Only you, p.1
Only You, page 1
Only You
A.B. MONNETTE
Copyright © 2021 A.B MONNETTE
All rights reserved
The characters and events portrayed in this book are fictitious. Any similarity to real persons, living or dead, is coincidental and not intended by the author.
No part of this book may be reproduced, or stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without express written permission of the publisher.
To my best friend,
Here's to when this book was just in a notebook we passed around in english class.
To love and be loved is to feel the sun from both sides
David Viscott
Prologue
A Prince rose from the ashes of his palace and destroyed his enemies with intelligence and courage. He brought victory to his Kingdom, Archelaos, and ruled it fairly, making all his subjects happy.
So it seems.
As the Prince becomes King, he lives up to his title, The Great Phoenix. A great warrior King who yields both pen and sword. The future of the Kingdom is set, except for an heir. To produce an heir, the Kingdom of Archelaos needs a Queen. Not just any queen, but a Queen who fits the King perfectly.
A competition is set up where all the eligible ladies in the kingdom attend to find a Queen suitable for the King. A group of competitors is taken to the castle to meet the great King to get him to fall in love.
What happens when an outsider enters the competition? Deceptions? Treason? Murder? Love?
In the Kingdom of Archelaos, Fai is an outsider. She was adopted as a young child after her tribe was killed during the war. Fai is different from the others; she has skin as dark as night, eyes of coffee grains, the height of an Amazonian, and hair that could never be tamed. She doesn’t want to compete; she doesn’t want to win and be next to the King to bear his children. She wants to be free.
But why is it that when she looks into his broken eyes, she yearns to fix them?
Ametheo, The Great Phoenix, does not want a Queen or a family. He does not deserve such things. The only thing he cares about is his Kingdom and dying in peace. The competition is far from what he wants, and he is determined to ensure he receives no queen.
But what happens when he sees her? The only person that makes him envy the sun for giving her such loving kisses is clear in her lovely skin. She is the only person in the palace who already has a beautiful crown on her head. The only person whose whiskey-colored eyes make him believe everything will be all right.
The only person worth living for.
Chapter 1
Fai’s P.O.V
I know time will tell if we’re meant for this – The Weeknd.
“Come on, Fai, we’re going to be late. There’s this new dress that I’m dying to try on,” May says, grabbing my arm and dragging me around.
We were supposed to run some errands and get groceries this week, but my best friend had other plans. She finally saved enough money to get this on-sale dress that nobles gave away because it became ‘Last Season”.
We finally made it to the shop in time, and May got her dress, offering to buy me something. I declined, content with my everyday clothes.
“Don’t look. Ray is coming,” May says, hitting my side slightly.
Ray, my ex-boyfriend. We ‘dated’ when we were seventeen, eight years ago, he was my last boyfriend before I decided relationships were not worth it.
Ray left me when he turned twenty because it was time for him to get married, and his parents would be damned if he married an outsider. Although his parents liked me, they clarified that I could only be a concubine for Ray and nothing else.
I didn’t mind the breakup. The way our relationship was discrete made it clear that it wasn’t forever. May thinks I’m heartbroken when I wasn’t that attracted to Ray in the first place.
He was blond and extremely buff, not my type, but he had a kind soul and was good in bed.
That I miss.
“Hi Fai, hello May,” He greets, giving us his puppy dog smile. His dimples are showing.
“Hi, Ray,” We both replied, smiling back at him.
“How are the kids?” I ask, looking behind him to see if his sons are behind him.
Before he could answer, a big crowd started to form a few feet away from us. In the middle of the group was a man on a horse. He had the royal uniform and crest on his side.
The royal messenger.
“Attention. Attention.” The messenger announced, unrolling his scroll.
“The Great Phoenix is in search of a wife. All the bachelorettes in the land must participate in a competition to win the King’s hand in marriage. The competition will have two parts, one small competition where only fifteen ladies can go to the castle.” He clears his throat to get the attention of those already gossiping, fantasizing about marrying the Great Phoenix and becoming Queen.
“Those fifteen ladies will have the honor and the great privilege of meeting the Great Phoenix himself, make a great impression, and you shall earn a spot next to him and the throne,” He continues.
“As if someone could warm up the devil’s heart,” A man says next to me, earning a glare from the messenger while I roll my eyes.
You never met the King. How can you be so judgmental?
“If I were younger, I would participate.” A woman voices off.
“All the maidens will have until tomorrow to go to the house maiden house; only bring what is valuable to you; clothes and every personal necessity will be provided.” The messenger finishes, closing the scroll and riding away on his horse.
Chapter 2
Fai’s P.O.V
There is not a duplicate of you in the whole wide world – Lou Austin.
After the messenger was gone, everyone started to gossip again. Some ladies started fixing their appearance, some quickly went home, some broke it off with their lovers, and some cried.
“I don’t want to compete to meet a tyrant.”
“I hear he doesn’t talk to anyone.”
“Why have this competition? I thought Royalty married Royalty?”
“He’s probably hideous and is doing this competition because he can’t get anyone?”
“The late king was”
“Maybe he got his mother’s look. The late Queen was beautiful.”
“I don’t know what the big deal about marrying him is. Isn’t he a bastard child who killed his family for the throne?”
What?
“The Phoenix is a Great King. Without him, we would still be at war. Respect him.”
“Bastard. Murderer. Great. I don’t care, think being about Queen. The money and power, imagine.”
With that, I walk away from the crowd. I walked into the meadow near my house, lying down to finish the book I was reading.
“Fai, come to the kitchen,” my mother yells, making me groan.
I was so close to finishing the book too.
I walk to the kitchen to find my mom, dad, and aunt with her two sons at the small table with food on it.
“What’s all of this for?” I ask while walking around the small kitchen: greeting my family with hugs.
“It’s a farewell dinner before you go to the maiden house for the competition,” Mother says with a big smile.
“Which you will win if you love your family,” My aunt says teasingly while my father rolls his eyes.
“I’m not going to win. There’s no point in going,” I sigh, fixing my plate, and waiting for the overreaction to begin.
“Why do you say that?” Mother says, looking so distraught as if I disrespected her.
“Look at me, mother. I’m not the same as everyone here. Why would the King pick an outsider to be his Queen? I stay stating the obvious, pointing at my dark skin and everyone’s light and fair skin.
When I was a baby, enemies came to my village, killing everyone in my tribe. My Mother was friends with my birth parents and adopted me since she and my father could not have kids. I don’t remember anything from my tribe or my parents. I was raised by my parents and accepted, and I’m eternally grateful that they didn’t hide my past from me.
The town eventually managed to accept. I’m confident they were weirded out at first, but my tribe was liked, and the stares I get mainly stares out of pity.
But I’m also aware that I’m different and that even if I’m accepted, there are limits, such as having the audacity of wanting to be Queen.
“Sweetie, is this about Ray?” My mom says, looking at me with sad eyes. She hates when I point out our differences.
“Mom, I told you Ray, and I are history. None of this is about him.” I roll my eyes. I hate when they bring him up.
“That doesn’t matter. You’re beautiful, and The Great Phoenix would bow down to you when he sees you.”
“Looks have nothing to do with this mother. I should know my place.” U sat. She doesn’t understand, I could look better than most goddesses, and it would not matter. I’m different, and that’s okay.
“You can still be as stubborn as you want. You still have to go, or you’ll have to face the consequences,” My aunt says, giving my mother a look that I cannot read.
“Consequences?”
“Yes, consequences,” My mom says, taking a deep breath, not looking me in the eyes.
Chapter 3
Fai’s P.O.V
You’re terrific as far as I am concerned – E.B. White.
"What consequences?" I ask, looking at my mother and aunt.
&nb sp; My father was about to say something when my mother took my hand and dragged me out to the meadows. "Let's go talk somewhere else, sweetheart."
"I am sorry, Fai, I am." Mother says when we reach the meadow, tears in her eyes.
"Mom, what's wrong?" I asked, reaching out to her, trying to calm her down. Mother is emotional; when she starts crying, it takes moving mountains to make her stop. I remember one day, father had to walk into town and buy her poppies to make her happy.
"I'm okay, I'm okay," she says, doing her breathing exercises.
"Okay, so the consequences? Are you ready to tell me what they are?" I say slowly, trying to make sure she does not go back to crying.
Wrong decision.
I winced when she went back to sobbing uncontrollably. I stand there awkwardly as she continues crying. I do not deal with emotions well.
"You know what, I’ll go to the competition. Just stop crying, please." I finally say out of desperation, and the tears are just too much.
As if by magic. Her sobbing stops out of nowhere. No cooldown, no nothing.
What an actress.
She quickly hugs me, wiping away her tears and dragging me back into the house. I'm starting to think those tears were just crocodile tears.
While my mother went and told everyone about my decision to attend the competition, I went to finish reading my book before it was time to leave.
"What are you taking with you?" Mother asks, coming into my room, my aunt following her.
"My necklace," I say, touching the necklace I had on my neck since I could remember. It’s the only thing I have in memory of my parents and tribe. "And my book, I need to finish it."
"Oh, sweetheart, you don't need that book. You’re on your way to becoming Queen." My aunt says, trying to pull the book out of my hand, but my grip on it is more robust.
"That does not mean I can't still read. I could still read on my way to the maiden house."
"The maiden house isn't that far, and you can't read and walk simultaneously."
"I need to finish this book."
"It's just a stupid book."
By now, we were playing tug of war with my book; no one dared to come between us. Why is she so controlling?
"We're not even sure I will win the competition." Pull
"You will win." Pull
"No." Pull
Riiiipppp.
Silence fills the room as we stare at my ruined book on the floor. My aunt hurries down to the floor, trying to fix the book.
"Snow, I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to."
"Bye, everybody. I love you, and stay safe," I say, ignoring my aunt and hugging my parents, making my way to the house, mentally wishing pain and suffering on my aunt.
Chapter 4
Fai’s P.O.V
There's something about you that people notice right away. It's a light that beams outward and brightens everything it touches- M.H. Clark.
It's been four hours since I arrived at the maiden house—four dreadful hours.
In the first hour, I dealt with hateful and yet curious looks from the castle staff. The evil eyes we all received, and I don’t blame them. I, too, would be mad if I had to leave a lovely castle to care for dirty commoners. The curious look, however, only I received, and I have a pretty good guess on why.
It's because I look different.
The second hour, I was put in a bath and was scrubbed so hard my skin burned. They poured this liquid on me, a strong perfume that I tried to run off but was overpowered. After that, I was forced into this yellow dress. It wasn’t necessarily my style, but it did compliment my skin.
Now I’m in the attic trying to fix my hair since they have no experience with thick hair. They tried putting it into a bun like all the others, but it was atrocious.
"What are you doing up here?" One of the staff says, standing at the entrance red with anger. "You were supposed to be at the dinner table by now, and what on earth did you do to your hair?"
"I fixed it," I said with a small smile, walking past her as she glared at the low braided bun I did with my hair.
I’m the last to arrive in the dining room. When I entered, I received looks of confusion, which I also returned. There were so many girls, and I barely recognized the ones in my village. Everyone is so dressed up.
The only one I recognize is a dark-haired girl with piercing green eyes, my friend May. She is so obsessed with dressing up and putting on makeup; the only difference is that the bun frames her face and makes her look even more beautiful.
I didn’t think that was possible.
"Now that everyone is here let's get started." The head staff says, sending a glare my way.
"You guys are to have dinner and talk amongst yourselves," She continued pacing around the room. "You will report to the living room for the first elimination round in two hours. See you then."
Elimination round? On the first night?
"I bet they’re going to eliminate us based on our looks," May whispers to me after the staff leaves, giving me a small smile.
"Then you shouldn't worry at all," I say, giving her a small smile.
"Correction, we both shouldn't worry, gorgeous," she says, dragging me to sit next to her.
Lies.
For most of the dinner, I stayed quiet. May introduces herself to those around her, inserting her dominance. Everyone else stays within themselves or their group.
No one wants to get to know each other, and that's understandable. Ten towns were under the kingdom, and numerous maidens from each village were under one roof.
Why try to get to know people you might never see again after a day or two?
Two hours later, we all made our way to the living room, where the head staff and some men were waiting.
"This is the king's advisor; he will judge the first elimination round. Show some respect," The head staff says, ensuring we're all lined up in a straight line facing the advisor. The old man looks at us, using his cane for support as he starts to walk around.
That’s not how I imagine the royal advisor to look.
"Too tall," he says, looking up at one of the girls. May was correct; this is about looks.
Did the king command this? Is he that shallow?
"Too short," he says, gesturing to five girls. They rush to the side, joining the first girl.
"Too skinny"
"Too big"
"Weird eyes"
"Not good enough."
