Chapter 3: Chapter 3
The day had already started and the princess's personal servants had already tidied the room. Salena seemed to have slept deeply and a dreamless sleep. After all, she hadn't registered anything. She quickly turned to the other side when suddenly the events of the previous day came to her mind. Tears filled her eyes, she sat up and looked around her room. The bed was empty and the left side cold. If she left the room, would her nightmare be gone? She quickly shook off the childish thought, unfortunately it had not been a dream. " Lou, are you there?" She asked into the room. The connecting door to the servant's room opened quietly. The old nurse came in " Of course your highness. We have already laid out your garments. Given to the occasion." Lou was always with her, she had been her closest companion since she could remember and like a child she threw herself into the old woman's arms. " Sh, sh my child. It's going to be all right. This morning it was decided not to hold the coronation for another month. As a wedding present... he will give this month to mourn the old king for you." Her words grew drier as Lou spoke. Heavy were her words in the air.
Helplessly, the princess looked into the face of her nurse, "What should I do now? Where is Mother? " her voice rough from crying so much. The old woman stroked her back and led the princess to the sitting area in front of the balcony. Cloe, meanwhile, roamed the room in silent steps, cleaning up the last of the disorder. Salena waited until Lou handed her the warm tea from her breakfast tray. "Your mother has been locked in her room, no one is allowed to enter except King Alexander's personal servant. You especially are forbidden... from meeting her royal highness. King Alexander has taken over the reign.... In one month's time, you will assume the official position as King and Queen alongside him." Lou spoke dryly, straightforwardly yet in a gentle voice. She knew it was hard for the princess to process what had happened and she didn't want her to surrender into unnecessary illusions. She had to tell the princess everything so that she would be prepared for the cruelty of her fate.
Lou had nurtured the little princess at her breast, watched over her and guided her growing up to this day. She shook her head : "Done is done. Always remember where you come from. You are not only a princess of the kingdom of Namtik you also carry blood of the old kingdom" Lou pointed to her mother's bloodline. A forgotten noble family whose ancestors were associated with ancient magic. Her mother and a few women were the last survivors of a long war that took place 500 years ago and drove all magic from the surface of the world. Lou spoke again this time in a persuasive voice "Walk tall and raise your authority, the king can take everything from you but as his queen he must show you respect. Only you can hold him at the same level, in check. A wife has far more influence than the surface appears to give. Use it to your advantage. Mourn, hate and then rise again, stronger. Hold yourselves up with everything you have, only then will you be able to bear your fate." Lou squeezed her hand. Her old blue eyes flashed, her emotions held in restraint. She rose with a clearing of her throat. "Cloe, bring the princess's dresses." the young girl was about to open the window when Lou addressed her.
She quickly ran to the dressing room and fetched the black attire. It was a simple dress, slender in figure it accentuated the body to above the knees and then parted. This gave enough legroom to take a step, the back was open in a low cut. Salena looked questioningly at Lou, but she did not look up as she placed the blue jewellery and a small black veil on the dressing table. "Prince Laurin will return to the south. King Magnus, when he made the alliance with the South, hid the fact that you were already promised. Hence the displeasure between him and the Queen. Now that King Alec has claimed his right to you, the South will receive a compensation payment and the right to a marriage in the next generation that will receive the regency of Namtik."
Too much information pressed in on Salena, but she was grateful that Alec had left her old servants with her. When she was ready and a small black veil covered her face, she looked at herself in the mirror. Her golden hair was pinned up with care, her simple earrings sparkling out, otherwise she wore only the ring of her subjugation.
She sighed, it could no longer be stopped. She turned and, under Cloe's approving gaze at her masterpiece, strode from her room.
Two guards stood outside her chamber. The men in light armour were unfamiliar to her and Salena backed away barely noticeably as she opened the door. [No, I am the crown princess,] she said to herself internally, encouraging herself. With feigned confidence she strode out, disregarding the guards she strode down the familiar corridors to the great hall. The corridors were clean, only broken and missing statues testified to yesterday's fight. There was no more blood on the floor where the bull-monster had passed through.
The guards wordlessly opened the door to the hall, which had been decorated for the celebration last night and then destroyed. There was nothing in this room to indicate that it had once been a celebration. There was only a large long table with twelve chairs in the hall. Alec sat at the head and Prince Laurin sat to his right. They were engaged in conversation with other noblemen when Salena approached them. Salena was glad of her veil, as her eyes filled with tears. Silently they flowed down her cheek as she moved to the last free seat at the other end of the table. The echo of her footsteps silenced those present. As she strode closer, the men rose. Alec stared at her, his face hardening and his gaze wandering over her shape. When he noticed that Salena had stopped, he strode slowly towards her and offered her his left arm. "Consort, a small funeral banquet in honour of your father. The funeral ceremony is being prepared and will be performed tonight where all the people can mourn with you." Alec spoke in a firm, cold voice. His face reflected compassion for his consort's sad circumstance, but Salena watched it darken as he recognised the other men's gazes upon her. When Salena did not move, he took her hand and placed it around his arm. He led her to her seat and pushed her chair into place. Gracefully she sat down, with the posture she had been painfully taught since childhood, she sat at this bad joke.
Her father's former ally now salivating at his murderer's lips. Disgusted, she reached for her glass, which had just been filled with red wine. "To my father, King Magnus. A benevolent ruler of Namtik, whose death was exaggerated and monstrously executed. May his sincerity and the peace created by my kind father not be torn into the dark abysses in which he found himself." The words spewed from her mouth like fire. Like a matador, she awaited the battle, waving her cloth and waiting.
The women, already visibly uncomfortable, paled more. The men, who found the princess's enchanting appearance bewitching, fell silent. Stupid provocations from a young, stupid child. With her words, she could lead everyone at the table to the monster like a slaughter animal.
"To the late King Magnus, who always sought the easiest way and his cunning that brought him to the dark abyss. May he there receive his righteous punishment." With these words Alec raised his glass towards his chosen queen. His eyes flashing and locked on hers as he drank, Salena brought her glass to her lips and drank as well. She felt as if the lump in her throat would prevent her from drinking, but she would not let him have that satisfaction.
[I will mourn, hate and then rise again stronger than ever. Wait until your time comes.] A declaration of war in her thoughts to her husband. The room filled with a silence, no one dared to move. Well, almost no one. Prince Laurin didn't seem to mind the hostility of the newly wedded couple.
He ate his fill at the feast, raised his glass at the toast as well, and seemed unfazed by the words. Prince Laurin never let his wine be spoiled over something.
"Erm... Your H... Highness... I would like to offer you our condolences.... and thank you for the excellent cuisine." a delicate and almost invisible woman to Salena's left spoke hesitantly. She put her hand on the princess' arm. Salena turned to her with a lslight twitch:
"Thank you, Baroness Alma," an almost audible sigh went through the table. Condolences followed from the other ladies at the table. The Princess did not change the pressure on the future Queen's arm. Salena felt this small gesture as a consolation. To her husband's displeasure, the men now also dared to approach his wife with attempts of a conversation. It was the usual courtesy, considering the circumstances. Nonetheless his finger twitched at his sword every time a man's attention lingered too long on the sight of his charming wife. The king's face darkened, but it did not seem to be noticed at the other end of the table. Only Prince Laurin was amused by the spectacle before him and the stupid bull king, who did not notice the matador circling around him.
After the funeral banquet, Alec led his wife out of the hall to bid farewell to Prince Laurin.
"The land of Agrectis rejoices in this new alliance and wishes the new royal couple many descendants." Prince Laurin strode up to Salena and tenderly took her hand, ignoring the angry look of the new king as he bent over the hand to place a kiss "and to you I offer my regrets. Regrets at having been the cause of this disaster and not being able to call your beauty mine."
Grinning, he backed away with his hands in the air as Alec already had his hand on the grip of his sword. Salena was touched by his words, she too regretted not being able to call Prince Laurin her husband. He was known to be a womanizer, but at least he was not known for his thirst for blood. Again she was relieved about the veil that hid her face. They watched as the southern troop slowly moved away, when Alec turned around with a sudden movement and signaled her with his arm to follow him. This time she didn't grab his arm, she strode ahead and left her husband standing.
"I will retire to my chambers until the funeral at the temple. Thank you for your understanding." she hissed at him. Alec looked after her, she seemed to have found new courage, his little princess. He followed her with his gaze, her figure was all too appealing. How did he manage to control the night? A dark laugh sprang from his throat. The servants around him shuddered, except Maren. [What's wrong with him now? Is he going mad?] Sighing, Maren tapped the king on the shoulder. "Your Highness, it is time. The war council and politics await us." Alec nodded, knowing now was not the time to squabble with the fair sex.
CREATORS' THOUGHTS 
ConnyPI
ConnyPI Hello dears, I tried to correct grammatical errors and renamed the south to Namtik.
Thanks for your support and I hope you like it :)
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