"You shouldn't eat like that."
Adrianna's green gaze shifted from her food to the person sitting in front of her, who happened to be her older sister. She raised both eyebrows before shrugging and completely ignoring her.
"Adrianna." Her sister called again, the expression on her face was one of disgust as she watched Adrianna stuff her mouth with food, partially using her hands to eat. "You shouldn't eat like a starving peasant!" She scoffed.
Adrianna swallowed the last bit of food in her mouth and looked at her sister, her emerald green eyes staring unblinkingly. "Am I disturbing you, Elsa?" She asked with a frown.
Elsa returned the frown, her own cornflower blue eyes narrowing in annoyance as she threw her napkin down on the table. "As a matter of fact, you are!"
"Well, if I'm that much of a bother you're welcome to leave my courtyard." Adrianna said, biting into an apple.
"What in heaven's name has gotten into you?"
Adrianna flung the thick braid of her bright red hair away from her shoulders. "Nothing, I'm just trying to do what I could never do before I'm sold off in marriage." She took another bite, "trying to enjoy herself.
"Oh for goodness sake." Elsa rolled her eyes as she gently patted her blonde hair, pushing away any loose strands.
"You're not being sold, Adrianna." She started, "In fact you are being honored, imagine getting married to the third prince of Keldor himself—"
"Seriously, Elsa?" Adrianna said, pinching the skin in between her brows, "I could do well without you sugarcoating my predicament."
"I'm not sugarcoating anything, it's the truth, Prince Willow will take very good care of you—"
"I don't want him to take care of me!" Adrianna said, angrily knocking down a jar of water and having it spill on the table. "I can take care of myself."
"Adrianna, control yourself!" Elsa
said standing up immediately. She grabbed her immaculate gloves by her side and hastily wore them before they got drenched, her blue eyes glaring annoyingly at Adrianna who sat across from her.
"You are so lucky, Prince Willow is his father's favorite son."
"I don't see what that has to do with me." Adrianna scoffed, looking away.
Whether he was the crown prince or not, whether that would mean instant favor from his father didn't matter to her. She really didn't want to get married, especially not to some bratty prince—someone she doesn't even know!
Like, Geez, what ever happened to romance and maybe liking the person first??
She glanced at Elsa who stood there fixing her silky blue dress and ever perfect hair.
Elsa seemed so at ease with this stupid tradition of being forced into marriage, probably because she was FORCED to marry the man she loved, so it was still a win for her.
"I don't…want to be married." Adrianna said, her green eyes already wobbling with emotion.
Elsa sighed, looking at her younger sister with an understanding gaze even if she really didn't get it or understand why Adrianna was acting this way.
"Well, I'm sorry Adrianna, but it's really not your decision to make." She picked up her dress and walked out of Adrianna's courtyard.
"Your highness?" Adrianna turned to see the bowing figure of her personal maid.
"What is it, Kel?" she asked.
"I came to know if her highness is currently interested in picking out the dress for the pre–engagement party tonight."
Adrianna wiped her pink lips with a napkin and stood up from the table, "I'm not interested Kel, just pick out any one you'd like for me to wear" she said walking towards her bedroom.
"But, your highness," Kel said walking after her, "It's not my decision to make."
Adrianna stopped in her tracks as she remembered Elsa's words, then sighed and said, "It's not my decision as well." she walked away.
For the next few hours after her breakfast with Elsa, Adrianna sat in front of a huge mirror as she watched indifferently the way Kel and her beautician worked hard to enhance her already vibrant beauty.
"Oh, you're highness, you look so beautiful!" Kel exclaimed looking at Adrianna. Adrianna turned her head to look at her hair in the mirror, her red hair had been given a middle parting, the front part brushed till it shone and moved right above her ears to be pinned at the back of her head. The rest of her long hair was set to cascade down her back and shoulders in thick crimson waves, curling gracefully at the tips.
Her dark emerald green eyes complimented and enhanced her entire look, making her look ethereal and foreign.
"Thank you, Elora." she said to her beautician, who bowed with a smile.
"I did nothing your highness, just to slightly enhance your already visible beauty."
Adrianna hummed a response as her gaze traveled back to the mirror, staring emotionlessly at her beautiful reflection.
"Princess, your dress" She turned to see Kel walk in, rolling in the mannequin that had Adrianna's dress, it was a light green—almost turquoise silky dress with a long train, made in the original Valtorian style; Long with a side cut a little above the knee and off shouldered with no sleeve—because the people of Valtoria who reside in the east always show a little skin in their dressing. Not only because it was the fashion there but the climate was always so warm.
But it was when Adrianna wore it that the dress seemed to come alive, it hugged her body in the right places, enhancing her smooth curves.
It seemed to have a silver floral embroidery from the front of her dress till it spread out at the hem. The dress came with a pair of silver colored slippers with silver ropes that was tied in a little bow around her ankles.
"Oh, my...!" Kel exclaimed, "Princess you look so gorgeous!"
Adrianna gave a light smile, in all honesty she didn't care at all. She would have preferred to look as ugly as possible, perhaps that would drive that prince away. To think she has spent hours just to look this nice for someone she has never met or wanted to meet.
As she looked her dress over, someone knocked on the door and the face of Elsa with a young man who looked quite similar to her, peeped in her room.
"Oh, wow" Elsa exclaimed, "Perfect!"
The man who came in with Elsa Walked up to Adrianna with a slightly annoyed look on his face.
"You look beautiful," Elsa said as she neared Adrianna, she was wearing her signature blue dress, she was almost always seen in that color, her own hair which was a light and almost platinum blonde was braided tightly down her back.
"Doesn't she look lovely, Evan?" Elsa asked the man.
The man turned his face and sighed, "Leave us." he said to Kel and Elora who curtsied and left.
Looking back at Adrianna, he said, "He doesn't deserve you."
Adrianna sighed as she looked at her older brother, his light blonde hair combed neatly as he stood wearing his adorned suit with the Valtorian crest. "You think I don't know that?" she said and she sighed again.
"Oh please Evan don't start," Elsa said pushing him away "Don't start giving her stupid ideas."
"Stupid ideas?" Evan said with a sigh, "the only thing stupid here is letting our little sister marry that jerk of a prince. Willow? He's an ass."
"Well, she's not little anymore." Elsa frowned, "And how can you assume that about the prince when you don't know him?"
Evan scoffed, "Oh, I know him alright. We attended the same knight camp. He is a spoiled weakling and an ass. Why father chose to form an alliance with Keldor in the first place is beyond me and using Adrianna to do so?" He frowned harder. He would have really preferred anyone else. At least someone he was sure of to take his sister.
He didn't want Adrianna to end up like Elsa.
His gaze landed on Elsa who rolled her eyes at him.
"Ugh, whatever." She said, grabbing Adrianna's hand and looking at her with a smile. "Come on."
"I hope he doesn't make it to the wedding," Evan said as Elsa walked away with Adrianna who simply followed obediently. "I hope your wedding will be a total failure."
"Evan!" Elsa exclaimed as Adrianna giggled, "Would you stop that! Why are you bringing bad luck on Ari?" Elsa said, calling Adrianna by her nickname.
"There's already bad luck here. The whole of Keldor has bad luck with it." Evan murmured, gritting his teeth.
Elsa rolled her eyes again, "The wedding is next week thank goodness, I'll have time to pray to the heavens against any and all bad luck." she said pushing Adrianna out the door, followed briskly by Evan.
"Sorry Ari." Evan said in a whisper once they reached the hallway before the throne room, as he walked off.
Both girls walked for a while before Elsa suddenly stopped and turned around.
"Stand still." She held Adrianna's shoulders and stood in front of her, using both hands she waved it close to her ears in a circular motion three times and then crossed her thumbs and placed it on Adrianna's forehead.
"May the heavenly spirits protect you." she said and Adrianna sighed as she realized what was done to her, it was the Valtorian ritual of inviting good luck to someone and waving of evil.
"Thank you." Adrianna mouthed as Ellsa returned to her side.
"Chin up and smile." she heard Elsa whisper when their father walked up to them.
"Good evening, Father." they chorused as they curtsied low.
"Rise." the King said with a nod, a stern smile on his bearded face.
When they rose, he walked up to Adrianna and gave another tight smile. In his right hand was a little diamond tiara which he placed on Adrianna's head.
In Valtoria it was customary for the king to place the Princess's tiara on her head just before her pre–engagement party, it was seen as a way to acknowledge that the king did give his blessing and agreed to the future engagement, if the princess should go to the party without her tiara, it will be known that the king did not give his blessings.
"You look good, Adrianna." he complimented to receive a courtesy from her.
"I'm happy you're pleased, father." she gave a curt smile, already feeling the tension. She was never close to her father, she always saw him as the king, not exactly her father.
Without another word, he took her hand and followed closely by Elsa, walked in the direction of the throne room.
Immediately they stepped out in the open,trumpets were blown, their sounds echoing in the castle.
The herald got ready to announce them,
"Ladies and gentlemen, Lords and nobilities, I present to you, Our ruler—King Jodar Everett and his royal daughters; High Princess, Elsa betha Everett and Princess Adrianna Lea Everett." the herald announced and everyone bowed.
The three royalties stood at the top of the stairs and gazed down at the crowd.
Adrianna was starting to feel nauseous, they were so many people and she was never really good with crowds.
Her eyes roamed the crowd and she felt like running to her room as her anxiety rose.
A few seconds later, she watched her father, the King, walk down the stairs majestically, his gold and diamond crown shining brightly as it enhanced the deep brown of his hair.
"Fellow Valtorians, I must thank you all for joining the royal family on this wonderful night, the night where we celebrate the first half of the engagement of my daughter; Princess Adrianna Lea Everett to the third prince, Willow blane Greenwood of Keldor."
The king said to receive an loud applause, he smiled brightly and looked up the stairs, beckoning on Adrianna who walked down as elegantly as she could with Elsa by her side who curtsied before her father and left.
Adrianna smiled as brightly as she could as her father pushed her towards the middle of the room.
Soon enough, the trumpets were heard again, "Announcing the presence of King Alexander Lon Greenwood of Keldor and his son; Third prince Willow blane Greenwood of Keldor." the herald screamed again.
Adrianna looked towards the entrance of the room to see the people coming in, her green eyes wandered across the king who exuded the royal aura she always felt from her father to the young man by his side, with blonde hair and light blue eyes. His expression was soft, on his royal suit was the emblem of the royal family of Keldor and on his right hip was a sword that all princes had.
"King Alexander," Adrianna heard her father greet with a smile.
"King Jodar." They shook hands.
"Princess Adrianna, as beautiful as the rumors." King Alexander said, turning to look at Adrianna who immediately bowed.
"Your majesty." she said, as her head came up, she saw the gazing eyes of the person next to the king, it was prince willow and he seemed to be shocked.
He had heard of the rumors of the strange beauty of the youngest princess of Valtoria, it wasn't that the other princess's beauty wasn't enough to put her in rumors, as he had heard, Elsa was just as beautiful but Adrianna's beauty was as strange as it was foreign.
He had heard of how her features were like no other, he heard of her eyes that seemed to shine like emeralds and her red hair that seemed to blaze like fire and coming so close to see her, he could now say the rumors were more than true—Adrianna was gorgeous!
"You're highness, a pleasure." he bowed to see her courtesy.
"The pleasure is all mine, Prince Willow." she said, her face low.
"It is a lovely night and your pre–engagement, you both should enjoy yourselves." King Alexander proposed as he smiled. King Jodar nodded and turned to the crowd.
"It is a merry night, we should enjoy, have fun!" he said to hear cheers and the instant sounds of music.
"If princess Adrianna would allow, I would like to have this dance" Prince willow said, already taking Adrianna's hand before she could react, she gulped as she looked at her father who nodded, and she walked with the prince to the dance floor, shifting uncomfortably as he placed one of his hands on her waist and the other held her hands.
"It is a beautiful night." he said as they waltzed elegantly through the room. Adrianna nodded as she looked at his face, trying hard not to stare. He didn't seem like a bad person, his face looked so calm and kind.
"Tell me, Prince Willow, was this betrothal your wish or the king's?" Adrianna asked to see the prince's eyebrow move up in surprise, it was rare to see a princess this straightforward and this only made him like Adrianna more.
"Forgive me if I'm too straight forward in my questions." Adrianna apologized when he was taking a little long to reply. She didn't want to get into trouble and was sure that she was going to.
"No, it's Okay Princess. The truth was that it was at first my father's idea but seeing you now—I'm in total acceptance, don't you feel the same way?" he asked.
Adrianna looked at him, he was as immature as she imagined. Looks deceive, so he meant to tell her that he immediately accepted the betrothal just because of how she looked. Did he consider the future? of whether they can co–exist with each other?
"You don't feel the same way?" he repeated and Adrianna gave a fake smile.
"I do." She lied.
For the next ten minutes she listened to this charming prince talk on and on about things that she didn't care to understand, he was just as empty headed as she thought.
Did he really think that his sword fighting or politics could interest a lady in a conversation?
"Please, excuse me." she said and disentangled herself from him, gave him a courtesy and ran out of the room. She needed air, needed space away from all of them.
She ventured eastward until she found herself in the royal library. Without thinking, she walked in and leaned her back against the door, sighing tiredly.
"Is the princess looking for a book?" Adrianna looked up, seeing the old royal librarian smile at her.
"Frank, you're not at the party." she said, walking to a chair and collapsing into it.
"I had to put away a few books" the man said standing in front of her, he was a middle-aged man with a hunchback. "Her highness doesn't seem excited."
"Am I supposed to?" Adrianna Asked as she sighed.
"You're getting engaged, you're highness. Of course you are."
Adrianna sighed again, burying her face in her palms. She wished that she could just disappear from here, so she wouldn't have to get married.
"I wish I had some kind of fairy guardian who can help me wish that prince or myself away." she mumbled, suddenly remembering the fairy tales she read.
"I mean, it's not impossible." came the voice of Frank as he walked to one of the shelves.
Adrianna slowly raised her head up, "What..?"
"What you just said? It's not impossible. Having a guardian to protect and even grant wishes." Adrianna blinked, wondering if she heard right but the man didn't look like he was joking.
"Wait, really??" Adrianna said, surprised and excited.
"Yes," the man said, picking an old book and hobbling back towards her. "Ah, here it is."
Adrianna looked at the book. It was old and dusty, "What's this?"
"It's called the summoning book." Frank said with a smile. Adrianna looked confused.
"I don't understand."
"You said, you wanted a guardian to do your most heart desired wish, you can summon one." his voice sounded like he was joking this time.
"Seriously?" Adrianna asked, her green gaze on the old book. "Does it really work or is this another fairytale?"
"I wouldn't exactly JJ but, before the Valtorians abandoned magic, guardians were usually summoned using books like these when in need ,it was just to be read carefully and it works. So I believe it should work,even if it doesn't there's no harm in trying."
"I can't believe it." she said, running her elegant fingers through the covers.
"You can keep it, it's of no use here."
"Thank you, Frank." she said, picking up the book and leaving the library.
She couldn't tell if this would work or not, but she would try. Little did Adrianna know that this very action she planned with this book was a tool that would change her life forever.