𝐒𝐓𝐑𝐈𝐏𝐄𝐃 𝐂𝐀𝐑𝐍𝐀𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍𝐒

𝕮𝖍𝖆𝖕𝖙𝖊𝖗 2

~𝐓𝐄 𝐎𝐃𝐈𝐎, 𝐓𝐄 𝐀𝐌𝐎~

Lukas PoV

"To the esteemed Prince Lukas,

I hope this letter reaches you in the pink of health. I will depart on my journey on the nineteenth at dawn and will, hopefully, reach the Dionnian coastline on the third night after my departure. I hope the trade and mines are in good condition and the kingdom is prosperous and peaceful like it always is.

Your faithful partner in business,
Marceline Maeve Hurley."

The letter being read out by the messenger elf was quite evidently not something Marceline wrote at her own expense. The fake pleasantries were far too evident for someone who was the centre of her spite. I am unaware of the deed which made me the target of her hate and resentment.

She looked better while smiling, anyway.

I had expected a secret note addressed to me which would look along the lines of "I shall haunt you for the next five months after I reach in three days. Be prepared to see your sanity dissipate."

The language of passive aggression was too familiar to not imagine it. The small death threats passed during lunch, small notes for editing some documents, chits that informed very crucial messages, and the list could go on. I could probably be able to impersonate her handwriting as well.

After the letter was read out in front of the King, the Queen, the Royal Concubine of the King and my elder half-brothers and sister, a reply was hurriedly sent back. The scroll was held tightly by the messenger gargoyle and with a mouthful of food, it flew out of the window. Hopefully, it would reach the archipelago kingdom within a few hours.

»»————-　♔　————-««

While I was walking out of the throne room, my elder sister, Esmeray walked towards me with her hands on her hips. "I hope you have prepared a gift for Marceline. If you haven't, go to the market personally and buy something quick. We have missed the occasion of celebrating her birthday, it's royal courtesy to give her a present when she arrives," and before I could reply, she walked away by flipping her white and black hair and her pointy nose held high. Other than being a complete narcissist, both of us are quite similar (looks and everything included). She was older than me by just five years and demanded more respect than I demanded from my nephews. But she was not wrong, giving nothing to the princess would be very rude.

And off I went to the market with Felix Barett, my trusted bodyguard and advisor. He suggested a music box but I had given one to her the last time she came back from the Kingdom of Hurley. It was a tune I had personally composed for her, though I have no interest in music (I assure you it was just to show I am better at gift-selecting than Esmeray). I hope she did not bury it in the deepest corner she could find.

While roaming around and inspecting gifts, I came across a very ornate box of coffee. It was the size of a book however, on enquiring, the price matched that of a jadeite necklace. Not that it mattered. As long as the coffee was roasted and well grinded, Marceline would love it. It was a part of her routine to have a cup of coffee after dinner everyday. While I did enjoy coffee, I only have it once in a blue moon - her previous gift of two tonnes of coffee powder is still yet to be completely consumed. I would choose tea over coffee anyday, anytime, anywhere (except in front of Marceline, that is not included in 'anytime' because my time spent with her is like an hour spent in the reign of death).