Twisted

Chapter 9: The Banquet

The tower's bell had rung. It was time for the banquet. Lyra had instantly changed Riley's armor into a bright red gown. She also wore a crown and a pair of red glass slippers. She went inside and saw all the finest dukes and dutches, queens and kings from across all the other kingdoms, and also princes and princesses. She entered the king's dining room nervously as many pairs of eyes were watching her entrance. She sat down the chair. Then Edward, dressed in the finest silver knight armor, whispered,

"You look good."

She glared at him and looked away. The banquet had started, as the royal king walked down from his royal throne and sat at his chair. He then began,

"With my power and authority, I know announce, that the royal banquet, be started!" The guests of honor had applauded and began feasting on the cooked meals set on before them at the table. She watched in disgust as she saw everyone including the king, gobbling up all the meals, except for Edward. Instead, he had stared at her the whole time. When she was done, she had accidentally dropped her locket and had landed before the king on his table.

"Oh? And what is this?" The king asked. He picked up the locket from the table.

He read loudly, "Riley Redberry, from Kingdom of Lenorah."

He narrowed his eyes at her and shouted, "GUARDS, SEIZE HER!"

Guards from the Foyer and the Royal Gallery of Past Kings went and banged through several doors leading to the Royal Dining Room. She quickly ditched her gown and was only wearing her plain white dress and her cloak. Before she had broken the palace window and broke out, she took one last glance at the princess.

"How'd it go?" Lyca asked her. "Unfortunately horrible. The king saw my locket and found out that I was in an alliance with the Kingdom of Lenorah." Then Lyra asked, "So where do we head now? With the secret mission foiled and all?"

Riley shrugged, just as Zhion stepped in and said, "We have one more option."

Marcus raised his eyebrow and asked, "Oh and what's that?"

Zhion answered, "I am in an arranged marriage with the Princess. And she said, that she will agree to ask her father to stop their attack on Lenorah if I did marry her." Riley gasped, "NOT THAT, COME ON THERE IS ANOTHER WAY!" She wanted another way, for she didn't want her friend to marry a spoiled princess like that of Deloniah's Princess. Zhion frowned, "There isn't any other way. I have to do it. Even if it means... Ugh, marrying her." Lyra nodded, "Right, for the kingdom. The time for the arranged wedding is tomorrow, at dawn." Zhion nodded, and they headed towards a innkeeper and payed them their remaining coins, as they took their inn keys and went upstairs to go into their in and rest for tomorrow. But Riley couldn't sleep. At all. She was in deep thought on how to cancel the wedding, save their kingdom and also theirselves at the same time.