Bound to the Throne

Chapter 4 - Kennah

The castle is under lockdown today. After the engagement celebration, I was supposed to be able to walk around the town. My face was supposed to be hidden until that day for a grand reveal. I think my father didn't want to chance finding me with another boy. The thought definitely would have crossed my mind. I always found it heavily biased how kings and princes can sleep with whomever, before and after marriage, but a woman is ruined by a simple kiss. I've missed out on so many things in life being hidden inside these walls. As a kid I longed to have a friend to play with. Clara and Lyra have been great, but I didn't have them until a few years ago. They can be enjoyable company, but even I can tell it's not a real friendship. It is their duty to get me ready. They don't bother stopping by any other time to chat. When they are here, they don't talk about anything personal. I'm not sure if I could tell many details about their lives.

I'm lying in my bed staring at my ceiling. I notice the small cracks that have slowly branched throughout the years. It reminds me of tree roots growing beneath the dirt. It's like the earth itself has begun to fight back. I'm already dressed for the day, but I cannot leave my room until I am told. Since the festivities were cut extra short yesterday, Aric and I are to open the gifts that were to be presented to us. We have to decide what is to stay, and what needs to be brought back to the castle in Tecura. Aric will one day inherit his father's throne as well, so we will live part-time there so he can stay up to date on current affairs. It terrifies me to think of what my life will be like there.

A knock on my door stirs me from my thoughts. I don't even bother to stand. I simply turned my head in its direction. After a few more ignored knocks, the door opens. It's Laiken. I groan and look back up at the ceiling. "It's improper to enter a lady's room without permission." I grumble.

"If I waited for you to open the door, we both would have died from old age." His tone shows he's not in the mood for games. Too bad for him.

"I could have been indecent. I could have been bathing and not heard the knock. You would have received whips across your back from seeing me undressed." I answered while shaking my head in mock disapproval.

"I didn't see any of your ladies in here, and I wasn't aware royalty knew how to draw their own bath." I jerked my head in his direction and found a smirk on his face. I try to shoot daggers through my glare. He's not too far off, and that is what pisses me off. I've seen my ladies carry buckets of water to my fireplace to warm my bath, but I've never done it myself. I turned my gaze back upwards and crossed my legs at my ankles.

I hear his footsteps approach, but I don't budge. My arms are crossed like a stubborn child. He reaches the edge of the mattress and leans forward to scoop me up in his arms. "How dare you! Put me down at this instant!" I'm hitting his chest, but admittedly not very hard. His chest is hard but warm. I feel my heart begin to pulse faster. I wonder if he can feel it as I am pressed against him at this angle. He puts me down when we reach the door. I straightened the hem of my golden-laced skirt. "I could have you removed for what you just did." I meant to sound upset, but my voice trembled. He lowers to drop on one knee and reaches for my heels on the bench beside us. He grabs the back of my ankle when I do not offer it. He's strong, but not rough. He stands again and looks down at me. He's so tall I have to arch my neck to meet his eyes. "Well, we are headed to the king now. You can demand my replacement there." The arrogance of this man.

I gesture towards the door. "Are you going to open it? Or are you going to neglect all your manners today?" He takes a deep breath, making his chest expand with the new intake of air. He's clearly frustrated and trying to fight the urge to say something else. Instead, he opens the door to step out into the hallway. I see his head turning to see if it's clear. He turns his gaze back. "Let's go." His voice has returned to his guard tone. There's no sense of anger or annoyance lingering. I find this intriguing. He can clearly suppress it, but chooses to show it when no one else is around. I find it oddly comforting. Sure, I see Aric's true self when the nobles aren't around, but so does the rest of the castle. Even then, he doesn't break the character that his position demands. I've never questioned Martha's love. I know she would still care about me if she was no longer working in the castle, but she's never crossed the line either. Even her sternness was a part of the role that she was handed. This is new, and exactly the reason why I will not ask for his replacement.

I follow as he guides us right around the first corner and then left around the second where the stairs are. The royal family quarters were designed to have the king and queen up front with the children's rooms descending by age, leaving the youngest at the end of the hallway with a set of stairs that lead up to the family room. It was supposed to be a symbol of protection. Now it seems to be the order of importance. We turn left at the landing and walk through the long hall that holds my father's office. My blood starts to boil at the memory of our conversation. We stop when we reach the giant double doors. The other side holds the two throne chairs. I mentally prepare myself as the guards before us reach for the wide metal handles.

I straighten my back as I enter the room. Aric is already sitting in the throne chair. Of course, he is. I force myself to keep eye contact as he stands. It makes the room feel much longer than it really is. I lift my skirt when I reach the steps, so I do not trip on the way up. We both take our seats in silence. This is the first time that I have been allowed to sit on what used to be my mother's throne. It is more firm than I imagined it to be. Laiken moves to stand by my side. I focus on his proximity as the servants begin bringing presents in. I'm quite thankful to begin immediately instead of giving Aric time to speak. The presents are stacking up into a small hill in the center of the room. I internally sigh knowing this may take a while. I really don't care which items stay or go. They can all burn and I'd be happy.

The servants finish and stand in front of the pile facing us. One woman turns to grab a smaller item, then brings it forward. She extends it forward to me. "Open it." Aric orders her as I begin to move to accept the gift. I offer her a small encouraging smile. He turns his attention to me. "We are to be presented the gifts. Not get up and down every few seconds to do their jobs for them." I keep my eyes forward on the woman opening the gift while gritting my teeth. It's a golden rattle with a diamond on the top. It's meant to bring luck in our fertility journey, and to present to the first heir produced. "How beautiful." I lie. The thought of it makes it look horrendous. "That shall stay here and travel with us. It needs to stay with the Princess." Aric interjects. I cross my fingers in my lap, slowly pressing my nails into my skin.

The next servant steps forward. It is a delicate tea set. Aric decided he would stay here. He said the ones here need replaced. It took all my strength to stop my eyes from rolling. He continues answering for each gift. The custom-made bathrobes will stay here. The bottles of wine will be split among the castles. The decanter will be sent to Tecura. The silk bedsheets will be washed and placed here. He only lets me answer when it comes to my jewelry. The dresses he said needed to stay here in case my ladies needed to take them out. The comment was only meant to stir me. I am not the smallest woman, but I do have noticeable curves at my hips and breasts. If anything, the dress will need to be taken in.

The next gift is a herbal tea known to give men s****l stamina and function. I'm taken aback by everyone's comfort giving such items. I would have thought presenting them to royalty would be improper. This causes Aric to take a moment as well. I took advantage of it. "Those will need to stay with Prince Aric. It will not help his issue if not on hand." I lowered my voice to fit the delicate matter. The daggers from Aric's eyes promised I would pay for that comment later. It was worth it knowing the servant would spread what he had just learned. I remained quiet once again as he returned to answering. Teas are to stay here. The food should be prepared right away. It is not until the last present that he acknowledges my presence again. My heart freezes as a servant holds up a small silky gown. The top cuts into a deep v. The material is so thin I can practically see the servant's clothes through it in this light. "That is too fine to not use for the bedding ceremony. Don't you agree, dear?" The last word is said with venom. My heart freezes in my chest. Every inch of my body would be exposed to Aric and the witnesses.

The door opens, saving me from answering. "The Kings are requesting Prince Aric for an urgent matter." A guard announces. Aric stands and takes his leave. I can feel my body shaking. "I am feeling unwell. I need to be escorted back to my chamber at once." I address Laiken without looking in his direction. "Yes, my grace."

I don't let my tears fall until I am alone once again in my room. I want to crawl back into bed, but a tiny box sitting on top stops me in my tracks. There's a note attached from Martha. "This necklace belonged to your mother. I know that she would want you to have it for your special day." I opened the box and stared at it. It's a beautiful unpolished cream-colored stone encased in silver. I can tell it's one of a kind. She must have had it specially made for her. I hold it to my chest. My father had all of her belongings gathered and sent away. I've never seen her wear it, but it brings me so much comfort knowing it was hers, that I have a piece of her again. I close my eyes and sink to the floor against the bed frame. I cling to the feeling of her and nothing else.