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So, that was what the Prozeus party looked like? That was all? They were supposed to help with the farming, and I imagined there would be at least a dozen or two. And, who was that woman?
The Arrowspear party had their backs to me, and the first thing I noticed was that they dressed differently. The men wore sleeveless leather vests over their breeches. Two of them had hair in long braids, which I had not never seen in Mogochislenian men, while the other two had short-cropped hair. Meanwhile, the woman wore a light cotton white dress with short puffed sleeves. A red ribbon was tied around her waist, and the same colored ribbon was tied around her beautiful curly black hair. Their complexions were of various shades of brown.
Suddenly, I was overcome with anxiety. It was a feeling I was unfamiliar with, but then again, it would be my first time to meet people from Arrowspear, one of which I was about to be betrothed.
“Oh, here is my daughter, Princess Luella, Your Highness,” my mother spoke up to my horror. She had a smile on her face. I felt it reached her eyes, or was she becoming quite the performer?
Our guests turned to look at me, well, most of them, anyway. One of the braided men did not turn around. My heart skipped a beat. Could it be him? Was he going to ignore me in my own home? The whole group rose to greet me, except for that one man who seemed too focused on something on the table. It was then that I realized my father was also still seated and in deep conversation with the man. At least he was not rude. Why was he not curious about what I looked like? Did mother send one of my portraits? I had not seen any of his.
The faces that turned to me had friendly smiles, except for the woman who simply looked at me. The other braided man had a wide green on his face. He seemed extra pleased to see me. I almost wished he was Prince Metheus, but something told me it was not him. The short-haired men were more like boys, too young to be the twenty-eight-year-old prince.
“Good day, everyone. I am sorry I did not realize that you were all here already. I was on my downstairs when I almost bounced into Francilia.”
My mother was looking at me strangely. I realized that I was prattling on in front of the guests, which I only reserved for close family members. So, I closed my mouth. Everyone had sat down again except for Martha and Farah, who had stepped aside to give me space to take my seat.
I noticed that my father and the man had stopped talking as I approached. The man turned sideways to his left to look at me, giving me a flash of a straight nose and narrowed eyes. I trembled a little, not fully understanding myself.
Seated, I finally got a clear look at the man. I felt my cheeks warming up. Francilia was right. He was a handsome man with a straight nose, long jaw, and hazel eyes. He widened his eyes. Oh, green. His sculpted face was framed with dark golden braids. He was assessing me so frankly that it was hard to think beyond what I saw. His vest was also open, revealing a solid muscled chest.
I forced my eyes back up to his face because I was sure he was judging my every move. He probably thought I was a lonely, silly maiden. The worst thing was that he would have been right on all counts.
“Luella, this is His Highness, Prince Metheus of Prozeus,” my father said. “Your Highness, this is my daughter, Princess Luella of Queenspell.”
“Pleased to meet you, Princess Luella,” he said in a low, deep voice, almost a growl, that revealed he was not quite as happy as he should be.
“Likewise, Prince Metheus,” I responded, hoping it was a safe blend of cold and respectful.
I could feel my mother’s eyes boring on me from my left side. I ignored her. I was the most beautiful maiden in Mogochislenia. Who was he to greet me as if he was deeply disappointed? Then again, I was pretty disappointing, wasn’t I? We would not have anything to do with each other than business terms.
Oh. Right.
Looking at Prince Metheus right now, I had to say I was disappointed in myself, too. A man like that – was meant for kissing. I blushed. I hoped he would think it was just my rouge that made my cheeks pink.
“He will be here for a few days to assess our problem. Then, he will be back to Arrowspear to get more men. That is when you two will get married,” my mother explained. She seemed so pleased with the prince that she probably did not notice that he did not like me. Not one bit.
