Crown of Fire

Chapter 4: Evelyn

 Evelyn gasped at the astonishing Golden Palace. She had never seen a palace this grand. This marvelous. This...beautiful. As the flickers of gold plastered along the white walls, the sun danced. As if Alinta herself was shining down on the Golden Palace. Unlike the Amber Castle, the Golden Palace had many windows. Neverending it seemed. Evelyn didn't even count how many fountains she saw before stopping at the marble stairs to enter the palace. As Talia walked out of the carriage with the help of a guard, Evelyn just took in how much gold was pasted on the roof. I guess the naming of the palace wasn't that creative, Evelyn thought, holding in her laugh. Then again, it was tradition to name a palace or castle from a mighty stone.

She gave the guard that was reaching to help her out of the carriage a sharp look. Telling him that if he so much as just laid a hand on her she'd make him regret it. The guard seemed to take the hint then went back to his post. The moment her feet touched the ground, she felt her body shake. Not from how long she was sitting but because she wasn't used to the feel of carpet on her shoes outside. Talia just gave the princess a worried look, as if trying to see what the problem was. Evelyn just ignored it and turned to the palace. Like any palace, it was rectangular but it seemed so much more grander than any palace.

Evelyn took it in for a few minutes then she decided to walk ahead, trying to avoid the thought of how many stairs there were. The young maid was a few steps behind her, not daring to fall behind. She tried not to wonder what in the world the maid was worried about but the curiosity just kept eating at her. The young princess shook her head then continued her path to walk. With each step, each breath, she could feel her heart pounding harder against her chest. The sound radiating through her ears, making her stomach churn. The feeling consumed her. Devoured her. Dread. That was what she was feeling. The dread of meeting the prince and his family. The dread of having to get married. Just dread in general. But she kept her features from showing how much she was dying inside. Her face was a blank slate of professionalism and elegance. Because that was what this was. A business transaction between a princess and a prince. Nothing more, nothing less.

Once they reached the top of the stairs, she took in a breath. The doors were closed, ready to turn off any unwanted visitors. But Evelyn Crawfield was not an unwanted visitor. No. She was princess of Prythia. Soon to be Queen of Possia. As if the guards could see their future in her eyes, they opened the glass doors. They didn't so much as creak as the guards pulled them open, allowing the princess and her maid to walk through. Before Evelyn walked in, she glanced at Talia, confirming that she was still there.

When she found the young maid clinging onto her hands, Evelyn continued her walk. The cool air of the palace hit her like a wave, sending goosebumps racking up her arm. But it wasn't the air that made her heart stop dead. It was who was before her, waiting for her. Eyeing her. Queen Raja and her son, Prince Liam. The king was nowhere to be found. Which didn't surprise Evelyn as much as she wanted it too. Evelyn took a deep breath, walking with grace, her beige dress trailing behind her. She made sure not to wear a dress too revealing, seeing as it was the first time she was meeting the prince. But it wasn't anything new. Evelyn always wore something modest and never showed too much so she was perfectly comfortable external wise.

But she resisted the urge to cross her arms as Prince Liam held his gaze on her. In the stories, they all say that he was incredibly handsome. But she never believed them. She knew that he must be handsome but not so handsome that he could be mistaken for a god. Clearly, now that she could see with her own eyes, the stories were right. The prince's sandy blonde hair was nicely combed and pulled back. However a few strands fell in his eyes. Gods, those eyes. They were like pools of silver. Shining like the gemstone itself. Although those eyes were gorgeous, they were hard as rock, as if he too was restraining from doing anything rash. Evelyn's eyes fell down to his mouth, taking in how Prince Liam's lips were in a tight thin line. Biting back the words that she knew wanted to come out. Hm, must not be used to hiding his emotions then, Evelyn thought, scoffing internally. I'm not that horrible. As if he read her mind, he loosened a sigh and relaxed his lips. Unlike Evelyn, Prince Liam had light skin that seemed to be a little pale but not as pale as Edwin.