The Girl Who Loved Two Princes: The Her Before You

2017, June 4th

(Caines, Terres Somnia)

Another insufferable ball.

The excuse for it?

It was his birthday.

Lord Bartholomew Arden would rather be sitting in his room preparing for midterms. Duke Arden took Bart around the room to meet with the nobles in attendance. Their dealings with the Arden House were drilled into Bart's head. As though Bart weren't already aware of them all. He would have given many things to not have to endure this night.

Grievances aside, there was one thing Bart looked forward to about tonight. He might get to see Caroline. Things between their families were still very unstable. Bart hadn't seen CC since the last time she came home from boarding school.

Unknown to King Henry, electing to spend the year abroad was step one in shunning his wishes for her. She intended to attend fashion school next year.

Bart didn't know if his birthday was a good enough reason to bring her home right before midterms.

Relief washed over Bart as his mother approached with a friend in tow.

“Look who I found,” she said in greeting, shutting down Duke Arden’s potential deal. The nobleman Duke Arden and Bart were talking to, excused himself.

“Ethan Maine.”

Bart held out his hand, a ghost of a smile on his face.

“Hey Barry,” Ethan grinned. He picked Bart up and crushed his arms around his ribs.

Duke Arden scowled at his wife.

“You have the best timing, don’t you?” Duke Arden hissed.

“Play nice, dear. It’s Bart’s birthday,” she said, holding out her hand to her husband.

Duke Arden watched his too serious son’s face soften for the first time in days and took his wife’s hand.

“I know,” he said with a grunt as they walked off.

“Don’t hurt yourself now,” Bart mocked as Ethan set him down.

Ethan held onto his lower back. He wasn’t a freaking giant like Bart. Being the captain of an army necessitated a rigorous routine. Still, no one could keep up with this guy. Ethan had never seen anything like it.

Didn’t matter what it was, Bart seemed to do it better than the rest of them. Bart kept telling Ethan that he’d been slacking off since he got to Terres Somnia, which was likely true. Ethan was sure combat training would be a bitch to get back into when he went home in a few weeks. 

“Shit, Barry, you must have gained 20 pounds since the last time I saw you three months ago, all pure muscle too. Look at you, you’re a fucking beast!”  

“Mind your language, Your Highness,” Bart chided. “How was the visit back home?” 

“Oh, you know how it is. King’s on my case about coming back full time. Same old,” Ethan said, shrugging the serious stuff off as usual. “I brought someone with me this time that I want you to meet,” he continued, changing the subject. “Better be quick about it too. I bet the chicks are lining up to check you out.”

Ethan put his hand on Bart’s bicep. Bart slapped it away. Bart wouldn’t know if they were and it didn’t matter anyway. They would never be her.

“This isn’t UC, you dweeb. And you’re here representing your country. Act like it,” Bart whispered, himself straightening up.    

Ethan was about to respond when they walked in and Bart’s deep blue eyes glazed over. Bart folded his arms and zeroed in on her.

She was a tall goddess with long, silky, chestnut brown hair pulled back behind her. She had piercing, blue—green eyes and beautiful fair skin. Everything about her seemed to alert you that she’d arrived even before her party was announced. The dress, the shoes, the tiara on her head. Her stance, every elegant step she took.

Ethan had seen enough of them to know when a princess walked into the room. She was definitely a princess.

“Presenting Their Majesties King Henry and Queen Mary. Presenting Their Highnesses, Princess Caroline and Prince Aaron." Following this announcement, she started looking until her eyes found Bart’s. When she found him, she broke out into a dazzling smile. Bart, in true Bart fashion, continued to stare, making no effort to show pleasure. But Ethan was becoming familiar with reading his new best friend.

“That's her then. Your girl,” said Ethan, watching Bart intently.

“She’s not my anything,” Bart returned , turning his back on her.

“Someone should tell her that then. She's coming for you, dude," Ethan said, watching her make her way through the crowd.

Every few seconds, she threw a glance back up to where they were standing on the second floor.

Bart struggled against his rapidly beating heart, telling him to turn back around. To go out and meet her, to give himself a dance with her as a birthday gift. A dance was hardly a proposal. A dance was okay. But Bart was an Arden and Ardens made decisions with their heads. So instead, he pulled Ethan toward him, so that his back was now to her too. 

“That bad, huh? Hey, I get it. She is a bombshell,” Ethan grinned, throwing another glance at her over his shoulder.

“Stop looking at her,” Bart growled.

Ethan snickered, raising his hands in the air in surrender.

“It’s not me you should worry about.”