Ch 8 - The first prince fiance

It’s been two years since I got engaged with Higg, and even though I still call him pedo-prince in my thoughts or when talking with Ali, we have somewhat gotten closer to each other.

Since that weekend my life at the Academy has been different to not say anything else, if I was scorned by the girls because either my strength or my looks, you have no idea how entirely harder and harsher is now.

Believe me, nothing short of ‘that whore’ and ‘it's a lie’ or ‘that can't be true’ was whispered behind my back. And it didn’t help the fact that The prince Roxana never answered the question when asked directly by the other girls.

Rumors went around wildly the first four weeks, until Higg one afternoon came to take me home from classes, since then all I have had to endure is stares and low whispers full of envy behind my back.

Not that I care tho. Anyway at least once every month Higg picks me up at the Academy and drives me home either on his horse or his personal carriage.

And outside the rare weekend when I go to the royal palace or Higg visit the castle, we don’t spend much time together.

Today I’m turning 12 and it’s been a ridiculously hectic month, dressmaking and measurements, getting my hair made, etc.

My mother is in a frenzy as today is the day when I will be introduced into the noble society and will be publicly announced my engagement to Higg.

So considering it will be a double celebration it will be done at the royal hall in the royal castle.

“Hows your strength ali? How are you doing with the training?”

“~nyan~ ehehe, I’m strong as I can possibly be for my age, now how about you? How are the arrangement going for your wedding ehehe~”

“You vixen, you are having fun aren’t you? Is it that funny to see me in this position?”

“~puu~ yes-tan!”

“How many times I’ve told you to either cut the embarrassingly cutesy talk or stick to one? It's distracting and annoying”

“Ehehe, but that’s what makes it more fun! That you get so annoyed ~pyon~ --”

There ali’s air changed and her innocent face and smile disappeared, she looked straight into my eyes

“but in all seriousness, no it isn't funny at all. I’ve told you several times already if you want I can just ki--”

“Stop that talk right now, do you really want to anger me?”

I roared at Aliyah, as I didn’t like the direction the of her line of thought.

I’m thankful that I’ve been training, refining and strengthening my energy. Increasing it without a minute’s pause since I was small, my control of it is almost as good as it was in the past, so the only one who felt it was her who crouched immediately and started trembling.

“I’m sorry Heavenly Commander -- err -- Gat, ~tehe~ uhm, I’m sorry Gat, it’s just I’m worried, I still can’t even sense you outside of when you use your energy, this return has been too different from our previous ones”

I calmed myself down, Heavenly Commander, that's a nostalgic name from when we fought with dad’s calamity form. That's how I was called back then.

I looked at Ali and put my hand on her head and caressed her hair a bit and pulled her up without forcing her.

“I’m sorry Ali, yes indeed this return has been really different but it seems in the past three thousand years or so, the land of mortals found peace, or at least ‘some resemblance’ of it, war is not that intricate at least in this continent. Have you heard, that to cross the Dragon Sea, it takes some years to reach to the ‘uncharted lands’ or ‘the lands of old’”

“~woop~ yes I’ve read about it, and indeed it seems in this ~pyon~try there is no war closing in ye~t!”

“Anyway Ali, Hygg is not a bad man, indeed I have no intentions of marrying anytime soon, and we will have to leave this place fairly soon, once our bodies stop aging that's going to be it, maybe five to ten years before that, but that will be it.”

“~ne nee~ but that’s at least thirteen years away for you, so there is time to change your mind, fall deep and go ~doki doki~ for Higg. You have been opening up lately, even though I’m really happy for you this is seriously a completely new facet I hadn't seen in you since the beginning.”

I lowered my head, indeed since that day 2 years ago I’ve been opening up a bit more, and now I have friends and have even started having fun at the Academy.

It’s a completely foreign feeling for me or at least one I had abandoned a long time ago.

“Lets finish preparing Ali, as today is an important day for mother and father and I don’t want to screw it up ok? Will you help me and support me all the way?”

“~ehehe~ Roger ~papan~”

Ali after doing a kind-of-salute-thing raising her hand and arcing it to her head left my room hopping like a rabbit...

Where is the rabbit in papan now?

I wonder if she never managed to grow that mind of hers ever. I look at her and let out a chuckle.

“Sensing me eh, well you are not alone ali, we still haven't ‘awakened’ yet”

I whispered to myself as I return to my duties of getting ready for tonight.

If my family was not of the high nobility of this country, I would have said ‘my mom threw the house out the window’ when I saw the dress she ordered.

I’m not into such girly fashion, but It’s undeniable that is a gorgeous dress giving the appearance of a princess.

A one piece long skirt down to my feet, with golden frills down and a white rose hand crafted pattern up to my waist, followed by an overcoat go from left to right, closing in from my waist up to my chest.

Red in color, with white flower sown in patterns all about, and a red 10 cm wide stripe on both left and right side covering the chest area with a gold+white somewhat sturdy fabric.

That gave the feeling of having a single piece dress.

The arms area went to my elbows leaving out some frills of red fabric that moved as I moved, and a white and golden headpiece, that was used to tie up my hair on my back.

I looked like a princess, not that I complain, but I felt it was a bit too much!

Would much rather prefered to be on my usual fighting attire but well, this is for my mother.

Her happiness is important to me so what's a small sacrifice like this?

Seeing my parents happy and proud of their “little angel” (if they knew how close to the truth they were...) makes me happy too.

The program tonight is simple. When the crier calls my full name my father will walk me down through the initiation stairs(or so they are called).

Once we reach the last step of the stairs the music will start and my father will show me to all the people attending the party.

When we reach the center of the hall a small waltz will begin and I will have my first dance.

The first dance will be with my father a full long piece, then when the piece is about to end, the royal family will be called in.

They will come down and then congratulate my father and me and my father will offer my left hand to Higg.

There the king while standing in front of us will grab our free hands and will announce the engagement and promise of marriage between the two heirs.

I will then dance my second piece with Higg and then we will go to mingle with friends and other nobles.

If just to avoid this whole charade I’m about to ask Ali to kill me and then kill herself, haha no no, jokes aside, this will be a long night! I hope it ends quickly and uneventful.

I’m glad at least there is hope for me, as I can challenge Higg once a year(I’ve lost twice already tho).

And so being already dressed, arm crossed with father we are waiting to be announced.

Night has already fallen and we are at the waiting room of the royal hall.

I’m somewhat nervous, if I say I’m completely ok, calm and composed it's a blatant lie.

My father and mother have been good, the Queen, even tho I thought wasn’t very happy with the arrangement has received me with open arms and treated me like a daughter.

As for the king, I wonder who's more proud of this arrangement, my father or the king himself.

They haven’t arrived so I can’t judge their expressions yet, which is probably the main source of my nervousness. As I’m thinking about such needless things the crier announced my name.

“Making her first appearance in front of the esteemed noble families of the kingdom of Imil, presented by her father, the renowned knight of the kingdom and the leader of the legendary squadron of knights, The Pegasus Squadron, Lord Mark Regenald Decebal the second, The High General, The Pegasus, please welcome with a warm applause Lady Gatriel Decebal”

Uhh, such a pompous introduction, hey dad, cool down, breathe, breathe, you are so red that you may catch fire at any moment now.

“Dad, dad, calm down and lets go! You are red like our fiery hair”

I smile at my father and that seemed to have calmed him down a little bit, he smiles back at me.

“Let’s go my angel, today is your day, so please enjoy it as much as you can”.

I nod and the door opens, the thunderous applause flooded us from below.

We start walking through a red+golden carpet that guide us to the huge stairwell that lay in front of us.

Being led by my father who was just gently holding my left hand, I started my descent into the Royal hall.

As per the planning, we got to the last step of the stairs and a slow tune starts playing by the royal band.

My father walked me towards the center while showing me off to the nobles, in the direction of the huge open circle so we could dance.

The slow waltz starts and my father starts to dance. He is a little bit stiff but there are no mistakes, it seems he hadn't danced a slow waltz since his marriage with mother.

As soon as the first piece was about to end came the next cry, to which everyone fell silent in anticipation, the only family missing from this party was the Royal family.

“As your hosts for tonight special gala, happy to receive you in this Royal hall, the Royal family makes entrance, lead by the King, Garrett Beves Reyah the Earnest, followed by the Queen Alote Ancret Reiyah, first prince Higg Armand Reiyah, second princess Amelinne Sophie Reiyah, third princess Roxana Reiyah and lastly fourth prince Bernard Reiyah“

As they were announced, everyone kneeled waiting for the royal family to come down the stairs.

When I was about to kneel father held my arm strongly and shook his head lightly.

As soon as the king reached us, the king spoke to us while the rest of the people were kneeling down.

“My loyal vassal Lord Mark Regenald Decebal, The Pegasus, congratulation on introducing your radiantly beautiful daughter to our esteemed noble friends, would you allow me the pleasure to announce the news here?”

“As is your right my liege, I humbly thank you for your kind words”

And father then offered my hand left hand to Higg, as he moved to my left, the king then took our free hands and then spoke.

“I King Garrett Beves Reiyah the Earnest in agreement with the High General, Lord Mark Regenald Decebal, The Pegasus. Announce today publicly that our children and heirs, Higg Armand Reiyah, the first prince of the kingdom of Imil, and Lady Gatriel Decebal, first daughter and heir of The Pegasus are engaged. Promised to be married once Lady Gatriel comes of age in six years.”

Thanks for reading my fiction! I hope to get your comments and help from now and in future issues.

Give and Take you know undefined, you help me, I help you! isn't that the main reason why most of us gather here in RRL? to learn from each otner?

Cheers.