Darelle

19

The elders had been summoned. After she accepted the doctor's proposal. Together they with Yuri had sought ways and different legal counsel out of the palace to find a loophole out of the contract between the kingdom.

The princess took a deep breath and lifted her chin high as she felt Rumpel's strong arms around her. She faced him. "I will be back. Wish me good."

Smiling at her, he nodded his head. She remembered how they had researched for a solution in various books and he never for once looked down on her but instead supported her. Making her realize she didn't have to be alone, or keep secrets to her grave. Maybe the word partner existed for a reason.

She watched down the hallway, leaving him behind as she approached the barred door of the throne room, where official meeting concerning the kingdom were carried out.

She stopped and tried to seized her muscles from shaking, and she did. A nod to a guard was sufficient as it was all he needed to announce her presence.

She listened the heavy doors opened and looked at the medieval wall and throne that was all made or carved from stones.

As she walked into the room, on the red aisle with the grace of a woman and a ruler, her heels created an echoing sound until she climbed the steps to the throne and stood.

Her eyes slowly moved from one face to another and realized out of the the twelve elders, her second uncle, Winston was absent as he was still far in his travels. But her first uncle, Rainier, who was the leading elder often referred as the one, the first elder.

After she had caught in the face of all the council members she had called to the king's room. She gathered strength in her voice and spoke from her belly. "I call you all here today. To renounce my marriage to Prince Royce of Dolor."

Within her, her pride swelled up, once it dawned her she did it. The one thing she had considered impossible from an early age, was possible. She finally did. Talked back to the elders.

She pulled herself to reality, thankful she didn't smile but maintained the stoic face of her ancestors and late parents in their royal portraits.

The council members had various reactions to her words. Some looked at her as if she had gone mad and other looked at her as if she was—well, even more madder. Not bad, she surmised.

Then the regulars opened their mouth in protest and they rebuked her words for words.

"You can't be the ruler of this kingdom, if that's in your mind. And think of the loss we would incur for breaking the contract." Said someone. "Heavy damage, I tell you. We would be utterly ruined, broke and in debts for a decades!"

"What about the war!? If they decide to break the peace treaty. What happens to us? We all know no kingdom would be foolish to meddle in our affairs at the detriment of their own."

She stamped her foot against the concrete floor. "Who said I would be ruler? We shall incur no loss as we can paid for their inconvenience and even more as—" she stopped in time as Rumpel had told her, not mention that the prince was involved and paid for their legality. "My future husband can."

"Your future husband!" One of the council members raged. "You haven't even had a beau since you became a woman."

Those words ticked her and she turned the man, collected herself and sent a chilling smile down his path. "Who said I didn't?" she asked. "So I can off their head as it is a crime to slander a royal. Tell me so I can."

The man's eyed widened, but she carried on.

The princess placed her edge of her hand on her neck and drew it. "The Frenchman enjoy an execution scene actually. And I quite like the thought of witnessing one or two. Maybe four, five or six. Go on, say those words to my face."