Celeste's life is far from the enchanting fairy tale one might expect from a princess. Her father, a ruthless and self-absorbed king, leaves a trail of death and destruction in his wake. To seal alliances and maintain his power, he arranges for Cele...
I am not sure I should be happy about the dozens of congratulations I have received and continue to receive. The elves have formed a line in front of the stage to congratulate the, supposedly, happy couple. They are also aware of the political reasons behind this marriage. These elves have also seen my back being destroyed. There is neither love nor friendship between me and Walmoet. Yet everyone seems to want to look around these reasons or don't know any better. It is a death sentence for both our happiness and Walmoet's life. The dagger around my leg burns like it was pulled straight from the fire.
If I wanted to, I could plunge the knife into his neck with no problem. Walmoet's arm is around my waist and his attention is on the elves. The act itself will take little effort, the consequences, however, are different. With a room full of elves supporting their king for some undeniable reason, his death will not be appreciated. Getting away is impossible and these people are not known for their gentle approach.
To get death to Walmoet I will have to be alone with him with no guards around. The first time that situation will arise will be the wedding night, at least I hope so. Wedding nights in the castle are supervised. I hope with all my body that the elves have not adopted that idiotic tradition. I will not escape that wedding night, but its interpretation lies entirely with the traditions.
'I congratulate you both on your engagement, husband, princess. May I take the liberty of speaking to your fiancé-to-be, husband?' Surprised, I look at Nalu. Her hands are behind her back, her eyes spewing fire and ice. I had not expected her presence in this row, nor her friendly tone. The amount of times I have seen her with Walmoet are very scarce, existing or not. She is his first wife and the only one for whom he actually has a sense of sympathy. Her authority is above any other and she shows it. The way she addresses him drips with authority.
'As you wish,' Walmoet replies as he slips his hand from my waist. Nalu nods with a small smile that is clearly unsmiling. I lift off my dress and step off the elevation. Nalu turns around without giving me a glance and starts making her way towards the exit of the temple. The congratulations keep flying around my ears with every step. The elves seem to have disregarded their earlier opinion of me. The sheep are doing exactly what the shepherd wants.
'Thank you,' I reply to the last congratulations before walking out of the temple. Dusk is beginning to find its way into the sky. The sun seeks its bed and the moon awakens. The moon takes the cold with it out of bed. The crowds are considerably less than in the temple. Here and there a group of elves stand talking to each other while knocking away glasses of liquor.
'I hope you have an explanation,' Nalu reports her expectations as she turns in my direction in a swift motion. Her hands remain impassive behind her back, her gaze unchanged.
'What highness?' I ask as if I don't understand what she is referring to. Despite what others may think, I am neither stupid nor naive. Her response is everything I expected and my playbook is ready.
'This charade Celeste. What is your real intention?' Underestimating Nalu is the dumbest thing I can do at the moment, however, the truth is not desirable either. The woman has a strange bond with Walmoet. Getting into her good graces and marrying him brings with it a dangerous new enemy. I will no matter how much I try never get the same authority on the man as she does, trying is futile. However, my name and lineage is of many higher values than hers.
'I have already named my real intention. A marriage between me and Walmoet will strengthen both of us against my father and General Franders.' For the first time, the lady's hands leave her back. She turns her gaze to heaven and sighs deeply.
'You are aware that General Franders is lawfully your husband and that it is forbidden to have two marriages as a woman?' Of course I am aware of that. It is almost laughable that this rule exists considering the number of wives Walmoet has. We all know that the world does not work the same for men and women. Maybe one day that will change but we don't live in that time.
'I am aware of that. However, you will also understand that my choices are limited given the circumstances.' The moment I utter those words, a servant walks by. The young lady with blonde hair and brown eyes carries in her hand a tray full of glasses filled with drinks. The expression on her face tells me enough about how much she enjoys her job. Still, her presence is welcome, I grab a glass from the tray and take a sip as soon as my sentence is completed.
'I understand the consideration and position you find yourself in. The choice of Walmoet is mildly surprising. There are richer and more powerful rulers who are open to marriage. Given your previous visit, it is not clear to me why Walmoet is the right person for this.' I knock back the entire glass burning, plant-flavoured. The taste is not pleasant, the burning sensation is.
'The mages will not publicly stand up to my father, the werewolves marry no one but their mates and the future ruler of the vampires is Novak's brother. Other peoples like mermaids, nymphs and dwarves either show little or are not strong enough to have a hand against my father.' The moment I finish my thoughtful explanation, the servant walks by once more. I grab a second glass from the tray and within seconds knock this one back too. Nalu follows my movement with obvious confusion and disapproval in her gaze.
'I understand that,' she merely replies. My explanation is not entirely contrived just for this conversation and is indeed true. Even if I wanted to marry someone for an alliance, Walmoet would be one of the best choices. I only leave out that not all mages follow my father's hand. The rich nobility has always had its reservations and there are some who are open to marriage.
'Thank you for your understanding highness. If you will excuse me I would like to reenter,' I end the conversation. Nalu nods slowly but still stops me with one last remark.
'Try the blue drink, it tastes good'. I nod with a made-up smile and walk back towards the temple. I would like to believe that I have completely convinced her, but I know better. The explanation is good, the reasons clear, but whether or not I am telling the truth will make her doubt it.
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