Her Highness's Forced Marriage With An Enemy

2 A Toast to My Fiancéa

Sibyl’s POV

I was standing in my room.

The small bedroom was separated by a translucent curtain.

I was standing inside the curtain. There were neatly folded tunics and gowns beside the bed, and some fine pearls and jewels on the dresser.

My hand gently touched those luxurious clothes and decorations. The expensive silk has a unique touch, making it feel like you are touching the clouds in the sky. Gold threads were compiled in it, but did not add to its weight. Instead, a warm feeling is born in the contact between the gold leaf and the skin. And those pearls growing from the deep sea with a faint silver luminescence, as if to add a sacred and mysterious attraction to her master.

As a princess, I had never seen such a gorgeous dress. I had only read in books about these things that only the royal family could own. They certainly did not belong to me, but were lent to me by the Queen as my gown to meet my fiancé tonight.

I took off my own old, washed-out dress while recalling the conversation I had just had with the Queen.

Oh, to be precise, that's what the Queen said to me.

"No matter what he wants to do next, the status of the emperor's son-in-law will always make him restrain himself a bit."

"That's the biggest concession we can make. He can exercise some of the emperor's rights, but the royal family that is worshiped by the people can only be us."

"Do you know how miserable the royal family members who were ousted from power were?"

I still remember the Queen's anxious look as she uttered those words. I certainly didn't know how miserable it was to be ousted from the palace. For me, life in the palace was not very happy. If I could leave here one day, I might be happier.

The Queen approached me and I could only back away. The Queen grabbed the collar of the coat. "Now there is only one way: you marry him. Make him go soft on you in bed, or kill him in bed!"

I saw a hint of ruthlessness in the Queen's eyes.

"Of course, you'd better let him indulge in your body."

I laughed bitterly. Nuri is a knight who was born with divine strength. He could draw Vulcan's bow and has dared to fight evil dragons since he was a child. Why would he be obsessed with me, an ordinary princess?

But I didn't contradict the queen. I knew I didn't have any say in this palace.

I could only bow my head to show my obedience.

While I was lost in thought, a cough sounded outside the curtain.

I immediately put away my wandering thoughts and continued to change my clothes.

There were two middle-aged servants standing outside the curtain. They were sent by the Queen to supervise me. Their backs were straight and they looked arrogant. They watched me to make sure that I appeared tonight as the honored princess and not as I used to be.

Before changing into my fine gown, I used a white wrap that tightened around my breasts to make them look less bountiful.

My breasts have gotten bigger and bigger over the years and I have had to cover them up in this way. I usually use very little makeup and just wash my face and body with rose water. I also rarely wear complicated and beautiful hairstyles, letting my curly hair fall freely.

The safest thing for a forgotten princess to do is to make herself transparent. This is what my adoptive mother Meggie told me.

As she was dying, she held my younger brother and my hands with worry in her eyes.

"What will you guys do when I die?" Meggie muttered these words over and over again.

"My son, your body is so weak ...... my daughter, you remember, you have to hide your beauty ...... this palace is so dangerous ...... oh , what will you do after my death?"

A large mouthful of blood was spat out from Meggie's mouth. She could no longer say a word. Her eyes kept looking at my brother and me until she was no longer breathing.

I didn't get a chance to ask what beauty was. As a child living alone in the palace, no one ever told me what beauty was.

All along, in my mind, beauty was the daily early morning birdsong, the blooming roses in the yard and Meggie's aging face.

"Your Highness, I don't think you need this." A maid lifted the curtain without permission, came up to me, and roughly snatched away my wrap.

"Knight Nuri Rodriguez wouldn't like a flat chest."

Another maid walked in, too. They didn't show any modesty, but forced me into the gown.

They even gave me an undergarment to accent my boobs.

Then they pinned me down on the dresser, applied all kinds of makeup to my face, and brushed my thick hair hard.

This was not my usual habit, but I had to let them do what they wanted.

…………………………

At night, the servants were busy and orderly serving wine and food at the guests' table. Everyone was gaily dressed, raising their glasses and laughing, celebrating the great victory.

I was placed in a corner, with a curtain blocking everyone's view. I was dressed and sat behind a table. I cupped a grape in one hand, looked down and covered my mouth with the handkerchief of my other hand, then put the grape in my mouth. After a few chews, I incline my head as my servant Amy holds up a porcelain vessel with both hands. I covered my face again and spit the grape seeds onto the porcelain.

Although no one could see me through the curtain, I was asked to strictly observe the etiquette of a princess.

The noise of the party was gone, and everyone was suddenly quiet.

"The Knight Nuri Rodriguez is here." A servant lowered his voice and said to me.

My breath stopped and my eyes looked toward the entrance.

Sabatons clicked loudly on the wooden floor, and then a tall body entered the party.

Everyone looked up at the knight, who was nearly 7 feet tall.

He had just returned from the battlefield with his silver armor on, but his helmet and gauntlets were off, and he was wearing a red robe to symbolise Victory.

His body is more robust than in the legend, even under the armor, I can feel the strong muscles of his broad chest. His entire body is taut, and I could imagine his hard muscles bulging against his armor while fighting against the Golden Dragon.

He coldly scanned the guests at the venue, sneered disdainfully, and walked to the middle seat reserved for him.

In a regal and happy tone, the queen said, "You're finally here. You are our hero today, Nuri Rodriguez, and you have saved the entire kingdom."

Everyone raised their glasses to him, but he didn't seem to hear the queen's words. He leaned back casually in his chair, raised his wine and drank it down. "It's just the duty of a knight."

His tone, however, was not as humble as his words. According to etiquette, everyone should maintain an elegant sitting posture in front of the queen, but he showed arrogance with this casual posture.

The queen continued with a smile, "The emperor has been ill so he could not attend this banquet, but he also got the news of the victory and he appreciated the merits of the knight Nuri Rodriguez so much that he decided to make him a duke and make the Glorious Continent his fief."

Everyone bowed their heads and talked. The Glorious Continent is the territory that rests on the werebear's Land and where Nuri Rodriguez's father and brother died in battle.

It seems the queen has really gone to great lengths to appease him.

Nuri Rodriguez stared at the queen for a moment, then said with a meaningful smile, "Thank you, Your Majesty."

"I have another good news to announce," the queen walked to the middle of the hall, "as a reward to Knight Nuri Rodriguez, I have decided to marry Princess Sibyl as your wife."

The hall was in an uproar, and the noble ladies began to discuss it with their fans shielding their faces.

"There's another princess in the palace?"

"Quiet, please." The Queen tapped her silver spoon against her glass, "Princess Sibyl has always been shy, so you don't really know her. Sibyl, come out and give a toast to Knight Nuri Rodriguez."

The queen's eyes looked in my direction, and everyone followed her gaze at me. I felt as if their eyes were the eyes of a wolf in the darkness of the night, and I was a prey with nowhere to run.

Among all these gazes, one was particularly hot. I didn't need to identify it, I knew Nuri Rodriguez must be staring at me right now.

His eyes were like his Vulcan arrows, as if he was ready to put me to death.

"Sibyl, don't be shy, come out." The Queen's voice was still gentle, but with a hint of menace.

I bit my lips.

This gown and the pearls on my head made my actions unnatural.

I took a deep breath, picked up a glass of wine, stood up, and lifted the curtain in full view of the crowd.