The day of the banquet
I was really looking forward to the banquet, so I woke up a little early to get ready; it would start at 8:00, breakfast time at the Royal Palace. Although I had spent most of the time staring at the ceiling, wasting time when I should have been getting ready.
Even though I had "my quarters" designated for the princesses, I still enjoyed going to visit my mother in the Villa, I slept with her there most of the time, more for the company, not the place.
My family was also invited to the engagement banquet that the King had planned, my mother was overwhelmed with so much luxury, she was too excited for such a last minute engagement, I even suspected that she was more excited about the life on offer in the castle and not about my marriage, really. I couldn't deny it, I was too, it would be totally different living conditions, even more so for us, who have always lived in the midst of so much poverty.
My room seemed bigger than my entire house in the village. It was no exaggeration, there was everything in it.
There was a double bed in the center of the room. There was a nice dressing table and that's where I was sitting right now. A very large closet with several dresses for me to choose just one. And there was also a bathroom, with a bathtub ready every morning and a huge mirror.
I was contemplating the room for the thousandth time. I had stared at the ceiling all night, thinking how nice it was to live there, all the comfort and beauty of that place. But I was still used to the simplicity of my little village.
Knock! Knock! Knock!
A light knock on the door takes me out of my reverie and I stop combing my hair. I adjust my robe and only then do I stand beside the dressing table.
- You may come in! - I said, waiting for some servant to come in.
I saw James passing by the bedroom door, he kept looking at me and I was turning red, after all I was only wearing a shirt under my robe.
- What happened? Am I very late? - I asked desperately and also annoyed that I was with so few clothes on while he was looking at me
- A little, I just came to call you to come down are just waiting for you - I said a little embarrassed, perhaps by my clothes.
- I'm just going to put on some clothes and I'll be right down- I saw that he didn't leave his seat- You can go.
He left and I locked the door to get dressed, I found a wonderful dress, it was attached to the body until the waist and a loose skirt that went to the feet.
I ran out. They must have been tired of waiting.
I arrived panting and stopped beside James.
- A lady never runs - said the queen correcting me.
- Sorry for the delay, I...
- Say no more, we're leaving soon - said the Queen getting into the carriage.
There were four carriages, one for the king and the queen, one for me and James, and another for my mother and Elise, and one just for Juliet.
I didn't understand why so much formality, I knew where the banqueting garden was and it wasn't very far, a few minutes walk was enough.
And it was beautiful, it was surrounded by plants and there were many birds and butterflies around, and there were sofas for us to sit on.
Actually only the king and queen sat or lay on the couches, and we sat on cushions on the floor covered with thin, expensive cloths.
When I arrived I didn't go straight away to sit like the others, I was looking at the plants and playing with the birds. Elise was happily chasing a butterfly and I smiled, that would be a nice place for her to live.
- Won't you come with us? - I heard James speaking next to my ear and I got goose bumps.
I turned abruptly which made us so close that I could feel his breath.
- I-I was just...coming-I said, carefully stepping away. Him being too close gave me the creeps and even scared me.
There was a small table in the center and around it the king and queen cushions and sofas. My mother sat on the left side with Elise, and I sat on the right side with James. And Juliet.
- Sorry for the inconvenience, but I must ask why we are gathered here with the commoner and her family, I thought it was a family banquet. - My mother looked at me as if she had been slapped and cringed, as if to show her shame.
- I ask you to have more respect for Emillya and her family...but since you brought it up, I want to do something," James said loudly and then looked at me.
I already knew, or imagined, what was going to happen. I never thought I would be so nervous.
- Now that my family and yours are properly reunited...I would like to ask for your hand in marriage, do you accept me? As your future husband? - he said with a beautiful smile on his face, I opened my mouth but nothing came out, although it was all very fake, the tear that rolled down my face was real. If I accepted it, my whole life would be changed.
My mother was smiling happily and my sister didn't really understand what was happening, but she was also happy.
Would I be happy too? My mother thought that I had liked the Prince and he liked me for a long time. That we preferred to hide it because of all the pressure I was supposed to be under. The king and queen didn't care much who he would marry, but rather if this someone would be right for the kingdom and if his family wouldn't be taken away from the royal line.
But me? Would I care to live the rest of my life with someone I had just met, even if this someone was beautiful, rich and a prince. I still had a choice, James gave me a choice, but it wasn't just me that mattered at that moment.