PRICE OF ROYALTY

12. The feast

CHAPTER TWELVE

With a smile on my face, I gazed at my looks in the mirror appreciating how the fabric rich with ice blues and lonal neutrals accentuated my body. The detail on the beaded applique and collar had to have been the hand of a very talented seamstress and I appreciated it.

“How do I look Barbara? Do you think I give off the vibe and taste of a queen?” My gaze rested on the taller woman, assessing her features keenly with my gaze. I could not trust her as a matter of fact but I needed know to just how lethal she can be. After all, she was one of the Varci citizens. I had summoned her to help me get ready for the banquet being held in my honor tonight.

“I think, the king would love it, Your Highness,” She was careful with her answer.

“Very well, you can have the evening off but if you do want to stay over for the feast, you are more than welcome,” I smiled kindly.

“Your Majesty, only kitchen servants are allowed in the feast today to serve the guests. Only the highborn and people of status are in attendance Your Majesty,” That was one thing I was going to have to change once I became the official Queen.

“Well that won’t be a rule anymore once I have the crown on my head. Thank you for your service Barbara and may the gods be with you as you retire to your abode,”

Her slightly bowed head puckered up as clear surprise painted on her face.

“Did I say something…surprising?” I questioned.

“No Your Highness. It’s just that…you are different,” she answered.

“I’ll see you at dawn Barbara,” I said simply. I always had to be careful of what I said. It could be a test and I did not want to give anyone the satisfaction of seeing me loose at any expense.

As I watched her walk out of my chambers, I could not help but wonder how I was going to be able to change the minds of a nation that openly loathed me. Knowing I had Leon’s heart in my control Women’s opinion was looked down upon, I knew I had to be able to infiltrate his mind and make him listen to me.

“Princess,” What was Theo doing in my chambers just when I was about to attend a banquet held in my honor? His presence was enough to ruin my mood for the evening.

“You do know that I have a page by the entrance, right? Shouldn’t you follow protocol like every other person who visits me?” I questioned.

“Trust me I do not want to behold your presence either. As for your question, you should know that I’m not some…servant at your disposal to have to wait around for your page to announce my arrival. I’m an important member of the kingdom with imperative duties in the kingdom rather than dress up all day and prance around my beauty,” That was so assumptive of him.

“Well, sometimes women just don’t sit around making their faces. Have you ever wondered why women can be so unpredictable? We have so much time on our hnads, to plot and think. Like right now, if that is the outfit you plan on wearing for my banquet, can you at least have the decency of putting something that does not look like a rag straight off a dumpster?” I fired back, my gaze running over his outfit. In no way, was it unfit for the feast. As a matter of fact, he looked quiet dashing but I was not one to let an insult thrown on my face just go Scott free when it was not just my honor on the line but also my own mind.

“I would careless about your opinion Princess. As far as I’m concerned, I’m quite fit for the ball which I’m only attending as a curtsey to my brother,”

“Of course. If it were not for your brother’s unconditional love for you, no one would bother looking your way. After all, aren’t you just a bastard like me?” His face hardened and I realized I had just found a major weakness. Now I knew how exactly I would put him in his place.

”My father, the late King, legitimized me. So in no way, am I anything like you,”

I moved, placing a hand on his chest while making sure to meet his fuming orbs. The fury in them was visible and in a way, it brought a smile to my face.

“Do you really believe that Theo? Do you truly feel that you are not an illegitimate child even though you’ve been legitimized?” I whispered and judging from his sudden tight hold around the edge of his sheathed sword, I had gotten him right where I wanted.

“I’m done with talking to you Princess. So I’m going to let my anger over such ridiculous attempts to degrade my station pass by. I’m here to escort you to the banquet as per my brother’s orders and after that, there will no more encounters between us,” he seethed through gritted teeth.

“Of course you would not miss the honor of being that helpful as you call it,”

He walked out as I followed him. Once we graced the majestic hallway, he slowed down until we were just in step. Servants bowed as we walked by but the moment we walked past them, they would break into murmurs. With each step we took towards the ballroom, my anticipation grew. I was not exactly trained to mix with nobles who cried my blood.

“Announcing the entrance of Queen Elizabeth of Gatiah, First of her name, accompanied by Prince Theo of Varci,” Queen. I loved the sound of that title; a title I never thought I would possess one day but now I was determined to retain so I could change the game of royalty.

Taking a deep breath, I watched the doors slide open as Theo took my arm, slinging it around his. There was something about the feel of his entwined in mine that made me a small shiver of something so…forbidden and utterly wrong take control of my body. That had to be just a figment of my imagination. Theo was the most arrogant man I’d ever known in my entire life and if it were possible, I would pray to the gods for his disappearance in my life altogether.

The nobles here, were no different from those back in Gatiah. They flaunted their expensive robes with their mistresses on one arm, while a few at least had the decency to bring only their wives. They all watched me with calculative gazes as I walked towards my reserved seat beside the king. Leon stood from his seat, a smile on his face as he walked down the small steps to meet me.

“My King,” I curtseyed respectfully.

“My Queen. You look…lovely,” His open affection for me was having the opposite effect on his council. I could hear a few of them break into murmurs behind my back but that did not matter to me.

“And I see it’s true what they say about your looks in the songs,”

“What do they say about me?” He linked his arm around me. If there was someone lucky, then it was me. To earn the affection of a king who could easily have any woman of high status, was almost an impossible thing.

“They say you could make women worship your feet so they could have just a feel of your lips on their forehead and it’s true,”

“Are you saying you find me good looking?”

“Maybe I’m,” I smiled as I took my place by his side. I could not wait for the six days to be over before I was officially the Queen of such a powerful kingdom.

I watched him pick his chalice filled with wine.

“Every king wishes to have the best Queen and I’m glad my dream of the perfect queen did not disappoint me. Actually, I think I got more than I bargained for. Because, looking at this beauty sitting beside me, with her witty brain and graceful tongue, I count myself the luckiest King in the history of all Kings. Here is to my beautiful wife, Queen of Varci, Queen Elizabeth,” He raised his chalice and everyone else has no choice but to do the same.