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2
Reece
My peace had been shattered.
They'd swooped in, every single one of them, and with them they brought their annoying giggles, their hungry eyes, their judging looks. That and the press that inevitably followed all the royals made me grit my teeth together at the signs of my lovely Oshal having been invaded.
I looked down at the document I had been reading before the faint sound of shouting members of the press corps trickled into my office. “Fuck,” I groaned. I would not be getting any work done, at least not what I needed to accomplish given my hectic schedule for the rest of the week.
"You can't sulk in here and hide forever, you know," the amused voice of one of the few people in the world I trusted sounded from the doorway. I looked up to see Cheval, my senior aide and the closest thing to a parental figure I had. That alone was the reason he could smirk at me as he did and only cause a surge of exasperation. Like a son would feel for a nagging father.
"I have important work, Cheval," I grumbled as I nodded my head in satisfaction at the details of the trade agreement I had been reviewing. I signed my name on the line with a flourish, refusing to look back up at the amusement I would no doubt see in his dark brown eyes.
He laughed and quiet footsteps tapped against the floor as he walked closer. "And we had a deal. You work until five o'clock. Anything you are not able to accomplish, I can handle for you by proxy. This event doesn't happen in Oshal yearly. It is only proper that you attend to it." I looked up with a sigh and he finished, “As its host.”
"I would rather march into battle than face a bunch of entitled, desperate royals." I stood up, pacing back and forth on the thick green carpet runner in front of my desk. "They’ll bore me within seconds."
"But talk to them you must, Your Majesty. You aren't getting any younger and your people have complained about our country's lack of an heir. It is past time you married and produced one. As a King who loves his people, there is nothing you would deny them. Even an entitled, desperate royal." He walked over and clapped a hand on my shoulder, squeezing slightly before walking to the desk and closing the cover of the ledger I'd been working on.
"You sounded uncannily like my mother just there." I shook my head, attempting to flick away at the loneliness that coursed through me. I needed a wife. I even wanted one, but the thought of choosing from only an approved list of appropriate matches was a thorn in my side that kept me from choosing at all. "But yes, I'll be right down, as I need to check on everything, anyway. I expect everything to be perfect."
"I'll warn them then, although they have been working hard to make Oshal shine like the jewel she truly is." He walked through the doorway but kept the door open behind him. "Five minutes, Reece,” he said with a fond smile, reverting to my given name. He pointed and smirked. “Don't make me come back up and get you."
I watched his figure disappear, but instead of following, I walked towards the floor to ceiling window that looked down at the lush grounds of my palace. In the distance, the cacophony of a hundred voices shouting broke through the serenity.
But Cheval had been right about one thing.
My Oshal was a jewel. If possible, I could only hope to find a gem of a woman who would deserve to lay claim to the most prosperous Kingdom in the world.
* * *
They flocked to me the moment I reached the hallway that led to the grand foyer full of cool marble and hot, bright lights. People looking for approval of the work that I'd been very specific about. While I wished the best for my people, I didn't suffer fools. I made very strict demands of anyone who worked for me because I was a perfectionist. Besides, I was no less harsh on myself.
I looked up and saw one of the twinkling lights in the grand chandelier blown. Pointing up at the offending bulb, I muttered just loud enough for those closest to me to hear. “That needs fixing." Footsteps hurried away, no doubt to find a replacement for the bulb. I turned away from the sight. I knew, without a doubt, that it would be fixed within the next ten minutes.
I looked over at Olivia, the tiny woman who arranged all my event planning without fail. Her dark hair tied back in a no-nonsense bun at the nape of her neck. She walked forward, treading elegantly on pointed heels. Her employment traced back to the days when my mother had been responsible for palace events, and I briefly wondered if she’d ever tire of planning parties. "Is everything in order?"
She nodded, pursing her lips as she stared down at the clipboard she held in her left hand. "The Opening Ball is set to start without a hitch at eight this evening, Your Majesty. All your specifications have been followed to the letter.”
I hummed my approval, expecting no less from her. "Have all the guests arrived?" I watched as she threw a brief look over her shoulder. A tall, gangly man sprinted from the doorway to meet her, clutching the staff adorned with my House crest. The House of Corum of the Kingdom of Oshal had deep roots with familial connections to many Kingdoms throughout the world; our crest was an easily recognized symbol that was both respected and feared. It was the symbol of my rule, my power, and my servitude to my country.
The staff was a symbol in itself, part of the lavish atmosphere that could impress even the rich and cynical royals who came to call and present their daughters for marriage. Olivia gave the younger man a stern look, eyeing his frazzled demeanor with distaste. "His Majesty wishes to know if all the guests have arrived."
He swallowed, his Adam's apple bobbing up and down before he stuttered a hasty response, "Ye-yes, Your Majesty. The list says that all the guests have arrived although...."
I cut him an impatient look when he didn't continue after trailing off. I did not have time to waste on hesitation and uncertainty. "Although what?"
"Her Royal Highness Christine Maria Alina Atwater of Lantis was said to have arrived, but she was wrapped up in this thick black veil, like a morbid bride. I could not see her face to confirm who it was, Your Majesty. Not that I would have known, anyway, but it seemed worth mentioning."
He shot me wide eyes, his face full of anxiety. I was under no illusions as to the cause, brought on no doubt by the way my eyes narrowed at him in suspicion. "Shrouded in a black veil?"
His eyes flickered towards Olivia, who nodded sternly but encouraging in the way that only a motherly figure could manage. He looked back at me and bobbed his head eagerly. "Yes, Your Grace. I couldn’t tell you the first thing about her face.”
"Such dramatics." The mystery of the unseen princess piqued my curiosity, but I knew that such antics meant that coming week would be not without its spectacles. Already, I wished it over when I hadn't even formally begun it yet.
"I wonder why her mother would hide her though? Perhaps she is ashamed of something?" The announcer mumbled mostly to himself, but I raised an eyebrow at him.
"What?"
