romance
ℭ𝔯𝔬𝔴𝔫 𝔬𝔣 𝔏𝔦𝔢𝔰

0
Everyone knew the stories about the kingdom's only heir. The prince was tall, with dark brown, wavy hair and equally dark eyes. Cold, indifferent, and notorious for disregarding the etiquette of high society. He had never cared for royal expectations, courtly manners, or the responsibilities waiting for him. One day, he was supposed to inherit the throne, but becoming king had never been his dream. Neither had choosing a bride.
So his parents made that decision for him.
They arranged a marriage with a princess from a neighboring kingdom. A princess who, just like him, had a claim to the throne. My twin sister, Kimberly. Born only a few seconds before me, with the same face, the same eyes, the same features, yet an entirely different destiny.
She was the rightful heir, raised to become queen. Graceful, composed, and everything a princess was expected to be. I, on the other hand, was the second-born. The family's black sheep. Too stubborn, too wild, too headstrong to ever fit into the perfect picture of royalty. I had nothing to inherit and, supposedly, nothing to lose.
When our parents announced the engagement, my sister came to me with a request. She believed in true love. And, unfortunately for the royal family's carefully arranged plans, she had fallen in love with a commoner. She begged me to take her place, to marry the prince and let her choose a life of her own.
And I agreed.
How difficult could it possibly be? Wear her dresses, memorize her manners, smile at the right moments, and pretend to be someone I had never been. Surely, I could manage that.
Besides, I had no intention of falling in love with a cold-hearted prince. I would simply endure a marriage without affection, the very fate my sister had been so desperate to escape.
What could possibly go wrong?
After all, I was only supposed to become his wife. Not fall for the man behind the crown.