AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Twyford bowed his head. "I am sorry, Princess. The vote was not unanimous, and I personally feel you have done so much for my people that there is no way you would give up fighting for us so easily. It was you who initiated the Praldian Native's Council in the first place." Twyford pursed his lips, contemplating saying more, and decided to risk it. "I have heard the rumors of how your joining came to be, Princess. That, coupled with your homeland's attacks, must be very… distressing for you. Please know, if there were aught we could do, we would."
"Thank you, Ambassador. I do hope things settle down again soon, and I can return to helping the people of this world."
Twyford bowed his head even deeper in a sign of great respect. "As do I, Princess. May the stars keep you and the Prince safe for many eons to come."
Bowing my head, I disconnected the call and collapsed into Luther's office chair with a sigh. It was the final nail in the coffin of my charity work. Now anything I took part in or worked towards would be classed as the throne's interest. I would be seen as Luther's pawn, at least, until I became a legal adult. That was clearly indicated by the Ambassador—that when the Prince was only my companion and no longer my guardian, he'd like to readdress my involvement in the Native community.
"Princess?" Erhaird prompted gently from the office door. He'd heard it all.
"I need to go for a walk."
Erhaird opened the office door as he pulled out his comms to alert my guards that we would be leaving quarters. Jervaise joined us in the lounge room, following with just a raised brow at Erhaird, who merely frowned and shook his head. It wasn't the first call I'd taken this week that politely dumped me as a spokesperson.
"Usually, people would be clamoring to have their princess as a spokesperson, not the other way around," Jervaise grumbled.
We took the lift to the ground floor, both guards catching my elbows to steady me after the drop - it was still unnerving. The rest of my guard on shift joined us quietly as we exited the Prince's residence to start walking the ring.
Since the last attack, I wasn't allowed outside, so walking the ring became my daily exercise. It was a fair walk due to the size of the palats, over nine kilometers, and it allowed me some semblance of freedom.
"Good day, Princess," Councilman Berchard greeted. He was waiting by the front of the compound that he lived in during the week.
"Councilman." Giving a short curtsey as polite behavior dictated, I continued walking to indicate I wasn't in the mood to converse today. We spoke for over an hour yesterday about the state of living conditions on Gruvdrift, one of the central mining continents. When it became clear that our opinions differed on acceptable habitation for those who effectively made Praldia wealthy, we talked about his estate instead. Which was located next door to mine.
Berchard recognized my anti-social mood today and merely stepped aside to let us pass. "I swear he has started lurking in the alcove of his compound just to engage you each day, Princess," Jervaise murmured quietly once out of earshot.
"Great," I sighed, "because we have so much in common."
Jervaise chuckled beside me. "Well, you do share the prince's bed and, therefore, his ear. I'm sure Councilman Berchard is just trying to gain yours, and through you, the prince's."
"Maybe I should invite him to join us in bed when the prince returns then, so he understands how little talking occurs between the prince and me in the bedroom." The guards smirked.
As we approached the next compound's alcove, I noticed a shadow pacing. I restrained a laugh. "Berchard may not be the only lurker these days, but this one only pretends to be interested in talking to me."
All the guards focused ahead, giving sly smiles to each other as they took in the highly fashionable form of Councilman Nilson's eldest daughter, Ancelin. She was a pretty Praldian with the usual short height, blonde hair, and tanned skin appearance. She carried a curvaceous and heavy physique which the tight city clothes showed quite clearly. Ancelin was beautiful and strong. I admired that.
So did many of my Cyran guards. Back home, Cyran women were tall and built solid. The only real difference between Praldian women and Cyran was that the Praldians were half the height and predominantly some blonde shade.
To most Cyrans, I was not attractive due to my frail-looking physique. The prince fell for my fiery passion and willingness to stand up to him for what I believe. Years of personal admiration led to a physical one. To my guard, I looked breakable. Ancelin, however, looked like a fun time to be had.
"Princess Zira." Ancelin feigned surprise with a high soprano voice that made me hesitate in my next step.
"Ancelin, how lovely to see you… again."
It took me a moment to take in the slight change in her attire. The dress she wore was no longer the leg-binding fashion. Instead, Ancelin now wore a dress in the same style as my city clothes. Firm from bust to hip with a more flowing floor-length skirt. The only difference was that hers sported a split up each side that reached nearly to mid-thigh.
"That's a beautiful dress, Ancelin. Has there been a change in fashion?"
"Of course, Princess. Your style choice has affected designers planet-wide. Of course, Praldians are less conservative in our clothing, and as such" –she grabbed her skirt at the split, flashing us a heavy thigh— "we have made some adjustments to define our own styles."
I was grateful in that moment that the royal guard was trained to restrain their desires, or I think I would have been surrounded by a pack of panting dogs. "I like it." I smiled. Ancelin beamed and blushed so profusely I thought her head would explode, it turned so red. Her presence lightened my sour mood. "Would you care to walk with me to the throne room, Ancelin?"
You could have pushed my guard over with a feather. In the four days that I'd been walking the ring, I'd barely tolerated anyone's company and definitely did not invite anyone to walk with me. Ancelin's smile grew impossibly bigger. "I would love to, Princess."
Falling in beside me, Ancelin chatted animatedly about her upcoming adulthood. She told me her ideas for a party to surpass that of any other Praldian socialite’s wisdom party. That's what reaching adulthood was called: gaining wisdom. I'd met enough adults to dispute the accurateness of that title, Ancelin being a little too giggly to convince me otherwise, either.
The public Channels in the courtyard activated, but I paid no heed. There were now twenty royal guards posted around the channels and intermittently throughout the ring to watch courtyard doors, all in pairs. The palats was still in lockdown, but staff still needed to come and go. It was basically from throne room to ballroom that was off-limits to anyone, not royal guard, elite, or me.
The first traitor was caught using the security feed. Luther was near incensed when Hartwin sent him the video of his half-sister Padget chocking open the courtyard door. She was locked away in her room, awaiting Luther's return to hear her reasoning for her betrayal. I was so lost in my sorrow over Padget's treason that I'd stopped listening to everything around me.
