The Princess Choice

Chapter 3

Sorry if this chapter seems a little dry/too long...I've tried to compress everything as much as I could. Enjoy! :)

Adrian felt as though he had stepped into another world and wasn’t fully in reality. True, he felt his legs, in their shiny black riding boots, kindly polished by Dawnie, walking towards the great hall; but it was a little surreal, not dream-like, but nightmare-like. His father had sent two servants, Dawnie and her niece, Lily, to brush his hair, iron his clothes, and basically…to make sure he looked “presentable” to the princesses. His new outfit, a navy blue coat, beige breeches, black boots, white collared shirt, and wine-red ascot, felt stiff and uncomfortable. He pulled at his collar and he saw Dawnie silently scolding him. He straightened it back down and coughed pathetically.

His father, King Alfrid, and his mother, Queen Cara, both walked regally in front of them. Sir Draigen accompanied Alfrid to his left. Two servants, one of them being Dawnie, a good distance beside him, were both keeping their eyes on Adrian and his sisters. Catrina had been forced into an extremely heavy purple satin dress with cream lace trimming. She was clearly uncomfortable as she kept her head down, studying her intertwining fingers nervously. At one point she nearly ran into Adrian when they slowed to turn through one of the passages leading to the great hall. The only one of the children, who seemed excited, was of course, Eavie. Her long brown hair had been tamed into a braid and she wore a rose and gold-flecked dress. Her little feet kept skipping with anticipation. Adrian had no idea why she would possibly be so excited to meet four of her own kind.

The whole parade stopped suddenly. Adrian, although he was rather tall and a little over six feet, could not see over his father’s taller stature, his extravagant sea-blue robes, his carefully-placed crown, and his royal staff.

“Ahh,” he heard Alfrid breath loudly, “Welcome young women, dear princesses!” To Alfrid’s trained ear, his father’s thundering voice had shifted to sound as if he was overwhelmingly excited for their arrival, as he often did with many of his subjects and other guests of the palace.

Adrian had to strain to hear it, but he heard muddled voices saying “Thank you, Your Highness.”

King Alfrid chuckled, and whispered something into Draigen’s ear.

Draigen cleared his throat loudly, and stood up straighter, if that was even possible for Draigen.

“His Majesty, His Royal Highness, King Alfrid of the Kingdom of Cliffony, and Her Majesty, Her Royal Highness, Queen Cara of the Kingdom of Cliffony, present their heir, His Majesty, Prince Adrian of the Kingdom of Cliffony,” Draigen bellowed out in his most official-sounding voice.

King Alfrid and Queen Cara made a space in between themselves for Adrian to step through. For a second, his feet felt as though they had been nailed to the ground and his throat grew dry. If it weren’t for Cat nudging him from behind, he would have stayed there forever. He straightened his spine and tried to walk as confidently as he could. There was an uncomfortable and stale silence as he shifted his way in between his parents. Finally he stopped and looked up. Four faces stared back at him quietly, each looking a little expectant. They all wore the same expression on their face, and he couldn’t tell if it was surprise or disdain. He prayed for the latter; maybe they would all dislike him and neither of them would have to go through with this silly arrangement.

“Please introduce yourselves, ladies,” King Alfrid urged.

One by one, each of them stepped out, curtsied and offered her name and place of origin. Adrian had but five seconds to study each face and demeanor.

“Princess Ceara of Yarwood.”

“Princess Sage of Angieton.”

“Princess Faren of Darby.”