Royal Blood, The Harvest Ball

where The Seeds were Sewn

By morning, the storm had calmed and the tides were once again settled. The sun climbed up the early blue sky, serenaded by the sounds of birds, singing in the dusky rays.

At the highest point in the castle, in the grand master bedroom slept Bart, behind the long white curtains of his oak bed. Next to him laid Sophia, his wife. She was a French woman he met whilst conducting business in Paris, it had long been thought that after his father"s death, the young man would never marry or love, but one glance into sophia's ocean blue eyes took his heart right away.

"Sophia... sophia love" he whispered, lightly nudging his wife, and wiping her long blond hair aside from her face.

"Is it morning already?" she groaned, cracking her eyes open,

Bart smiled at her planting a kiss on her forehead, "im afraid it is so" he laughed,

"And so we must get ready" sophia replied, yawning and stretching her body upright in the bed.

Shuffling upwards to sit by her side, Bart looked over at the door to confirm it were shut.

"My love, did you notice anything strange last night?" He asked quietly,

"Like what?" She questionned,

"On my way to bed, i could have sworn i heard Richard screaming" he added,

"Again?" She shook her head and placed it in her hands,

"Aye, but this time im sure he was screaming Nayonga's name"

"Oh my, do you think that still haunts him?" Sophia looked up,

"I dont think it did, not until he discovered that she was killed in the same forest he promised to meet her in, a promise he never honoured... this whole time he had comforted himself, believing that she had ran off to Semundia alone, but now he knows" Bart sighed softly resting the back of his head against the wall.

"Do you think he loved her... truly?"

Sighing again Bart looked at her, "i am not sure, Richard and I are very different, he isnt capable of love as i am, he is the kind of man that Is more intrested in pleasure than love, he is much more like father was before..."

"Before his accident?" She interrupted,

"Yes... beford his 'accident'"
Bart stared into the distance a while, with vacant eyes, clearly studying some deep thought or memory, before getting up and walking off into the bathroom.

Sophia always knew, for as long as she'd loved Bart, that he and Richard were very gaurded over discussing their fathers death. Bethany wasn't so quiet on the matter, though she was clearly the most devastated when it happenned, the long lasting trauma had seemed to impact the boys the most, probably because they had whitnessed his fatal accident when Richard was only a teenager.

Downstairs, tens of servants carried bags and cases, mostly belonging to Bethany, out of the door and into the carriages outside. To honour Michale's death, they decided to head their carriages with three black stallions, one of each from Michaels stable. Bethany hadnt spoken much this Morning she had made her disapproval of this trip very clear, even more so her displeasure with being expected to marry.

Lady Forcendale however, was the least bit concerned with her daughters disposition on the matter, disregairding her objection as a childish Tantrum. Instead, Lady Forcendale had dressed to impress, draped in her most expensive egyptian cotton gown, green in colour, she flung down the stairs excitedly, holding her hat as she ran to approach Bethany.

"My daughter!" She took a moment to catch her breath as a bright smile pinned across her face.

"I have recieved the most unusual message, unexpected indeed, though i think you'll be quite pleased" she did a little dance with her short stubby legs tapping from side to side.

"Do tell, mother" Bethany said with anticipation, hoping to be told that she no longer had to attend the Ball,

"Well i know you've been down about the Harvest Ball, but this news ought to cheer you right up" she giggled, as the suspense grew

"Yes..." Bethany was now gleaming with excitement,

"I recieved a letter today from The kingdom of Semundia... the brave, noble, wealthy and handsome Prince Diro, will be in attendence at this years ball... and thats not all...no..no..no" she did a little leap before continuing, "he has expressed intrest in courting you" she tried to contain her excitement as she waited for Bethany to jump with joy.

Instead, Bethany deflated like a balloon that had just been burst with a sharp pin. Saying nothing, she lifted the ruffled ends of her long blue skirt and angrily waddled down the long stone path that lead to the carriage, where she took a seat and rested her head on the window.

It was clear already that the ride to the sea port would be long and awkward venture.