The Heiress

Chapter 6 - The Wran Prince

 She stood up without wasting time, walking towards him, worried that this was about the very object of her fears.

– What is it, Captain? She asked him, in an anxious tone.

– A delegation has arrived from Wran, and no one at the castle seems to have been notified, so a few Nobles are losing their temper. I fear the diplomatic incident if you do not come and calm things down.

The fact that it was not the Night Elf calmed her, but the thought of having to deal with quarrels between Nobles did not delight her, especially since she was totally ignorant of the reason got the arrival of such a delegation, and she struggled to hide it. She turned back to her friends, who also stood up.

– Allow us to accompany you, Your Highness! Exclaimed the blonde.

– Yes, let us calm those of Bôrn, while you welcome the delegation.

Their words made her smile; having allies like these two women, on whom she could count, would only be beneficial throughout her reign. She nodded, relieved.

– You are doing me a great service, dear ones, she told them, and I thank you very much.

– It is only normal to help our Queen.

The small group therefore left the apartments, then the west wing, descending the imposing central staircase of the main pavilion, before reaching the entrance to the castle. Everything was luxurious: the enormous chandelier of gold, crystal and gems that hung from the ceiling with the fine moldings, the glittering checkerboard floor, the carpets embroidered with precious stones inside, the solid silver statues of the previous leaders of Bôrn, accompanied by their portraits on the red velvet walls, the trinkets placed here and there on the rare wooden chests of drawers... Everything rightly inspired the greatness of the Kingdom. However, the hubbub echoing there made it difficult to contemplate the room, and the crowd in its center did not help. The three ladies approached it, Ashen in the lead as Hanz stayed behind, and as soon as they saw the Queen, the previously angry and threatening screams suddenly died down. They bowed to her, as though calmed by her presence, which was meant to be authoritarian.

– What does all this fuss mean? She questioned them, coldly.

The Viscount Wilyo, who was present, was the first to speak; the others seemed too impressed by the young woman to say a word.

– Our apologies, Your Majesty, he began, I am afraid we have lost our temper.

– This I see, Viscount, she said, but what I do not see is the reason for this outburst.

– The Prince Cyran Wranarhea, of the Kingdom of Wran, came to pay you the respects of the King and Queen his parents, as well as of all his Kingdom, for your ascension to the throne, but we are indignant that Wran did not have us notified of the arrival of one of their delegation.

The individual in question took a step towards Ashen before bowing, and she looked at him in detail, having never seen any other Elves of Wran before. He was a fairly tall young man, with dark skin dotted with freckles, short hair that hesitated between chestnut and red partially falling over his forehead, and eyes a striking pale blue. He was dressed in a black and gold military-style jacket, to which was attached a cape of the same colors, dark pants and boots of the same shade. The look he fixed on her and the smile he gave her almost made her forget her previous worries, and she found herself blushing.

– A letter was on the way, Your Majesty, and I am sorry to learn that it has not reached its destination. Let me ask you, however, not to blame it, since this is all a sorry misunderstanding.

– I do not hold it against you, Prince Wranarhea, since there is nothing you could have done about this mail. I apologize to you for the hostile welcome you received.

With that, she glared at the people of the Nobility, perhaps even being more severe with the Viscount, who turned his head away. She swiveled slightly to give a discreet wave to her friends, who without further delay took over from them, as she returned her attention to the Elf of Wran in front of her.

– Please accept Bôrn's hospitality anyway, Prince Wranarhea, you and your men must be exhausted after such a journey.

– I thank you for this, Your Majesty.

– It is the least I can do after such an incident. Tell your delegation to follow us, Prince, I will escort you to your quarters myself, as a sign of my good will.

He gladly agreed, and spread the word to those with him, before they all set off. Ashen lead them through the castle unhurriedly, careful to maintain a posture worthy of her status at all times, especially as the Prince, walking beside her, never took his eyes off her. She did not know why her cheeks turned red when his eyes rested on her, but did everything to remain as calm as possible. She turned her head to watch him, and the blush on her face only intensified. She coughed, as if to chase it away, then spoke.

– Did you have a good trip? She asked him, in a much softer voice than when addressing the Nobles.

– Considering the distance, it went pretty well, thank you.

He gave her another smile as they made their way to the south wing.

– I want to apologize to you for this unexpected arrival, my Queen, he told her. And also for letting myself go, especially against the Viscount.

– You do not have to apologize, Prince Wranarhea, this is not your fault. I know how irritable the Nobles in my Kingdom can be sometimes.

They shared a laugh, then, reaching another hallway where different rooms lined up, Ashen stopped.

– So these are your men's quarters, Prince, she explained, gesturing to them. I will take you to yours.

– Thank you, my Queen.

He motioned for his delegation to settle in, before following her to the other end of the corridor. They stopped in front of another door, which the young woman opened to let him see inside.

– I hope these apartments are to your liking, she said.

– I do not doubt it for a second, Your Highness.

He smiled at her and gently took her hand, kissing it.

– Your welcome goes straight to my heart, my Queen.

At that moment, it was mostly Ashen's who jumped in her chest and started to accelerate, without her being able to say why. She recovered as best she could, smiling back, and was about to respond, but he was faster.

– Please let me occupy a little more of your time by asking you to give me an interview over a dinner, tonight.