The Flower Crown Princess

Part 24

I wake early the next morning- a few minutes after sunrise, judging by the light. Asdagh told me seven- o'clock, and I plan to be ready by quarter till, breakfast and all. I will not make a habit of lateness, especially when trying to make an impression on my soon- to- be husband, and certainly not in preparation for being the queen. If I were late to a council meeting, or a ceremony...

I dress carefully and by myself in the pink and yellow room lit only by the predawn light. It is light enough in here; why should I waste candles?

The riding dress is long and light green, with tight sleeves and a skirt that does not use more than one petticoat. I button up the front and straighten the skirts before looking at the clock. It is six- fifteen. I have time.

Why am I so worried?

Nothing will go wrong. It's only a ride across the capitol of our kingdom. Oh, this is exciting. Will it be clandestine, where we stay away from people's attentions, or will it be heralded by trumpets and more of a parade?

I honestly don't care.

A knock at my door.

"Come in," I answer it, turning to face the entry.

"Good morning, Nivh," Jennis almost sings as she floats into the room. "I've come to dress your hair. Sleep well?"

"Yes, fine, and you?" I'm slightly wary of her- she is normally nowhere even close to this happy in the morning- especially before seven.

"Oh, I slept wonderfully. Been up a few hours, though. Oh, well." She moves towards the hairbrush on the dressing table and undoes my long braid.

"A few hours? Jennis, it's only a quarter past six! How long have you been up?" I wrinkle my eyebrows and become increasingly concerned for my friend's mental health. "Are you alright?"

"I've been up since about four. I just couldn't sleep, that's all, so I took a walk in the gardens. I was out there about five o'clock until a few minutes ago, it wasn't all that dark at the beginning and it was was an absolutely gorgeous sunrise, all pink and blue. It's going to be a lovely day."

I put two and two together- or I think I do. "Jennis, was.. someone else out there?" Do I want to hear her answer?

Jennis is silent, but looking in the dressing table's mirror I can see that she is blushing to the same rosy color as her silken gown. 

"Jennis, was someone else out there with you?"

"Maybe..." I look her reflection in the eyes. "Yes."

I did put two and two together correctly! "Ooh, who was it?" I get a little excited, but also worried about her reputation. Alone, unchaperoned, in a rose garden at five in the morning, with a man not her betrothed? It looks very bad from the average point of view. As long as no staff (especially the women, who are gossips in any setting) caught them, I believe we can keep the whole incident a secret, and they can start a proper courtship if they choose. And besides, her former betrothed is dead. At least there won't be any scandal in that respect...

"His name was Devon. Light brown hair, impossibly dark eyes- oh, Nivh, do you know him?"

"Jennis, I think you spent some quality time with Prince Asdagh's younger brother." I hadn't yet been introduced to the younger prince, but I knew that he was nineteen years old, and that the queen had light brown hair and dark eyes, so it made sense. Prince Devon was the most eligible bachelor in the kingdom, rumored to be quite clever as well. 

First Faelan charming the incredibly rich and eligible Duke of Welser, and now Jennis charming the prince next in line- after my fiance, of course. What is it about the girls I chose to be my ladies? 

Jennis' jaw hangs slack and she stops braiding my hair into a crown for a moment. "Oh my word, Nivh, that was Prince Devon?"

"How many other Devons are there?"

Her fingers continue braiding. "A few. I knew one in Tuanc. He was Arron's manservant."

So she's fallen for someone with the same name as her ex- fiance's manservant. Small world.

"How many other Devons are there in the court?"

"Good point. I don't know how I didn't put it all together."She pins the end of the braid behind my ear, completing the circlet round my head.

"It was five o'clock in the morning. I likely wouldn't have put it together either. Thank you, for doing my hair."

She smiles. "My pleasure. Besides, someone could have caught Prince Devon and I out in the garden and that would not have been good."

"I'm glad you've regained some sense. I need to be off now, I was told that I should be down for breakfast at six- thirty."

"Yes, you'd best go. I've got to go too, I have to go back to the garden.. but this time, Devon said there would be others around."

"Oh, the fiancee- of- the- crown- prince's lady- in- waiting is being courted by the younger prince. People are going to accuse us of something," I joke, digging in my wardrobe for a kerchief. I'm trying to ease myself away from head coverings, seeing as it's not the style here, but I still wear lace ones for the time being.

"Oh, I hope not. I'd hate to be labeled as the lady who ruined the prince."

I pin the green lace to the area inside the braided crown, snugly setting the pins in my dark hair. "Jennis, everything will be absolutely fine. I was joking- in fact, I think that the court would be almost expecting one of my ladies to at least try to go for the Prince Devon."

"Considering you've only got two here, and Lisbet's shyer and more timid than a mouse, I'm certain that they would have expected me." 

I give a short laugh. "You're right. Let's go."

We walk to the breakfast room, just a room down from the great hall, and sit down to eat the bread and fruit served to us. It is six- forty- five when I finish, and set down my fork. Jennis has already finished. 

Jennis starts to talk in a low voice. "When do you think that Devon will come to-"

The door opens to a tall and rather handsome young man, fair except his eyes, which are, as Jennis so aptly described them, impossibly dark in contrast to his hair. "Princess Nivh, Lady Jennis. I'm here to collect the latter." He bows, really quite a charming fellow. "Jennis smiles and stands, setting her napkin on the table beside her empty plate.

Before Jennis and the prince are fully gone, Asdagh enters the room. I stand and curtsy.

"Are you ready to go, Princess?" he asks, bowing to me.

"I am,  my lord," I reply, smiling and taking his proffered hand.

*****

I gently nudge my horse to the gates of the city that I've yet to truly see. I see people crowding the streets and cheering as they open, and on my left, Prince Asdagh waves pleasantly. I follow suit, looking around the streets at the people. A parade it is, then. 

All of these people: they are my people now, a vibrant and diverse group that seems to prosper on this city- island they and I call home. I'm awfully proud of this- the clean streets, the new buildings. This is a kingdom that will prosper.

And looking at my fiance, still waving and smiling to the crowd as he rides right beside me, I can see the joy he takes in these citizens. The lakes prosper now, and so they will for a long time yet to come.

I hope.