Separate Crowns of One Heart

Fıftėėn

We've changed into our final outfit for the night and I stand before the looking glass while Mila ties the sash to my kaftan gown. I wince at the tightness and immediately loosen it when she steps away. In the looking glass, with the gold-infused black gown spread out around me and my new crown that holds the long black veil in place, I do not look like a princess-- I look like a queen and it is truly a sight to see.

"I guess it's appropriate for me to call you Your Highness now, is it not?" She adjusts my veil even though I will be ruined the moment I start walking.

"My daughter, the princess." I turn at the sound of my mother's voice. She kisses me on both of my cheeks and looks at me as if I am the best thing to happen to her and I feel my heart constrict with a thunder of emotions. "Are you ready for the night to end?"

"Yes," I sigh. "I am exhausted."

"It has been a night to remember but it is far from over, darling." The Queen takes my elbow and the four of us walk out of the chamber to meet Yuunis and the Prince in the hall.

When we get to the hall, it's only Yuunis that we see there. The confusion must be clear on my face because Yuunis lowers his head in a slight bow. "Kenyon will be here shortly. He... he had to deal with a situation."

A situation. That could mean a plethora of things. I nod and we prepare to wait for the Prince to arrive. After some time of waiting, I start to turn to Yuunis to ask him what is taking the Prince so long when our cue music plays from within the ballroom.

"I will fetch him." Yuunis starts to turn down the hall, but I stop him.

"No, it's alright," I tell him. "I will get him myself." Moving the gown from around my feet and hitching it up, I start down the hall towards the Prince's chambers before Mila or Yuunis can protest. If Her Majesty was here, she would not let me do this.

I get to the chambers and the royal guards standing outside of it move aside. Only when I let myself in do I realize that I probably should have knocked... or not since the Prince does not appear to be in the immediate room. I'm about to call his name when I hear hushed voices. I move towards a door to the side and see two figures speaking. One of them is clearly the Prince and the other is... it's Camille.

"... Camille," he's saying in a reprimanding tone. He removes her hand off his chest. "Stop."

"Kenyon," she whispers, returning her hand to his chest over his black and gold suit that matches my dress. She slowly drags her hand down to the top of his pants and stops. "You gave her the ring, you gave her the title, you gave her the crown. Can't I just have you? For the night?"

"No. Not tonight," he tells her. "It would not be right."

Angered, she shoves him away. "Because you love her?"

"It is our wedding night, Camille" he stresses. "It would be wrong to spend it in bed with a different Fem than the one I just made an oath to."

Having heard and seen enough, I slip out of the room as quietly as I can. I stop in the hall to take a steadying breath before starting down the hall back to the ballroom. "Cyrah?" I look over my shoulder at the Prince.

"Your Highness." I clear my throat. "I was just coming to get you. Well... that was the plan but then I changed my mind and--" I stop myself from rambling. "You are late."

"My apologies." He offers me his elbow and I take it. As we continue down the hall, I glance behind us for Camille but do not see her. She must still be in the room.

The Queen is standing with Mila and Yuunis when we get back and the expression on her face is far from friendly. "Where have the two of you been?" She hounds us. "You were supposed to be in there, what... eight min--"