The Dragon Bond: Heirs of Lyra

Chapter 5

Several of Lyra's people had gathered around the shipyard, waiting to catch a glimpse of Lyra's future queen, the princess from Copia. An hour wasted away as the ship was tied down and a sturdy plank was placed, connecting the ship to the land.

Each minute that went by was torture for Henry as he struggled not to tap his leg with impatience. He wanted to see her already.

Quite soon, his wish was granted as he caught a glimpse of her carefully stepping up onto the plank, following behind what appeared to be the king and queen of Copia. The princess' lady's maid was close behind her, making sure Princess Karolina did not trip over her dress.

Henry was close enough to make out a general appearance of the princess, but far enough away to miss the details. The first thing he noticed was the magnificent red dress she was wearing. Copia was known for wearing and displaying much darker colors, especially compared to Lyra's light and bright feel. Lyra's colors were yellow and purple whereas Copia's colors were red and black.

The second thing Henry noticed was the princess' dark hair. It was darker than night itself and flowed with the breeze. Already he was excited to see more of her.

Without permission from his father, Henry took a step forward. He earned a glare from King Alan but did not step back. He could not wait much longer.

Judging by the sound of it, the Lyrans surrounding the shipyard were also anxious to glimpse the foreign royalty. They were standing behind the fence, separating them from the royal family, yet they were still close enough to be heard. Many expressed their impatience while others shouted with glee as the foreign royal family finally unboarded the ship and made their way over to King Alan and his wife and son.

Henry felt Miles nudge him. The prince glanced at his friend to see him grinning. Miles raised his eyebrows as if to say, "she really is a beauty."

Henry smirked in response. Then he turned his attention back to the beautiful princess approaching him. She was standing behind her parents, blocked from sight.

"What a happy day this is," the King of Copia said warmly, his accent thick. His smile was wide as he opened his arms and welcomed the embrace of King Alan. The Lyran King enthusiastically hugged the other king.

Henry struggled to remember the name of the other King, it was an odd name, one that was easily forgotten with Henry. Knowing he could not afford to mispronounce the king's name, Henry looked at Miles for help.

"What was his name?" He asked through gritted teeth.

At first Miles looked shocked that Henry could forget such an important piece of information, then he rolled his eyes, remembering that this was, after, prince Henry. He was known not to care about anyone but himself. "King Lemoine."

Henry nodded his thanks and repeated the name three times in his head, making sure he would not soon forget. He remembered the queen's name, her's was simple: Rachel, though it was pronounced "Ray-shell" Henry found it odd that such a beautiful princess did not have the most lovely of mothers. In fact, Queen Rachel was rather plain and her skin was already showing signs of age. He hoped that Princess Karolina would not lose her beauty as her mother had. 

"We have been looking forward to this day for years," King Alan mused. "We have a feast prepared at the castle, we hope you will feel welcome to stay a while after such a long trip."

"Of course," King Lemoine agreed heartily.

Both kings introduced the other to their own wife and then stepped back to introduce the children.