley begins investigating his death, discovering the grim truth behind his best friend's untimely passing while also figuring out that Aribella was murdered as well.

Kaelar Itsuki is Rhory’s official knight, the man I noticed smiling with his eyes earlier, and second only to Emrys. He teams up with Emrys to expose Mael for what he’s done. The story ends with Emrys becoming King after Mael’s exile.

I stare at the notes that I just scribbled on the page, and my heart sinks.

If the story happens exactly how I remember, I’m fated to die again.

A low growl bubbles from my chest. I didn’t want to die the first time, let alone die a second time.

“Think, Charlotte,” I tap the pen against my chin. How do I get out of this predicament?

I could ignore Mael, but that doesn’t mean that he won’t go to my parents and ask for my hand in marriage. After my little display earlier, they might be happy to hand me over as penance for my sharp tongue.

That also doesn’t solve the issue that Rhory is the secondary target, and he, at the very least, stood up for me and the servant boy. I don’t remember too much about his personality, but the story portrayed him as being too soft to take the throne, so I imagine he doesn’t deserve that fate either.

A dull ache throbbed at my temples, and I scooped up the notebook and pen, taking it over to the large bed, and flopped down.

“What kind of stupid fate is this?” I thought out loud, “I stayed with Stephan, and look where that got me. Reincarnated into a story where I’m the fool again, falling for a man who just wants to hurt me.”

Maybe I’m fated to be the ignorant girl who believes in love instead of seeing life for what it is.

Disappointing, dark, and painful.

Bringing the notebook in front of me, I stare at the words that I’ve written.

“No one is going to believe this bullshit,” I scoff, smacking the notebook against my forehead repeatedly.

I stare at the page until the words blur before my eyes. Hopelessness floods my chest, and I slam the notebook against the comforter.

Stop feeling sorry for yourself. This is a story, but you are now the author. Make it your own.

I flipped to the next blank page, making myself a list.

Step one; Stay away from Mael. Qualities; Asshole. Dangerous. Pompous. And did I say asshole?

Step two; DO NOT DIE. (This is important, Charlie. Or… Aribella.)

Step three; Convince Rhory, without telling him the full truth, to take me in for both of our protection. (Unsure how to do this yet. Will come back to this bullet point later)

Steph four; DO NOT FALL IN LOVE. (It is not worth it. You know this. GUARD YOUR HEART BITCH)

“I feel less hopeless now.”

The door to my room slams against the far wall, and I snap my head to the right, seeing my father’s fuming face, “Aribella Mae Voss, how dare you speak to a royal with that tone.”

“That man was a miserable excuse for a human. Did you see the way he treated that boy?”

He pinched his nose, “We do not meddle in royal affairs. How he treats his servants is not of our concern. You don’t have to like it to bite your tongue. Our ranch relies on their business, Ari. You will formally apologize to Mr. Whitehall.”

Over my dead body.

“I have no idea what’s gotten into you, but eat, and then you’ll be tending to the royal horse. It has a wound that needs draining and that feels like the perfect punishment for your sharp tongue,” he leaves, closing the door behind him.

I know nothing about how to treat wounds on horses, and I imagine there is no internet here, so that’s going to be fun. Maybe Peyton will know.

Now I need to figure out how to get a meeting with Rhory Whitehall.