requested by @nepotistic_mindset
"Hurry and get ready!" Your father demanded you as he hustled down the hallway with a few servants at his side. Everyone seemed to be all over the place in the palace today. The royal family of the Northern Isles was coming to visit later, and your parents wanted to make sure everything was set and ready for this evening. Although they did come every now and then, your parents still wanted everything to be perfect for their visit.
Your family had a good relation with theirs. Not only were your kingdoms allies, but at dinner everyone would talk as if they'd known each other forever. You, on the other hand, were a bit more shy, so you didn't talk to them as much as you'd like. Well, except for Tyler.
Prince Tyler was the oldest of four children in his family, and also your best friend. Living in the palace your whole life, you never really had the chance to meet new people and make lots of friends. But Tyler was somebody who you'd known ever since you were little. You loved when his family came to visit, because you guys would hang out nonstop and were always laughing about something stupid together.
You listened to your father, quickly running to your room since you weren't dressed yet. Luckily, your maids already had your gown set out on your bed, so all you had to do was put it on.
It was a sparkly lavender color, flowing down to your feet. It wasn't anything too extravagant, which made it perfect for a simple dinner. You slipped on a matching pair of shoes, even though they were hidden by the dress, and by then you were basically already ready.
You made your way down to the dining hall and waited by your family's side. You tried to stand still, but your nerves caused you to slightly rock back and forth on your heels. For some reason, you always got nervous when guests came to the palace, even if you knew them fairly well.
After waiting several minutes, the royal family finally arrived. Your parents were quick to greet them, but you and your siblings stood behind, wondering whether or not you should follow them. You didn't move until the slender brown eyed boy came up to you, offering a sweet smile. Tyler.
"Princess Y/n," Tyler greeted you jokingly with a bow. As royalty, you both were required to use manners and act properly towards everyone. But since you and Tyler were already so friendly, you treated it as a joke with one another. "How are you?"
"I'm okay," you replied with a curtsey, giggling along with him. "How about you, Prince Tyler?"
"I'm doing okay as well," he said, clasping his hands together in front of him. "Would you like to sit by me at dinner?"
"I would love to," you replied with a smile. He held his arm out, and you locked your arm through his as he led you to the table.
Sitting by Tyler during dinner was always fun. The two of you together would always crack up at the littlest things and have the rest of your families stare at you like you were crazy. You were always told to sit up straight and act polite when eating, but you couldn't help yourself from slapping his arm at his stupid jokes and holding your stomach from laughing so hard.
Although you did enjoy being with Tyler at dinner, this constant thought kept nagging you in the back of your mind. And it was the thought that after tonight, you may never get to hang out with Tyler like this again. All because your parents wanted you to marry some prince from some other kingdom.
You were turning twenty one soon, which meant that you needed to find a husband. You had tried telling your parents that you didn't need one, that you would be completely fine on your own. You didn't want to marry some random man you'd never met before, you wanted to marry for love. But your parents had mentioned time and time again that it was a tradition- all of your siblings had to do the same. So now, you feared you'd be stuck with some stupid bad tempered prince who you couldn't care less about for the rest of your life. Not unless you managed to find some other boy that your parents approved of.
