The King's Gamma (#Wattys2024)

Thirty Six

At the city Manor, I was met with the sight of my grandfather pummeling my father.

"Why is my precious grandchild not here?!"

"I am right here, grandfather." I said as I walked past them. "If you will excuse me, I will..."

"We have multiple guests, darling." My mother said with a sweet voice, attempting to coax me to where Commander Lee and strangely enough the purple eyed young man stood with their eyes on me. Inside I saw more men enjoying drinks and food with my many cousins.

"They seem to be able enough to entertain themselves."

"Celeste, they all came to see you."

"Now they've seen me. If you will..."

"Celeste Morningstar you had best remember your manners." My mother's fingers bit into my skin, even though she knew that it would cause no damage.

"Fine."

My mother lead me inside the room where all eyes immediately turned to me. At the head tables, where my father and grandfather now sat as though they had not been at each other's throats mere moments before. I was placed to sit directly next to my father who was addressed by several outstandingly dressed older men who each had more young men sitting behind them.

"Frederick!" A large man sitting in front of Commander Lee seemed like an exact, but older copy. Both had bright orange eyes that seemed to pierce right through you, both had short black hair spiked in different ways and both had the same handsome square jaw and both had skin tanned dark from the sun. "Why did I only hear from my son this morning that you had a daughter all along? We could have arranged for a union from her birth."

I could see them eyeing my still veiled figure.

"If she looks anything like her mother had I am quite sure that Lee would be more than pleased."

I quirked a brow, aware that they could not see even the slightest bit of my face. Lee seemed to have a constant smile on his face as he looked me up and down every few seconds. I had to admit that I felt flattered at the straightforward look he had in his eyes. He showed no bashful fakery at the fact that he wanted to have me for himself.

"My daughter only deserves the best, strongest companion." My father replied, a large hand pulling my shoulder into his side. "How could I simply entrust the only Morningstar daughter to just any boy?"

Though my father said this, he seemed extremely satisfied at the large turn out my appearing in the Capital had brought. Who did not know the Morningstar name and the military strength they showed? A union to the Morningstar name was now one of the most sought after things in the Capital with so many of the children coming of age every year.

But no-one ever expected a Morningstar girl to appear.

Word spread of the lavish Morningstar procession for a Morningstar girl faster than wildfire spread over a dry forest drenched in gasoline. And so, as not to be last to show interest, the family heads and bachelors from every family already in the Capital made themselves known, leaving many other girls here for the selection waiting to be courted but to only have none show. The Capital was in shock at the amount of carriages in front of the Morningstar Manor. Before the Morningstar family had always visited the respective families of the girls available for the selection, but now they sat with literally every available bachelor available sitting before them.

"As if your boy is any match for my two boys." Said another man who had bright purple eyes, the purple eyed young man sitting behind him with another next to him with the same eyes. Both were as muscular as their father, but they had a strange air about them, as though they were not fully showing themselves.