It was said that Helga City, the capital of the Sigmund Kingdom, was the most beautiful city on the continent. It was a symbol of the wealth and power of the powerful Sigmund Kingdom. Only after visiting it in person did Melisa believe that it was true.
In stark contrast to her kingdom, which was still dotted with simple houses, Melisa could only see tall buildings everywhere she looked. The streets were also bustling with people. The city of Helga seemed so alive with activity, and it made Melisa eager to stare at the place where her carriage passed.
"Pardon me, Your Highness. However, I need to cover your face from the public for security reasons."
Unfortunately, Melisa's excitement did not last long. When Duke Andrew ordered Teresa to close the curtains on their carriage, Melisa was left with nothing but silence as she awaited her fate again. Melisa could only smile when Teresa tried to comfort her with a soft voice. They could only surrender to waiting in the carriage until both of them could feel that their carriage had finally stopped.
Someone knocked on the window of Melisa's carriage. Then, when Teresa finally opened the curtain again, Duke Andrew's face appeared in their vision.
"Your Highness, we have arrived at the royal palace. The others said that Our King has been waiting for your arrival inside the palace. From here on, other nobles will escort you inside to meet him in person."
"Very well. Thank you, Lord Andrew."
Although Melisa had tried not to look nervous in front of others, her slightly trembling hands were still unable to hide it perfectly. Melisa walked out slowly, hoping that she would not look ridiculous when she came downstairs in the elaborate dress she was now wearing. Despite being born a princess, Cyrille's royal family had never required their daughter to wear such an elaborate dress like Sigmund's Kingdom. The existence of the dress made it difficult for Melisa, especially when she had to descend without embarrassing herself in the royal palace.
Just when Melisa was weighing whether she should get out herself and act like a fool or ask others to help her, the sound of horseshoes hitting the ground reverberated, and a man jumped off the horse neatly after that. The aura of maturity radiated clearly from his handsome face. The man smiled politely before he bowed and presented his arm in front of her.
"Please allow me to help you, Your Highness."
Melisa stared at the man, and suddenly averted her eyes in embarrassment. This was the first time Melisa had met a man who was so friendly to her in a strange land. The man was also happy to offer Melisa his assistance and helped her down carefully when Melisa had given her consent to the man.
"You must have gone through a grueling journey, going from the Kingdom of Cyrille to this place in just ten days. I am Marquess Alister from the Webster family in the east, Your Highness. And I have been trusted by His Majesty to escort you to meet him."
After the tall man helped stabilize him, he immediately withdrew his hand and took a few steps back to put some distance between himself and Melisa. It would be a lie if Melisa wasn't disappointed when she heard that the person who had just helped her wasn't the crown prince she was destined to marry. Melisa smiled bitterly before her expression returned to the smile she had practiced before she left for the Sigmund Kingdom.
"It is a pleasure to meet you, Lord Alister."
"That honor belongs to me, Your Highness."
Melisa suppressed her emotions and then greeted Marquess Alister back in a polite manner. The two exchanged brief greetings for a few seconds before Marquess Alister's attention turned towards Duke Andrew, who had just finished speaking to the troops he was commanding.
"Your Grace, please allow me to escort Her Highness from here."
"Of course."
After getting permission from Duke Andrew, Marquess Alister took Melisa to enter the palace, while Teresa needed to stay behind to help organize the gifts and items brought by their entourage. Melisa briefly smiled gently to calm Teresa, who immediately looked worried that they had to separate before she finally obediently followed Marquess Alister.
"It is said that His Majesty built this garden because Her Late Majesty loved flowers, but she could not travel far as her health declined after giving birth to the Crown Prince. His Majesty the King personally remodeled his palace just for his wife. Then, for her safety, no one is allowed to set foot in the garden except His Majesty's trusted gardeners, Her Majesty, and His Majesty himself."
Melisa stopped walking when Marquess Alister began to speak, breaking the silence that had formed between them.
"But since Her Majesty's death, I don't think anyone ever set foot in that place, other than His Majesty's chosen gardeners. Your Highness, isn't it very sad when those flowers are abandoned by their owner? They are confined in this palace without being able to get out. No matter how attractive they are, no one can approach them unless it is His Majesty himself."
Melisa understood what Marquess Alister meant by his words. Marquess Alister's words made Melisa smile, although the smile did not reach her beautiful eyes.
"Although it's sad, they can't do anything about it because they were born as flowers. I believe that's their destiny, Lord Alister. To be confined and abandoned even though they are so beautiful. It all happened because they are a bunch of flowers that cannot do anything."
"Even so, I wish they could live freely out there. Living while surrounded by thick palace walls must be suffocating for them."
Melisa smiled. "Then why don't you move them outside this palace, Lord Alister?" she challenged boldly. The nervousness that had previously overtaken Melisa had nowhere to go after Melisa spoke with Marquess Alister. Their conversation was not a good one. But at least, it had managed to break the nervousness that had been plaguing Melisa ever since.
"I...."
Melisa knew she had crossed her limit when she saw Marquess Alister struggling to answer her. The woman smiled more sincerely this time. Melisa knew the man meant well. Judging from his expression alone, Melisa knew that Marquess Alister just wanted to warn her about what kind of cruel life would await her if she continued to follow the man to meet King Dillion.
"I was only joking, Lord Alister. Please forgive me if my joke went too far."
"No, not at all! What you said was indeed true. I should have brought them out if I had felt sorry for them. But because of my fear, I couldn't do anything but pity them and act like a hypocrite."
Melisa saw the guilty look on Marquess Alister's face and then felt that she had gone overboard in judging the person she had just met. Melisa smiled for once. With a gentle expression, Melisa finally asked to continue their journey.
"Of course, Your Highness."
With a flustered expression, Marquess Alister finally led the way to resume their journey. Sigmund's Royal Palace was a vast place. Melisa calculated that it took about fifteen minutes for them just to reach the throne room.
Marquess Alister's footsteps stopped when they reached the throne room. She nodded when the two palace guards standing by the throne room door greeted her before her attention returned to Melisa.
"Your Highness, His Majesty, and His Royal Highness are awaiting your arrival there. My task of escorting you has been completed here. May health and prosperity always be with you."
With a farewell greeting from a sadly smiling Marquess Alister, the door to the throne room was opened, while the palace guards standing guard next to the door began to shout her name out loud.
"Her Highness Princess Melisa of the Kingdom of Cyrille has arrived!"