The Fae Princess' Hidden Fate

3.

Poise and grace.

I had to remember that.

Mother had drilled it into me for twenty years now. Ever since I was old enough to understand what those words meant, she’d repeated them more times than I could count.

"A princess must be poised in the eyes of the world," she would say. "She must be graceful, and her presence alone should be able to grasp the attention of everyone present. She is the most important person in the room, for it is she that the kingdom must turn to one day."

It’d become so drilled into me that I sometimes repeated the words to myself just to remember my place in the world. And after father’s announcement, repeating them constantly was the only thing which helped in keeping my sanity.

It wouldn’t do to speak against him in public. Mother wouldn’t approve. And father certainly wouldn’t appreciate that. After all, we had to present a united front. In the eyes of the world, we were a perfect family, monarchy notwithstanding.

And so I smiled, and accepted the glowing remarks from the guests with the fakest of smiles plastered across my face. All through the congratulations, my eyes never left father’s. And I was certain he would see the disapproval in my eyes.

"Unfortunately, Prince Blaze could not make it today," he continued as though he’d not read the look in my eyes. "But he is just as happy about this engagement as I’m sure my daughter is."

I nodded slightly; it was the appropriate thing to do. Not too much, lest I appear to be ecstatic about it. And not too little, otherwise I would risk exposing my true feelings.

"Come now," Father said, stretching his arms once again. "Let us feast and rejoice. For it is the start of a brand new day; the dawn of a new era."

A thunderous cheer erupted in the hall, and the band immediately took up their instruments. I scurried off to the farthest corner of the hall before anyone could spot me moving. Thankfully it was right next to the eclairs, which I grabbed a handful of before slinking into the shadows.

The engagement would have to be called off; I couldn’t allow my parents to govern every important decision of my life. They’d done so from my birth. But I drew the line at trying to get me married to someone I didn’t know. I would not have that.

I could bet all the eclairs in my possession that father hadn’t consulted mother before making this decision. Trust him to up and give his daughter’s hand off to a friend of the throne. It was exactly the sort of thing he would have been planning for ever since I was born. How did I not see this coming? Why didn’t I put escape plans in place just for situations like this?

I’d heard about Cornia less than five times in my lifetime. Theirs was a kingdom in the valleys, too peaceful to do anything but nourish their lands. The faes there were powerful, but in a good natured manner as they refused to involve themselves in any conflict of any kind. Mother once told me that most scholars came from Cornia, where they were trained by an ancient warlock who’d been alive since the dawn of time.

If this was the sort of kingdom father wished to marry me off to, then he didn’t know what was coming for him.

"There you are," Abigail said, appearing at my side. "Why are you hiding here?"

"I wish to be alone," I said simply.

"Is it because of the announcement?" she asked.

Trust Abigail to go straight to the point.

"Don’t worry," she sighed. "Your mother will tend to the matter. She was fuming when His Majesty made the announcement. I’m sure she will talk him out of it."

"And if she doesn’t?" I asked cynically.

"Then I shall ride to Cornia myself and burn it to the ground," she replied. "I cannot allow them to take you away like that."

I smiled warmly at her. Of course she wouldn’t want me to go. She would hate the idea as much as I did. I was grateful for her companionship, and although I didn’t say it outright, I took her hand and squeezed it gently. She would get the idea.

"There you are."

I seriously needed to reconsider my hiding spot, I thought as father approached with his guards behind him. He was smiling so effortlessly, and his lips were curved in that familiar way I’d come to love.

"Your Majesty," I said politely, dipping into a curtsy. Abigail murmured the same thing, although I could tell she was slightly trembling from the mere presence of father.

"Nonsense," he said, grabbing my shoulders firmly and lifting me to my full height. "There’s no need to act formal in public. It’s your birthday after all."

"I appreciate the effort you put into the ceremony, father," I said. "It’s more beautiful than I could have dreamed of."

"It was nothing," he said, waving dismissively. "Abigail, I will require a moment with my daughter."

"Of course, your Majesty," she said quickly, dipping into another curtsy before scurrying off as quickly as her feet would allow her. Father waited until we were alone before his eyes shifted towards me.

"Twenty years," he sighed, shaking his head. "And now it feels like it all went by so fast. It seems like just yesterday when you were nothing more than a toddler who was afraid of baths. And now look at you."

On the rare occasions when I managed to capture father’s full attention, he always made me feel much happier after speaking with him. He had a way with words which I simply couldn’t understand. Every time, he made me feel like I was the most important person in his life, and I loved him for that.

"Father..." I began, but he cut me off with a wave of his hand.

"You do not approve of the engagement," he said.

"How did you know?"

"I know you too well not to be able to gauge your thoughts simply by looking at you," he replied, chuckling. But it was short-lived.

"I am not changing my mind on this matter, Layla," he looked so serious, the little lines that has appeared on his face from the chuckling vanished. "It has already been decided. You will marry prince Blaze, and you shall become a queen."

"I do not even know him, father," I said stubbornly. "Why would you make this decision without even speaking with me? Don’t I at least deserve to know?"

He paused, most likely because my voice had been raised slightly.

That was neither poised nor graceful.

"Layla," he sighed, clearly getting exasperated with my troubles, "this is not a topic we are going to discuss here. Just know that every decision I’ve ever made with regards to you is for your own benefit. I stand to gain nothing from this engagement. Nothing but the satisfaction that my daughter will be married to a worthy man."

"But..."

"Enough!" he said sternly. "We will discuss this topic no further. King Vardan and I have reached an agreement. You will wed Prince Blaze during the summer solstice. For now, you will travel to Cornia soon to meet with the royal family and be introduced to your betrothed. I will entertain no more argument over the matter. Do you understand?"

I stared at him as hot tears pricked at the corners of my eyes. He had no right to do this. I had a right to choose who I wanted to marry, if ever I decided to do so. But father had made this decision without even consulting me. How could he expect me to just go along with it? Was my opinion not worthy of consideration?

"Layla, do you understand?" he repeated, his eyes narrowed.

"I..."

"What is the matter with you two?" mother’s voice suddenly came from behind father’s shoulders in a cold whisper. "People are starting to stare."

Sure enough, when I chanced a look around him, a few eyes were turned discreetly in our direction. No one would dare to stare pointedly, but I got the feeling that almost everyone in the hall was dying to listen in on our conversation.

"We will discuss this issue later," father said, straightening up. "I had thought you will be grateful, but it seems you do not understand yet."

As he walked away, mother scoffed when she saw the tears brimming in my eyes.

"I’m sorry, Layla," she held my hands in hers. "He’s a stubborn man. But I will speak to him after this. He has no right to give out your hand in marriage just like that. We will have to discuss the issue first and foremost before any serious decisions can be made."

"H-he can’t do that to me, can he?" I tried not to cry, but it was hard not do. "He can’t sell me off like this, right mother? I have the right to refuse."

"Of course you do, my love," she cupped my cheeks in her warm hands, and I relished in the feeling of them there. "You have every right in the world to refuse Prince Blaze. Your father has overstepped his boundaries. I shall see to it that he is reminded of the matters upon which he has jurisdiction."

I tried to smile at her, but all that came out was a grimace.

"Cheer up, Layla," she smiled. "This will all blow over in a few days. Trust me, I know how to handle your father."

I spent the rest of the evening avoiding everyone in the hall. Whenever someone happened to spot me and they proceeded to congratulate me on the engagement, I felt like grabbing a butter knife and stabbing them in the eye with it. But I merely nodded and moved along. The hardest part was when Cassia found me.

"Well," she said with a smirk, "I suppose I should congratulate you on the engagement, Your Highness. You will make a most decent queen indeed."

"Thank you?" I muttered, not sure whether it was a compliment or a veiled insult.

"Of course we all saw this coming," she gushed. "After all, girls like you have only one purpose in life, isn’t it? All you have to do is look pretty, and maybe one day a handsome prince will stumble your way and take you to live in his castle forever and ever, isn’t it so?"

Okay, she definitely meant to insult me.

"I’m sure you must be ecstatic," she added, looking at her fingers closely as though she was experimenting them. "Though I wonder why you seemed so shocked when your father made the announcement. Did he perhaps not discuss the issue with you beforehand?"

"Don’t you have somewhere better to be, Cassia?" I asked. "Perhaps an extra pair of hands will be needed in the kitchen."

She glared at me, but only for a second.

"Anyway, I guess it’s right to tell you that I will be escorting you to Cornia," she smile. A full blown smile with lots of hidden meanings.

If I wasn’t frowning before, then surely I was frowning now.

"By the look on your face, I’m guessing you weren’t aware of that as well, right?" she said, smirking. "The commander informed me yesterday that I would be part of a small guard party who would travel to Cornia. He must have forgotten to mention that we would be guarding none other than the princess of Nibiru herself."

"I’m sure you must be looking forward to it," I gritted.

"Oh, I am," she replied. "Ensuring your safety will be an honor of mine, and I look for anyway to serve the royal family to the best of my ability."

I scowled at her, walking away before she could say anything more to irritate me. My head was already beginning to pound from the chaos of the ceremony. This wasn’t at all how I had intended it to be. Perhaps there was a way I could sneak out without anyone noticing. After all, sneaking out was a particular talent of mine. But every door was stationed with guards, and every window was too high up for me to even consider escaping through there. And even if I wanted to, a dress was hardly the proper attire for an escape plan.

"Your Highness," Antonio said with a lavish bow. "It seems you’ve been hiding from me throughout the evening. I never even got a chance to dance with you."

"Antonio, right now isn’t really a good time," I groaned. "I would appreciate it if you would find someone else to spend the evening with."

"Cassia is with your mother, I believe," he said. "And besides, it’s been a while since I had the pleasure of sharing a dance with you. If you would be so kind as to grant me this dance, I would be eternally grateful."

He tried to look pitiful, but I wasn’t buying it.

"I’m sure there are other women who would love to dance with you," I half yelled. "This hall is filled with beautiful women. Take your pick."

"I pick you, Layla," he said.

Groaning, I searched desperately for an escape plan. One which would get me as far away from both Antonio and the ceremony as possible.

Or maybe I could use him to my advantage.

"You know what," I beamed, "I wouldn’t mind a dance or two. The evening surely couldn’t get much worse."

"I shall see to it that you enjoy your time with me," he said, taking my hand and beaming as he led me to the floor. A ballad had just finished, and the band was readying their instruments for another.

"One dance," I insisted. "Then I can rest."

"Of course, Your Highness," he said. "I wouldn’t dream of keeping you here against your will."

"Would you be so kind as to escort me out of the hall as well?" I asked, batting my eyes. "I’m afraid I can’t exactly slip out without someone noticing."

"Ah," he said, chuckling. "I see."

The band struck up a new song, and we began to dance around the room. Credit where due, Antonio was actually a very good dancer. But I could hardly pay attention to the song or even what I was supposed to be doing. Inside, I was a raging ball of pent up anger and frustration. Somehow, I kept thinking there was something I ought to do; something that would change my fate for the better instead of being subjected to a life of endless misery.

With each rotation, my eyes would meet father’s while he watched me, his mouth set in a thin line. There was an entire part of our conversation that still hadn’t been addressed. But as mother had pointed out, this was hardly the time or the place for that.

"You should be glad," Antonio said, bursting through my thoughts. "Cornia is not a bad kingdom at all. I had the privilege of visiting three winters ago. The people are nice, and the lands beautiful."

He leaned in closer, lowering his voice.

"I hear some fairies go there to unlock their magic," he whispered.

I straightened up, thoroughly intrigued.

"What do you mean?"

"Well," he said, clearly pleased that I was interested in what he had to say, "you know how some fairies have a hard time coming to grips with their powers? Well, sometimes, they are able to unlock these powers with a simple visit to Cornia. The masters there are wise, and they have not had a single fairy yet who they were not able to train."

I was about to ask if he had trained there when a sudden ruckus at the other end of the hall drew my attention.

"What is going on?" father asked, his voice booming over the low muttering of the crowd.

"Move!" someone barked from the entrance of the hall. "We must see the king at once. Move! This is an emergency!"

As the crowd quickly parted, I noticed several guards trudging into the room. Two of them appeared to be dragging someone between them. The band had stopped playing, and everyone in the hall had fallen silent.

"Sir Philip," father said surprisingly when he emerged from the crowd, "what is going on? Why are you interrupting my daughter’s ceremony?"

"Your Majesty," he said breathlessly, "forgive the intrusion, but we’ve captured an intruder at the edge of the forest. A human intruder."

The uproar which spread across the entire hall was so loud that I had to press my palms over my ears. All the while, my heart was pounding so loudly in my chest that I wondered how no one else could hear it.

"Silence!" Father commanded. The hall fell silent immediately.

"A human, you say?" he asked Sir Philip.

"Indeed, your Majesty," he replied, nodding. "My men spotted him sneaking through the trees. He appeared quite dazed and confused, but he had his wits about him when we caught him. He tried to run, of course, but we were able to capture him before he could make an escape."

"Perhaps you’re mistaken, Sir Philip," mother said. "I don’t believe a human can find its way into our realm. There are powerful spells protecting us from those monsters."

"I assure you, my Queen, this is a human that we captured," he said.

"Bring him forward," father commanded.

"Oh dear," Abigail suddenly whispered beside me, "you don’t think it’s him, do you?"

"Be quiet," I whispered back. "You’ll draw attention on us. Maybe it’s a different one they captured."

"What are the odds of that happening?" she groaned. I turned my attention to the two guards who were walking forward, muttering a silent prayer that it would be the same human we’d found. If it was, then how did he escape? How did he find his way to the edge of the forest? And why did I feel as though something horrible was about to happen?

Sure enough, even though it was exactly what I was dreading, the guards dragged forward the human boy Abigail and I had found earlier in the forest. He still looked as weak as before, and there was a cut above his right eye where he must have hit himself. But he otherwise looked exactly the same. His feet had gone out underneath him, and the guards had to balance him on their shoulders.

Everyone visibly recoiled at the sight of him. Hushed whispers could be heard all around the hall, and several people were leaning in closer to get a look at the human creature who’d been captured.

For several minutes, father said nothing. He simply looked at the human boy with a hint of disdain in his eyes. Everyone waited with bated breathe to find out what father had in mind.

"Kill him," he said simply.

The uproar returned once again, and I could tell nearly everyone was satisfied with father’s order. As for me, I exchanged one look with Abigail and knew she shared the same panic I did.

I couldn’t let him do this. Somehow, I felt like I had to do something. Anything. My throat felt constricted, and I felt like the hall was becoming too small.

When the guards turned around and were about to walk away however, I stepped forward quickly.

"No!" I said. "You cannot hurt him."

Everyone turned to look at me, and I felt as though the weight of their gazes would cause me fall down. But I held my head high.

"Layla," father said, "stay out of this."

"You cannot hurt him, father," I said. "You can’t."

"And why is that?" he asked.

My eyes darted back and forth between the human boy and father, searching for a reasonable explanation. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Abigail shaking her head.

"Because he’s mine," I said finally. "I invoke the Law of First Sight."

From the collective gasps, I knew none of them had been expecting that.

"I found him earlier, father," I stood my stance. Unnerving. Unshaking. "By the Law of First Sight, he belongs to me. And I wish for him to accompany me to Cornia."