As soon as Blake and I arrived back at the palace we were separated. I was taken to the room that I would be staying at for the time being while Blake had to return his own room to get dressed for dinner, but he promised he would see me shortly, which I thought was sweet, until I saw the High Chancellor already in my room, waiting for me.
The vision of sweet Blake faded from my mind and I stood up straight even though I knew the state of my hem. He looked me up and down then snapped at the maids "fix her."
They started swarming me and I let myself be pulled, prodded, and tugged without any complaint. When they finished I was sat in front of the mirror with an off the shoulder dress, and my hair pinned back "don't you dare mess up dinner." The High Chancellor growled after looking me up and down "there's too much at stake and I will not hesitate to replace you."
"Understood, sir" I murmured before rising to my feet to the door of my room when suddenly I am struck low across my back, from behind. I stumbled forward before snapping up and turning to see the High Chancellor holding a horses whip in his hand "that is for returning with your hem soiled. Don't let it happen again."
I straightened then nodded submissively.
The High Chancellor passed the horse whip off to a maid before walking to the door and tugging it open then walking out.
I followed close behind knowing better than to let the pain show on my face, all I could do was pray that Blake would keep the details of our afternoon quiet so I wouldn't get punished further.
Nevermind that our afternoon seemed to go well and that Blake seemed to enjoy himself, the High Chancellor wouldn't see it that way. He would see Blake's approval as a threat to his control over me, when in actuality it was a sign that the mission was moving forward as planned.
The High Chancellor and I walked into the dinning room, to find Blake and his father already sitting, at the long dining table, talking quietly to each other. However, when the High Chancellor and I entered Blake broke away from the conversation and stood up, his eyes trained on me. I smiled at him then turned to his father and inclined my head respectfully. The King gestured to a seat at his left right across from Blake while the High Chancellor, was seated on my other side.
Gliding over took little effort, even with the dull throb in my back but that is what years of conditioning does to you. I sat in the seat that the footman had pulled out for me and let him push my seat forward enough that I could reach the table, but not so much that I was trapped. We were served the first course of food and it was only after that did Blake's Father begin question us about our day.
"How was the sea?"
I looked up at Blake for an answer who smiled reassuringly "it was calm. Perfect for her first time seeing it."
It took everything in me not to breathe a sign of relief at his discretion, but then again we were supposed to maintain an image of perfect prince and princess so I guess it's not that surprising that he didn't share that we also touched the sea.
"Do you ever visit the lands across the sea?" the High Chancellor spoke up, inserting himself into the conversation.
"Infrequently" Blake admitted "but probably more now that Princess Allura and I will be married."
"Fair point." Blake's father spoke up as he dabbed his lips with a napkin "I hope Princess Allura you're not prone to getting sea sick."
I glanced at Blake who was rolling his eyes in the direction of his father "what's sea sick?"
Before Blake's father could answer Blake spoke up "Father she has never been on the sea so she doesn't know what sea sickness is." The prince looked back at me "it's a rolling in your stomach caused by being on the sea."
"Oh I have never felt anything like that, at least on a lake." I commented as our plates from the first course was being removed and the second course was placed before us.
"Believe me the sea is different" Blake's father said "and even our most season soliders will become sea sick at times. Also, Blake I knew that she hasn't been on the sea I was just teasing."
"And weren't you the one reminding me this morning that we shouldn't scare her away before the wedding." Blake remarked before glancing at me and winking. I felt my cheeks heat and I quickly filled my mouth a with a bite of food so as to hide my smile.
This was the most amusing meal I had ever been a part of so far up until the High Chancellor butted in "speaking of the wedding. We should arrange a date." I had plenty of practice masking my surprise, but inwardly I reacted, no date had been arranged yet. No wonder the High Chancellor had warned me I shouldn't mess up.
I lifted my glass of something sweet up to my lips.
"Well that is not up to me" King Jergensen said turning to Blake "that's up to my son after all this arrange marriage, ending the war was his idea."
The sweet liquid I had just swallowed got stuck in my throat and I swiftly set down my glass, before grabbing my napkin, pressing it to my lips, as I tried to cough delicately.
Everyone's eyes were on me, and a servant came forward to assist me but I waved them away, and focused my slightly teary eyes on Blake, who wasn't meeting my gaze.
I had thought this was King Balor's idea, to resolve the war, but it appears that my assumption was wrong, which is fine but it provoked the question, of why?
As in why would any sane prince willingly tie themselves to a foreign princess?