The Seventh Prince

Chapter 3

King Samson announced to his nation that they were now half of a newly created unified nation of Ostaria. Those who heard spread the news quickly across towns and villages and it seemed the whole kingdom was happy.

Each prince was dressed to his very best, from the eldest prince to the youngest. They prepared all morning and did not come from their rooms until lunch. They gathered at the table as their mother praised them for how dashing they looked.

As soon as the meal was over, the seven princes and King Samson and Queen Isabelle traveled by carriage across the island to the East Ostaria. It took them nearly the whole afternoon, arriving at the castle less than an hour before the dinner that they would share with the East Ostarian royalty. Queen Isabelle hurried ahead to let King Henry, Queen Rachel, and the princesses know that they had arrived. King Samson stayed walking more slowly with the boys.

He took a long look at them, all together in their fancy clothes. He smiled, "Are you nervous?" he asked them all.

The immediate answer was silence until George, the third oldest, said, "Yeah, I am." He paused. "I'm pretty sure we all are." The others nodded in agreement.

King Samson chuckled. "Well, let me tell you the secret, sons. I assure that those ladies are just as nervous as you are." He, again, got a response of nods.

They entered the doors and turned into a large dinner hall where they were greeted by King Henry and Queen Rachel. King Henry shook King Samson's hand and then shook the hands of the seven princes. They then saw the seven princess.

They were all standing in a row. They had varying heights and hair color. They were very beautiful. King Samson instructed to stand across from them. They bowed to the princes and as it was traditional to the princesses curtsied in reply.

"Faye," said one of the princesses as she walked over to Edmund. Edmund kissed her hand and introduced himself.

The next eldest princess was a brown haired young lady named Nora who joined the second eldest prince, Oliver.

And so it continued with George and a blonde haired girl named Marie, and William with a rather short young lady named Daisy.

Luke took a deep breath and looked his younger brothers Charlie and Jack and then looked at the three princesses who were not already talking with one of his older brothers. As much as he tried, he kept seeing Scarlett Rose's face in his mind. He managed to push her out of his mind as a princess with flowers in her golden hair walked up to him.

"Alice," she said softly and curtsying. "You are?" she prompted.

Luke reached for her hand and kissed as he'd seen his brothers do. "Luke," he said quietly.

The two of them watched as a red haired girl named Tessa introduced herself to Charlie and he to her. And finally, Luke smiled as he saw Jack's hand slightly shake as he kissed the hand of a smiling girl named Piper. When Jack saw Piper's smile, he relaxed a bit and smiled back. Alice and Luke turned their attention back to each other.

"Jack's the youngest?" Alice questioned.

"Yeah," Luke said. "How are you today, m'lady?"

Alice smiled. "Fine," she said and then added, "Nervous."

"I'm pretty sure we all are."

A bell rang signaling for them to sit down at the banquet table for dinner. Queen Rachel and King Henry sat at the heads of the table with each prince sitting by his princess. They enjoyed a lovely meal and Alice and Luke had a nice conversation about how their royal lives were a bit different but in many ways the same.

"It's crazy to think that we've been so similar this whole time but still refused to get along," Alice pointed out.

"Agreed. Even a lot of the towns here look like ones in the West," Luke stated. He took another bite and said, "And we both have delicious food."

Alice laughed and immediately Luke had to force Scarlett's face out of his head again.

Shortly after, the dinner ended and the princes bid farewell to the princesses and the King and the Queen.

"Goodbye, love," said Edmund to Faye. He kissed hand once more and joined his father and the rest of his brothers.

"I hope to see you soon, Luke," Alice said.

"We will soon, at our castle," Luke said. "Goodbye." He waited with his father for Oliver, the last one and when he joined them the left the castle and began the long journey home.