The Royal Witch

Chapter 2 - The Dinner

“No, Soraya. You don’t get a say in this.”

The princess was trying to get her father to let her skip dinner, but he said no. Prince Killian and his parents, the King and Queen of Swordsmith, will be in attendance. The king’s voice was solemn, low, and serious. The princess knew that he would not bend. Not this time.

Soraya wore a long satin green dress, accentuated with black lace, which offset her red hair. Her hair was tied in a tight bun. It was not her father’s first choice, but it was a compromise. She would not otherwise get ready for dinner.

King Dante let Soraya walk ahead of him. For a second, there, the princess felt pleased. It was the first time her father had allowed her to walk before him. She sobered a little after mentally reminding herself that it was probably because she was about to be sacrificed – a lamb to the s*******r.

As they approached the long table, she saw that three unfamiliar figures were standing, waiting for them. As usual, the servants were on the side, waiting to be called at any time during dinner.

The older man was distinguished, with his Roman nose and sharp features. He had blondish hair peppered with grey and a slightly mischievous look on his face. Soraya knew that this was King Jurgen. She remembered him as a younger man visiting the castle from time to time. He and her father seemed to enjoy a lot of hunting and hollering together. King Jurgen seemed like a man who would have visited more often, if not for the distance of his kingdom, Swordsmith.

The kingdom was a minority one but one of the most loyal. Swordsmith was named for the sharpest swords in the greater Mogochislenia. Without this kingdom, the rest of the domains would have to make do with less deadly blades. The minority kingdom’s swordsmiths use a special ingredient, according to legend. However, some whispered that there was a hint of magic added to the weapons.

King Jurgen’s wife is Queen Drusilla. She was about forty, still beautiful, with blonde hair that she kept in a rigid bun. Soraya recognized the similarity in their hairstyles. She wanted to laugh. It seemed like she had picked an older woman’s bun. There was something a little fuzzy about the queen. Even though she could tell that the older woman was beautiful, she could not focus on a single feature.

“…and this is our son, Prince Killian,” roared King Jurgen.

Then, there was the prince. Prince Killian was tall, even taller than his father but slimmer. Despite his slender build, one could tell that he was also muscular beneath his tunic and coat. Soraya could not quite tell how she was able to figure it out. The prince was very handsome, blonde, and blue-eyed. The princess could already tell that her ladies-in-waiting and her distant cousins would be swooning all over him.

But what about her?

Soraya tried to feel something special for this young man. After all, he might end up her husband whether she liked it or not. She was surprised that she could not feel anything more than a spark of admiration for his beautiful features.

He is more beautiful than I am!

The practical side of the princess thought that perhaps she should give him a chance. Maybe by getting to know him better, there would be something about this prince to make her fall in love. The fairy tales always talked about immediate sparks that ended up fiery and endless.

The company sat down after the initial greetings. The two kings almost forgot what they were there for and starting talking about swords and hunting. Queen Drusilla was visibly uncomfortable, and Prince Killian kept on giving Soraya the eye.

He seemed nice enough.

However, Soraya kept her mouth shut. It was a rule that young people should be seen, not heard. She would not let her father down this time. Even if she was a bubbly, active young person, she knew when she should restrain herself. She also reasoned that at least she might be betrothed to someone young and handsome and not a much older man looking for a third wife.

“Isn’t my father an utter bore?”

Surprised at Killian’s whisper, Soraya giggled. Then, she scolded herself internally for being too agreeable. Why can’t I make this young man pursue me?

But she knew who she was. She was a princess, but she always spoke the truth. Her face was easy to read. She wished then that she had a little more guile, but the princess was enjoying the dinner far more than she thought she ever would.

“My father, too. You should wait for him to start talking about his horses. He would not stop until –“

“Jurgen, would you like to see my horses? One had just birthed several colts the other day.”

The two young royals looked at each other and started laughing.

Queen Drusilla glanced at the two of them, willing herself to be stern. But anyone could tell that she was pleased.

The rest of the dinner was a breeze. Killian talked about his younger siblings, Arthur and Felina. Soraya was both entranced and jealous. As an only child, she tried her best to be as close with her cousins as possible. However, the closest to her by blood are twins – and they have already made a world for themselves. They were willing to invite her in sometimes. They were often just there, speaking a language they invented and playing games with rules that only they could follow.

“King Dante and Princess Soraya, the real reason we are here – aherm – you may have probably guessed.”

Queen Drusilla gently rubbed her husband’s back. It was not often that the king was nearly speechless for words.

King Dante knew what this was all about. Soraya knew. He had been harping about how he was looking for eligible princes for her. Suddenly, that reminder had dampened her mood a little. But then she felt a warm finger gingerly touching the little finger of her right hand, which was resting on her chair.

She glanced at the prince. He smiled, reddening a little. The princess also blushed, wondering how a slight touch could make her feel that way. Emboldened, Killian held her hand with his warm hand and lightly squeezed.

“What we mean is that we are here to offer Prince Killian, our son, in marriage to Princess Soraya. We promise to honor and protect her for the rest of our earthly lives.”

Soraya realized that she was holding her breath. She let it out gently, hoping that Killian was not watching her.

“We happily accept this proposal. Don’t we, Soraya, my dear?”

Her father was smiling at her. The princess felt that he had been observing what was going on between her and the prince.

Suddenly, she was confused. A part of her was attracted to the witty, handsome prince. He seemed to have stirred something in her that she could not understand. Another part of her was unhappy about being a Vessel, offered up as a pawn, seemingly unable to decide for herself.