Stubborn bride

Alicia had that fluttery nervous feeling in her belly as she was led outside with her boxes. It was time to go home with her husband.

Never in her life had she felt as confused and clueless as she did at that moment. It seemed to her like she was on a rollercoaster. Within three days she had spent the night in three different places, and now she was going somewhere else again. What was she to expect from all of this?

"Are you always this absentminded, or am I to assume that it only happens when you are around me?" Prince Harold who was standing beside one of the carriages, cut into her thoughts as he watched Alicia who just stood there staring at the carriage absentmindedly.

She snapped her head up when she heard the familiar voice of prince Harold. She hadn't realized that they had gotten to the carriage already. She eyed him unpleasantly. If only he had changed his mind about the marriage.

"Don't talk to me." She snapped at him.

The guards around tried not to react even though they were surprised, but then again, she had done worse inside so it was expected.

"We are riding together," A young feminine voice informed her from within the carriage, and she craned her neck to see the stunning teenage beauty from earlier smiling at her.

"Get in, or do you need a special invitation?" Prince Harold asked coolly when Alicia simply stood there staring at his half-sister.

Alicia cleared her throat as she turned to look at him, "Not yet. I was hoping I could talk to you about something," Alicia said as she took a step forward, looking directly into his blue eyes.

His brow arched, "I thought you just asked me to not talk to you? Are you always this confused?" He asked with a shake of his head.

Alicia looked at him distastefully. He might be the most handsome man she had set eyes on, but he was also by far the most annoying. Raising her chin defensively she cleared her throat, "I asked you not to talk to me, I didn't say I wasn't going to talk to you," she pointed out reasonably.

"So I suppose you only need me to listen? Go on, then," he said, giving her the go-ahead to say what she wanted to say.

Alicia pursed her lips, "Like I said, I have a request to make..."

"A request? And what could that be?" He asked as his eyes shifted to Paulina who was standing behind her with teary eyes, and then back to her.

"Uhm... She can come with us, right?" She asked, not knowing how else to tell him what she wanted.

"No."

"No?" She echoed.

"No."

"What do you mean by that?" Alicia questioned him with a slight frown.

"Exactly what you heard. You don't need the extra help. There are enough maids in my kingdom to take care of all your needs. Now get in, you have delayed us long enough," he ordered roughly, and Paulina stepped back.

Alicia pulled Paulina's arm, bringing her to stand beside her, "I'm not leaving here without her. So she is either coming with us, or you will have to go without me," Alicia said stubbornly as she folded both hands across her chest.

"My lady—" Paulina said in panic as she looked between the two of them. She looked away from Prince Harold when it looked like his eyes were going to burn her to ashes.

Prince Harold's gaze moved from Alicia to where her so-called sisters huddled together to watch them as though they were waiting for something hilarious to entertain them, and for some reason he felt a sense of kinship with her since he only knew too well what it felt like to be the family's outcast.

"Life has never been fair to us women whether in the past or the future. We are expected to leave our homes, change our names, carry babies, and do all of that. I ask for something as simple as my maid coming with me to a strange land and that..."

"Get in," he cut in quietly.

"...is a problem. I'm not moving an inch from this place until you say Paulina can come with us. I don't even know anyone there, how do you expect me to survive?" Alicia asked, raising her chin stubbornly as she stared at Harold whose temper was beginning to burn.

Without saying another word, he lifted her off the floor, causing her to scream and flail about but he ignored her and roughly shoved her into the carriage where his half-sister was seated, causing Alicia to shriek in both surprise and anger.

Alicia turned in her seat to yell at him, but pressed her lips together when she met his cold angry eyes, "I don't have the patience for stubborn women, so it will be in your best interest to stay still. Your maid can join the servants in the next carriage," he said as he sat down beside his half-sister.

His half-sister who had been quietly observing them the whole time looked even more surprised than Alicia upon hearing his words.

Alicia beamed and peeked out to look at Paulina with a happy smile, "I told you I was going to make it happen, right? You can join the next carriage. You are coming with us," she said with a happy smile to Paulina whose face was wet with tears as she thought it was time to say goodbye to her mistress.

Paulina craned her neck to look at Harold, but he didn't spare her a glance. Seeing as he didn't object, she smiled at Alicia and bowed to Harold, before going to join the next carriage.

Alicia kept looking to make sure Paulina got into the carriage, before relaxing on her seat and heaving a sigh of relief.

"I'm Princess Tyra. Prince Harold's younger sister." Harold's half-sister informed Alicia with a happy smile, and from the gleam, in her eyes, Alicia could tell that she seemed really happy.

"Hi! My name is Alic... I mean Princess Amber," Alicia corrected with a smile. Somehow she felt that the beautiful teenager was the same age as the Princess whose body she was possessing.

Prince Harold who was known for his coldness and lack of desire to engage in a discussion with anyone turned to look through the window while he thought about what to do with his stubborn and talkative wife.

"I know who you are," Tyra said with an amused smile, wondering why Alicia bothered to introduce herself when they had come there to marry her.

"You look so beautiful and graceful," Alicia said as she eyed the young girl.

"Not anywhere near as beautiful and graceful as you are," Tyra said, and both ladies turned to look at Harold when they heard him snort.

"Did he just... snort because you called me beautiful and graceful?" Alicia asked with a slightly raised brow, making the corners of Tyra's lips pull up in a smile.

"I think he did," Tyra said with a nod, and turned to look at her half-brother with a grin, but he ignored both ladies.

Alicia tsked, and without saying anything else she looked out of the window. All she needed to do now was find out how far apart their kingdom was from the river where the Princess had drowned. She knew the chances of escaping from the carriage was slim, and she wasn't sure she was willing to risk her neck to the hot-tempered Prince for a futile escape.

"How long is the trip?" She asked, turning to look at the princess who had taken out a novel and was busy reading.

She glanced up with a lost look in her eyes which gradually cleared, "Three days."