My Sweet Daisy

Chapter 1 - Proposal from a prince

Chapter 1

Proposal from a prince

Princess Elisandra dismissed the maid who brought her the glass of orange juice, her attention focused solely on the diamond ring reposing in a velvet box before her. She held her breath, apprehensive of what the little ring might be for.

"Elisa?" her brother prompted.

With extreme difficulty, she injected some enthusiasm into her voice as she looked up at him. "Ohh, Richard dear, thank you. My birthday was over a month ago, but I suppose I can take one more present from my favourite brother, however late it arrived."

"I am proposing to Juliet," Richard said.

She dropped her head into her palms in dejection, her purple eyes returning to the gleaming piece of jewellery with a bit of distaste. "Oh."

"When you begged me to reveal my intended, I expected a better reaction from you, princess." Richard chided. He pulled out the other chair around the small garden table and sat down.

She couldn't tell him she regarded his intended with disfavour, could she? Her brother's heightened state of excitement made her heart sink. It was all visible in his eyes which had deepened to that peculiar shade of dark blue they became on the rare occasions his emotions got the better of him.

"You know how much I love her, don't you?"

"Your love is not in doubt." She knew her smile was as sour as her tone because her jaws hurt afterward.

"Elisa, Juliet is everything you love about Bella. She's from a good family, she's decent and well-behaved. You wouldn't have a thing to say against her."

She rolled her eyes.

Decent and well-behaved was an understatement when talking about Lady Juliet Christabel Armstrong. She brooded on being society's perfect lady, which regrettably made her very tiresome to contend with. And to consider her to be as sweet as the adorable Crown Princess, Bella, whom she loved more than her own sister, made her want to sneer.

"We'll be very happy together, so even though we don't really need it, give us your support."

"Well, you said it. You don't need my support, so don't pressure me to give you any," she told him frankly.

"Your support means your approval and your approval means good behavior from you. I'll tolerate no nasty surprises."

"My approval is that valuable to you? I'm honoured," she chirped, flattening a hand on her heart. "Consider it, Richard, I stand to lose if your devotion shifts from me to another. Why then should I give you my backing? If you really don't want to encounter my disapproval, dote only on me your entire life and there will be no more nasty surprises than I can help it. You know, don't tell me anymore of your proposal plans. You never know what I would do to ruin it."

"I'll take a bet on the tiny notch of maturity you've attained. We'll be going for a ride together tomorrow morning to the waterfalls. That place is her favourite and I'll like her to love it more as the place I asked her to be my wife."

"How very romantic," Elisandra murmured, abstractedly stroking the little puppy dozing off on the chair next to her.

When Richard mentioned having a lady he liked she had the forecast it would be Lady Juliet, much as she hoped it wouldn't. Richard turning twenty-one by the year's end meant that unless he found a bride qualified to be a Grand Duchess on his own, the Prime Lords would make the choice for him, if they insisted on keeping up with tradition. In those two years he had been seeing Juliet, Elisandra had hoped Richard's obsession wouldn't go beyond spending some time with her when he could and spoiling her lavishly with gifts to make up for the times he couldn't. His youthful infatuation should've paled as he approached the age when he had to announce his bride-to-be to the entire kingdom, which would be anyone... anyone but Lady Juliet. One thing she instinctively believed was that Juliet wouldn't make her brother happy, and Elisandra prided herself on her ability to read character.

Lady Juliet was very beautiful. With her enviable, sleek chestnut hair, luring light green eyes, and ivory skin, she had placed third as the most beautiful lady two years ago when she made her first public appearance. She had moved up two places effortlessly the year after. Juliet was, of course, well-aware of her beauty, and she made sure everyone else noticed. Her conceit didn't disturb Elisandra as much as her withdrawn disposition and the manner in which she regarded Richard as a right due her. That façade of blankness was another thing Elisandra found uncomfortable when around her, for it made it difficult to predict her; one could not tell when Juliet was excited or angry, happy or plainly sad. For that reason, Richard worked harder to be pleasing all the time, and Elisandra was most fearful she would one day succeed in bending Richard completely to her will.

She bit her lip, wondering if it was too cruel to wish her dear brother's proposal meet with rejection. No, that was too much to wish for. When a dashing gentleman is given out a diamond ring, how many ladies would refuse, especially if that gentleman is a prince of the Royal House, third in line to the throne? Lady Juliet would be mad to refuse Prince Richard, and that was something she most definitely was not.

"You still haven't said anything, princess," Richard prodded.

"Richard, I'm fifteen. I think this whole talk of proposals and fancy royal weddings is making me drowsy. Wait till I'm seventeen and my mind is filled with nothing but men, and weddings and babies to listen to your talks about your love affairs."

"Once I leave your quarters, that is it. I will head to Reneway Manor early tomorrow morning, and you dare not cause trouble for me later," he said, closing the lid on the diamond ring with a snapping finality as he stood up.

"Why does it sound as if you're begging me to cause trouble now and cut short this romantic proposal?" she slanted a glance at him.

"It's a warning, sister dear. Don't try anything funny. I'll see through it," he cautioned lightly as he bent over and planted a kiss on her forehead. "But if you behave yourself, your first niece from Juliet and me would bear your name."

"My God, you entertain the dream of making babies with Lady Juliet!" she shuddered dramatically, "You don't need my approval, dear brother. You need my prayers."