Prince Aestir widened his eyes when he saw what Celeste had arranged for breakfast, looking around the area underneath the great Weeping Sapphire tree in awe. She'd arranged to have a breakfast table bursting with an array of mouth-watering dishes placed underneath the tree in an area made discreet by the tree's drooping branches.
The aroma of freshly baked bread wafted through the air, and the sweet scent of honey infused with lavender made the prince's mouth water. There was a large tray of fruits, many of which he had never tasted before, and a platter of cured meats that had been sliced so thin they were almost transparent.
But what caught his eye the most were the dim orbs of light floating in the air, offering enough light for Celeste to see him and their meal but not enough for it to become overbearing for him. The stunned prince was led over to the table and hastily helped the princess sit before pushing her chair in and sitting down himself. Only then did he notice this wasn't a regular Aephisian breakfast; it was a Strexxan meal.
His favorite breakfast meal, to be exact.
Celeste's face lit up when she witnessed Aestir's reaction, proud that he seemed to approve. "Well? Is it all to your liking?"
The prince blinked back in confusion, trying to understand how the princess knew such a minor detail about him. "H-How did you know this?"
"I spoke to men named Reiden and Oliver yesterday to ask them what your favorite meals were, and they told me." Answered Celeste, beginning to cut into her meal. "I've never had seared grave liger or stuffed void mushrooms before, so I must say I'm excited to try it."
Aestir remained silent and picked up his utensils, skeptically beginning to eat. He wasn't used to others going out of their way to ensure his comfort without trying to gain something from him in return. As he took his first bite of the seared grave liger, all thoughts of discomfort evaporated, and he began to voraciously attack the meal, losing himself in the savory breakfast. The meat was tender and juicy, the flavors exploding in his mouth, unlike any meal in Strexxa. It was cooked to perfection, with just the right amount of spicy seasoning to bring out its natural flavor. He savored every bite, wholly lost in the delectability of the meal.
It wasn't until Celeste laughed that he realized he'd begun to attack his food with a fever, and he blushed, entirely mortified by his behavior. Never in his life had he ever tasted something so divine. He chuckled free of restraint for the first time in years as he slowed down, too pleased by the flavorful meal to admonish himself for expressing an unnecessary emotion.
Celeste was amazed that the prince had a soft smile on his lips as he continued his meal and stared at him with an even greater grin, thrilled to see this expression on him. She didn't doubt that she was the only one in Stelle who had ever seen this side of the prince. As her eyes traveled across Aestir's face, Celeste couldn't help but notice how handsome he was when he wasn't scowling or berating someone.
His raven hair was swept back from his face in his trademark ponytail, with two long sections of hair framing his face. His sharp angular cheekbones and strong jawline were only accentuated by the light from the glow orbs, and she found herself getting lost in his polar blue eyes, amazed that they were such a color.
The princess felt a flush creeping up her neck as she studied the prince and swiftly looked down at her own meal when she realized she was ogling Aestir, quite embarrassed by the unexpected attraction for him that was now rising in her. The prince suddenly set his utensils down and jarred her from her mind, causing her to panic and look back up. She feared he caught her staring and was relieved to see that he'd just finished his meal. "It was to your liking, I presume?"
"It was excellent; thank you." Responded Aestir, politely wiping at his mouth with a clean cloth. "I must admit, I've never tasted some of these flavors."
"Our chef had to improvise, as we didn't have time to collect some of the rarer spices usually found in this meal," Celeste explained, humming in delight as she finally took her first bite. "Wow, this tastes amazing! No wonder it's your favorite meal."
"...It usually doesn't taste this good," Confessed the prince, laughing to himself again in amusement. "I must request the recipe from your chef so it can be replicated when we return to Strexxa."
Celeste's jovial expression morphed into one of trepidation, her full lips tightly pressed together as the implications of Aestir's words sank in. "You mean...we're going to live in Strexxa?" she nervously questioned, her chest rising and falling at a dizzying rate as her panic set in.
As Aestir watched Celeste's smile vanish, a feeling of unease spread through his chest. He had grown used to seeing the princess with a smile on her face, and witnessing her without it seemed unnatural. It was her staple, and knowing that he was the reason that it was gone made him feel… disconcerted. He rushed to try and explain himself to her, trying to fix the moment. "Y-You didn't know?"
Celeste anxiously licked her lips, unable to fight back her tears as she grabbed a napkin and wiped at the corners of her eyes. "No… no, I did not." Her voice cracked with scarcely repressed emotion, and she couldn't stop the tears that managed to escape her, letting out a tense laugh as she apologized. "I-I don't know what I expected, but… I believed we'd at least split our time equally between Strexxa and Aephis."
She shook her head and fought back another wave of tears, the thought of going years without experiencing the beauty and splendor of her land breaking her heart. And knowing she was expected to be the queen of a kingdom absent of humanity and light scared her.
She didn't know if she could do this.
She couldn't do this.
Yet she didn't have a choice.
The princess knew that she could either consent to marry the prince voluntarily or reject his proposal and risk having to wed him under more despotic conditions. She dreaded finding out what those circumstances might be like, her father's rageful temperament looming above her like a dark cloud. Celeste knew if she rejected Aestir's hand, the horrors that awaited her would be even worse than the day her anxiety embarrassed the kingdom.
She'd had a panic attack publically during one of her father's national addresses, terrified of having to give a speech to her kingdom now that she was of age. Celeste's father had savagely beaten her within an inch of her life when they were alone in private after the event and refused to stop until she was littered with bruises and whelps, her face swollen beyond recognition. She was then locked and held captive in her room for a month, denied any medical attention until she swore she'd be the perfect Aephisian princess for him, and demonstrated the qualities that he wanted to see in her.
Celeste shivered in fear as she realized her father would take away even the last shreds of her freedom if she did not agree to marry Aestir. And she didn't have it in her to experience retribution like that again.
Prince Aestir was very troubled to see Celeste go stone-faced and silent and quickly thought of an answer to placate her. "I think that is an excellent idea; I will bring this up to your father during our meeting today."
Celeste looked up at her betrothed and blinked slowly as if she were in a daze, his staid voice drawing her out of the depths of her mind. "...Really?"
"Yes," The prince hastily assured, unable to bear her crying any longer. The pleas of the innocent for compassion and the desperate cries of the cursed usually fell on deaf ears for him, and yet this princess' tears filled Aestir with discomfort and mild alarm.