A Whisper of Night

11.2 || LORELEI 🌊

           

"Your Majesty!" shouted the porter. "The suitors are ready."

    "Announce them one at a time," Glion said. "Who is first?" He strode to the throne and sat down. Queen Ceira was nowhere in sight - Lorelei wouldn't be surprised if her mother never showed up. "Take a seat, daughter."

    Lorelei swallowed as she sat down. To her right, Glion seemed to radiate coldness.

    The musicians finished tuning. The servants arranged themselves on either side of the hall. Slowly, lords and ladies entered, each bowing before the king, before heading off to the table of refreshments.

A trumpet blared through the ballroom.

    "The Lord Kevyn of the Province Nara," announced the porter, "with his lady Lamina Nara and his eldest son Jason Nara, come for the hand of the Princess, by the grace of his Majesty and the rules of the Maidendance."

    Two guards opened the doors. Lord Kevyn strode in, flanked by his wife, his son, and half a dozen guards. He carried a piece of parchment in his hands.

    "Your Majesty," he said, kneeling. His men followed suit.

    "Rise," Glion commanded.

    "For the hand of your daughter," Lord Kevyn said, passing the parchment to King Glion, "I offer my eldest son, Jason, and half of the strength of Nara: three-thousand infantrymen, one-thousand cavalrymen, and a fleet of a hundred ships."

    Lorelei's heart leapt, but she forced herself to keep a calm expression. Glion and Kevyn turned towards her expectantly.

    "I thank you for your gifts, my Lord," she said. "Please do enjoy yourself by the hospitality of my lord father."

    Lord Kevyn and his men bowed deeply. Jason cast Lorelei a glance as he moved away.

    The rules of the Maidendance ordered her to marry the lord with the largest betrothal gift, although all the offered gifts still belonged to her. The lords of the kingdom, therefore, had to find a careful balance between giving too much and not giving enough.

    I wouldn't mind marrying him, she mused. He seems strong and healthy - he'll be able to give me heirs. And it'd be hard to top Lord Kevyn's offer...four-thousand men, horses and ships included....

    Her thoughts proved wrong - Lord Matthew Tesa came next, offering six-thousand infantrymen, but no horses or ships. Lady Noria Vastra followed with three-thousand men and one-thousand horses, but no ships. Thirteen-thousand men, she thought with relish, as her father's face darkened. The lords and ladies were beginning to congregate near the center of the ballroom, laughing and talking. Faint strains of music echoed through the hall.

    "The Lord Jarold of the Province Kelsea, come for the hand of the Princess, by the grace of his Majesty and the rules of the Maidendance."

    Lorelei's eyes widened. King Glion's knuckles whitened around his handrests.

    Come to offer his own hand? she thought in disbelief, as Lord Jarold strode through the door, accompanied only by half a dozen guards. The lords and ladies around him turned, whispering and pointing. Come to offer me his hand, after screwing my mother and shaming my family?

    Lord Jarold approached, swaggering, a confident smile on his face.

    "Your Majesty," he said, kneeling.

    Glion gritted his teeth. "Rise."

    "For the hand of your daughter," he drawled, "I offer my humble self, along with the entire strength of Kelsea."

    Lorelei couldn't help but gasp. Twenty-thousand men, a thousand cavalry, a hundred ships...almost twice as much as what the rest of them have offered, combined.

    Her throat was dry. She swallowed and spoke, every word a stab to her heart. "I thank you for your gifts, my Lord. Please do enjoy yourself by the...hospitality...of my lord father."

    She stared at her feet, too ashamed to speak, as Lord Jarold sauntered off. King Glion was silent, but she - and the rest of the hall, it seemed - could sense his fury. I should've known Lord Jarold would come. I should've known...and now I've ridiculed my family.

    Was that why Queen Ceira wasn't here? Because she wouldn't be able to face the arrogance of her paramour and the rage of her husband?

    She wanted to cry. I'm sorry, Father, she wanted to say. I'm so sorry. But Lord Salius Estel was coming, and she had to keep a straight face.

    The afternoon stretched on, and soon her army numbered twenty-five thousand men. Men and women - even those too young to marry - came through the door, each bowing or curtsying for the King and Lorelei before joining the revelries. Finally, at sundown, her last suitor arrived: Lord Ilys Ostling, who had not come to marry, but simply to give a betrothal gift.

    No, she thought desperately. I can't marry Lord Jarold...I can't marry him....

    At the end of the offerings, King Glion stood. "Thank you all for attending, my Lords," he said, his words tight, as though each one were forced from his lips. Your presence and gifts honor my family, and my daughter shall put each one to good use. Please enjoy yourselves - "

    The trumpets blew.

    The lords and ladies spun around. Surprise flashed over Glion's face, then anger. "Who dares - "

    Lorelei's mind raced. Everyone came, she thought. All the lords and ladies of the kingdom - who would -

"The Prince Verradaen of the Kingdom of Svanvald," the porter said, stunned. "Come for the hand of the princess, by the grace of his Majesty and the rules of the Maidendance."

~~

Gotta love love love cliffhangers!

Also, if this chapter seemed short, that's because the last one and next one are both SUPER long.

So how do you think Lorelei's going to take Verradaen? Will he be able to trump (for lack of better word) Kelsea's offer?

Please vote and comment!