𝑩𝒓𝒂𝒊𝒅𝒔 𝒐𝒇 𝑮𝒐𝒍𝒅

chapter nine

Emriana

Earlier that day...

"This year is special because they're turning twenty-one," Nicor said, gazing outside.

"Why is turning twenty-one special?" I asked.

"Oh god, you're so stupid! You don't know anything," Ryenne snapped at me.

It's true that I didn't know a lot about the kingdom, but in my defense, it was my fourth day in Ekudal. I bet she would be pretty lost, too, if I asked her which kind of mushrooms were edible. I internally laughed.

"Stop being so mean, Ryenne. It's okay not to know. Not everyone is obsessed with their Highnesses like  you are," Dana retorted with a smirk, and Ryenne glared at her, a blush coating her cheek. I felt a little bad for her.

"It's okay, Dana, Ryenne has a point, though. I don't know much about the Royals," I smiled at Ryenne, but she just rolled her eyes at me.

"It's okay to ask questions, Em. Twenty-one is a milestone for a prince or a princess because it's the age they must find a husband and a wife. It is a requirement in many kingdoms to be married to be able to be crowned king or queen," Nicor explained to me.

"But, what if they don't find anyone they love?"

"Marriage in the royal family is rarely out of love, Emriana. Most of the time, it's a diplomatic and strategic move to unite two people from different kingdoms to reinforce alliances. The King and Queen usually choose for them who they are to marry," Jareth replied while playing with a paintbrush.

I gasped in horror. "Why do they have to do that? That's horrible! Nobody should have to marry someone they don't love. I was always told that marriage should only be out of love,"

I couldn't believe it. Poor Princes. I felt so bad for them. Just because they were born into royalty shouldn't mean they had to sacrifice love over their duties.

I continued to caress Akira's fur as I thought about all of this. This didn't make sense to me. Why would you condemn someone to such a future, especially if you're their father or mother? Don't you want your children to be happy?

Everyone in the room was doing their own little things as we waited for Roza to return. Akira laid his head on my lap, and I giggled as the fur tickled my legs.

I only heard their Highnesses talking once, but from what I heard, they sounded pretty upset. I'm sure it was related to that in some ways. I would be upset, too, if someone forced me to marry someone I didn't love. Everyone saw them as lucky as they lived in a beautiful castle and were super wealthy, but they were not as free as we were. We could live our own lives freely, and they couldn't.

The sound of the door closing pulled me out of my thought as Roza headed toward us with a big smile. I gently took Akira's head from my lap and placed it on the ground, and stood up. 

"What did she say?" Nicor asked as we all gathered around her.

"She said yes!" Roza exclaimed cheerfully, and we clapped together. Dana hugged me while congratulating me on my sketch. I blushed, feeling shy of her praises, and she just laughed at my red face.

We then took all of the equipment, including the paint jars, paint brushes, ladders, and so on, and carried it to the chapel. Akira took one of my bags and carried it with his mouth, and I smiled. We walked through the maze of corridors and arrived at an open area. It was a large room with huge windows on both sides. The high ceiling in a dome shape made it look magnificent. All it missed was the colors on the walls, which were bare.