It's morning already. There was no trace of the moon outside anymore. The sky was filled with beautiful stars and the moon was nowhere to be seen.
The sun's rays peeked through the curtains, creating a dim light throughout the whole room. Princess Amandine lay in bed, her hands clutching the blanket as she stared at the ceiling.
She's still half asleep. Her mind felt like it was blank. What should I do now? she wondered to herself with a frown. She knew that whatever happened with that idiot Duke Namen wouldn't change anything between her and Cyril.
All she wants is to be with Cyril and nothing else. The thought of Cyril marrying someone else really hurts her. She never imagined that a man like Cyril would ever choose another woman over her.
She then began wondering where Cyril is right now. She hoped that he was alright because it didn't feel like he'd been sleeping too well lately. She's worried.
Since the very first day that Cyril entered the palace, she always made sure to keep a close eye on him. She couldn't help but wonder if anything bad had happened to him because he was not used to it.
Today is the day when she is supposed to choose a consort for her. She isn't sure what is going to happen in this situation. But the only one whom she believes in is Cyril and no one else.
However, she's afraid that someone might hurt him. She had already decided to choose Cyril against her father's wish anyway. She'd still choose him even if she's against the whole world as long as he stays by her side.
And the time comes. The occasion is about to start. When Princess Amandine finished dressing up, her mother entered the room saying:
"My darling daughter, Can I come in?" asked her mother softly.
Her mother is known as the most beautiful and kind woman in the whole kingdom. Although she was born into a very wealthy family, the queen always treated everyone equally.
Everyone thinks that she must be some sort of an angel. Some people even call her a miracle worker. Others, like her parents, called her blessed.
"Yes Mother..." replied Princess Amandine.
"Are you thinking of choosing a consort today?" asked her mother as she sat down at the edge of the bed.
Princess Amandine nodded her head in response and the queen smiled.
"Do you know who you're choosing as your husband?" asked her mother.
Princess's expression turned very sad when she heard her mother.
"Yeah, I do... " said Princess Amandine as she hugged herself tightly.
"Who's the lucky gentleman that you picked out for yourself, my love?" her mother questioned curiously.
"Duke Cyril..." answered Princess Amandine while keeping her head low and staring at her own lap.
"Oh, dear.." muttered the queen.
Princess Amandine looked up at her mother
"I'm sorry for not choosing Duke Namen. But mother, I love Cyril and Cyril also loves me. We love each other unconditionally. " she said firmly.
"My sweet child... " said the queen in a low voice as she reached out to caress the young girl's hair.
"You may choose whoever you like to be your husband. you don't need to listen to your father this time. Just follow your heart"
"Yes, mother," Princess Amandine replied softly while nodding her head.
She's determined to choose her beloved. She just couldn't bear to leave him after everything he's done.
"Now come along, we have guests waiting for us in the ballroom," said the queen smiling gently.
"Yes, mother" Princess Amandine replied and stood up from the bed.
Both of them headed downstairs together. They saw a group of men gathered around a table in the living room. When they noticed Princess Amandine's presence, they bowed their heads in greeting, indicating that they were awaiting her arrival.
Princess Amandine was only looking for her beloved Cyril among the crowd. It was easy to spot him considering his fantastic green eyes and unique blonde hair.
He was sitting right across from his sister and his parents; Duke Ruben and Lady Britt. The princess made a few steps forward until she stood next to Cyril.
She didn't want to miss his reaction because the moment she did so, she knew how much he was going to worry. So, she decided to make his worries disappear.
With a smile on her face, she walked to the center of the table and sat down opposite Cyril.
"I hope everyone is doing fine," Princess Amandine said politely and looked over all the people present.
Cyril smiles at her as soon as he sees her. And they both exchange glances during the occasion.
When it was the time when Princess Amandine must announce whom she had chosen to be her consort, King Zander suddenly stood up and said
"As for her consort, the princess chose Duke Namen!" he announced, gesturing towards Namen who was wearing an elegant black cloak.
Everybody gasped. Nobody dared speak a word. Duke Namen looked around frantically as if he were the winner, especially at Cyril.
The strange thing is that nobody was clapping. Princess Amandine tried to speak up for herself but she didn't dare to go against her father.
Everyone except Namen seems shocked. Including Duke Ruben. Duke Ruben looked more furious than ever. Not only them but also the Queen was shocked.
Amandine was looking at Cyril's face and her eyes were telling him the word "help".
Cyril immediately lost his temper and tried to stand up to speak. But Duke Ruben could stop him on time.
"No, you might get into trouble. You shouldn't mess with people like Namen or Zander, they're snakes" Ruben whispered as he held Cyril's cloth tightly.
Cyril took a deep breath as he took a glance at his love. He saw her teary eyes which locked up on him. He felt uneasy seeing his beloved like this.
Namen started walking toward the King to take the honor and properly propose to the princess. Cyril couldn't bear seeing that so he looked away.
Cyril looked around and he caught eye contact with Eline. Her eyes seem to be encouraging him not to give up on the princess, whom he loves so deeply.
Cyril stares into her eyes for a few seconds and then again into Amandine's eyes. He finally decided to stand up for himself and his beloved princess.
Then suddenly Cyril clapped loudly and stood up. Everyone was too surprised to believe their own eyes.
"How shameless!! How absolutely shameless!!! " Cyril said smiling.
To be continued...