The Golden Courtyard was dazzling in the summer sunset, the warm, fragrant air filled with the perfumed scent of garden roses, purple asters, pink begonias, and petunias of every color. Bougainvillea climbed the walls, draping them in a pink cascade of paper-like petals, and a gurgling fountain sat in the middle of a bed of orange marigolds.
King Gallus III led the way, pointing out interesting tidbits of the palace, (the fountain was a gift from Orlop, the bench was imported from Meross), while Prince Ferox guided Cressida by the arm.
"My father proposed to my mother in this very spot," King Gallus III reminisced, gesturing toward a blooming jacaranda tree, "He had always admired the jacaranda's beauty and elegance, qualities he saw mirrored in my mother."
Ferox looked up at the tree, his expression brightening. "Really? Grandpa proposed here?"
The king shot him a disapproving glance. "You knew this, Ferox. I've told you this story many times."
Cressida interjected with a light smile. "Could you tell me more about your father, Your Majesty?"
King Gallus III let out a contemplative noise. "Ah, King Gallus II was a man of action. Stern, and proud. He took up the charge against the Magicborne after my grandfather passed."
Cressida felt a prick of discomfort. "He...must have also been quite romantic, proposing here in such a beautiful place."
The king chuckled. "Yes, even the hardest of men have their moments. However, my mother was a woman of the highest expectations. It took three attempts before she finally agreed."
"Three times?" Ferox asked, but his curious smile faltered as his father sent him another look.
"Since my son seems to have forgotten our family history," the king said, wryly, "Let me take the opportunity to remind him. Come."
With a grand gesture, King Gallus III led them into the grassy area of the Golden Courtyard. As Cressida's feet left the polished stone, she stumbled, grasping Ferox's arm for support. "Careful," he murmured, and she flushed, mumbling about her new shoes.
"The first time my father proposed," the king continued, not even glancing at the pair, "was in private by the lakeside. My mother told him the mosquitoes were louder than he was and that he needed to make a bigger spectacle of it. So, the next day, my father decided to propose at a grand feast in the Banquet Hall. He gathered everyone's attention, had them stand and witness as he knelt down on one knee in front of her. But this time," the king paused to laugh, "she said his proposal lacked sincerity."
"And the third time was here?" Cressida prompted, with genuine interest.
"It was an uncommonly warm evening in early summer, much like today. He planned an intimate garden party with her close family and friends. He chose the moment carefully, waited for the sun to dip low and cast golden light over the entire courtyard. He knelt on the grass with the petals falling around them and asked her to be his queen."
King Gallus III was a surprisingly talented storyteller, his voice deep and captivating. As Cressida leaned against Ferox, she was able to picture the scene vividly. "She must have been deeply moved," she murmured.
"Yes," the king chuckled darkly. "And he also made it very clear that he wouldn't accept a third humiliation. My mother's favorite sister was secretly Magicborne, you see. And my father made sure that she was in attendance."
Cressida's smile faltered. She glanced at Ferox to see if he caught the sudden dark nature of the once-charming story, but he only seemed amused. "That sounds like Grandpa," Ferox laughed. "Honestly, Grandma is lucky that he still wanted to marry her."
YOU ARE READING
REVISED The Marigold's Larkspur
FantasyHEAVY RE-WRITE OF THE FIRST BOOK. There was a man staring at Cressida from across the room. He stood only a few paces from the entryway of the Banquet Hall, his dark attire blending seamlessly with the shadows and potted plants. Their eyes met, and...
