Royalty

Four

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After a long day of making flower crowns, skipping rocks and a picnic with delicacies from the bakery,
I arrived back at the castle.

I couldn't seem to get those massive rocks out of my mind. They seemed so out of place, so unusual.

Did someone place them there? How else could they be in such a perfect circle? Why were they placed there if in fact they were?

Questions flowed through my mind like a river. Something about the rocks intrigued me. I felt the sudden urge to go back to them. I wanted to explore more, discover the mystery behind them.

I shook my head. It was getting late. I needed to let my maids know I was alive. I was not normally out this late and they must be worried.

I pushed my way through the immense oak doors into the front hall, and trotted up the main staircase, my skirt rustling softly on the carpeted steps.

I heard deep voices murmuring from behind a door near the end of the hallway. It must be father and that King Byron discussing business.

It was then I remembered the night before. It had all but slipped my mind. Edmund, his soft hair, Irish accent.

I had forgotten he and his father were here to discuss plans with my father.

Was he in the room with the two kings? What they were talking about? Were the rocks in the woods planted there specifically for Waverly and I to find?

I shook my head. The rocks again. I groaned and rubbed my temples, trying to rid my mind of any thought. The overflowing questions were starting to give me a headache.

I inhaled deeply, then let out a short determined breath.

I walked down the corridor, turning left, left, then right, then back tracking, back to the main staircase and turning left then right.

Finally I found my door. My room was quiet and empty.

The sun was just above the horizon now. I watched the view from my window seat as the entire kingdom was covered in a golden glow.

The sun was visibly getting smaller and smaller. The crescent that was left was slowly melting into the horizon. Finally all that was left was a pinkish light emanating from the place where the sun had disappeared.

Sunset meant it would be dinner soon.

Right on cue there was a knock on my door and my maids entered, immediately starting to fix my hair and powder my face to get me ready for the evening.
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The corridors were darkened by the absence of the sun, lit only by lamps flickering in an imaginary breeze.

I entered the dining hall to see my father sitting at the head of the table, along with King Byron and Prince Edmund.

My heart began to beat a little faster. I unconsciously smoothed the creme fabric of my dress. The soft chiffon was comforting and I walked as gracefully as I could to my seat opposite my father.

"Ah Rowan my girl! I'd like you to meet Kind Byron of Magnolia." My father said cheerfully, gesturing to the king, a large man with a bright red beard.

"It's an honor to meet you." I said inclining my head politely.

"And you." he said with a very thick accent and a polite nod.

"And his son," my father continued, "Prince Edmund."

I turned my gaze toward Edmund who was already watching me.

"Yes we've already met." I said with a smile. His eyes were very blue. Like a dark ocean filled with swirls of different shades of aqua and navy.

"Lovely to see you again Rowan." he said, his slight accent adding a pleasant lilt to his words.

I grinned slightly and turned back to my father who started a conversation about kingdoms as the servers brought out our first course. I quickly lost interest, however hard I tried to pay attention.

My mind drifted back to the circle of mysterious rocks. How I longed to go back, if only for a moment.

They were so out of place and I couldn't seem to get them out of my mind. There was something magnetizing about these rocks and I wanted to find out why.

"-so Rowan no longer needs to find herself a suitor."

My meandering thoughts skidded to halt at this sentence.

I looked up quickly at my father who simply gave me a sly look. No longer needs to-wait. An arranged marriage? To who?

My eyes slid slowly over to Edmund who seemed to feel my gaze and looked up at me seemingly just as surprised as me.

Understanding flooded through me, and I could see by the loss of color in Edmunds face that he understood too.

King Byron had come to talk business. Specifically marriage. That's why Edmund was here. That's why they were both here.

My heart began to pound. I could hear it in my ears and I only hoped that it wasn't so loud for the others to hear I as well.

An arranged marriage with Edmund? I barely knew the man. How am I supposed to marry a man I only just met? How was my father so calm? What gave him the right to do this?

When was he planning on telling me this? He just gave me the biggest news without so much as a blink. My mind was reeling. I needed some air. Now.

"Would excuse me?" I said to my father, standing up.

"Of course. Are you feeling ill?" he said concerned as he stood up along with the two other men who looked equally concerned.

"I'm quite alright, just need some
air." I said as I stepped out of the room.

I walked out of the dining hall until I was out of sight before breaking into a sprint.

I burst through the front doors, the guards protesting loudly. I payed no heed to their shouts. I only had one thing on my mind. I needed to go.

Towards the village. Towards the woods. Towards the rocks.

To be continued...