RULING HEARTS

III - Meeting

Elara woke up early in the morning, her body still adjusting to the strange surroundings of her new bedroom. The room was large and opulent, with silken drapes and heavy furniture.

As she sat up, she glanced over at the other side of the bed, expecting to see the prince beside her. But the bed was empty, the sheets still crisp and taut. She sighed, feeling a pang of disappointment at his absence.

She got out of bed and wrapped herself in a robe, shivering a little in the cool morning air. As she went to the window and pulled back the curtains, she was rewarded with a breathtaking view of the castle grounds. The castle was situated on a hill, surrounded by lush green gardens and a dense forest.

Elara stood at the window, mesmerized by the beauty of the landscape. But as she admired the view, a knock at the door brought her back to reality. She turned to see a young maid waiting timidly outside the door.

"Come in," she called, stepping back from the window. The maid entered the room, her eyes downcast. "Good morning, Lady Elara," she said, curtsying. "The prince's attendants sent me to help you dress for the day."

Elara nodded and followed the maid to the wardrobe, where an array of beautiful dresses had been hung in preparation for her use. She chose a pale blue gown and allowed the maid to help her into it. As the maid did up the laces at the back, Elara turned to look at herself in the mirror.

The mirror reflected a very different version of herself back at her. The rich fabric of the dress hugged her curves, accentuating her slender figure. She twisted and turned to admire the way the skirts flared around her. Part of her felt guilty for enjoying the finer things that came with being a member of the royal family, but a larger part of her reveled in the luxury.

The maid fussed around her, adjusting the drapes of the dress and pinning up her hair. Elara felt a pang of irritation at the maid's constant touching and poking, but held her tongue. Finally, the maid stepped back and pronounced her finished.

"You look beautiful, milady," she said, smiling shyly. "The prince will be pleased."

Elara smiled weakly, feeling a pang of irritation at the mention of the prince. She had not seen him since their wedding night, and she couldn't shake the feeling that he was avoiding her. "Thank you," she said crisply. "Is the prince already breaking his fast?"

"I believe so, milady," the maid said. "He usually has his breakfast in the solarium."

"Very well," Elara said. "I'll go and see him then." The maid curtseyed and left the room, leaving Elara alone with her thoughts. She took a deep breath and walked towards the door, her heart pounding slightly with nerves.

She navigated the maze-like corridors of the castle, her footsteps echoing on the marble floor. Despite having lived there for a few days, she still hadn't fully gotten her bearings. She had started taking note of landmarks and distinctive features of the castle, but she was still getting lost more often than not. Finally, she found the solarium and slowly pushed open the door.

The solarium was a large room with tall windows that allowed sunlight to flood in. The prince was sitting at one of the tables, sipping a cup of coffee and reading a newspaper. He looked up as she entered, his eyes cool and assessing.

"Good morning," she said, keeping her tone neutral. "I hope I'm not interrupting."

The prince set down his newspaper and gestured for her to sit. "Not at all," he said, his voice stiff. "Please, join me."