The Courtesan

Chapter 34

I really thought, no, hoped to the gods, that the royal ball was going to be the end of the awkwardness. Little did I know brunch the next day was much worse. 

They decided to have it in the greenhouse and gathered most members of the royal family, including Prince Miyon. Since he had no mother, I was his guardian and therefore present to keep him in line. The guests present were from the Kingdom of Zerramond and the four dukes. 

It was my first time seeing the whole royal family. They were smaller than I imagined. Queen Kierra was childless as well as Lady Java. Lady Vanessa had two children, Prince Kron and Princess Katrina. Lady Isla had a little baby boy a little older than Prince Miyon. 

Lady Cassidy had two children; one adolescent daughter and one prepubescent son. Lady Anya had only a son who was also prepubescent and Lady Ralia had a set of twin girls, both looking like they were 6 or 7 years of age. 

And for a large family of several wives, they didn’t talk much. Most of the talking was done by King Mivas and the wives only responded when they were called upon. I knew it was going to be very uncomfortable in the long run because the brunch had just begun. 

“Prince Kalvin, we’ve rarely talked so I want to get to know you, man to man,” King Mivas started. 

“Okay, your majesty. I’ll answer your questions to the best of my abilities.” Compared to the last time, Prince Kalvin sounded amicable. He even added a smile. 

“I’ll start with a simple question. What is your preferred choice of weapon?”

“I have two preferred weapons; Rapiers and Short Swords. I find them very handy.” 

This man… he was lying! When I was back in Zerramond, he wouldn’t shut up about the genius of crossbows and arrows! 

“Oh really? I fancy swords too, so does my son. I prefer Broadswords while he does like long swords.”

“They are certainly interesting choices, considering their weight.”

“I can pull my weight in swords. Would you like to see a demonstration?”

“Of course not. Your majesty has more than proved his might.”

I had to admit Kalvin’s microaggression was better than mine by far. Still, the king was like an unbeatable wall. 

“Casella has a special fruit which the merchants have recently turned into a beverage. Have you had it before?”

“Yes. They sent a lot over as dowry.”

“They have made it even more delicious. I will send you the new variant.”

“I thank your majesty for your generosity but taking something like that would only remind me of my loss.” 

“So, the rumors are true. You did love Princess Ariana, despite being in an arranged marriage.”

“She was and still is my first love.” 

There was a long awkward silence in which the two men gave each other seemingly harmless but intense stares. Prince Kron looked uncomfortable, looking anywhere but there. Eventually his eyes landed on me and I immediately looked away. 

“I understand how difficult it is to let go of your first love.”

Do you? Do you really?!

“Moving on is also difficult. However, being stuck in the past is not going to help you. Your father reached out to me and we reached an agreement. We only need your consent. This is my daughter, Katrina.”

Princess Katrina looked like the younger version of her mother, just without the expected malice. She looked gentler, like someone who couldn’t hurt a fly. However, I couldn’t trust her based on who she had for a mother. She gave a curt nod, returning her attention to her food. 

“She is already at the marriageable age and I can assure she is well behaved. She is also very intelligent and has been trained to be a fit Queen.”

Prince Kalvin stopped what he was doing, relaxed on his chair and curled his lips. He stared at Katrina, her mother and her brother. His eyes returned to the King. 

“I’ve heard this before. More than five years ago, a king also said this to me. What did I get from that; a runaway bride and the loss of my first love. You said being stuck in the past is a bad thing but why do you remind me of it?”

“Princess Katrina is nothing like Princess Ariana. I can assure you she will stay by your side.”

“If her family is in trouble, wouldn’t she leave me?”

“She will be your wife and therefore, you are her family. She will not leave you.” 

“That scares me more than the fact that she would leave me. If she will leave her own family to suffer, what will she do when I am also suffering? You say Princess Katrina is nothing like Princess Ariana. You are right. Princess Ariana was loyal and even at the cost of her life, she returned to aid her family, despite there being nothing she could do. I admire her strength and her heart. A woman who cannot even look me in the eye is nothing compared to Princess Ariana.”

Such praise, I deserved none of it, especially from him. 

“Prince Kalvin, isn’t it ridiculous you will expect her to look you in the eyes? Women are not allowed to do that. They are pretty things to be admired and kept for breeding. If you expect a woman to be more than that, how will you be sure she would be your ally, especially since she is from another kingdom?”

Prince Kalvin couldn’t control his jaw drop and to be honest, I almost couldn’t either. The wives and concubines said nothing, all continuing with the brunch like it was none of their business. Prince Kron too. In fact, he seemed unbothered by this. 

“King Mivas, my cousin Susanne is like a sister to me. We grew up together and I love her dearly. If she is married into your family, will she be treated like this?”

“She will be treated respectfully, like a wife.”

“Like how you treat your wife? No, allow me to correct myself. How you treat your wives?”

“Prince Kalvin, do you scorn our culture and tradition?”

There was nothing, NOTHING, in the tradition that validated a man having multiple wives and treating them like something less. It was the unspoken culture of the men of Casella, which I had come to learn in the long run, for them to treat women as nothing but commodities and animals. 

“I had someone who would spend her free time teaching me this. She never mentioned anything like that. I guess a change in regime created a change in tradition. I’m sorry King Mivas, but we are just not prepared for this change. Susanne, let’s leave.”

He stood up without another word and walked away. His cousin stood and gave the king a deep bow. 

“I am sorry for his behavior. He is usually well behaved but it is a sensitive time for him right now. I’ll bring him back soon,” she said, going after him. 

“I guess the men of Zerramond are so weak that they’ll let their women speak for them,” King Mivas said, loud enough for the still close Lady Susanne to hear. 

“Look closely Kron, that’s the kind of man I don’t want you to become. Make our ancestors proud.”

“Yes father.”

The more I learned about King Mivas, the more reasons I found to despise him.