The Shadow Tide

CHAPTER 5 - Tied

Lady Belinda of the House Justis, heir to the province of Rivena, arrived at the palace minutes after the eleventh chime of the clock. She and the members of her entourage – four guards, five servants, and four ladies-in-waiting – had crossed Pretoria by boat over the course of a week, docking at the Sabinia port that morning, and continuing for another two hours by carriage to the Palace.

The entire royal family, courtiers, and other noble residents of the palace awaited her in the Golden Hall. Belinda had olive skin, her brown hair secured in a voluminous bun, and she wore a purple dress adorned with brocades. She crossed the hall with determined steps, stopping a few meters from Arian, where she curtsied.

Brethen observed the entire ritual attentively as Arian returned the courtesy and kissed Belinda's hand, after which she knelt and kissed the hands of the king and queen.

"Welcome to your new home, Lady Justis," said the king.

"It is an unparalleled honour, Majesty."

The rumours about Belinda's beauty were true. She had an oval face, almond-shaped eyes, and full lips, carrying herself with elegance, always with a charming smile. She and Arian would make a beautiful couple, at least in paintings.

Earlier, before Belinda's arrival, Brethen had accompanied Arian to the king's office, where he handed over the piece of paper with the description of the person who would have assisted the intruder.

"That's all," Arian said in the face of his father's disapproving look. "I won't interfere anymore."

Gavin did not argue and kept the small list to hand it over to Alma. There were hundreds of servants in the palace, not to mention residents and visitors. But if the man who aided the intruder was still around, Alma would find him.

With this matter resolved, Arian was free to devote his full attention to Belinda.

In the early afternoon, Arian invited Belinda for a stroll in the gardens. The two walked arm in arm, laughing and chatting, while Brethen followed at a discreet distance to give the couple privacy but still close enough to keep an eye on the prince.

"What do you think they're talking about?" a voice whispered behind Brethen, who turned to find Lady Amina Caelix walking in the shade of her own parasol. Amina was the heir to one of the largest houses in Pretoria and would one day be part of the king's council. Recently married to the Duke of Samin, Arian's cousin, the beautiful young woman with fair skin, blonde hair, and blue eyes had everything to be the most insufferable creature in the palace. Fortunately, she was far from it.

"What two people who barely know each other and are about to get married have to talk about?" Brethen retorted, and Amina hooked her arm around hers, raising the parasol higher to cover them both.

"Several things," she said. "The weather is an excellent topic. But they can also talk about their favourite books, hobbies, and even politics if they're feeling so bold."

"They've been exchanging letters for a year. I bet they've exhausted all those topics."

"Letters are tricky," Amina squeezed Brethen's arm and leaned in to whisper, "they can make someone seem much more interesting than they truly are."

"I bet they're reminiscing about adolescence. I heard Lady Belinda used to visit here a lot."

"Oh, yes. I remember her from those days. We were never close, but she was kind, always very polite. I know she went away to study abroad and returned a few months ago."

The two walked arm-in-arm for some time while Arian and Belinda did the same ahead. Brethen paid attention to the prince, to his posture. He was stanting straighter than usual, his free arm bent behind his back, his head slightly tilted, giving an air of curiosity as he listened to Belinda speak.