The White Haired Princess

chapter 2

"Beauty is a short-lived tyranny."

Yui

He was an unfortunate lad, that guard. Being pestered by me, I imagined, would be very maddening.

"Princess, please, I can not let you out. The king will have my head," he pleaded from behind the door to my room. I could hear the annoyance in his voice. Good. In my life, I'd learned that the more annoyed a person is, the lower their guard is and the easier it is to manipulate them.

I was currently confined in my room, trying to convince the guard outside to let me out- not that that was the only option I'd had, but a girl was willing to try.

I lifted a palm towards the door, tapping on it with my fingernails. "Do you consider the possibility that maybe he won't find out?" I lowered my voice a little. "I'd think it would be very foolish of you to let a woman out and be found too."

"Lady, it would be foolish of me to let you out all on its own. Pardon me, but I can not do what you ask of me," the guard stated.

I let out a exaggerated gloomy sigh. I suppose I'll just have to go for plan b.

I hadn't really anticipated what would come of it, me running away, I mean. I'd always let myself be guided by the aphorism, "whatever happens, happens."

Before I could head towards the sealed window and shatter it into pieces, I heard voices approaching from outside the door, men passing by- my father and, who I assumed, would be the "guests".

It wasn't that my father was an immoral person, but more so the King's advisor. He was called as Henry (his real name was henriette although it was commonly a woman's name) and I believe everyone was well aware of how unpleasant he was, except my blind-hearted father, of course. Henriette would whisper all sorts of lies and cruel council.

"Lord, I must tell you, she's a woman of good heart, but unfortunately, bad temper... Hardly anyone's ever been triumphant against her petty quarreling," I heard my father apprise. I snorted at that, but he wasn't wrong. I liked to have the last word.

One of the men standing outside cleared their throat and assured him, "It's alright, good sir. It matters not her personality. My son shall do good to both her and to the alliance of our kingdoms. I know it shall go well."

Future (dead?) Fiancé's old man?

I heard a scoff.

"May I ask as to why she's been locked in?" asked the same voice who scoffed. He sounded youthful, not old and coming of age like the other men I was to be married to. I suppose, I might not run away, after all. I wanted to put him to test.

I heard my father say something across the lines of, "You wouldn't want to know, son."

I had a good laugh in my head as to how funny this was. I was amused, I'll give my father that.

As much as I forced myself to block away the information King gave me, my ears failed me. From what I was told by father, I was to be married to the second prince of Geneviv, as a peace treaty between them and my father's kingdom of Aragen. (Many of the peace treaties my father tried to make went down the drain due to my poisoning most of the lords.)

Let's just say, our kingdom wasn't doing too good and my father needed as many friends as he could gain. The more friends, the better!

I let myself fall onto the bed and sat upright, examining my nails. Hearing the sound of the lock being clicked open tempted me into running out like a mad man, but I resisted.

I did not bother glancing up.

I decided to perform a little (excuse my French) crap show to entertain the guests. "Ah, father. How kind of you to show up. Were you ever intending to offer me food? I've been feeling quite hungry. Do you mean to leave me to starve to death- my, your own daughter. No, wait- or is it your way of suggesting I lose weight? That's quite rude of you."

It was silent for a split moment, and I'd wondered if they'd quietly left after my rant. However, when I looked up, I saw a couple gaping mouths and my father's seething eyes, full of compassionate hatred. I should have felt some sort of fear, but who was he for me to feel fear upon? I never considered him a father, not a second in my 18 years of life.

The young man standing next to the foreign king was very handsome, I must admit. His build was muscular, his shoulders broad and legs unbelievably tall. His veiny hands hung by his side, one of them grasping the top of his sword like one would clasp a book. Curly hair drifted onto his dark hickory brown eyes as ringlets and a white scar graced as a slit on his eyebrow.

"Oh my, how uncorteous of me. I genuinely apologise for I was not informed of guests. Are they here for my hand, father?"

"Princess, where are your manners! I'm dreadfully sorry, friend. I have not an idea what the matter is with her," my father began sucking up to the dark haired man beside him. The other man held up his hands in an assuring motion.

"No worries. From the look on my son's face, I assume he has taken a liking to her."

The silent prince most certainly did not look like it, was the foreign king half blind?

The king of Aragen sighed, heart full of distress. "Very well, then, I shall introduce her; this is-"

"Do not bother, I shall introduce myself, m'lord," I offered him a dinky wink, earning myself a scornful look from "m'lord."

I looked to the prince and his father (and several other stone-faced guards standing in the back, blocking the door to my room), feigning deference. "My name is Yui, princess of Aragen." I curtsied, and I'm sure my eyes were smug, and my lips were tilted into a little smirk. I stepped forward, forcing myself to kiss the foreign king's hand.

It was common knowledge here that when someone kissed someone else's hand, they were fully resolved to marry them. I'd forgotten it and I wasn't really thinking of it like that. It was supposed to be a display of respect.

I glanced at the prince, who seemed to be finding my kissing his father's hand amusing.

My father's temper seemed to reach its its zenith. He looked at me as though saying, 'do you intend on making the king your husband?! I'll see to it that you pay for my humiliation.' His eyes showed he intended to hurt me once we were alone; it didn't matter, I had enough bruises to be used to it by now.

"Do not let your anger get to you, mate. My prince here is just as rebellious and defiant as she," the foreign king cheered, his eyes tender and his smile filled with joy. "We shall be off to our rooms, for now, we will come back later tomorrow to discuss the marriage."

The foreign king proceeded to introduce his own son who stood there, complying quietly. I wasn't listening enough to remember the prince's name.

The foreign king was kind. For a short moment, I was undeniably jealous of the unearthly prince.

Author's Note/ her name, Yui, is pronounced as Yu-ee.

Hope the writing is okay and not confusing, I feel like I'm leaving details out.