The Rightful Queen 29 The Arrival Of The Royal Carriage

Once out of sight, she craned her neck. The parliament had given her a rough time. Since her desired date of coronation was within two months, the wedding needed to happen two weeks before it and another two weeks for the engagement party. The preparation time needed for all of them would be cramped.

Nonetheless, the Princess held her ground.

She sat in front of her dressing table, rubbing her right temple. She did get what she wanted but it would also need Teralyn's approval. That would be another obstacle ahead of her.

"Your Highness?" Melody knocked at the door.

"Come in" Alkas sighed. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. Now that the meeting ended, she should move on to other things.

"Your tea, Your Highness" her servant placed the tea cup on her dressing table. It had been filled with chamomile tea and a bit of honey. She remained standing next to Alkas, carrying a tray.

"Thank you, Melody" the Princess straightened her posture and lifted the cup to her lips. One hand supported the base while the other held the handle. The warm liquid flowed down her throat, melting the tension off her muscles.

"A letter also arrived while you were at the meeting" Melody spoke up. She fished out an envelope from her pocket and held it out to the Princess, "The Head Butler had given me the task of giving it to you, Your Highness."

Alkas set the tea cup back on its saucer. She delicately took the envelope from the servant. A red wax seal of a crescent moon with the head of a howling wolf at the center and crossed swords at the back greeted her eyes.

"Who delivered it?" She asked in nonchalance, opening her palm to the servant.

Melody handed over a letter opener from the tray and placed it gently on the Princess' hand, "It came from a royal messenger."

Alkas nodded and sliced the top of the envelope. She took out the parchment inside and read its contents swiftly. The corner of her lips curved upwards.

"Please inform the Head Butler and the Head Main to prepare for a guest tomorrow. Advise them to inform the Prime Minister as well" she quickly instructed. She put the parchment back into the envelope and hid it in a drawer. Then, she focused on her tea again.

The servant pressed her lips together. She debated for a while whether or not she should ask the Princess about it. In the end, she worked up the courage and said, "Who are we expecting, Your Highness?"

Instead of a scolding like she expected, Alkas merely smiled and looked at her through the mirror's reflection, "Why the Crown Prince, of course. He has informed us that he will be arriving at the Sol Palace tomorrow morning. He is several towns away. Normally, he could reach us tonight but courtesy calls for him to give us ample time to prepare."

Melody bowed respectfully, hugging the empty tray to her chest, "Then, I shall inform them at once, Your Highness."

"Please do. You are dismissed."

The servant walked out of the room as fast as she could without appearing rude. She shut the door, a soft tick came from the locks meeting together.

The Princess finished her tea. She wondered what could Hayden have up his sleeve for this visit. Although the Knight and the Prince did have some similarities, did they truly believe that they could fool her?

The rest of the day pa.s.sed by swiftly. Soon, the sun had risen up again to greet a new day. Unlike others, the Sol Palace had brimmed into life even before it came. The cooks had woken up earlier than their usual time to prepare a grand feast for lunch. The Prime Minister had replied that he would be attending along with his apprentice. Therefore, they had more visitors to accommodate.

The Head Butler had instructed the servants to prepare several rooms for the Crown Prince and his entourage. A number of servants bustled to get them done on time. They swept the rooms again and dusted the windows. The Head Butler inspected each room. The servants needed his approval before they could continue on with other tasks.

Alkas walked out of her room in a similar gown to the one she wore yesterday. Instead of blue, this one had hues of warm oranges, depitcing fallen dried leaves. It accented her golden eyes as if they were two candlelights. Her black hair braided and pinned at the nape of her neck into a small bun. Short strands vined around the sides of her face, framing it in tendrils.

The maids and servants bowed low whenever she walked by. At the top of the grand stairs, her eyes landed on Rowan standing near the last step. Beside the Prime Minister, a young man with disheveled black hair seethed about something. He wore a dark gray tunic, b.u.t.toned up to the neck where a jabot, ornamental white ruffles, peeked out. His skin tanned from hours working under the sun to accompany his family's workers.

"Prime Minister" Alkas greeted. She focused her eyes on the two men and climbed down the stairs. The Prime Minister she was used to seeing. The young man with him must be his apprentice. Youthful emerald green eyes looked back at her, unwavering.

She offered him a polite smile, "And this must be the new Duke of Quora."

Rowan cleared his throat and gestured an arm towards the Duke, "This is Duke Jameson Hawkins."

James bowed near his waist level as the Princess reached the bottom step. He spoke in a civilized manner, "Greetings, Your Highness. May the sun always s.h.i.+ne on you."

Alkas nodded her head to the side, "The pleasure is mine, Duke Jameson. Shall we go to the courtyard? I heard the Crown Prince had reached the outskirts of the capital a moment ago. He would be arriving soon."

"By all means, please lead the way, Your Highness" the Prime Minister said. He and Jameson stood back, letting the Princess take the first step. They followed her out of the main entrance and down the front stairs.

The Sol Palace had been rebuilt to its former glory. An expert architecture had done a study on it previously and they had been able to use his work for its reconstruction. It took a total of 5 years to finish. Only the front patio had been spared. The same gemstones glittered like against the ashen marble. The fire had been put out before it could read them.

The three of them walked down the winding path and headed for the gates. Various servants had been stationed at both of its sides to receive the carriage and the pa.s.sengers.

"Your Highness" the Head Butler greeted Alkas, bowing dutifully, "A messenger had come by to say that Teralyn's Royal Carriage is almost near."

"We are right on time then."

Horse shoes clacked against the ground from a distance. Wooden wheels creaked against their hinges, needing a bit of oil. Four horses rounded the corner of a street and travelled towards a small hill. Behind them, they pulled a carriage made of pure gold painted in deep blue and silver. Two coachmen sat at the front while two footmen stayed at the back.

The Athenine Household watched the carriage ascend the hill. As it neared the top, a coachman pulled the reins of the horses and slowed their pace. They only reached a stop once the carriage door faced the gates. The footmen hopped down, jogging towards the door. Both of them stood on either side. One of them grabbed the handle and the other stood by in case the pa.s.senger lost his footing.

Everyone held their breath in antic.i.p.ation.

A das.h.i.+ng young man stepped out. His hosts first spotted his wavy dark brown hair. Then, they saw his black boots, white breeches and navy jacket with a black belt around the waist. When he straightened his back, blue eyes met theirs.

He took a few long strides and bowed to the waist, "I bestow my utmost greetings to the returning Princess of the Sol Palace. May the sun always s.h.i.+ne on you."

Alkas stepped forward, holding her skirt and tucking a foot behind and an ankle, "On behalf of the Athenine household, I greet the Crown Prince of Teralyn. May the moon always light your path."

Both of them returned to their appropriate standing posture. Neither of them spoke. Their audience waited but they paid them no mind. Their attention merely belonged to each other.

Before the Head Butler could interrupt and redirect them to a proper place of discussion, the Princess beamed at the Crown Prince, "Are we truly to behave like strangers, Tylen? After all these years?"

Hayden nearly winced. Now that she stood before him, he blanked out on what to say. He hid his hands behind his back, squeezing them tight. He resisted his instincts. Every nerve in his body screamed at him to attack. Yet, Alkas showed no sign of suspicion. Her mannerism was what he had expected.

The Knight pressed his lips together and briefly glanced at the ground, "It has been a while indeed. I am glad to see you are well."

His nails started to dig into his palms. Oh, how he wanted to reach for her neck. This woman caused his best friend great pain. Now, she expected him to marry her after what she had done.

Did it ever challenge her conscience?