ENSNARED BY HIS STRANGE PROPOSAL

The countryside was ablaze with color in autumn and Mirabel Churchill, the twenty-year-old florist and the illegitimate daughter of the Churchill family, was excited about the celebrations that were ahead. She recalled the festivities that the entire family enjoyed at that season of the year, especially with the woman she grew up to know as her grandmother, Grandma Phoebe Churchill. She was relishing the good memories in her exquisite office that afternoon while leaning on the window stool and admiring her two hectares of flower farm when she heard a familiar voice.

"Mira, I want to believe that all is set for tomorrow," Alfred Walter remarked without a formal salutation.

Now, his appealing voice broke Mirabel's beautiful reverie and she jolted. She turned and saw the clingy Alfred, whom she knew little or nothing about, walking towards the couch. Although he noticed her astonishment, he ignored it and sat comfortably on the couch. To her perplexity, he appeared to be at home and controlling the situation. Naturally, he was confident in himself at all times.

"How did you get in here, Alfred?" She inquired anxiously.

"That does not answer my question, Mira," the repulsive Alfred pointed out with less concern.

At that point, she was resting her back on the window stool and clarified things for Alfred, "We were only acting, Alfred, and you knew it. I can't be ensnared by your strange proposal,"

She was aware that his question meant that their wedding would come up the next day and she was not prepared for it, neither was Alfred ready to take anything less than 'yes' for an answer.

Nevertheless, the poor, but beautiful florist, had caved a niche for herself in the florist industry because she was dedicated to her profession. As usual, the overconfident Alfred uncrossed his legs and stood up. He grinned and walked up to her. Then, he towered over her with his domineering height, which made him irresistible. She would have stopped him from getting closer, but he did not look like one who could be stopped.

"Acting? Who wrote the script?" He asked nonchalantly and locked eyes with her.

She did not doubt that she loved him and he seemed to be so cocksure of that. Meanwhile, he eagerly waited for her response and when none came, he resolved to scare her the more.

"See you in the court at 8 O'clock and don't keep the registrar or me waiting," he declared and took a step to leave, but she did not disappoint him when she stopped him. Howbeit, he was aware that she would not want him to walk away without resolving the issue at hand.

"What about tea or coffee, Alfred?" She offered just to keep him longer. Now, Alfred was backing her and he smiled in contentment when he heard her sweet melodious voice, which could melt even the man with a heart of stone.

Nevertheless, he stopped his movement in its track and stood undecided. Then, Mirabel continued, "Tomorrow is just a few hours from now and..."

"And we should keep acting?" He interrupted and asked with a raised voice.

"You are getting me wrong, Alfred. I mean. I feel we should .... No, I mean we shouldn't ... I'm not. Oh! Gosh." She concluded when she could not give a comprehensive response.

"See you at the court at 8 AM tomorrow," he commanded and walked briskly out of her office.

Although she loved him, she was not willing to risk giving her heart to a stranger. Now, she dejectedly sank into the couch and thought of the numerous blind dates that her grandmother had arranged for her. Thereafter, they ended up disappointing her by walking out on her when they presumed that she was not the First Princess of the Churchill family.

Mirabel's Fears.

Mirabel was a product of rape. Her paternal grandfather, King Raphael Churchill VI had a Prince, who was a chronic alcoholic. Likewise, Phoebe's father, King David Miller VI, had married her off to the drunken Prince at eighteen for political interest. King Churchill VI was aware that his only son and heir was unappealing to the Princesses in the nearby kingdoms. To rub it in, the kings of the kingdoms had also rejected his proposals to them regarding his interest in being their in-laws.

"Your son is useless and is not worthy of my Princess," some Kings of the nearby kingdoms, who were as powerful as he was, often said to turn him down.

Now, King Miller's kingdom was not as strong as his. When a kingdom taunted him to war, he ran to the powerful King Churchill VI and pledged his daughter to seal their treaty.

"I will let my Princess marry your son, King Churchill if you will support me in the battle against that arrogant King Pat Labhrann of Labhrann Kingdom. He merely wished to engage me in a fight to showcase his military might to the world," King Miller VI pleaded. Now, King Churchill was pleased with his proposal and instantly consented.

King Labhrann was one of the kings who told him to his face that his Princess was superior to his Prince.

'This is the time to get even with the stupid King of Labhrann,' he thought.

"You are welcome once again to my Kingdom, King Miller. I respect those who respect me. For considering me worthy of being of help, I will not fail you," King Churchill promised.

At last, King Churchill supported King Miller and he defeated the haughty Labhrann Kingdom meritoriously and that humbled him. Nevertheless, after the political marriage, Phoebe discovered that Raphael was a kind-hearted Prince, but had one weakness, which was alcoholism. Meanwhile, he misbehaved only when he was drunk and Phoebe battled with that until he raped a female servant.

Furthermore, Phoebe was unaware of the shameful act until the servant discovered that she was pregnant and confided in her. To cover up her husband and protect his kingdom from blackmail, she hid the servant in her chamber until her full term. As a midwife, she took the delivery by herself and sent her on her way with much gold and silver.

The gold and silver were enough to make her rich for life and encouraged her to keep the secret to herself until her death and she obliged.

However, Phoebe made the family believe that she picked up the child from a farm and resolved to adopt her. Without the King's support, she raised Mirabel to her satisfaction. After her only child and son, Prince Churchill got married, his wife, Princess Irene, hated the six-year-old Mirabel. She saw her as a threat to her marriage and a blockade to her unborn princesses.

"I won't condone that, my Prince," she rejected when the Prince drew her attention to Mirabel's status as an adopted child.

"Everyone thought that she was my little sister and not an adopted child. I will be glad if you keep it that way," the Prince requested.

"Well, I am not everyone. I am aware that she is not your little sister and I will not pretend about it," she argued.

Meanwhile, their argument about the existence of Mirabel was endless.

Nevertheless, when Mirabel came of age at the age of sixteen, Phoebe organized a party for her with the support of her husband, who had quit alcoholism and was unaware of Mirabel's paternity. He truly believed that she was adopted by his wife to make up for her inability to have a daughter.

Meanwhile, Princess Irene was not at the coming-of-age ceremony with her daughters, whom she had carefully banned from associating with Mirabel. However, the ceremony was attended by notable Kings and Irene was astonished. Thereafter, many suitors, who were mostly Princes, registered their interest in marrying her but developed cold feet when they understood that she was not the First Princess of the Churchill family. All thanks to Irene, who spread the news that she was merely an adopted child.

Due to the humiliating disappointments, Mirabel decided to remain single when she discovered how dejected her grandmother felt whenever she returned from her blind dates very disappointed and narrated how her dates walked out on her.

"Mirabel, you are a sweet girl," her grandmother would always encourage her to ensure that her self-esteem was not destroyed.

"You are right, Grandma, but to avoid further heartbreaks, I think it is a good idea to forget about the things that bring us sorrow and focus on the things that give us joy," she pointed out.

Now, her grandmother ran her eyes over her and ascertained the joy she radiated when she made her point.

"I see. And what is that thing that would give us joy apart from seeing you love and being loved?" She asked anxiously.

"Agriculture, Grandma. It is wonderful when we plant flowers and watch them grow. The beauty they add to our environments is inexplicable and I am not convinced that any man can give me such joy," she explained happily.

Momentarily, she agreed with her just to make her stable but prayed inwardly for the right man to come someday.

"Oh! Your decision is phenomenal, Mira. How come I have never thought of it? Get dressed up and get the farming tools. We are leaving for the farm right away," she announced with glee.

Now, the excited Mirabel gave her a tight hug and appreciated, "Thank you, Grandma, for believing in me. I will always make you proud."

"I'm proud of you already, my dear. Get ready," she emphasized and walked to her chamber.

Then, Mirabel turned around, saw her Knight standing within hearing distance, and ordered, "Get the team ready, we are leaving for the farm at once."

Likewise, her knight genuflected and responded, "I got it, Your Majesty."

A few months ago, the twenty-three-year-old Alfred Walter, the successor of the Walter International Conglomerates, was new in town but was desperate to see his life fall into shape. He just escaped a political interest marriage from his country home, Nassau, the Bahamas, in the United States of America. That day, he and, Carson Gilmore, his twenty-two-year-old newest friend and the successor of the Gilmore Group of Companies, walked into a florist shop to pick a flower for Pearl, Carson's girlfriend. Subsequently, he was entrapped by the simple-looking florist, who they mistook for a shop attendant. They picked the flower and left, but Alfred did not leave with his heart – Mirabel took it and kept it.

"Carson, I think I love that girl," he confided to him after they got into Carson's car.

"Which girl?" Carson inquired while he fastened his seatbelt.

"The shop attendant," Alfred made clear.

"There were many shop attendants in the shop and I would not know which of them you are talking about."

"The one who helped us with the selection of the flowers."

"I see. If it is that one that your heart went for, be ready to pick up the pieces of it," Carson warned and turned on his engine.

"What do you mean by that, Carson?" the curious Alfred asked.

"I have heard her stories. She seemed to be married to her job and nothing more. Breaking the heart of her admirers is her stock-in-trade."

"That makes the two of us. I'm good at breaking unguarded hearts, too," Alfred declared proudly and Carson gave him a searching look.

"Are you convinced that you are capable of getting her?" Carson, who had driven off, inquired with concern.

"Certainly," Alfred assured him.

"Wow! I'm out to watch a raw movie," Carson laughed ecstatically and Alfred laughed too. Nevertheless, they returned home and mapped out how to get Mirabel and keep her.

"Your idea is good, Carson and if she fails to accept my proposal, I will crush her heart into pieces," Alfred boasted.

"And she would pick up the pieces of her heart instead of you," Carson pointed out sarcastically and they laughed the more. Nevertheless, it was Pearl's birthday and they had planned a surprise treat for her. Therefore, they drove to her hostel that evening and sent for her.

"A happy birthday to you, my love," Carson announced, when she walked into his arms for a hug.

"Thank you, my love," the twenty-year beautiful Pearl responded, while Alfred looked on. After she disengaged herself from Carson, she looked at Alfred, who was smiling happily, and greeted, "Good to see you, Alfred."

"I'm glad to see you, too. A happy birthday to you."

"Thank you for your wishes," Pearl responded with glee.

"Shall we be on our way?" Carson inquired and looked into her eyes.

"Where are we going, Carson?" She asked in astonishment. Meanwhile, Alfred, who was aware of the surprised treat, had started to walk towards the park and Carson answered "Come with me. You will get to know."

Pearl smiled in acceptance and inquired, "I got it. What about the rest?"

"They are fine. I will contact them later. For now, it's just Alfred and us," he responded.

"I see," she acknowledged and used her fingers to comb her hair backward. Carson watched her and helped her to tuck her hair behind her ears.

"You don't need to bother yourself. You are always beautiful," he complimented and grabbed her right hand and they followed Alfred. She giggled and walked along. After a few seconds, they were at the car park. He opened the front door of the car and held it for her. After she sat down comfortably, he shut the door and walked to the driver's side.

"Are we set?" he asked after he took his seat and turned on the ignition.

"Certainly," Pearl and Alfred, who were seated in the back, responded simultaneously and Carson drove off.

"I hope you are adjusting to my country's weather and lifestyle, Alfred," she asked after she turned and looked at him.

"Well. It's not been easy, but I am coping."

"That is good," she complimented. Soon, they were at the school mall and Carson parked. He got out of the car and walked to her side and opened the door for her.

"Thank you for the gesture, dear," she appreciated and got off. Alfred did the same and soon, they were in the restaurant. Meanwhile, the attendants were ready to receive them, just as Carson had requested. They had set up a table at a corner of the restaurant and walked them to the table the moment they got into the restaurant.

"Make yourself comfortable," one of the waiters announced.

"Thank you, for this," Carson appreciated and took his seat while he adjusted a seat for Pearl and she sat down snugly.

"Wow!" She exclaimed when she saw the beautifully decorated table with different colors of candles and potpourri. Likewise, Carson looked at her and asked, "Do you like it?"

"Certainly. It's just spectacular," she stated euphorically. Nevertheless, Alfred, who was smiling softly, commended, "This is a good one. I hope to have something like this someday."

"It won't be long. Do you love my country girls?" Pearl asked.

"Well," he stated shyly. Now, Carson, who was cognizant of what he meant, smiled softly and brought out a bottle of champagne that was concealed by a flower on the table. Instantly, he popped it and they were excited, while Alfred took photographs of the occasion. In the heat of the moment, Johnny excused himself and walked back to his car. He returned after a few minutes with the exotic assortment of multicolored stunning orchids which were beautifully wrapped in transparent wrapping paper.

"Happy birthday once again to the only lady who means everything to me," he said while presenting the bouquet to her.

"Oh! My God!" She exclaimed when she saw the beautiful flowers, which were the expression of how he felt about her. Now she stood up and collected it. Thereafter, she gave him a prolonged hug and appreciated, "Thank you for loving me, my dear. I promise to make you happy for the rest of your life."

"You are welcome, sweetheart. I will always be there for you," Carson promised and the excited Alfred resolved to up his game in getting Mirabel to love him. Afterward, they had a good time, while Pearl kept admiring the beautiful bouquet.

"I'm glad that you like the bouquet," Carson remarked with a loving look.

"It is just marvelous. Thank you, once again," she pointed out. Afterward, Carson took her back to the hostel, before he drove off with Alfred. Along the line, he asked, "Do you wish to return to your hotel or crash with me tonight and then head home tomorrow?"

He waited for his reply, while he concentrated on the road, but to his dismay, none came. After a few seconds, he looked at him and found out that he was lost in thought.

"I'm asking, Alfred," he called his attention to him and concentrated on the road. The startled Alfred recalled himself and asked, "What did you say?"

"Here we are again, Alfred. I thought we had a deal. Why are you lost in thought after you shared your problem with me?" Carson reprimanded. Howbeit, Alfred tilted his head and explained, "It's not what you think. I wish we could stop over at the florist shop."

Carson furrowed his brow and asked, "Stopover? What for?"

Alfred smiled sadly and said, "I wish I knew. If the shop is still open, I wish to see her lovely face once again, before I retire for the night." Now, Carson was relaxed and smiled confidently when he realized that he had overcome the burden that he ran away from and the pursuit of Hazel.

"I'm proud of you, Alfred. You have truly overcome your past. Why not? We can check on her." Instantly, Carson made a detour to the flower shop.

"We can begin our plans right away. Or what do you think?" Alfred informed. Carson smiled broadly and commended, "I agree with you. Provided you have rehearsed your lines."

"Don't bother about that. I'm good to go."

"It's all right," Carson agreed and drove on. Soon, they were in front of the shop. It was a few minutes to 9 PM and Mirabel was still in the shop. Most often, her grandmother would be worried about her health because she would leave for work early and return home late. When she got tired of complaining, she resorted to sending her dinner to her through one of the guards. That night was not an exception.