Love Beyond the palace

9: A Roy

er now? "I have arranged for you to marry Prince Henry of the neighboring kingdom," her father said, his words dropping like a bombshell into the silence. Amada felt like she had been punched in the gut. Marry Prince Henry? But she had already been married to Prince Ryker, and that had been a disaster. "I won't do it," Amada said, her voice shaking with emotion. Her father's face turned red with anger. "You will do as you are told, Amada," he thundered. "You are a princess, and you will fulfill your duty to the kingdom." Amada felt like she was trapped in a nightmare from which she couldn't wake up. She was a pawn in a game of royal politics, a game that she didn't want to play. As she left the throne room, Amada felt like she was walking away from her own life. She was a prisoner of her own destiny, a destiny that had been mapped out for her by her father and his advisors. But as she walked, Amada felt a sense of determination rising up inside her. She was not going to give up, not yet. She was going to find a way to escape, to break free from the shackles of her royal duty. And as she looked around her, Amada saw that she was not alone. There were others who were trapped in this world of royal politics, others who were searching for a way out. Amada's eyes met those of Fi