--Vincenzo POV--
"Your timing is pitiful," I glared at Silas.
"My timing is deliberate. You might have forgotten but we're in the middle of a room filled with nobles who love to gossip. Mother was subjected to their torment in the past and we don't want the same for Eleanora,"
I realised he had a point but only sighed in annoyance.
"We don't need you doing something scandalous to an innocent lady on a festival which was created for her. This day is for good memories only, don't turn it into a nightmare," He raised his arms in the air and shrugged innocently.
"You can't blame me for wanting to simply kiss her,"
"I can't... but it looked like you wanted to do something more than simply kiss her," I rolled my eyes and crossed my arms. He was right but I'd never tell him that.
"I'm looking forward to the day where I'll become the brother-in-law to a mage," I glared at him and watched as he innocently sipped on his wine and pranced away like a trouble-making child.
He's just waiting for the pressure of getting married to be off of him and onto me.
I guess I became lucky with that though. Since up until my father's time, the crown prince would have to be married to be able to become King but I was able to become King without getting married thanks to him changing that law.
But still, I'll have to marry one day if I wanted an heir to this Kingdom... And I didn't want an heir like Silas, that's for sure.
I moved around to look at Nora who was at the dessert table but I frowned when I saw her laughing at something someone said. Due to that, my eyes wandered over the man standing beside her and I growled.
It wasn't a man but it was someone much more troublesome.
"Maria, how nice to see you," I said, approaching the two young women and they both turned to look at me. While Maria smirked, Nora went back to nibbling on a pastry and my gaze narrowed at her but I kept my lips in a firm line.
"Liar, you look like you're about ready to murder me," I fake chuckled at the woman.
"Don't be silly," I moved to grab her hand and shake it and she chuckled, looking up at me through her lashes with a mischievous glint in them.
"Do you guys know each other?" Nora curiously asked.
"Yes,"
"No,"
We both said at the same time and I glared at the black-haired lady who chuckled. I didn't want Nora to know that we knew each other.
"My name's Maria Rose La Verne. I'm the princess of Ebraxas... and this man's future wife," I grabbed onto her forearm and pulled her towards me, leaning down to threateningly whisper in her ear.
"Don't play games with me, Maria. I'm not in the mood,"
"I'm just stating the truth. Why? Is it something you don't want the guest of honour to know?" She whispered back and I pulled away with a furious glare.
I turned to look at Nora and was surprised to see the hurt and jealousy on her face but I can't say I wasn't pleased. It's good to know that I wasn't the only one feeling like this.
"But don't worry, I don't plan on marrying this man anytime soon," Maria smiled at Nora assuringly and I made sure to keep my intimidating glare locked on her, daring her to say something that'll put me in an awkward position.
"Huh?" Nora blinked, confused.
"You see, I'm in love... With that man over there," I didn't need to turn my head to see who it was but Nora did and a surprised gasp left her lips.
"You love Donatello?" Maria nodded happily.
"I've confessed about a dozen times to him already but the man keeps saying no! Since I'm expected to marry this womanizer, Don's staying away from me until I come up with something to break off the relationship with this guy,"
I ignored the annoying glare Maria sent my way and only focused on Nora whose face definitely showed relief to which I had to hold back a satisfied smirk.
"My mother, Victoria, was supposed to marry the previous King but for obvious reasons, that didn't happen since Mr Valentino fell in love with Miss Alexandria who grew up on an island and, well... the pressure was passed onto us,"
She was right but my parents were a lot more lenient than hers.
Maria's mother was messed up. Victoria had tried to frame my mother and get her sent away so that she could marry my father but then it was revealed that my mother wasn't an ordinary lady but a princess who lost her memories.
So my father and uncle went to get my mother back from the island and father ended up marrying mother then became King and Victoria was sent away with a ruined reputation.
She ended up eventually marrying a lowly baron and gave birth to Maria Rose La Verne then pushed her to marry me but thankfully, Maria turned out nothing like her mother and became infatuated with Donatello, my best friend.
It was obvious he had feelings for her, he told me himself after I managed to force it out of him somehow but he wasn't making a move since it would apparently be wrong to do so.
My parents simply wanted me to marry for love rather than arrangement and I never thought that I'd be able to fall in love.
Yet here we are.
Eleanora, the lady I was able to become infatuated with.
Possibly, the only lady whose finger I wanted to slip a ring onto.
At that sudden, unexpected thought, I quickly shook my head and received weird looks from both Maria and Nora. Damn it! Something was definitely wrong with me!
"Did she say anything about me? Because if she did, then I'm sure she just said it to make me look bad," I told Nora who shook her head.
"No. We weren't even talking about you," And that somehow managed to annoy me more.
"Do you guys not like each other?" Nora curiously asked.
"Why would you think that?" Maria laughed in what was supposed to be considered innocent.
"Because... I just think it," Her gaze travelled over to me as she thought about how to word the sentence and I realised it was probably due to my constant glare directed at none other than the princess of Ebraxas.
"We tolerate each other," I decided to word it as nicely as I could.
Seeing the small smile on Nora's face told me that it was the right answer.
...