This story follows the life of Princess Maiena, the second and youngest child of King Thaddeus-- the strong, wise, and uncompromisingly orthodox ruler of Reidonia which is a kingdom set in the modern age with customs, laws and traditions that seem t...
The dauphin is tall and handsome with wavy blonde hair up to his shoulders, blue eyes, an aquiline nose and a strong jawline. All across the room, women couldn't keep their eyes off of him. They blushed and swooned just by looking at him. Every single one of them except one.
Save for their brief and stiff introduction when the dauphin boldly kissed both her cheeks, Princess Maiena who was seated at the opposite side of the table barely looked at him as she sipped champagne from her glass and talked to Lady Cora.
The heir apparent to the throne of Etazuré was bold and arrogant, his voice was as loud as his red coat and his personality as ostentatious as his embellished collar. He has a reputation of being churlish, disparaging and stubborn in court, earning the distrust and animosity of the members of their privy council and the noble houses. I guess his principle was "Who needs friends?" He was already the second most powerful man in the country anyway and would eventually rule over them all.
The dauphin sat beside Crown Prince Nikolai and talked about the latest and most technologically-advance building in their capital city. That has been the theme of their conversation for the past hour-- the foreign Prince's achievement, their kingdom's wealth, lands and territories, the size and power of their army, their country's influence not only in the continent but in the world. Every now and then he would look at the Princess, with hopes that what she heard him say would impress her but it would seem that she has not listened to a word he said.
"My dearest Princess Maiena, might I invite you to visit my new castle? I am certain you would love it." He called all the way from across the table. The entire room turned their attention to the Princess who wanted none of it. Unfortunately, the dauphin of Etazuré was not known for being subtle and if he was to pursue the only daughter of the richest king in the continent, he would want everyone to know about it.
Princess Maiena took her own sweet time to let Lady Cora replenish her champagne flute and take another sip from it before lazily turning her beautiful eyes towards the dauphin which left the dauphin awkwardly waiting for her response. King Thaddeus was slightly agitated while the Crown Prince held back a snicker. My brother Aidan and I looked at each other and exchanged discreet smirks.
It was so like the Princess of Reidonia to not be easily impressed nor intimidated by the foreign Prince. Etazuré as large and powerful as it was, does not compare to the wealth and prominence of our small nation. With our soil blessed with fertility to grow crops all-year round, our mountains abundant in gold and diamonds, the ocean surrounding our island country filled with fishes, crustaceans and pearls, their seabeds tapped for the Black Gold and their shores lined with sandy white beaches that people from around the world flock to visit, there were bountiful sources for trade with other countries. Reidonia is a land where every citizen is content. No taxes are paid and hard work was compensated justly. The monarchy managed and increased the country's riches for the people, not the other way around. That was how the Royal House of Montealta has led their people for generations and why they were loved by all.
"Yes, my lord dauphin?" The Princess asked in a formal tone.
The dauphin chuckled, "Oh please, sweet Maiena, call me Alphonse. If we are to get to know each other more, it's just right for us to skip the formalities."
The Princess's full lips pursed into a thin line as her little nostrils flared a little. A person who knew her as well as I did would know that was a tell-tale sign of the royal's displeasure. "My lord dauphin..." She started, subtly rejecting the other royal's suggestion. "I apologize if I think that addressing you so informally as you suggested would be disrespectful. Such liniency, in my opinion, should be reserved for one's own family and closest friends. I believe you not to be intimately related to me by blood, otherwise, you wouldn't be here seeking an alliance between our countries through marriage. I also do not know you well enough to be my friend." She stated bluntly, her face eerily calm and collected while her father and brother gaped in astonishment and the dauphin blushed in embarrassment.
No one spoke a word, however, so she continued, "I'm afraid, I would have to decline your invitation, my lord dauphin. Unless, otherwise advised by His Majesty The King or His Highness The Crown Prince, according to Reidonian tradition, showing favor to a particular suitor during a period of courtship is strictly forbidden." At that point, she turned her attention to father and brother. "King Thaddeus? Crown Prince Nikolai?" She asked, challenging the royals who were ready to sell her entire life away to whoever ends up on top of the leaderboard.
The King cleared his throat and faced the dauphin. "My daughter is right, dauphin." Hope sparked in the Princess's eyes. Perhaps King Thaddeus would somehow let her have a choice regarding her future.
"But who knows?" The King added. "We may be giving you a different answer in a few months."
And just like that, the spark was extinguished in Princess Maiena's eyes and the dauphin's amused laughter filled the room.
***
A/N:
Five chapters in, what do you think about the story? Seems like we're learning more about the characters and Reidonia as we go along. I hope you're enjoying it so far. ☺
Here what Story Shack has for us this chapter. Did you catch the elements used?
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