Aetherean: River Of Blood

Chapter Nine: Plainest Yest Most Intriguing of Gowns

Third-Person Point of View

"What is the meaning of this?" Aemon questioned with an irritated gasp when he saw Vheneess carrying on with her chosen royal gown unseen for quite a few years.

"An ancestral gown of our kin, brother." Syron reminded him as he gracefully sipped his wine.

"There's no need to remind me, Syron," he looked at Syron, the eight Prince, "Do you think I wasted years studying Aethereal Histories on South Bay Island just to forget how Ancestral outfits were plainly made by the miserly locals." Aemon cleared out.

"I must confess, our sister has an unusual taste in gowns." Syron spoke.

"A poor insensitive choice, you call it. It's not the gowns I am annoyed about, you know that." Aemon uttered with annoyance. "It's her lack of respect for propriety. She really used her cousin's audience to show her true colors." Aemon continued.

"Are you jesting? It is without color." Syron sarcastically complained.

"Save your wine, Syron. I had enough of this." Aemon places his glass wine on the table and leaves his brother. Syron is not of mean character. He does not wish any ill will to his sister, unlike the other prince.

In the huge hall, among the visitors, a dozen whispered about the princess' presence.

'Shouldn't she be entering last?'

'Look at that dress. Are those catching on these days?'

'Is she a liberator now?'

'Have you gotten any eyes? Her dress is lifeless, she is certainly neither part of any of it.'

'Maybe in between?'

'I have certainly no idea.'

'The princess is truly a unique character.'

'Shut your mouth'

'But the lady Aemma will marry...a Daerothrion.'

'Will she give her blessing to their marriage?'

'With or without her blessing the marriage goes on.'

'But it's still a tradition, she is royalty after all.'

'Is she doing this to insult the Daerothrion kin

'Or is she just doing these for her own cause?'

Whispers persisted in the grand hall, and hushes fell in the air like dancing spirits intrigued by the arrival of the princess.

Not until a great drum resounded, it's deep reverberating tone of Aethereal music echoing through the hall.

"King Vaeghor, the Prosperous, will now give their royal blessing to Lady Aemma's betrothed, Lord-ruler Celerreon Daerothrion of Coldwrath and to their most awaited wedding day in three moons full." The herald's voice echoed the halls as the other royals graced their way in the aisle catching everyone's attention. Whereby Vheneess, reached the royal dais first, was caught by only two, Baeron and Aeron, the most charismatic and strongest princes in all of the land. At first her gaze fell upon Aeron's, a royal scout of the High Keep. However, given the sweet words she has tasted from the gentle and caring third prince, it was Baeron whom her gaze was locked upon. He never showed care to her, and mayhaps the very reason why she always long for him and for his unspoken words that might finally bring clarity to the princess herself.

The crowd, bowed in submission, and is waiting for the king's words.

"My niece, Aemma, is a great beauty but even more so in her heart. An Aethereon-daughter knows her duties better than me, she must marry and strengthen the ties between our kins." The next words coming from the king will be the final decision.
"So I chose, the lord in the north to be her behalf until the end of time. Lord Celerreon Daerothrion of Coldwrath. Know this, with the blessing I, and my heirs, Valrhog and Baeron, have bestowed upon the Princess and her betrothed, peace and prosperity will reign even more supreme in the realm." The king declared.