Oh My, I Messed Up the Story

I finally managed to track down Marcy by pretending to get lost on my way to visit Mariela about a week later, ending up in the servants' quarters. I didn't look like a princess in my baby blue sweater and white skirt embroidered with a simple flower on the hem and my hair down but by this point people knew my face.

"Princess Catherine, what are you doing here?" A kitchen worker I vaguely recognized dared to ask while giving me a deep curtsy.

I pretended to act sheepish. "I got lost. I'm afraid I'm still getting used to the palace since I spent most of my time in the same general area."

"I'll escort her back," Marcy said firmly, appearing behind me. What luck! Just who I wanted to see.

"Thanks, Marcy!" I said cheerfully.

We rounded the corner before I pulled her into what appeared to be an empty storage closet of some sort while no one was looking and walked her to the very back where no one could hear us through the door even if they tried.

She didn't seem surprised and ran a hand through her auburn locks ruefully. "I wondered when you would try to come and find me. You're sharp as a tack."

"Then you know why I'm here. How do you know about the spy network inside the castle?"

Marcy sighed. "I know about it because I'm a part of it. My cousin Luke is one of the royal guards and is a core member of the network the second prince formed to combat his brother's. Based on the document you showed me, I assume you are too?"

I nodded despite my confusion. In the novel Sir Luken Marino joined up because of Marcy, not the other way around. So many things in this world didn't add up with the novel! At least I was finally getting some answers.

She continued her explanation. "Life is going to get a lot worse for most of this kingdom's subjects if the crown prince takes the throne. Prince Franz brought me into the palace because Luke recommended me under the pretense of doing it for the second princess because she likes my pastries. My parents are merchants that work with Baron du Batts so I've always been well educated on matters that affect both lower nobles and commoners alike."

No wonder she was able to come up with the representation plan originally! Her alarm when I presented her own plan to her suddenly made a lot more sense. She was already an informant and worried about the other side overhearing.

But wait a minute...how did this tie into the original story?

Marcy smiled at me angelically, not noticing my confusion. "You've been a greater help than you realize. I had hoped to meet Prince Alpheus in order to get him on the second prince's side when I came here. Even though he doesn't have much power it would be better than if he stayed neutral or, heaven forbid, sided with the crown prince. I never would have imagined that you would do my job for me!"

What.

"I mean, two potential allies walking into the kitchen specifically looking for me? I was so thrilled I could hardly contain myself!" she gushed. Her entire countenance overflowed with excitement. "I thought I would have to win you over somehow and was still trying to think of a way to bring it up when Luke told me he saw you hanging around with Princess Mariela as she worked. Weren't you the one who suggested Prince Franz utilize his wife's talents in the first place? You're amazing! The work has become so much more efficient since she joined us! I think we have a real chance now!"

WHAT?!

I blinked in shock, trying to process what I was hearing. Marcy came to the palace with the intention to spy on the crown prince. She said she wanted to approach Al in order to get him involved in the family politics he tried so hard to stay out of but I did it first...did this mean she wasn't sincere in the novel?!

I had to reevaluate everything I thought I knew. Marcy 'bumped into' Alpheus in the hallway. This was most likely deliberate.

He sought her out in the kitchen because he was already crushing on her. She flirted and smiled and showed him how to have fun, which helped their relationship develop...

Those scenes were in Alpheus' perspective so Marcy's true intentions were never revealed to the reader. Poor Al!

"Yeah, I think we do too. Nice to know we're on the same side. Let me know if you need anything," I said robotically.

I needed to get out of there. It was becoming hard to breathe with how fast my heart was racing.

"Sure," she agreed happily, not sensing my inner turmoil.

We parted ways after making sure no one saw us exiting the closet and I headed back towards my quarters in a daze. I still couldn't believe my ears.

Marcy married Alpheus in the end and they seemed truly happy...but was that the truth? Did she fall for him amidst the pretending or did she do it simply to show the lower classes that it could be done as a sign of solidarity for King Franz's policies?

They didn't get married until after they won after all. So which was it?

Even if she did fall in love with him in the end it didn't change the fact that she used someone who genuinely cared for her. Al's apathy and desire to leave made a lot more sense now. That was always what he wanted.

Marcy changed his mind because she was the one person who was kind to him and he wanted to please her, just like he always went along with what I wanted to do. Oh, Al!

The desperately lonely young man who craved positive attention like a drowning person craved air had never changed. In the novel he followed Marcy around like a lost puppy and did whatever she wanted because she showed him affection, even though it went against his wishes.

In the current timeline I was the one who caught his attention and we already had a common goal. Why would he care about what was going on in this complicated place if he saw a chance to get what he actually wanted? There weren't inconsistencies in his character; he had been apathetic all along!

This posed a problem. How was I supposed to leave him with Marcy in good conscience if she didn't actually care about him?

Her goal had already been reached so she had no need to cultivate a relationship. There were no guarantees she would take care of him for me.

Even if she did...as someone who cared about Al, I was indignant on his behalf. He didn't deserve someone like that! So much for soulmates.

Al told me once that I was the only genuine person in his life. What a joke. I was no more genuine than Marcy. She wanted his political power and I had done nothing but play along until I could ditch him, fix the plot, and live my life in peace.

I wanted to cry. Someone so sweet and desperate for love kept falling for people who didn't cherish him properly.

For the first time I realized how much I had wronged him. He called me his best friend but I was the worst kind of friend there was. Selfish. We were both so selfish.

He brought me here to be his friend despite my wishes and I fulfilled that role to a T but planned to run off and leave him alone again to get what I wanted. Al and I were quite a pair, weren't we?