Diamond Empire

Chapter 14

(This is in the Princess’s Perspective)

I take another sip of wine and try to contain my laughter. Johnathan has been cracking jokes all morning and I’m trying to contain myself. I take a small bit of my eggs and look down at my plate. 

“So jewel, did you enjoy the ball?” I hear my fathers voice and look up.

“No.” My parents look at me in surprise. I never disagree with anything. But I truly didn’t enjoy my night. Or at least the time spent at the ball. 

“What?”

“I didn’t enjoy myself.” The nobles were suffocating. The girls were plastic. The room in general smelt like sweat, lust, and desperation. “Certain things,” I look at Dorian, “made it hard to breathe.” I take another sip of wine. I look at my mother. She’s gone pale. My father looks slightly frazzled. Dorian looks livid. I take a quick glance at Johnathan and then sigh. “But none of that could be helped.” I take a small bite of my eggs and proceed to access the people around me. My father clears his throat and looks at Johnathan with a worried expression. I guess he was concerned about me making a bad impression on Johnathan. I don’t think I could even if I tried. My mother speaks in an aggravated tone. 

“Jewel, may we see you after breakfast?” I can hear the straining in my mothers’ voice. 

“Actually I am busy today.”

“E-excuse me?” I smile slightly to myself at this new found confidence. 

“When have you ever been busy?” Dorian decides this is a good time to include himself in my conversation. 

“Just about my entire life. I am royalty. If there was a royal who wasn’t busy I would be shocked.” I don’t look at him and pay attention to my glass. I think it’s tacky to drink wine at breakfast, but almost everything about the royal life seems to be tacky. I can basically feel Johnathan smirk. I smile at the thought of him being proud of me. 

“Yes, as a royal I can vouch for the princess in her statement. The royal life is quite busy. In that case, may I ask what her highness is doing today?” 

“Well Prince Johnathan, I have to go horse riding, then meeting with the princess of Germania, then a brunch with the duchesses of the west, as well as a violin lesson, piano lesson, Korean lesson, German lesson, archery lesson, then a dress fitting, and-“

“I don’t think his highness wants to hear about all of this.” My mother interrupts me. I see Johnathan glare at her. 

“Well I did ask her, so I most likely am interested. But thank you for your concern. I believe I heard that her highness was going horse riding. May I accompany you?” he flashes me the most beautiful smile. His eyes look so sincere. I haven’t seen sincerity in this castle for a long time. 

“I would be honored.” The door to the dining room opens and Jane scurries in. 

“It’s time for her highness to ride.” She bows to us all. I rise from the table as Johnathan makes his way around it. When he reaches me, he holds out his arm. I take it. My arm fits perfectly in his.

“Can you even ride,” he jokes.

“Excuse me,” I smirk in response and playfully tap his arm as we walk away. “Can you?” I’m pretty sure our laughter can be heard all throughout the castle. I sincerely don’t care.