Fighting For Love

Chapter 4

Tashi stepped out of her carriage and gasped as she took in the scenery. In front of her there was a very large modern-looking palace. It looked much bigger than the one she was used to and she wondered if she could make her way around without getting lost. There were huge trees and plants growing around the palace and she thought that it looked wonderful. There were clear blue skies unlike the rain and thunder that was happening at home. She thought that this place wasn’t so bad after all.

She had convinced the Princesses that she should not wear her usual make-up or robes during the journey. She told them that she should look like a Gerfalian woman during her stay too so that she could familiarise herself with the ways of Gerfal. The Princesses had agreed that this was a good idea and that they didn’t mind, seeing as she would have to dress and act that way for the rest of her life.

Tashi was wearing a long green gown, scoop-necked in Gerfalian fashion. It fell in a full skirt from her hips and was cinched by a belt embroidered with white lilies. On her feet were dainty green slippers with gold lacing and in her ears were earrings in the shape of lilies to match her gown. She was used to wearing many layers of the Blue Crescent robes; now she stood in a gown that clung to every curve of her body. Her neck felt exposed though. She knew from her friends that his was normal for a lady in these lands, but it made her self-conscious. For the first time since becoming a princess, Tashi had let her hair down. Her now free hair fell on her shoulders and she felt amazing. She was feeling very hot in the dress and the weather was not what she had expected. She asked her maid for her fan and tried to cool herself down.

A Gerfalian soldier came up to her. Tashi’s guards hurried to her side afraid that she might be attacked by the soldier. “Princess Tashiko of the Blue Crescent Islands, the King is waiting for you in the palace. If you would please follow me, Princess.” The soldier turned around and led the way inside the palace.

Tashi passed many chambers and halls. She passed the courtyard where a dozen men were being trained. I few men whistled as she walked by and made comments about her. It took her a second to realise they were whistling at her. She covered her face with her fan to hide her blushes. She thought they were rude. If this had been Kai, the men would have been punished for looking at Tashi in an unrespectable way, but this wasn’t Kai and Tashi knew that she would have to get used to these things. Tashi was so busy thinking that she hadn’t realised that they had arrived at the King’s throne room. The soldier that had brought her here, left and Tashi was standing in front of two huge double doors. Two more soldiers standing either side of the door moved forward and got ready to open the doors.

This is it. Tashi thought. She took a deep breath as the soldiers pulled back the doors to the Throne Room.

She walked into the room and focused on not falling over and not making a fool of herself. She was so nervous about this; she didn’t want to make a bad first impression. Even though she did not like the idea of a marriage alliance she didn’t want to make the King and the Prince think she was mean or stupid. As she walked to the throne she saw several guards turn to stare at her. She couldn’t help blushing and hid her face behind her fan again.

She looked up and saw a man standing next to the King staring at her. She thought that this was a guard of the King and smiled, he was handsome. He had dark tanned skin and a handsome face. His hair was a very dark shade of brown. His eyes looked topaz as the sun shone on his face. When she got closer, she saw they were a liquid brown colour. He had very expensive looking robes for a guard, dark leather trousers, a muddy red shirt, a brown waistcoat and black shoes. He also had a gold chain with a pendant of a horse hanging from his neck. He had broad shoulders and a good physic; he had large, strong-looking muscles and was tall. I have a feeling that the King’s guard would be a better husband than the Prince, Tashi thought. Oh well, we shall have to see. Maybe the Prince isn’t such a bad person. The king got up and stood in front of the guard. And Tashi realised she had reached his throne.