Knight Of Another Realm

Chapter 4 Unknown Enemy

Five minutes. That's how long Angelina had been standing restlessly in the hall with her knights by her side, but the suspense from waiting made it feel longer. Her mind was racing and the thought of messing up kept resurfacing again and again no matter how many times she shoved it away. She still didn't know what she was going to say during her meeting, and although she had tried to figure something out on the way here, the words stubbornly refused to come to her.

In an attempt to keep herself distracted, she fiddled with the pendant around her neck. But for some reason, the symbol of her family crest only reminded her of what she was here to do - what her father was relying on her to accomplish for him. Angelina held back a groan as she dropped her hands to her sides. How she wished she could get this thing over with before her composure was lost to her nervousness again. Unable to just keep leaning against the wall any longer, she decided to take a peek inside the library. She peered around the door, but couldn't observe anything with the knight's figure blocking her view. He had barely entered the room and was standing only two or three steps past the doorway. His back was facing her, so he was completely unaware that she was directly behind him.

"Your Majesty," the Knight said as he stepped further into the room. "I present Her Royal Highness, Princess Angelina."

Angelina's body acted faster than her brain. Folding her hands in front of her, she swiftly strengthened her posture and masked her features with a civilized expression. While she knew it wouldn't do her any good to be too stern, the best way for her to be taken seriously despite her young age was to act mature. She held her composure perfectly as the knight circled towards her and did not even raise a brow when he looked at her in slight surprise. He must have not been expecting to see her right behind him. Eventually, he snapped back to reality and gestured with his hand for her to come in before moving aside.

Angelina glided across the threshold, her skirt swaying around her legs. She ignored the cluster of her knight's footsteps behind her and made eye contact with King Frederick as he rose from his spot on the long, expensive-looking sofa. Right away, she got the impression that he was the type of man who had no issues with boasting about his wealth.

It wasn't so much his demeanor as it was his exquisite clothing that portrayed the fact. The bronze-colored jacket he wore over an ivory shirt was covered with a black threaded diamond pattern and an ornate trimming that ran down the sides. A gold shoulder necklace decorated with precious jewels - pearls and iridescent crystals - also laid on his chest, its three chained tassels in the center swinging freely as he approached. Not the best first impression one would hope for from a possible ally, but then again it wasn't an unusual trait for royalty. Angelina gave the respectful greeting to King Frederick, dipping her head downward as she curtsied.

"Your Majesty. Thank you for agreeing to speak with me, I'm honored to have the chance to meet you."

"And I you, Princess Angelina. What brings a rather beautiful young lady like yourself here to my court?" King Frederick asked. He looked her up and down for a brief moment, studying her. It threw Angelina off a little bit, but she quickly regained her focus and thought over what to say first. To her surprise, the words formed perfectly in her head.

"Well, your Majesty, I've come here to offer you an abundance of my kingdom's goods in exchange for an alliance. If it pleases the king, of course," she added.

"An alliance you say...interesting," King Frederick mused, his index finger rubbing against the side of his jaw. He was like that for a few seconds, then he suddenly froze. Angelina could see that his eyes were trained on something, although she couldn't predict what. She was just about to speak up when King Frederick's hand was reaching out to touch her back, a smile that seemed almost a little too innocent spreading across his face.