The large door to the throne room finally creaked open letting in four tall preternatural handsome men.
As the four men entered the throne room, a wave of hushed murmurs rippled through the gathered crowd. The preternatural handsomeness of the men was undeniable, and it seemed to have an immediate effect on the ladies present. Their cheeks flushed a deep crimson, and their hearts began to race as they laid eyes on the men.
The first man to enter was the one with long silver hair. He moved with a languid grace that made him seem almost ethereal. His expression was one of complete boredom as if the entire room and everyone in it were beneath his notice. But despite this, there was a strange and magnificent aura about him that made everyone feel both drawn to and repelled by him at the same time.
The second man, with his blonde hair and gentle smile, looked like he could be the polar opposite of the silver-haired visitor. His demeanor was friendly and approachable, and Rhiannon couldn't shake the feeling that she knew him from somewhere.
The third man, with his brown hair and grim expression, seemed angry at the world. He walked with purpose, his steps heavy and deliberate, as though he was carrying a heavy burden on his shoulders.
The fourth man, with his black hair and neutral expression, gave nothing away. He walked with quiet confidence, his movements precise and measured.
As the men approached the throne, the room fell silent. It was as quiet as a graveyard, with only the sound of their footsteps echoing off the walls. The king stood after regaining his composure, but his expression was uneasy, as though he was unsure of how to handle the situation.
The silver-haired visitor stared at Rhiannon's uncle with an almost contemptuous look. It was a look that said he saw the king as nothing more than a rag to be trampled upon. Rhiannon found it amusing to see such an expression on the visitor's face - her uncle deserved every bad and hurtful thing in life.
Rhiannon couldn't tear her eyes away from the blonde man. There was something about him that was so familiar, and yet she couldn't place him. She felt a conflicting mix of emotions - curiosity, confusion, and a strange sense of familiarity- all at once. She couldn't help but wonder how she was going to approach and then question him.
The king took a deep breath and addressed the silver-haired visitor and his men. "Welcome to the kingdom of Valtoria. It's an honor to have you here, King Vladine."
The silver-haired man raised an eyebrow at the king's welcome greeting, but he didn't say anything. Instead, he listened as the king mistakenly called him King Vladine and after some seconds he spoke.
"It's Vlad," the silver-haired man corrected him harshly. "Not Vladine."
The king's face turned red with embarrassment as he realized his mistake. He stammered out an apology, but the silver-haired man didn't seem to care. He simply stood there, his expression unreadable.
Rhiannon snickered at her uncle's mistake, but she quickly covered it up with a cough when she saw him looking in her direction. She didn't want to draw any attention to herself.
"Oh, don't worry about it, Your Majesty," he said with a wry smile. "I've been called worse things than Vladine in my time."
The king looked even more embarrassed at the devil king's statement, and Rhiannon had to suppress a laugh. It was clear that the silver-haired man had a sharp tongue, and she wondered what other witty remarks he had up his sleeve.
The devil king's eyes slowly scanned the throne room, taking in the faces of every person there. As his gaze landed on Ariadne, she felt a blush rise to her cheeks despite her initial fear. She quickly put on a pretentious calm look, trying to hide her embarrassment.
But just as quickly as his gaze had landed on her, it passed over her as though she didn't exist. The devil king's eyes then rested back on the king, and the uneasy expression on the king's face intensified.
Rhiannon watched the devil king closely, noticing how he hadn't looked at her even once. It was a relief, but at the same time, it was also unsettling. Why was he ignoring her? Was it because he harbored no intention toward her? If so, luck was very much on her side.
But the bad premonition that had been eating at her all along was growing stronger, but she tried to push those thoughts away. She didn't want to believe that the devil king had any ill intentions.
The devil king's eyes narrowed as he looked at the king, a small smile playing at the corners of his lips. "You seem nervous, my dear king," he said, his voice silky smooth. "Is there something you're not telling me?"
The king shifted uncomfortably, his eyes darting around the room, he wished to dig out Vlad's tongue but he knew he would be digging his grave instead.
He waved his hands in denial as he spoke "No, no, of course not," he stammered. "I just thought you might like to see this." He motioned for his daughter, Ariadne, to bring something.
Ariadne approached the devil king with a pretentious look on her face, her nose in the air. In her hands was a beautifully carved box, adorned with intricate designs and precious stones. The devil king raised an eyebrow as the king offered it to him, urging him to take and open it.
With a bored expression, Vlad took the box and opened it. Inside was a gold necklace with a red stone. As he brought it out to examine it properly, Rhiannon's eyes widened in shock. It was her mother's necklace - the one she had thought was lost forever.
Furious emotions coursed through Rhiannon as she glared at the king, her fists clenched so tightly that her nails dug into her palms.
How dare he! How dare he!! She was barely able to contain her anger as she glared at the king and Vlad.
"This is a welcome gift and an apology, please accept it". King Roderick said with a smile.
The devil king gave a wry smile and without asking how he got it, he thanked the king. "This is a valuable gift," he said, running his fingers over the necklace. "I appreciate your generosity."
The king smiled and motioned for the devil king to sit on a prepared seat. "Now, my dear friend, tell me why you have personally come to visit me," he said, his eyes shining with hidden agenda.
The devil king leaned back in his seat, a sly grin on his face. "Oh, nothing too serious," he said casually. "I just wanted to remind you of our little agreement." His eyes flickered into deep black as he stared at the king, and King Roderick blinked his eyes to make sure he wasn't hallucinating but just as he continued to look, it seemed like an illusion and he slightly shook his head.
King Roderick's face fell after his words and everyone's ears perked up, ready to listen to what the devil king had to say. It seems it was only Rhiannon who had no idea about what was going on, in the room.
"What have you decided, my friend?".
"I was thinking... King Roderick, is it?". Vlad asked king Roderick who nodded. "Good, King Roderick... I think for me to agree to this alliance is to have one of your citizens, not just a citizen, a highly placed citizen get married to one of us".
The room fell silent as everyone's heart sank upon hearing Vlad's demand. Who in their right mind would want to marry someone related to the devil king? King Roderick chuckled uneasily as he stared at Vlad, but he stopped when he saw how serious and bored Vlad was.
Clearing his throat, King Roderick, an already greedy man, quickly agreed to the devil king's terms, much to the dismay of everyone in the throne room.
"Your terms are acceptable," King Roderick said, trying to hide his unease. "We shall arrange a marriage between one of our highly placed citizens and one of yours."
As soon as the deal was done, the king rose another political discussion involving his noblemen and women to join, which they fearfully did. Everyone tiptoed around the devil king, not wanting to offend him with their words. They only spoke when asked, and it seemed as though it was only King Roderick who was comfortable with the devil king.
Rhiannon, scoffed at this, knowing that birds of the same feathers flock together. She wasn't surprised by King Roderick's behavior. She looked around the room, observing everyone's expressions. Fear and unease were etched on their faces. They were all afraid of what the devil king might do if they spoke out of turn.
And after it felt like an eternity, Rhiannon turned bored and exhausted and the bad premonition she had been feeling, was even growing stronger. She was also tired of glaring at her evil uncle who was making deals with the devil king. She was suffocating with an uncomfortable feeling of watching the man decide the affairs of the kingdom when it should have been her late father or her late brother or her! But no, this evil man had taken the throne away from her and was still happy.
How about her, who had done nothing wrong but had been learning the etiquette of a princess and a good ruler? She was still grieving!
It seems the evil ones were the happiest.
Rhiannon sighed for an umpteenth time and then snuck a peek at her nanny and handmaid whose faces were still down as required of them, she instantly felt sorry for them. She wondered how painful it was for them to stand still in this position without even looking up for once.
She vowed to change these rules when she becomes queen.
She needed a breather. Seeing that everyone was occupied with political affairs, she moved behind a large vase and then slowly began to make her way to the large door, trying as possible not to be noticed by anyone. But just as she was about to order a guard to open it, a loud booming voice echoed in the room.
"It seems our little Valtorian bird is trying to fly the coop before the king is done with her," Vlad continued, voice dripping with sarcasm. "How very uncivilized of you, my dear."
Rhiannon felt a flush of humiliation burns across her cheeks. She knew she was in the wrong, but she hadn't expected to be humiliated in front of the entire court.
As she turned around to face the group, she noticed the nanny and handmaid exchanging worried glances.
Just as she thought things couldn't get any worse, Vlad spoke up, surprising everyone in the room. "I think I would be the one getting married, and I would take the girl as my bride," he said confidently, his gaze fixed on Rhiannon.