3 Chapter 2: The Conversation

Kathleen Remes' POV

"I'm sorry. I think you must be mistaken me with someone else," I said politely as I smiled at him. He was still skeptical of my answer as he was eyeing me up and down.

"Sorry, you're right. I must be. I am sorry to disturb you, ma'am," he said before he went out of my way before he turned to look back at me. I smiled again as I nodded at him before I walked up to the door that was leading to the main private room. I about grabbed the handle before the guard stopped me.

"excuse me, but this area is reserved for royalty of Finland only," he said before I looked at him. He gasped as well before he bowed at me.

"I'm sorry, your majesty. I thought it was someone else," he said as he bowed at me.

"good work. Keep it up," I said before I went inside the room. There was no one there as I was looking at the recently opened champagne bottle and used glasses. I looked around the room when I heard a voice was coming from the other side. I went to listen but there was a hole between the walls. I took a look and found that Katherine and Chris were making out. She was moaning out loud that Chris was kissing her neck.

"oh, Chris," she moaned before she pulled him up to claim his mouth again in a passionate kiss.

"peeping is not good, you know," a voice that was coming from behind made me startled as I jumped in my stand. I held my heart as it was beating so fast after being scared like that. I looked to see who was it and it was the same man that was asking me in the ballroom.

"do you have to be everywhere?" I said as I was looking at him.

"I don't know. Maybe I just there whenever you wanted to do something different," he said as he crossed his arms at me. I rolled my eyes at him before making my way to the door.

"now where are you going?" He asked I stopped in my track before looking back at him.

"I believed that was none of your business, isn't it?" I said before I got out of the room and I slammed it. I went to search for my parents but it was no use. I went to the guards and asked them where were my parents. They said that they were in the dining room, making some last preparation for the engagement party. I thanked them before I went to the dining room. I looked at the huge dining room doors as the servants opened it for me.

"thank you," I said as I walked inside the room. It was busy as bees. The servants were everywhere as they were moving to fulfil all the requirements that the guests asked for.

"now I want this to be served right now. I don't want anyone to starve. We will have the main course exactly at 20:30 hours, people," my mother's voice was echoing in the room. I went to the end of the room to see that she was busy arranging the bouquet to its finest.

"Okay, now a little more to the left. okay, okay. Perfect!" She said before the servants pushed the cart out into the ballroom.

"I see that you been keeping busy," I said from behind that made her jump in her feet.

"who dare to.." She said before she turned around and looked I was standing in front of her.

"oh my," she exclaimed as I bowed at her.

"Your highness," I said as I bowed at her humbly.

"oh, come here you," she said before she pulled me into a bear hug. yup, when I said that, that means no air supply will be getting to my lungs.

"Hello, mother," I said strained.

"oh, my. I haven't seen you since forever. You looked so thin, Kathleen," she said after she released me from her bear hug.

"it's nothing. Just keeping fit," I said as she took my hands into hers. Some tears were about to escape her eyes.

"oh, mother. Please, don't cry. I'm here now. It's all that matters," I said as I was wiping her tears.

"I know, I know. It just…I haven't seen you for the last 5 years. Your father forbids me to…" she said before she was interrupted.

"I forbid you to what?" The voice was echoing inside the room. My mother startled to hear it. She turned around to look at my father that was standing with all his mighty.

"your highness," my mother said as she bowed to him. My father looked at me as I was crossing my arms at him.

"well?" He asked as he looked at me.

"well, what?" I replied as I still stood on my feet.

"bow to me, child. Bow to your king," he said with authority. I scoffed.

"that king was my father. I have no other reason to bow to him," I said before I was about to walk out of there.

"Kathleen Remes, wait," he ordered me. I stopped in my track as I just stood there.

"what do you want to do now? Send me for another 5 years to prison?" I said sarcastically.

"Kathleen," my mother said as she went to my side. My father sighed before he spoke.

"Kathleen, you know why I have to do that," he said before I busted out.

"Please, enlighten me with your reason for that," I said as I looked at him. He looked at me murderously.

"You do not speak to me with that tone, young lady," he said as he pointed his finger at me.

"oh, sorry. I forgot all the things that I have learned to be a duchess after I went to hell," I said as I bowed sarcastically at him.

"Kathleen," he said as a warning. I just rolled my eyes at him.

"Enough, both of you," my mother said as she spoke out her mind for the first time that night.

"you, do not bring up the past and you, do not make it more difficult than it is," she said as she pointed at me and my father. I sighed as I crossed my arms in front of my chest.

"fine, whatever," we both said before my mother clapped her hands.

"now, beloved. Tell her the news," she said as she went to my side, holding me in place. I looked at my father and my mother. What have they planned now? My father signed before my mother looked.

"Kathleen, you have come off age to marry. I have found the proper suitor for you. His name is Kai Virtanen from the House of Virtanen," he said as he closed his hands.

"Virtanen? The Virtanen Empire that controls most of Finland's wealth before the royalty?" I asked as I looked at him, disbelieved by what he just said to me.

"yes, dear. He has been engaged to you since you were 15 years old," my mother added.

"Since I went to prison," I said as I looked both of them.

"yes, that is true. He was willing to marry you so you don't have to worry about anything," my mother said. I get out of her arms as I looked at her.

"You expect me to believe that him, Kai Virtanen, the most notorious person in Virtanen clan was agreed to marry me? You must be joking. That man loved his bachelor life too much that he did not just agree to an arranged marriage," I said as I looked at my mother.

"enough. You will meet him tonight and get acquainted. No more question," my father said before he went to the door of the dining room. He stopped before he looked over his shoulder at me.

"he might be the last chance for us to survive," he said before he disappeared through the door. I was dumbfounded after he said that. I looked at my mother as I tried to comprehend what just happened.

"mother, what father means by that?" I asked her before she also went to push me through the door.

"you'll see but now, let's get you into something more appropriate," she said as I looked at my dress. What's wrong with a short spaghetti strap dress?

Kai Virtanen's POV

After that woman stormed out of the room with a heavy bang, I winced for awhile. What did she eat that made her act like that? I shook my head as I went to seat at the sofas. My cousin, Chris, and his fiancée, Katherine were having some private time in their room before the big announcement.

"oh, cutie pie. You're so adorable," Katherine said as the door opened. Chris's face lightens up as he saw me.

"Cousin, what a pleasure to see you here. What brings you here?" He said as he bro-hugged me and I patted his back.

"nothing. Just an invitation from a grandfather that asked me to go to your engagement party," I said as I looked at him and Katherine.

"Hello, your highness," I said as I bowed at her. She giggled before speaking to me.

"oh, please, we're practically family now. Just call me Katherine," she said as she held Chris' arm.

"yes, cousin. Why don't you enjoy the dinner with us?" Chris said as I looked at my watch.

"I loved too but I have to. Something's urgent has come up," I said before I went out of the room.

"very well, see you home tonight then," Chris said as he hugged me again and I kissed Katherine's hand. I nodded before I went out of the room and went to the rooftop as the king has instructed me to.

"here's go nothing," I said as I went up the stairs after I passed the guards after showed them the king's seal.