"The Prince cards a slender hand through her spun gold locks, staring unabashed in her deep blue eyes. His calm gaze flickers to her plump lips and he breathes out a hot sigh on her rosy face.
Her heart is beating furiously in her throat as she feels the Prince's cold fingers lining over her delicate features. 'You are a vision to my thirsty soul, Blondilocks', Prince Charming breathes onto her ear shell.
The princess squirms underneath the weight of his words, chest tightening. He presses his chest onto her breasts, feeling the erection of her aroused nipples. Her legs spread on instinct—"
"PRINCESS AGNES!!"
Her breath hitches, silver irises breathing life into reality as her gaze hastily skips between the closed doors and the erotic book resting in her hands.
Tap! Tap! Tap!
Footsteps grow closer, each planting itself more firmly than the former. The girl flings her book out of the open opal windows and jumps off her bed, landing over stranded ring. A muffled screech of pain dies within her throat as she limps towards the doors, knocking an inkpot over the Persian carpet. Her hands press down over the crumpled cotton of her dress, trying to tame the wild creases all over.
Somewhere, underneath the opal windows of her tower, a guard shouts out curses.
"PRINCESS AGNES! YOUR GRAND PARENTS ARE HERE TO MEET YOU!"
"IN A MOMENT!" She shouts a reply in her husky voice, standing straight on both feet now, taking in three calm breaths before jumping over a pile of empty dishes and rushing to pull open the mahagony doors.
Stench escaping from her armpits makes her small nose scrunch in the smiling faces of the Grand Duke Bismil and Grand Duchess Maria who grace her presence.
Agnes bends her knees and bows her head in curtsy before greeting them, "Pleasant morning, grandpa, grandmum, what do I owe you this pleasure?" She asks with her peach lips pulled in a bright smile.
Grand Duchess Maria's heavily bejewelled arms find Agnes for an embrace, red stained lips pressed in a thin line as her hands caress Agnes' back lovingly. Grand Duke Bismil reaches his firm hand out for stroking Agnes' ashy head in a loving greeting.
Agnes purrs softly.
"Will you not invite us inside?" Grand Duchess Maria wonders out loud, pulling back from the hug but keeping a soft hold on Agnes' dainty pale wrists.
"Why of course, come on in!" Agnes breaths out, the sudden exclamation erasing all the memories of the mess she had birthed out of her own misdeeds on the inside.
Her wood bed was laden with peanuts, crushed leaves and chart papers. Wooden stencils and salt stains littered the entirety of her bedspread. The stone floor had scattered decorations of random articles of clothing and underwear on show. The tea-table was laden with used crockery, unclean utensils and the couches were occupied by levers, screws, scales, hammers and nails.
Grand Duke Bismil escalates into a coughing fit upon witnessing the unsightly image before him, whilst Grand Duchess Maria sighs. Agnes gulps, blinking at them with her lips pursed and nails bedding themselves in her soft palms. She has no excuses to give and no reasons to avoid punishment now.
"When was the last time you let a maid inside— inside this dungeon... of yours, my beloved?" Grand Duke Bismil puts together a question, trying not to choke on his spit out of exasperation. He walks around, flicking an article or two with the staff in his hand and makes place for his wife to sit on.
Agnes bursts out in a laugh but stops upon receiving a glare from the Grand Duchess.
"It's been three days, Your Ducal Highness," Agnes coughs out as Grand Duchess Maria leads her to the chair cleared by her husband. She presses her gloved hands on the young maiden's shoulders and makes her sit on the chair as the Royal couple stand authoritatively before her.
The spring breeze flows through her imperial windows, dancing around the trio with a scent of fresh lilies and blossoming peony. Her dirty ashy ringlets find companionship in the fleeting touches of the wind, swaying mesmerized.
"I apologize, I was not being mindful of my actions. This is my fault," Agnes sighs under their piercing gaze. Grand Duchess Maria's gaze softens over Agnes' bowed head.
The room falls into a contemplatory silence as the gust of wind settles down.
"You poor thing," Grand Duchess Maria finally utters, bending to kiss the Princess' forehead. Grand Duke Bismil puts a supportive hand on the small of his wife's back and smiles at the duo before announcing:
"We're here to tell you, it is time."
Agnes blinks at them, confused. The afternoon remains still.
"You are going to have a Royal Engagement!"
"That's too big a punishment for not having my room cleaned!" Agnes jerks up from her seat, pretty silver eyes widening in a scandalized expression. The wind rustles around, as if agreeing to her predicament and the birds outside chirp in alliance.
Grand Duke and Grand Duchess pull the young girl in another warm embrace. "The King has personally requested you for his son, my love, this is your time," Grand Duke Bismil informs her.
Agnes' heart sinks in its cavity, burdened with uninvited expectations and troubled wishes. Her posture slouches in the arms of her apparent grandparents. The wind felt heavy weight over her skin.
"Yes, my beloved! This is your time to conclude your curiosities! Maybe you would know why you are King Bernard's treasured secret," Grand Duchess Maria explains further, net covered palms rubbing against Agnes' soft arms.
Agnes pulls out of the hug, eyebrows mushed in conflict. Under the pretence of being royalty she has only ever lived in the East Tower of the Grand Duke's Amar Palace. Her solace had been books, tooks and the stars. She has knowledge about the Royal customs and traditions, she has read about them, but she has no experience in knowing what to do, when to do and what not to.
She would surely be a nuisance for not only herself but everyone around her.
And how does one even find the truth about their existence when they are confined in the bounds of a marriage?!
"Grandpapa, Grandmum, I appreciate the effort...but I think I would do it alone. Especially, preferably, without a husband." Agnes tries her luck, pulling her eyebrows up and widening her big eyes and jutting out her lower lip into a puppy face.
They were all weak for it.
"No, my princess, it is not a choice. The Queen is waiting for you downstairs," Grand Duchess Maria emphasises on the suddenness of the situation, words merely above a whisper. As if the queen was standing right outside her doors.
"ALREADY?!"
"You don't need much for moving from room to another," Grand Duke comments passively.
Agnes falls back into the arms of the chair, slouching. "What if I mess up and they all find out that I'm just a disappointment abandoned by my parents?!" She whispers to herself, hiding her face behind her hands and trying not to break out in sobs. The weather is too hot. The ring hurt her feet. She needs to complete reading that novel.
There's so much to do instead of crying about the pathetic future that has opened its doors smack dab in Agnes unwilling face.
You don't have to cry, Agnes, smile. You need to smile. You promised to smile, did you not? You can do it.
She sniffles instead, choking on her gasps and giving up when she accidentally bites her tongue instead.
"Agnes, my beloved, you are an amazing woman. Don't let anyone else tell you otherwise, okay? We would never send you away if not for us being greatly indebted to King Elstan's family. We would have selfishly kept you to ourselves," Grand Duchess Maria kneels on her knees in her extravagant gown, probably for the first time in her life, and pulls Agnes' hands away from her face.
Her red eyes and constipated face breaks a smile on Grand Duchess Maria's face. "You look stupid." She lightly flicks a finger on Agnes' forehead. The princess blinks at the Grand Duchess' old face with her wet lashes, scoffing before replying, "Stupidly beautiful, I'm sure."
Grand Duke Bismil pulls out a handkerchief from his coatpocket and dangles it in front of his wife, while reaching an epiphany, "You can help Crown Prince Zephyrus become an Emperor! Our Agnes has power in her name and exceptional talents in her hands, isn't it?"
The older woman uses the red silk handkerchief to blow Agnes' nose.
Loudly.
Grand Duke cringes audibly and it makes Agnes burst into a laughter.
"Marriage is scary though," Agnes mumbles to her parent-figures.
"Baby, this is just an engagement. Test the waters for now. Rumor finds Prince Zephyrus to be a man wanted desperately by every woman of our Empire. Did you know that womenfolk collect dust from the paths he had walked on and auctions it on Christmas?" Grand Duke informs with a big boxy smile.
"Oh, our Empire fuels on rumors." Agnes scoffs, nose a little red and eyes a little glassy.
"No, Agnes, love, I have heard on tea evenings that Prince Zephyrus has been banned from wearing black in public because previous year three women fainted because of his, quote unquote, bewitching handsomeness." Grand Duchess announces conspiratively, standing up again.
Agnes bursts into loud laughs, head tipping over the chair's edge, unbelieving of these exaggerations. There was no way the subjects of Emyprean DawnArk were so fickle.
"Your smile is the most beautiful asset of yours," Grand Duke informs the ash haired princess, catching her smile and sharing it.
Grand Duchess Maria nods.
The room that previously felt closing in got larger in expanse.
It won't be that bad, right? It is just an engagement with someone she has never heard of before. But, he is a Prince...and Princes are supposed to be charming and hot, right? All those fantasy books she had read before had nice princes with promising love stories. If she won't find out her own truth...then, atleast she would be promised a passionate fairytale romance! Right?
Well, you don't know what lies ahead if you don't take chances enough. And Agnes decides that this is a moment that demands taking a leap of faith.
"Okay, I can do it. For you all and for myself, I agree to be betrothed."
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