Chapter 1 Prologue

• At least once a year we visited the Chevaliers in the castle where they lived and once reigned, when there was still a monarchy in Noriah South.
• I enjoyed playing with Andrew, Laura and Hector. My sister, Pauline, although older, like Andrew, also has fun with us. I thought it must be fun to live in a place with as many people to play with as they did. After all, they all lived together there. My younger sister did not accompany us at these times, as she was still a baby. I had started walking just over a few months ago.
• My parents had three girls: Pauline, the oldest; me, the middle one and Aimê, the youngest. We were the offspring of D'Auvergne Bretonne. Yes, my parents didn't have any boys. And oddly enough, my father was immensely happy with his four wives and an entire kingdom to manage.
• We were playing tag in one of the gardens, which had a huge green grassy field beside it. It was said that Prince Magnus used the space to run twice a day. Space to run away during play was limited.
• Andrew was skinny and I think that's why he ran faster than everyone else. However, after a while he looked tired as I teased him to come get me.
• - It's unfair to take her, Andrew. It's a brat. shouted Henry.
• Andrew looked at me and ran after me, not paying attention to his cousin. In the escape I ended up falling and so did he, only on top of me.
• - Did I hurt you? – he asked worried, getting up quickly.
• - No... But I don't want to play run anymore. - I said accepting his hand to get up, wiping the sweat from my forehead while everyone stopped playing.
• - Shall we play wedding? - suggested Laura.
• - How do you play marriage? asked Pauline curiously.
• - Getting married. – she replied simply.
• - In truth? Forever? – I asked confused.
• Everyone started laughing.
• - Hey, I just asked a question. - I defended myself.
• - You're out of the loop. said Laura haughtily.
• - Because? I asked furiously.
• - Because you're still too young to get married. – she said leaving while everyone followed her towards the castle.
• Laura was always the leader in the games. I remember that she always fought with me and tried to exclude me. My mother said to let go, because we were all related in the end. But she wasn't really my relative. She was a borrowed cousin, since she was the daughter of Dom and Eva, who had no blood ties to my family... The ties came with the Chevaliers. So I only had blood ties to Andrew. Because Henry was the adopted son of Uncle Dereck and Uncle Kim. Or was Henry not adopted? But if Dereck was married to Kim... and they were both men, they theoretically couldn't have a baby. I would ask mine about it.
• I stood still as Andrew walked past me, limping.
• - Come on, brat, you can play.
• - Serious? – I asked happily following beside him. – Why are you limping?
• - I think I hurt my foot when I fell.
• - Is it hurting?
• - No...
• I saw a yellow flower on the way and I plucked it, giving it to his hand:
• - To improve your pain. - I explained. - And now you already have a flower to marry.
• - I'm not going to play marriage. - he said. - I'm not old enough for this.
• - Then why did you say I can play if you won't even? – I asked.
• - Because you're old enough to play this.
• - Laura said I'm too young.
• - And you think it is?
• - To play or get married?
• He laughed:
• - Forget it, brat.
• - Are you too old to play marry?
• - Yes... I'm really old enough to get married.
• - Then why play marriage, right? – I asked as we finally entered the castle.
• - Exactly.
• - Have you ever kissed a girl? – I asked curiously as we climbed the stairs, more behind the others.
• - You're too bold, brat.
• - Answer me, Andrew. I patted his arm, smiling eagerly at the answer.
• - Of course yes. And you, have you kissed?
• - Of course. I'm only ten years old.
• He looked at the flower and put it in his pocket.
• - You will lose the flower I gave you. - I said angry.
• - I will not go. I kept it in my pocket so I wouldn't lose it.
• - I hope you don't give it to one of your girls.
• - Why do you think I would do that?
• - I don't know...
• - I would give a girl a bouquet of flowers, not a flower I got from you.
• We climbed the stairs and were led by Laura to a room on the third floor. It was where the royal jewels and crowns were. I was amazed looking at it all. I ran my hands over the cold, shiny metals, completely enchanted.
• - Do you think they're pretty? Andrew asked following me.
• - Yea...
• - There's no wreath room in Alpemburg?
• - Of course there are... But they are different from these... Besides, we already know everything there.
• - Will you wear a crown, since you will not be the queen? - he asked.
• - I think not. I shrugged my shoulders. – I don't care either.
• - Will Pauline be the queen? he asked, looking at my sister.
• - Yes... She already does everything thinking about it.
• - Hey, aren't you coming, Andrew? asked Laura further on, with the others in an empty space.
• - Look at my face of who's going to play marriage. - He said sitting in a chair, while observing everything.
• - Come on, stop being silly... We've always joked about this. said Henry.
• Laura took a veil and fastened it to a beautiful tiara, placing it over her head:
• - Come, Andrew, be my husband. Let's walk down the aisle...
• I watched as Henry put a red tulle on a ruby crown and put it on Pauline's head. She seemed to like it, as the two of them were laughing all the time.
• - You can be the priest, brat. - said Laura.
• I sat on the floor next to Andrew and pouted. Laura definitely made a point of pulling me out of the jokes. Okay, I was younger than them, but my mom always said I didn't have to stay out of the fun.
• I watched intently as Pauline walked down the aisle amidst the crowns, in her red veil and her ruby crown. She was beautiful.
• - There's no priest. Let's pretend this is a priest. - Laura said placing an enormous crown on a small glass table.
• - Hey, be careful... This crown belonged to my father. - said Andrew.
• - Magnus won't mind. - she said, completely ignoring Andrew's plea.
• What was my surprise when Pauline and Henry “married” and after the yes they kissed on the mouth. I ran my hands over my eyes several times to make sure I wasn't seeing things. My mom and dad would kill her if they knew she kissed Henry. I think more my father than my mother. He was more conservative. My mother was absolutely liberal... even too much sometimes.
• Laura laughed:
• - I liked it even more. Come on Andrew, now it's the two of us.
• - I'm not going to play this. – he said firmly.
• - It's just a joke, don't be silly. said Henry. “It's not a real wedding.
• - But this kiss was no joke. – Andrew claimed.
• - I let you kiss me for real. - Laura said seriously.
• - I don't want to play this. Not even kiss you.
• - I want to. Let me play. I accept to be the priest. - I begged not to be left out.
• - Okay, you're the priest. - Laura accepted, rolling her eyes in a sign of little satisfaction.
• Andrew got up and said:
• - Okay, I joke. But Alexia will be my bride.
• Everyone looked at him, including me.
• - The brat? You must be kidding. - said Laura.
• - Let her play, Laura. After all, this isn't a real wedding. - Pauline said. - If she goes to complain to my mother, there will be no more fun. You know Satini D'Auvergne Bretonne.
• - And Andrew can choose to marry whoever he wants. Then you will be the priest. Henry said to Laura.
• - Not even. I'm not marrying Andrew and Alexia. She's too young for him. - replied Laura furiously.
• - He chose me. - I said taking the crown and the veil from her head and putting it on mine, not caring.
• - You stole my veil. – she cried, feeling her head empty.
• - Whose crown was this? I asked Andrew.
• - From my mother... In her brief minutes as queen. - he laughed.
• Andrew was rather dour and rarely laughed. But as he said that, his smile opened in a beautiful way...
• - I'm glad I chose Katrina's crown. Noriah Sul's most feared rebel. - I spoke.
• - And now you will be the priest, Laura. said Henry. - Or you won't play anymore.
• She gave up and stopped in front of us.
• Andrew waited for me at the altar as I walked slowly down the aisle between the wreaths. I felt my heart beat wildly as I got close to him. It even looked like a real wedding. Would I feel like that when I was an adult and married him?
• He took my hand while Laura spoke quickly and with an angry face:
• - Will you marry her, Alexia D'Auvergne Bretonne? she asked Andrew.
• - Accepted. – he said looking at me.
• - Will you marry Andrew Chevalier? - she asked me.
• - Accepted.
• - Can we get married being all cousins? asked Henry confused.
• - We are distant cousins, so I believe so. Andrew said, narrowing his eyes thoughtfully.
• - Hey, this isn't a real wedding, did you forget? cried Pauline.
• - You need to give me a ring, Andrew. - I remembered.
• - But where am I going to get a wedding ring? I can't choose a ring from these jewels and give it to you... My parents wouldn't allow it.
• - Fedelha, this is just a joke. It sounds like you're taking it seriously. - said Laura. - I don't want to play this anymore. Kiss me Andrew and the game ends here.
• - You mean you only wanted to play this to kiss Andrew? asked Henry, laughing.
• - Of course yes. – she confessed.
• - Have you kissed her before? – I asked him, curious and at the same time feeling jealous.
• He did not answer.
• - Why don't you tell her you already kissed me, Andrew? And that was real... With tongue, brat.
• - Laura, she doesn't understand about this. Please stop, this is just a joke. - Pauline said angrily, removing the crown and the veil from her head.
• - Your sister seems to be taking it seriously, Pauline. Who cares about the ring?
• Andrew pulled a key ring from his pants. He carefully removed the ring, putting the key in his pocket, and said with a smile:
• - I found the ring.
• Before I could say anything he took my ring finger and put it on the silver double hoop. I looked at it proudly and said:
• - Are we married now?
• - I think so. - he said. – At least as a joke.
• - And the kiss? asked Henry. – I think Andrew wants to kiss Alexia, or he wouldn't have chosen her as a bride.
• - Speak for yourself? asked Andrew.
• - Of course yes. I chose Pauline from the start because I wanted to kiss her.
• Pauline smiled at him. That joke seemed too serious. And I was enjoying it. Marrying Andrew Chevalier would be perfect.
• - Want a kiss? - he asked.
• Before I could respond, Pauline warned:
• - You can't do that... She's a child. If you kiss her I'll tell your parents.
• - And I tell you that you kissed Henry. - I warned, furious.
• Everyone looked at me. I closed my eyes and felt his breath next to me... My heart felt like it was going to jump out of my mouth. Andrew pressed his lips to mine and the door opened and my mom and Katrina appeared.
• Of course they were furious. And it wasn't the kiss between Pauline and Henry that I counted on, but between mine and Andrew's. And actually it wasn't even a kiss... He just pressed his lips to mine.
• Of course I was grounded. I think for a month my mom and dad wouldn't let me watch TV or eat ice cream after dinner. I overheard my parents saying that Andrew might have to go to a school far from Noriah South after what happened. Not just for the kiss, but Magnus and Katrina claimed that he needed to take on more responsibility and mature, which he was already of age.
• I lay on the bed and looked at my wedding ring. Of course I would never take it off my finger. Pauline came into the room and looked at me.
• - You don't think you actually married Andrew Chevalier, do you?
• - He wanted to marry me. I shrugged my shoulders. “He could have chosen anyone, but he chose me.
• - It was just a joke, Alexia.
• - And he could have chosen you or Laura, but he chose me.
• - You are very pretentious, Alexia.
• - I think Andrew is beautiful. I closed my eyes, remembering him.
• She laughed:
• - You're still a child... Our little girl. Forget what happened... It's been a while.
• - Do you like Henry? I asked her.
• - Like friend.
• - But you kissed him.
• - It was just a kiss.
• - Do you like someone, Pauline?
• - I like...
• - And who is it?
• - Someone that Mom and Dad would never let me stay with. - She said looking at nothing.
• - Andrew?
• - Of course not, silly.
• - When I'm old enough, I'm going to marry Andrew.
• She laughed:
• - You can only be crazy.
• - I'm serious. I'm marrying Andrew Chevalier. - guarantee