A Royal Ice Heart

3.

•|•

Half of the day had already passed, which means I only had half a day to convince my dad that I shouldn't marry the girl. Obviously, I never wanted to marry that girl but there was a part of me that wanted to see the freckled boy again. It wasn't because of anything deep or anything like that I just wanted to see him, that's totally normal.

The only other time I had now to convince my father was during dinner, and as I had predicted that was a total failure.

•|•

"Servants!" he hissed, "Bring his dinner to his room, he clearly has no manners at the table!"

The servants obeyed without hesitation, I didn't have the energy to fight back anymore so I just stood up and left. 

I sighed as I sat on my bed with that night's dinner. Time had run out and the girl was coming tomorrow. I had no other option now I thought. I sighed again.

I wondered, does that girl really want to marry me as well? I mean she hasn't even met me why would she want to marry me. All these thoughts were stressing me out, so I decided to give my undivided attention to the food on my plate waiting to be devoured. 

Even if the palace mostly sucked one thing I can say for sure, the food here was absolutely splendid! I was always told that I should never sleep right after eating so I just paced around my room, thoughts of the day flooding my mind. 

Then suddenly the freckled boy came into my thoughts. He looked so out of place in the huge court, how cute. I found myself thinking that the boy was cute! I quickly lay down in my bed and decided to get some sleep, because clearly all the exhaustion from today was messing with my mind. 

Like sleep did anything.

I woke up the next morning feeling more relaxed then I had in years. I would have been happy but, to think the reason was the little bush-haired boy. I groaned and fell onto my pillow once more before I heard a knock at the door.

"What!" I asked, sheer exhaustion and annoyance laced within my words, I didn't mean it to sound like that it just came out as a habit.

"The King said that you should be at the palace doors at exactly nine to great our guests, that'll be all." The man then walked away after politely bowing. 

I clicked my tongue before looking at the clock. 

8:00 am

I went to take a shower and freshen up, and just like a factory the second I was ready there was a knock at my door for breakfast. Breakfast wasn't bad I just wished they hadn't put spinach in my salad. God how I hate spinach.

It was 8:50 by the time I had walked out of my room. Kaminari followed behind me initiating small talk along the way. When we were finally at the castle gates my father lowly growled at me on how I should be early and not exactly on time. I paid no attention to my father's warnings, the princess was obviously going to be fashionably late.

I was kind of excited at the moment though. Not because of some princess, or the fancy decorations all around the gates, but because the boy must be coming as well. I tried to countlessly deny my excitement for the boy's arrival, but, at one point I came to accept my childish joy.

Around fifteen minutes after their expected arrival time did the gates finally open and the people from the empire enter. My dad had only told me moments before that it was the Northern Empire that was coming to visit. I suppose they were decent. 

Kyōka Jirō, the princess of the Northern Empire. True to her reputation, she was beautiful. Her hair was coal black, and her eyes a dark raven. There was always a natural look of bore on her face, and her long lashes just amplified her beauty. She walked with courtesy and balance. Not one mistakable flaw.