Her father was wearing his finery, crown included. It was the first thing Aamae noticed when she entered the room. Her father was sitting at the head of the table, dressed in all white, with a gold crown on the top of his head. Han was in similar attire but in black. Night and day. Majin smiled when he saw her. He was wearing his usual attire – a white button-up and black slack. He was leaning back in his seat, his silver crown sitting on the table next to him.
She curtsied, trying her best to hide her shaking hands. It had been a long time since her father punished her – three years to exact. Maybe it was his way of making it up to her after what happened. Maybe, somewhere deep down, he was still the father they all once looked up to and loved. Maybe he felt bad for letting his children have to live with targets on their backs. Maybe that's why she hasn't been punished for so long. His kindness, though, can only go so far, and she made a mistake last night. A princess shouldn't leave like that. She knew that, and it was only right for her to be punished for it.
"We have a meeting after breakfast," her father said.
She paused, not lifting her head. She clutched some of her dress in her hand. "Shall I be present there too, Father?" she asked, her voice shaking at the end. She was sure it didn't go unnoticed. The last time she was involved in a meeting was because of Ry.
Antoin Le Rosa grunted, a sign of acknowledgment. She was going to be present at the meeting whether she liked it or not. She took her seat, glancing at her brother sitting across from her. He only grinned at her. An empty seat was to her left, a space between her and her father. It was a space that her mother would have held, and her father refuses to let anyone take it. It was the one thing the entire family agreed upon.
"I heard you're going to Kerric," Majin said to the eldest Le Rosa child. Aamae glanced at them, the elder of the two clenching his jaw for a second. Apparently, it was not something he was happy about. She wasn't sure why Han was going to Kerric or for how long, but it was definitely on an order from their father, not because he wanted to take a trip. "When do you leave?"
"Two days," Han said curtly. He shoved a piece of egg in his mouth. Aamae wondered if his food was cold too.
"How long will you be gone?" Another question from the Second Prince.
"For as long as it takes," was all the First Prince said, and that was the end of the discussion.
The rest of breakfast was in silence, the only words being exchanged being between their father and the eldest child on occasion. Aamae forced the food down her throat, her leg shaking beneath the table. No one told her what the meeting was about, she expected as much, but the fact that she didn't know how many people will be there put her on edge.
"Ulric is here," one of the attendants said, causing all three of the royal children to pause. It was only a moment, but the pause was enough for a split second of fear to make its way on all their faces. Aamae watched as Majin slid his wrapped wrist under the table.
"Let him in," Antoin Le Rosa said, and Aamae swore she wasn't the only one who held her breath when they heard the door open.
Ulric was not a scary-looking man with his short clipped blonde hair and blue eyes that used to remind her of the ocean. He was barely taller than Aamae and was a few inches shorter than the Le Rosa men. To most, he was seen as Antoin Le Rosa's friend and second, an intelligent man that was well-versed in strategy and tactics. To the Le Rosa children, he was seen as a man who knew where to hit without breaking anything and a man they had nightmares about.
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Aamae | To Crowns and Dreams | Book #1
RomanceIt's been twelve years since Aamae Le Rosa's father overthrew the long-reigning Kagwaa family and began his rule over Alkreva. Under his rule, his word is law, and no one, not even his own children, are safe from his wrath. And until three years ago...
