Song recommendation for this chapter: https://open.spotify.com/track/7MlWYU698FgcxTDbAXAltf?si=d6b3dc05b1de4b1c
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Amelia had already anticipated some rude comment from Torres, so she stayed composed.
"Torres, no one is forcing you to stay, and you are not pretending to be my guard since I have employed you to be one. You will receive the salary and can do as you please."
"You dragged us all the way here, and now you think you can simply get rid of us!"
Everyone started laughing at Torres and his childish behaviour. He, too, was confused about what he was saying. The truth was that he enjoyed his time here very much and appreciated the luxuries he had received.
Out of spite, though, he had to stand his ground even if it was nonsense. "Look, I will try this, princess but don't count on me staying." He finally said.
"I can live with that, Torres and in the meantime, you can enjoy the amenities here." She smiled sweetly at him because she knew he was warming up to her.
It was only a matter of time until he came around ultimately. Amelia then turned to Lucius, saying, "Please let me know if you need anything or if there are any issues."
"Princess, if I might have a word with you alone?"
Amelia nodded, and the two kept strolling while the others stood behind.
"What is it, Lucius?"
"Listen, we heard that there have been many assassination attempts on the royal family the past year, more than usual. I plead with you to be careful with the people around you. I assume that there are conspirators amongst some of the nobles here."
"I understand, and I will pay attention to my environment. Did you find out any more than that?"
"No, the others are still wary and don't trust us yet. But you can rely on the fact that we will find out more sooner or later. We have your back, princess."
"Since we are discussing trust, Lucius, I have been wondering something. What made you three follow and trust me so quickly?"
Lucius pulled his most charming smile. The reason was that he admired everything she did and thought she was one of the most amazing women he had ever met. They all would follow her to the end of the world, even Torres. But he would never admit it to her.
"The truth is I did it for Julius. He had wanted an honest life for a long time now, and you gave us a chance. Even if you had fooled us, there wasn't anything we left behind or would have lost if we hadn't been able to become your guards. Overall you always kept your word, which says a lot about your person, princess."
Amelia was flustered about his words. "Ah, your faith in me honours me. I hope I won't disappoint you."
Lucius had promised himself not to get involved inappropriately with the princess, but he was attracted to her. He wondered if she had felt it too. "I meant to ask you –" Lucius was about to approach Amelia when a large shadow from his right side appeared.
"Princess, how are you today?" Prince Nathaniel came out of nowhere and interrupted their conversation.
"Prince Nathaniel, what a pleasant surprise. I am well. What about you?" She smiled politely.
"I am well too, thank you." He glared at Lucius before focusing back on Aurora. Lucius was standing awkwardly and made his way to his other two comrades. He realized the prince was trying to make a statement with his appearance, and Lucius didn't want to get into unnecessary trouble. 'I guess that was a sign that I shouldn't try my luck with her.' he murmured to himself.
Nathaniel had seen them talking and standing near each other. He couldn't say why, but it bothered him. He was supposed to move forward with his plan to aggravate her so that she wanted to break the engagement and didn't want to make Aurora his. However, his reflexes kept reacting without his control. After observing them for a few minutes, he went there to break off their conversation.
Now that he was standing there, he didn't know what to say and felt like an idiot. "Were you able to get your dress done?"
Amelia tilted her head in confusion. He had been at the breakfast table when his mother had mentioned that the tailor would arrive in the afternoon. "No, the tailor will only arrive later."
"Ah, right, well, it is common for engaged people to choose the same colour of attire. Why don't we do the same?" He thought of this spontaneously and was glad he could come up with something to say.
"That is a lovely idea. What colour would you prefer?"
"How about dark purple?"
"Sure, I like purple." Amelia didn't understand Nathaniel's changing attitude, and he switched from friendly to distant to flirty to only turn cold again. 'I am in deep trouble.' she concluded.
After agreeing to a colour for the welcoming party, Nathaniel left her to meet with the queen and Princess Lucia. It took them all afternoon to choose the type of dress and fabric and get their measurements taken. Amelia had never done something like this and was having fun.
The days until the welcoming party passed by quickly. Whilst the Summer Palace was in an uproar for the festivities, Rodea seemed cooler and darker than usual.
King Philipp had received his sister's letter. He had been angry since he found out Amelia had disobeyed his orders and followed Aurora to Lavia.
How dare they go against his orders? His only goal was to follow in his father's footsteps and continue his work to unite the five kingdoms. Not only that, but also protecting both Amelia and Aurora was on his shoulders. He was the only one who knew about Amelia's true identity.
Nevertheless, he was incredibly relieved when he learned they had reached their destination safely. Never mind the disobedience; the critical factor was that they were alive.
He had decided to go to Lavia in six months to finalize the marriage contract and check on the girls. It would also be time to reveal why Amelia was valuable and prepare her for future challenges.
Philipp being focused solely on his tasks and not caring about his wife at all drove Cassandra into more madness.
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Happy Easter, everyone! I would love to get some comments from you, don't be shy about being the first one;) Also, I will soon drop a book cover on my Instagram, daz_elda, and a character picture of Amelia. I can't wait to share it with you guys.
Love, Dazelda