Royalty [BWWM]

13. Repercussions

I woke in the bed alone, the sheets beneath me cold. After I got up and used the washroom, I got dressed before heading downstairs. It wasn't as quiet as I expected it to be. The hall was filled with men and women all talking at once. They seemed deep in conversation, worry lines covering their wrinkles. I looked around for a familiar face as a few people whispered as I scurried by them.

I saw Daniel and felt a sense of warmth. I made a beeline towards him, squeezing between bodies.

"Good morning, Ms. Destiny."

"You can just call me Destiny." I smiled kindly, "Where's Nick?"

"Prince Nikolai is in his throne, Ms. Destiny. Would you like something to drink or eat?" He asked.

I glanced at the front of the larger hall, completely blind to the large seats stationed ahead. They weren't there before, they clearly just got moved in to format the crowd. They appeared to be made of stones or marble.

I walked over to him, holding my head down as I pushed past his guests respectfully.

"Good morning, Princess." He smiled, raising to his feet to greet me. "How did you sleep?" He held my face between both palms and examined my face anxiously. I turned away from him without success as his lips brushed against my forehead.

"That's what created this mess in the first place!" someone roared from the back of the room creating a louder uproar. I was startled that this crowd could possess such discomfort. They seemed to stare up at us with threats and hatred.

"This isn't a game, Prince Nikolai," an older man spoke from the front, the room becoming quiet. "We have spent years building this empire and structuring order."

"I do not believe this is a game Duke Earl." Nick replied with a nod.

"She's a commoner!" an older lady cried, her hair pointing to the ceiling in various directions. I felt insulted by her words. Was she saying I wasn't good enough to be with him?

The hall erupted again with small conversations. "I'll just pack my bags." I mumbled after an uncomfortable minute.

There was a good twenty people in this hall who didn't think I was right for Nick. And they were right. Who was I to come in and try and uproot a culture or tradition that have stood thousands of years?

I hurried out of the room with the stares of a hundred daggers and frantically threw my clothes in my suitcase. "Desi, stop."

He closed the door behind him, pulling me between his legs. "This isn't going to work." I grumbled.

"You came all the way across the ocean to tell me that?" His accent was thicker than I recalled but his gorgeous face was still what I remembered. "You can't walk out of my life again now that I have you back." His breathing was slow and even. His hair was neatly combed and his traditional clothing shun like a dozen light bulbs.

"They are making such a big deal." I whined glancing at our intertwined fingers. "And they are right. I am a commoner."

"Yes, you are." he nodded, staring at me.

I stared back at him waiting for him to continue. "That's it?" I fumed.

"No, I'm just agreeing with you. You seem to want me to just nod my head and say yes. You're not listening to my words." He leaned back on the bed watching my reaction like he usually does.

"It's not a big deal." He reassured calmly, this time I listened. "It's not traditional but the Kingdom won't fall." He smirked

"Then why is everyone here?"