crown of sorrow

@ ghost-

Amarille stared at him in shock as he spoke, his words echoing around in her head. She cleared her throat after a moment, trying to find words. "You... You wouldn't want to take over as ruler?" If what he was saying was true, then she would be crowned Queen before they were married or even engaged, which meant she would rule on her own for however long before they married. And it also sounded like he didn't want to take over for her once they did, but wanted to act as her consort only. "I...My advisors wouldn't allow it.. Their worst nightmare is not having a king to rule Tarennor." She murmured, reaching her hand out across the table again for his, stopping halfway across.

"I don't think I'd be a very good Queen.." she murmured softly, staring at the table and her empty hand. Her father had prepared her to rule on her own, yes, but that didn't mean she felt confident about it in any way.

---

"Well, my father was very strict, and the only way to see a certain girl was to sneak out." Rainier smirked at her teasing, looking around the fairgrounds. There were lights and people and all sorts of things for them to do, and he could only hope no one would recognize the princess. Little did Isolde know how rebellious he could be. He smirked as memories from his youth came to him, particularly a few pleasant ones of him and a baker's daughter fucking behind the vendors stalls. Oh, how he'd love to relive that memory with the princess standing next to him..

"Of course, your highness." He murmured teasingly as she asked if they could get dessert, pulling a few coins from his pocket. "What would you like?"

Caspian shrugged his shoulders, "I don't really care for your advisers, especially from what I've seen." He let his eyes fall to the table, trying to contain the bite in his tone. He hated the way she spoke of her court, like they were the ones with the true power when in reality, they should only be there to give her advice. Hence their name. It was clear they were misusing their titles.

"I am here for you. If it would make things easier, yes, I will take over as ruler. With your blessing." He crossed his arms over his chest as he relaxed into his seat. "But I do expect to have a strong queen by my side." The smile that played on his lips was sure to remind Amarille that he was being lighthearted. "We could toss away your whole court, replace the whole parliament, you know that right? Once your queen..."

He wouldn't force her to do anything, but he wanted to know she had options. The people of her kingdom would be looking to her, not him- whether he ruled as king or not. They knew her, loved her and she would still need to be the queen they deserved. How would they feel if they knew a bunch of men they never had laid eyes on placed their hands on the queen for displeasing them?

---

Isolde placed her hands up on the stall, eyeing all the hot baked goods and sweets the vendor had to offer. "Ooo, do you have anything cinnamon?" The princess asked the keeper, her eyes practically glowing. It wasn't often she was able to indulge herself, especially when she was inside the castle.

The vendor smiled brightly at her before nodding and filling a small paper bag with fried dough pieces, sprinkled all over with cinnamon sugar. "Thank you!" Isolde beamed when Rainier handed the man the coin, the vendors eyes growing as wide as dinner plates when he realized how much extra he was handed.

"So strict Adviser Irving used to sneak out of his home to see a girl? I don't believe it." Isolde laughed, glancing up at the towering man, before offering him a piece of the sugary treat. As much as the princess hated to admit it, this was the first time since her parents death that she had actually been able to forget about it and just enjoy the moment she was in.

@ katahdin

@ ghost-

Amarille's eyes softened as he spoke, biting her lip. No one outside her family had ever cared for her so much, especially after spending such little time with her. And hearing him say this to her reminded her of her father and mother's kind words and reassurances.. It was all a bit overwhelming, so it was no wonder that she buried her face in her hands and wept softly, all the emotions she'd been supressing for the last week hitting her at once.

"I-I'm sorry..." She attempted to stammer out after a few moments, breath hitching between her sobs. "I-I-I'm sorry.."

---

Rainier was more than happy to pay the man extra for the treats. He was rich, after all, and had more money than he knew what to do with. He chuckled as he led Isolde away from the vendor, rolling his eyes at her teasing. "Yes, I did." He confirmed. "She was very pretty. And was very good at.. certain activities." He smirked, accepting the piece of sugary dough with a soft thanks, popping it into his mouth.

"So, is there a reason you like to sneak out so much?" He asked after a while. "Obviously you wouldn't have invited me along if there was a boy." He teased.

Caspian was quick to push his chair away from the table, moving to Amarille before he pulled her up by her shoulders. Pulling her close to face him, he used his knuckle to wipe away the tears that had fallen. "What are you sorry for?" He whispered, staring into her glassy eyes. He knew she had to be hurt, absolutely devastated from the loss of her parents, but all of this seemed to be coming from some other source. The stress, the abuse from her consorts, the anxiety over her new responsibilities, he was sure they all had a hand to play in her misery.

He pulled the princess by her hand over to the bed, leaning against it while he wondered how long it had been since someone lied there. Wrapping his arms around Amarille, he pulled her close to his chest, pushing back a loose strand of hair. "If you need to, then cry. Let it all out." He whispered, leaning his forehead against hers. It wasn't good to keep all of those emotions bottled up like that and perhaps if she was able to just let her guard down and cry, she might feel better or at least find a little solace.

---

"A boy." Isolde almost couldn't get the words out without a laugh. "If I was sneaking out to see a boy, I'd be putting myself in an early grave." The princess popped another piece of the bread into her mouth, still finding just the idea of it laughable. She was sure she didn't need to go into any detail, but if the princess was sneaking out of the castle to entertain some boy, knowing exactly where that would eventually lead, to certain activities, in Rainier's words. How would she explain herself to her future husband, if after consummating their marriage he wondered about her virginity? That would likely be the end of her, if a king found out his bride had already been 'tainted.'

"I just like escaping the castle." She whispered, knowing this probably wasn't going to be a conversation her adviser liked hearing. "It's nice to pretend I'm not a princess, that I'm just a normal girl with no royal duties or expectations."

@ katahdin

@ ghost-

Amarille stood as he pulled her up, tensing a bit as she expected him to scold her for crying. But instead he held her in his arms and wiped away her tears, which only made her begin to cry harder, shaking her head a little as she followed him over to the bed, although she happily curled into the prince's arms. She felt safe with him, and even though she barely knew him she knew that she could trust him. When he told her to cry, she gave a little nod, burying her face in his chest as she sobbed. Her fingers gripped his jacket lightly to steady herself, although she knew that it was really him keeping her upright.

After about ten minutes she'd finally cried herself out, although she kept her forehead pressed against his shoulder, sniffling as she tried to compose herself. After a few moments she pulled back enough to look up at him, offering him a sheepish smile. "I-I'm sorry if I ruined your jacket.."

---

Rainier chuckled at her statement, giving a little shrug. "I figured I'd ask. And besides, you're only second in line to the throne, it's not like anyone is super worried about you running off with stable boys." He teased. It wasn't exactly true, especially since he planned on marrying the princess himself, but before he'd arranged her parent's deaths, none of the other members of parliament really cared what she did or didn't do. Yes, she had to maintain images, but sneaking out to make out with stable boys wasn't something they were trying to prevent.

He nodded when she said she just enjoyed sneaking out. "Fair enough.. So, where else do you go when you sneak out?"

Caspian smirked slightly, shaking his head. The last worry on his mind was his jacket. He wiped the tears from her cheeks, letting his hands cup her face. "I'm sure that was a long time in the making." The prince tried to laugh, doing his best to keep the situation light. It had been hard to just sit there and hold her while she sobbed into his chest, having to fight the insufferable urge to do something and then dealing with the sinking feeling when he realized there was nothing he could do for her other than let her cry. Caspian was just a visitor in their land and if he started causing trouble for the parliament, he was sure his bags would be packed by the end of the week.

"Feel any better?" It was such a stupid question and he knew that. While there might be a sudden relief brought on from outburst of tears, crying couldn't really fix the situation, so she probably didn't actually feel any better. He dropped his hands from her face, instead, returning to hold her hands again. If all he could do until they were married was hold her while she cried and remind her of the easier days ahead, he would, every single day until he didn't need to anymore.

---

"I'm not worried about the court." Isolde's face hardened, not liking the sudden thoughts that were entering her head. Whether she married a king or just a nobleman, rich pigs tended to get upset when their toys turned out to be hand-me-downs. "And if you're not concerned with me sneaking off to spend time with some stable boy, you sure weren't happy when you learned of it before you invited yourself along." It was nice to hear that the court didn't really seem to be paying her much attention. The less focus on her, the better.

The princess shrugged, thinking if there were any particular places she liked to spend her time. "Usually I just walk around, find myself in lots of different places. I've made a few friends, I guess I usually go where I can find them. Funny you mention boys, actually, there is the butcher's son..." Isolde rambled on, sure that Rainier wasn't really listening to her in the first place. Thinking about Merek, the butcher's son, did seem to bring a smile to her face, thinking about his light hair and green eyes... The two hadn't spent much alone time together, and she had really only talked to him a handful of times, but... Feeling herself start to blush, she looked down at her feet, "Oh! The docks, I love going to the docks." She perked up, bringing herself to look at Rainier again.

@ katahdin

@ ghost-

Amarille couldn't help but laugh softly at his attempt to joke around, leaning her forehead against his as his hands moved to cup her cheeks, nose brushing against his lightly. When she opened her eyes she gazed into his light ones, finding herself smiling despite having just cried herself out for the past ten minutes. She also had a thought that nearly knocked the breath out of her: she wanted him to love her. She didn't just want him to sit at her side as King because it was what they were being told, she wanted him to marry her because he wanted to, because he cared for her and truly wanted to spend the rest of his life with her. That didn't mean she loved him... But she knew that she probably would soon enough.

She gave a little nod when he asked if she was feeling better, nose bumping against his as she squeezed his hands. "Thank you.. You're far more than I deserve." She murmured softly, gazing down at their joined hands.

---

"I'm more concerned about anything happening to you, princess." Rainier pointed out. "Your father always prioritized the safety of you and your sister.. I'd be failing him if I let anything happen to either of you." He wanted to vomit as he said the words, but knew that it had to be done. If he reminded her that her father trusted him, then she'd be more likely to trust him herself. And if she trusted him, then so would Amarille.

Rainier listened intently to all of them places she liked to go, mentally making note to post more guards in and on the way to these places. She'd said she'd had other routes out of the castle; until he learned where they were, if he stationed guards in all of the places she visited, they'd easily catch her and bring her back. He perked up when she mentioned a boy, smirking as she blushed. "My, my, does the princess have a crush?"

Caspian brought his hand to her chin, lifting her head back up enough so his lips were directly in front of hers. "Princess, I could never be worthy of you." His eyes flickered from her eyes to her lips, before he leaned in closer and kissed her gently. He hoped that she wouldn't shove him away, that he wasn't forcing himself upon her. Sliding an arm around her waist, Caspian pulled her closer, hearing his heart beating wildly in his chest.

He stopped only for a millisecond and then kissed her again, before slowly pulling away. His hands found their way to hers again, his fingers intertwining with hers. The princes' face was beginning to heat up, "this is going to sound cliche, but Amarille... I hope you will accept my marriage proposal when I give it to you. I've only known you for a few short hours but, you are all I want."

The prince was effectively confessing his love for her, without specifically saying it. He was worried using the actual word would either scare her away or repulse her, but it was truly what he was feeling. He felt so comfortable sitting here alone with her, like she was a long lost friend that he had known for ever. Looking into her eyes caused his heart to skip a beat and kissing her had felt like absolute heaven.

---

Isolde swallowed the lump in her throat when Rainier brought the conversation back around to Merek. "I barely know him, I wouldn't say that..." It was odd how the night was going. She had expected to talk about boys tonight at the fair, with her sister, not with Rainier. If Amarille were here she would tell her all about the boy. How his hair was like spun gold and his smile... Those mushy feelings were definitely not for her advisor to hear about.

"Do you have someone special?" Isolde was beginning to realize just how little she knew about him. Then again, she didn't know much about any of the parliament members. Why would she? She did her best to avoid them, not strike up conversation.

@ katahdin

@ ghost-

Amarille's breath caught in her throat as he spoke, gazing up at him intently as his own gaze flicked to her lips. Before she could say anything he was kissing her, and she practically melted into the prince's arms, fingers gripping the fabric of his jacket a bit tighter as she hesitantly returned his kiss. She used the brief moment he pulled away to attempt to catch her breath, but she lost it again when he kissed her a second time. When he finally pulled away she rested her forehead against his once more as she gazed down at their joined hands. Her own cheeks were flushed red, but as he spoke a small, excited smile spread across her lips.

"I accept." She whispered as she lifted her gaze to meet his, squeezing his hands. It was insane of him to ask her to marry him after only knowing her for a few hours, but she supposed she was even more insane to accept. She pressed a hesitant kiss to the corner of his lips, hoping he understood what she was saying. "You're all I want too, Caspian. With you, nothing else matters." She knew the weight of the words she was saying, but he'd practically said the same thing, so she supposed it was alright for her to say it too.

---

Rainier smirked struggle to speak about the butcher's son. Perhaps he'd have to pay the boy a visit, make a compelling argument for why he couldn't see the princess ever again. He couldn't have any competition, couldn't risk her not falling for him.

He chuckled and shook his head as she turned the question back on him. "I'm afraid not. I've been too busy advising your family to go out and find love."

Caspian couldn't handle the anticipation of a courtship without knowing the final outcome. The prince would be devastated if after weeks of falling for her, she declined him once he proposed. He would still surprise her, make it a little more flashy than asking in a dusty room, but it couldn't be more special than now. A smile broke across the princes' face when she placed a soft kiss on his lips. He gave her hands a little squeeze back, before standing to pull her over closer to the door.

"We still have a little bit of time before I should get you to your room," he teased. Motioning towards the window, he noticed how beautiful the moon was hanging in the sky. It would be a full moon tomorrow night, but he wasn't so sure why he seemed to care. Staring into the pale-yellow orb through the window seemed to be trying to wake something up inside of him. It felt like he was a cage about to break open.

"Look at how beautiful. We should take a short walk through the lovely gardens. I only caught a glance of them while I was still in my carriage." He linked his arm with hers, hoping she would accept. He hoped she felt up to it, too. It wouldn't be surprising if after that good cry she had, she did just want to disappear to her room to sleep, he couldn't blame her.

---

Isolde decided to leave the romance questions behind them as they continued to walk through the carnival. Carnies at rickety old games called out to them whenever they passed, along with everyone else around them, but the princess didn't care to much for the prizes. She knew it was all rigged, anyway. Tossing the garbage from her snack away, she dusted off her hands and looked around.

Just ahead of them was a tiny tent advertising a fortunate teller and Isolde could almost curse herself. She had been to that fortune teller many times, and the princess even believed she was truly a witch. The teller was an older woman who lived in the factory district of the kingdom, and she had predicted small things in Isolde's future correctly on numerous occasions. She had wanted to bring Amarille, so they could've asked about the prince.

The pair enjoyed for the fair for about another hour, before deciding it was probably best to return to the castle. They did have a bit of walk all the way back through the kingdom. For the most part, it was silent, Isolde had opted to take the way home she knew would be the most abandoned. "Well, I guess you could've been a worse escort," Isolde teased, hiding her hands behind her back as they eventually made their way back inside the castle gates. "I had fun." It was odd admitting that.

@ katahdin

@ ghost-

Amarille could have cared less about what time it was. She was happy to sit up all night and talk to him if he'd let her, but she knew they'd have to go their separate ways eventually. She nodded as he tugged her toward the door, giving his hands a squeeze before turning to look at the Moon when he pointed it out. "It will be full tomorrow. The last full moon of the summer." She smiled, nodding when he suggested that they walk through the gardens. "We should.. the ones you saw might be a bit too big and far away for us to wander through now, but there's a smaller garden inside the castle we could go to." She offered, hoping he wouldn't mind. "We can go to the gardens you saw tomorrow, though. Spend the whole day getting lost."

She paused at the door before he opened it, squeezing his hands as she looked up at him worriedly. "I... I care about you, Caspian." She started, giving his hands another nervous squeeze. "I don't want anything to happen to you.. So when we're not alone, we shouldn't be too.. close.." she blushed a bit. "I just don't want my advisors to see how happy I am with you and do something to ruin this.."

---

Rainier enjoyed his time with the young princess, agreeing when she suggested that they head back to the castle. It was getting late, after all, and they both needed to be presentable and awake for breakfast the following morning. As they neared the castle he heard her speak, chuckling at her words. "Thank you, princess. If you want, I'll be much worse next time." He teased with a wink, following her back toward the doors they'd exited the castle from. "I had fun too, Isolde." He smiled, reaching out to grab her hand and tuck a strand of hair behind her ear.

The prince nodded, understanding what she meant without the need to go into further detail. It didn't make any sense, seeing as the men she was worried would tear them apart, were the same men who were forcing them together, but politics never made sense. There was no use trying to make it. "I see. Don't worry." He patted the back of her hand and led her back out of the room.

Caspian didn't really mind where the two went, he had just really wanted to step outside and feel the moon's light washing over him. It was such a strange urge, but not one that was unfamiliar to him. The closer a full moon drew, the stronger the urge would come over him. It wouldn't hurt him to ignore it, he had to quite often enough. "Lead me to this indoor garden," he smiled, linking their arms back together as they walked through the dark and abandoned wing of the castle. Caspian thought back to his own home, trying to think if there were any plants at all inside the castle, he knew for sure they didn't have a garden inside, they barely had one outside of the castle. His home had been more of a fortress.

---

Isolde felt her heart skip beat, her brows pulling together as she glanced down to see Rainier's fingers intertwining with hers. Before she could protest or even ask a question, he was touching her again, tucking a bit of her hair behind her ear. Confusion kept her silent for the time, a slight blush rising to her face. The princess did think the adviser was handsome, but did she think anything more than that? Butterflies started to flutter around in her stomach as they entered the doors that led back into the dark kitchen. Next time...?

The princess couldn't stop focusing on how her hand felt in his, how strong his hand felt. "How about you escort me back to my room? If we get stopped, you can you caught me trying to sneak out." She didn't feel much like climbing back up the vines to her room, or parting ways with him now and sneaking through the halls alone.

@ katahdin

@ ghost-

Amarille felt relieved when he said he understood, locking the door after they stepped out before tucking the key back into the safety of her pocket. Linking her arm through his she smiled at him, leading him through the abandoned wing of the castle. "I can only imagine how nice it would be here if people paid attention to this part of the castle." She murmured as they walked, soon reaching the small cloistered garden. The moonlight shone down on the overgrown plants and shrubs, the garden in desperate need of care, although it was easy to tell the place was once beautiful.

"I know it's not as nice as the gardens outside.." Amarille apologized, feeling a bit embarrassed for showing him such a rundown place, especially one that she loved.

---

"I'd be happy to, your highness." He grinned as he linked his arm through hers, leading her back through the halls to her room. Luckily there were no guards to catch them, although by tomorrow the halls would be filled with guards along her usual route out of the castle. She'd be upset, but he had to keep her here, so nothing could happen to her before he married her.

Arriving at her room he stopped, turning to her and bowing politely, a smirk on his face. "I hope you have a wonderful evening, Princess." He murmured, pressing a kiss to her knuckles before standing to his full height, gazing down at her.

Caspian stepped out of the hall into the small garden, glancing up at the open ceiling. The moon was visible just above them, its light casting down, illuminating each and every plant and flower. It felt almost rejuvenating to him, like the moon's kiss was washing away all of the stress and worry he had been carrying. "It's perfect." He assured her, turning back to reach his hand out to her, pulling her to step down next to him. She had still been hidden in the shadows and he wanted to see her.

Once the prince had gotten his fill of the moon, he squeezed Amarille's hand and turned to face her. "It's getting pretty late," he whispered, not wanting to leave her side and return to his room alone. "Let me walk you back to your room. The last thing I want is for you to be falling asleep over your breakfast because of me. Then the parliament really will cause a fuss." Caspian looked back over his shoulder, up at the moon. It wasn't only an overwhelming positive feeling he sensed from the moon, but also an odd sense of dread, as if it was also a warning. "C'mon," he whispered, trying to keep the smile on his face as he led Amarille back away from the garden.

---

Isolde couldn't help but wonder if she was reading too far into the signs. The way he had brushed her hair back, holding her hand and now kissing it... She couldn't help but narrow her eyes at him, sensing that there was something he was hiding from her, a reason he was trying to charm her. Something seemed weird about how in the same week her parents die, Adviser Irving was trying to woo her. It was even weirder that it was working.

The princess fumbled to find the key in her pocket, twisting it around in her hands before turning slightly to unlock the door. She was doing her best to not look back up at him, trying to hide the blush on her face. "Sleep well, Rainier," she whispered before slipping inside of her room.

@ katahdin

@ ghost-

Amarille stepped out into the garden with him, happily standing at his side while they enjoyed the moonlight together. She stifled a yawn shortly before he suggested that he walk her to her room, nodding as she took his hand once more, following him back to the main part of the castle. She seemed to grow tense then further they got from the older part, like it was this part of the castle itself that was placing all the pressure on her shoulders. And in some way it was.

When they arrived at her room she paused outside of her door, offering him a sheepish smile. "Thank you, Caspian.. For everything.." she murmured softly as she squeezed his hands, glancing around to make sure no one was lurking in the hall before pressing a quick kiss to his cheek. "Have a goodnight. I'll see you at breakfast." She said before slipping into her room, shutting the door softly so as not to alert anyone else in the hall that she hadn't been in her room before now. She changed into her nightgown quickly and pulled her hair out of its braid before climbing into bed, getting a decent night's sleep for the first time in a week.

---

Rainier chuckled softly to himself as he noticed her blush. "Good night, princess." He said before leaving once her door was closed, headed to his own room. His plan was working wonders, and he could only hope that she'd fall for him quickly and easily, and that he'd be king before long. Ideally his plan would come together before Amarille and Caspian married, as them having an heir would definitely hinder things for him. But for now everything seemed to be going well, and he could only hope it would continue to do so.

Caspian waited for the door to close before he let out a content sigh and headed back for his room, hoping he could still find his way back to it. The castle was very large, with hundreds of halls that would be easy to get lost in. Heading in the right direction, Caspian became a little nervous when he heard footsteps approaching him. Turning the nearest corner, the prince almost ran into the adviser.

"My apologies." Caspian quickly stepped out of the way, trying to hide his irritation upon seeing who it was. The same adviser from his first time meeting Amarille, and even now, meeting him in a dark hallway in the middle of the night did nothing to subdue the creepy feeling Caspian got from him. Stifling his curiosity, Caspian decided it was best to not question what he was doing wandering around so late in the same wing as the princesses. The question could easily be thrown back at him. "Sleep evading you, as well?" Caspian tried to make it seem like he was just exploring the halls out of boredom.

@ katahdin

@ ghost-

Rainier was lost in thought, surprised when he rounded a corner and nearly ran into the prince from a far away kingdom. He could tell the man disliked him, and he was right to do so, but if he were to grow close to the princess like he suspected he would, he could ruin all his plans.

Putting on a polite facade he smiled, although it was obviously pointed. "Yes, couldn't sleep.. I wonder what is keeping you up? Is it homesickness? Or perhaps the moon?" He smirked, moving to step passed the prince, although he paused to look at him over his shoulder. "I've heard rumors of a prince who by day is beautiful and charming, but at the full moon turns into a horrid monster and wrecks havoc on everything he comes across... I wonder what the Queen would think of these rumors?"

Caspian felt his blood run cold hearing the advisers words. His shoulders tensed and he stepped farther away from Rainier. "You believe in fairy tales like those?" He cleared his throat, wanting his voice to come out thick and stern despite how petrified he felt in that moment. Had word of his curse really spread this far? Now he understood why his parents had done their best to keep him hidden away in their castle. While he had thought it was nothing but cruelty on their part, they were really trying to protect him from something like this.

"I assure you, the moon isn't keeping me awake. You'd do better to keep from filling your head with such silliness." The prince nodded his head in some form of polite goodbye, before hurrying away from the adviser and towards his room. Now, he mostly likely wouldn't be able to get any sleep, instead, slipping into his bed and staring at the ceiling as worry ate him alive.



Rising in the morning, the young prince found the sun burning his dry eyes as he pushed back the curtains on the window. Already a servant was knocking at his door, to let him know he didn't have long before breakfast if he didn't want to be late. Guessing that he only snagged about two hours of sleep, he yawned and stretched before getting dressed. Once again he wore royal blues and deep browns, because he found the colors suited him best.

---

Isolde was already making her way down for breakfast, the look on the girls face showing just how clearly annoyed she was. Waking up that morning, earlier than she expected too, she stepped out on her balcony, only to hear the mumblings of four guards posted below her on the lawn. She knew exactly who was to blame, and she felt like an idiot for thinking he hadn't had some sort of scheme up his sleeve. Like an adviser really wanted to just follow her around outside the castle for no good reason.

She could only find peace in the fact that she knew she had many routes out of the castle. Leaning up against the grand staircase, refusing to enter the great hall from worry Rainier was already inside, she waited, hopefully for her sister. The princess picked at the front of her dress, having only enough energy for her attire that morning. Her hair was in a simple loose braid down her back, and maybe a bit messy too, but she blamed her late night excursions on her lack of energy. And the fact that she was pretty well pissed off hadn't helped that morning, either.

@ katahdin

@ ghost-

When Amarille woke it was when her maid opened the curtains to let in the morning light, not hours before dawn like she usually did. Sitting up she rubbed the sleep from her eyes, wondering for a moment if yesterday with the prince had all been some sort of dream, but then her maid was encouraging her to get up and dressed for breakfast, and she smiled brightly as her heart fluttered in her chest. She remembered Caspian's desire to see the gardens so she made sure to dress in something that she wouldn't mind walking around outside in, stylng her hair into her usual braided crown, although she allowed her maid to put an elegant crown onto her head as well. Once she was dressed she hurried to the dining hall, although she bumped into her sister on the way there, the younger princess looking rather tired.

"Good morning, Isolde. Did you sleep well?" She asked, even though she could already tell the answer was no. "Did you have fun at the fair?" She asked curiously, hoping that the girl at least enjoyed herself. "Come on, let's go sit." She encouraged, holding her hand out to her sister with a small smile.

---

The reaction the prince had given Rainier was all the proof he'd needed that the rumors were in fact true, although he knew the real proof would come tonight. He was both excited and nervous about the prospect of having a terrifying monster running through the castle, knowing that the chaos he would bring could aid his plans. If everyone was busy worrying about getting eaten, then no one would pay any attention to his schemes. With any luck, Caspian might even rid him of Amarille, which would allow him to have the prince executed for treason, and hopefully by then he and Isolde would be well on their way to being married, thus giving him the crown.

He arrived at the dining hall on time, taking his seat with his fellow advisors as they exchanged pleasantries and discussed all sorts of nonsense, most of it about preparations for the wedding that he hoped wouldn't come.

Isolde perked up slightly when her sister descended the stairs, offering her hand out. "I had fun, yes, but I shouldn't have went." Isolde followed her sister towards the feast hall, holding her hand gently. "I uninvited you because Rainier insisted he joined me," she finally told her sister the truth, hoping to spill it all before they entered the hall.

"Now there are guards below my window and I bet all along the path we took out of the castle." She spoke quietly, already fully aware of how stupid of a mistake she had made, trusting Rainier, especially. She wondered for a moment if she should tell her sister about the way he had held her hand, how he had kissed it, but she decided against that.

The two sisters entered the dining hall, and immediately Isolde's icy gray eyes fell on the man they were speaking of. She didn't let her eyes linger on him long, the sight of him bringing up conflicting emotions. Half of her want to smack him upside the head as they walked by him and the other part of her was finding it hard to ignore how her heart skipped a beat.

---

Caspian found his way down to the hall moments after the girls arrived. The table was already set and most every one had already found their place. The prince was entirely in order, every last curl on his head was placed neatly and his suit was free of any wrinkles, but inside he felt like he might collapse from exhaustion at any moment. Worry was still eating him alive, having not been able to forget what the adviser had said to him the night before.

The prince made sure to ignore Rainier, not so much as even glancing in his direction as he took his seat next to Amarille. He nodded in greeting towards Isolde and Amarille, but barely muttered a greeting as it seemed he was interrupting some girl talk. The way Isolde spoke made Caspian wonder if she was speaking about Rainier and the thought of the man perching over the younger princesses shoulder didn't sit well with him.

@ katahdin