Song recommendation for this chapter: https://open.spotify.com/track/2S3jSYMQw2oGPpsHhKSPSL?si=1fac8c486039467f
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The banquet was held in the castle's grand hall, lit by dozens of torches and candles, creating an inviting atmosphere. The long wooden tables were beautifully adorned with luxurious clothes and decorations and were set up in a U-shape. The guests were welcomed with fine wine and hors d'oeuvres on golden platters.
The meal began with various delicious soups and roasted pheasant, pork, and lamb. For dessert, there was a selection of sweet pastries and fruit tarts. Throughout the meal, the guests were entertained with music from harps, lutes, and drums.
The king and queen sat in the middle of the horizontally placed table facing the hall's entrance. Aurora sat on Philipp`s right side, with the Grand Duke and her Duchess on her other side.
Aurora was wearing a luxurious and ornate garment that befitted her royal status. The dress was made of velvet in a deep burgundy tone. It was accented with intricate embroidery and was extended with a fitted bodice and a wide skirt. Her beauty was indisputable, with her long wavy brown hair pulled up in a bun on the upper part while the rest was let loose on the back, and her green, big eyes made her look like a fairy.
She was the center of attention wherever she went without trying, and Cassandra knew it only too well. Even though she was the queen and wore even more grand dresses, she never had the same effect as Aurora.
Amelia, who was on duty, standing in the back, always took notice of Cassandra's jealous glaring looks at Aurora. She would never say anything to her best friend about it, but it was her job to take notice of any malevolent intentions. Even if Cassandra couldn't harm the princess while in the kingdom, it had constantly been worrying to Amelia how Cassandra looked at Aurora.
Aurora barely took notice of anything that was happening around her. She was still trying to catch King Philipp alone to talk to him regarding the order sent to Amelia. Even though she was sitting next to him, everyone had something to speak to him about and had the same idea as her to take this event as an opportunity.
Towards the end of the event, Philipp had just finished one of his conversations with the head of treasury standing in the corner of the hall with a cup of red wine in his hand when Aurora finally took her chance and pulled him towards one of the pillars to get a little bit more privacy as she started her argument in a low tone "King Philipp – brother, please do not separate me from Amelia and send her with me tomorrow."
The king seemed occupied and looked around the hall while listening to his sister's pleading, "I understand your concern but do not fret, dear sister. I have chosen the best guards to follow you to Lavia."
"How can you suggest that there are better guards than Amelia in this kingdom? Not only is she the best knight but also, she has been like a sister to me, and I need her with me on this journey. I am doing this for you after all."
The king looked very displeased about what his sister was saying as he turned to look deeply into her eyes. "You are not doing me any favors, sister. This is your duty as a princess, and as our parents had already made this deal with Lavia before they died, I need to act per their wishes. At least you started to feel something the last time you met Nathaniel, which will give you a chance to build upon that. Furthermore, you have no one you fell in love with her, meaning nothing is holding you back. So do not talk to me about what you do for me."
Aurora took a moment and a deep breath before answering again, "You are right, my situation is better than it was for you. But is this about you making it more difficult for me because it wasn't easy for you or what is best for the kingdom? I didn't know you felt so envious of me that you would want to hurt me because of that."
"I am not trying to hurt you or anyone else. This decision has nothing to do with you. As you said, Amelia is the best knight in the kingdom, and I plan to make her my commander in the future, so I need her by my side. I understand what you are trying to do, but nothing you can say will convince me to change my orders."
Aurora was about to open her mouth again when her brother left in a foul mood to meet and talk to others. She was baffled by the superiority her brother was showing her. He never had done that before and was always a caring brother. Ever since her parents died, it seemed he had changed, as if he was blaming her for their deaths.
Her parents had died a year ago during an attack on their carriage when they were returning to the castle from Lavia. They had brought Aurora there to meet Nathaniel and build a relationship since she was promised to him. The investigation was ongoing, which made her brother even more distressed.
She couldn't take the fake environment and left the party to walk in the garden. Amelia followed her as per usual. They had been walking for a couple of minutes before Amelia started talking. "Princess, I know what you are thinking, but I am not planning to"