I pulled back my body and regained my composure. Should I show my gratitude for helping me to escape from that group of young nobles or should I blurt out because of what he said earlier?
"Are you okay princess Victoria? Certainly, those noble meant no harm, they just sought for your attention" He bowed with his right hand in front and slightly bent his right knee.
I curved my eyebrow as I looked at him suspiciously. "So you also want me to have a dance with you?"
"No princess, I'm sure that you feel tired from the first dance and also from the young nobles that pressured you" he gave me a gentle smile. Indeed he doesn't look like a person with a prior motive.
"Thank you..." I gave my gratitude and went ahead to Auntie Isabella's seat. Meanwhile, Auntie was staring at the young noble who help me earlier.
"Is there something wrong Auntie Isabella?" I asked as I sat down on the vacant chair next to her. She took her glance away from the young noble and had a sipped on her wine glass.
"Nothing's wrong... forget about that— you looked so gorgeous Princess, you are exactly looked like your mother when she was young" I turned away on sheer instinct
"My beauty wasn't enough to compare to my mother's" I muttered.
"You're too humble, Princess. I am sure that the queen was smiling at you right now."
We continued chattering and sipping some drinks, some young noble went and tried to invite me to dance but I'd rejected them. Mostly, because they just keep stroking their hair upwards and grinning to make themselves more attractive to me but the result was the opposite.
The ball already started yet there was no presence of the Freego kingdom, they sure were late. I glance at my father who still on the deck looking downwards at the guests.
Suddenly, the lights in the hall began to diminish again, leaving the deck brighter. The music was also slowly faded away as my Father stood from his throne and walked near the balustrade of the deck.
"Greetings my people, I would like to show my gratitude for you all being here on this special day, today is the day where my daughter— Princess Victoria von Haynes would turn into a lady" he paused and looked at me "Happy birthday my Princess" as he said 'My Princess' I hid my face on embarrassment.
"After the late Queen died, I'd let myself be consumed by my work and duty as the king of this kingdom to forget my pain and loneliness. Thus, I'd never had a chance to be with my daughter in her rough days. My princess, I am so sorry for being a bad father to you this whole time, and for the people of this kingdom, I am sorry for being a bad ruler of our kingdom" My father slightly bowed his head to the guests.
"Father..."
"However, finally after a three hundred years dispute of our kingdom and the kingdom of Freego, both kingdoms were having a truce and end this endless killing. My people, I would like to introduce to you the king and the prince of the kingdom of Freego— Noir Veigo Mennet and Louis Lux Mennet"
As he mentioned their names, I saw a middle-aged came out from the passageway of the deck. I'd suspected that the king of the Freego was an old fat man before, but I was wrong.
He has a very well-built body wore a blue royal mantle embedded with jewels and the symbol of their country on its back. Unlike my father, he didn't wear a crown instead his long red hair tied to his back, his existence itself screaming that he is the king of a kingdom. The guests gave their applause and so do I, however, that wasn't last long and the guests started to mutter.
"So At last, we will regain the peace fullness of this country"
"Hey, did the king said that the king of the Freego is with his son"
"Now that you mention it, aside from the two kings and the
kingdom's officials, there's no even the shadow of the prince there"
"Huh? the King was alone?" I looked around the deck to see Prince Louise but he wasn't there, even the nobles wondered where the Prince of the Freego was.
"By any chance, are you looking at me, Princess?" I flinched after I heard someone whispered right next to my ear. It was the young noble who saved me earlier. "I guess my existence itself made no one doubted that I was the prince of the Freego"
"You are... you are Prince Louis!?" I almost blurted out.
"Indeed..." He again bowed in front of me. " Let me present myself... I am Louis Lux Mennet, son of Noir Veigo Mennet and the only prince of the kingdom of Freego, it was pleased to meet you, Princess Victoria" he reached his hand to me.
I was about to take his hand, however, I was interrupted after King Noir yelled. "Louis what are you doing there!?" he then walked down through the staircase and stood next to Prince Louis.
The height of Prince Louis and his father had a large gap, made Louis looked up just to met his father's gaze. "Father..." he muttered.
The next thing that happened surprised me. King Noir grasped the back of the collar of Prince Louis and dragged him back to the deck as though, he was dragging his puppy back to its shelter.
"Father, isn't this a little too much?" Louis, still dragged by his father.
"If I took my eyes away from you even for a second, I know you were wandered off around again somewhere... and did I told you that we were supposed to get here together? why did you escape from your guards and went here alone?" King Noir released him after they got on the deck. Honestly, this wasn't like the royalty of the Freego kingdom I'd imagine before, I thought they were no more than reckless and brutal barbarians who want to conquer the whole country. I wondered what was the reason they started a war.
"Now that the King and Prince of the Freego kingdom are here... we were delighted to announce to you the end of the long dispute of both of each country and the announcement regarding the marriage of my daughter and the prince of the Freego kingdom— Prince Louis"
The noises started to rose in the hall, some of the nobles chattered about how this would affect the economical growth of the kingdom but most of them were surprised to hear that I— the Princess would be married to the prince of the other kingdom. Though, they only could do was to chattered about it and no one dares to object.
I walked through the noisy crowd and went to the deck to meet my father, my fiancé, and also, to meet my fate. There was no turning back.
Prince Louis reached his hand to me and I accepted it. "Then again, nice to meet you, Princess Victoria"