A Crowned King (Complete)

Chapter 6

Drianna swept into the throne room with the grace of a Queen, her head held high and her eyes like lasers. Today she was dressed in a dark grey dress that fell to her ankles but had a low scooping neckline showing off her rather large round breasts. She wore tall heeled gray boots on her feet, clicking hard with each step across the marble floor. Her white blonde hair was done in three thick braids that fell to the middle of her back. She was taller than most of the people in the room which made a lot of the men in the room jealous.

The Princess noticed that the Knights in the room stared at her in more ways than one. Some had jealousy in their eyes and others wore lust on their faces quite plainly. She was aware that all of them wanted her, men and women, but she would have none of them. She didn't engage in relationships, not even frivolous ones. She was a solitary person and liked to not have her singular personality intruded in on.

She looked to the man who sat on the throne. Everyone thought that this was her brother, Mako. None of them knew that he was actually a Knight of the Royal Order, sworn in as a double. Dane Ordo had always been one of their more loyal Knights and it was a plus that he looked like her brother. She didn't know how people thought he was their Prince, but she supposed she knew her brother too well and that was why she noticed the differences while others didn't. She wouldn't question it any further than that though.

Drianna ignored the supplicants as she strode across the room and towards the throne. She had business to discuss with the stand-in Prince, but not here. She needed to speak to him in private where no one could hear her. No one needed to know that she was advising him when he should've been more than sufficiently trained in dealing with such matters. It would make a mockery of her brother and undermine his rule. Something that they couldn't afford to do.

Peasants and nobles alike watched her as she breezed past them to the throne. No one dared say a word to stop her. They wouldn't dare. To anger her was to anger the Prince and future King. No one wanted to anger the man that could strip lands, titles, and wealth with a mere word.

The Princess bent down to whisper in the double's ear. "Meet with me in your office as soon as your done here." she told him in a firm tone that let him know it was important. When she leaned up she met his eyes ans he gave her a small, imperceptible nod. Good. At least he understood his place still. He might be the Prince's double, but he was still a Knight of the Royal Order, and as such, he was expected to be completely loyal to the royal family.

Work done, the Princess stood up straight, turned on her heel, and marched from the room like a war General. She noticed the Lord Steward of Blackreach, Tanya Rain, staring at her with a look of suspicion in her dark eyes. There were a lot of things thst could be said about Tanya, but she was shrewd and loyal to a fault. The Rain noble Clan had served the Starcrowns for over five hundred years after their ancestor had lifted the simple farmer to the rank of Noble after the Rain ancestor had saved the life of the young King.

She was petite like most Starling women and slender. She had nape length dark brown hair, but it was shot with gray threads due to her advanced age. Her dark green eyes were filled with intelligence, showing her age. She wore a plain white tunic, black pants, and black slippers. In her hands she held a large book which she would record the court precedings and the decisions made by the Prince so they could never be disputed. The job of Lord Steward was very important; just as important as Lord General in fact.

The Princess tore her gaze from the Lord Steward and continued her way out of the throne room. She noticed that as soon as she entered the hallway that three of the Order fell into step behind her, walking silently at her back. She sighed and shook her head. She hated having them around, but she knew she would never be rid of them. She'd put up with them ever since she was a little girl and she would continue to do so until her death. It was one of the things that came along with being a royal. That thought turned her to thoughts of her other brother, Drakani. Her older brother had broken free of the constraints of royal life to live his own life. She was proud of him, but she missed him. She wished that she could see him and have him there. He would make her feel safe she had no doubt. He always had.