Chapter 12

Andreas sat with his parents, grandmother, and Kenzo as they waited for lunch. It was his mother's idea to have lunch together as a family and to further discuss Andreas' plans for his future. This was her way of keeping a close eye on him.

The ice surrounding them was thick and seemed unbreakable. Not even Kenzo—who often breaks the ice—dared to speak a word. The silence was clear; Andreas was not happy to be here.

"Why don't we end this now and tell me what you want to say, mother," Andreas finally spoke, his eyes refusing to meet her gaze.

Kenzo was stunned. Andreas never treats his parents this way. This was the first he'd seen it in his life. They've been best friends since childhood and not once did Andreas show this kind of behavior. It's only now that he'd realized the severity of the situation his friend's in.

The queen frowned at her son. She's almost positive that this behavior would go on til the end of time. But what was she to do? Being a prince has its burdens and this is just one of the many. All she can do is guide him through it and hope one day he'll forgive her.

"I heard you contacted princess Rini," she says, "And that you've prepared her lodgings here. I wanted to ask about your relationship with the princess of Gahnospinel; is it over then?"

Andreas' jaw clenched and his eyes darted at his mother, glaring at her.

"We're still courting, mother," he replied. The tone of his voice was dark and tainted with rage and poison. It's almost as though his voice alone could kill you like a dagger through a heart.

The queen kept her calm with an unconvincing smile.

"I'm glad you still keep your options open while you're still not engaged," she says, sipping on her wine. "Princess Dionne is a beautiful choice, but you never really know."

"Know what exactly?" he asked wearily. He didn't want to talk about Dionne at all. At least not until she sends him a response.

The queen replied, "Know if she really is the one."

The king placed his hand over the queen's and said, "We're only looking out for you, son. Now, we'd like for you to keep your options open. The Princess Rini is a perfect choice from our perspective."

A perfect choice? Kenzo thought, placing his hand over his chin. Rini is almost the equivalent of Dionne. If they marry, Rini's allies could help Nifontovite win a war against Gahnospinel. I get it now. Should the Gahnospinel decide to wage war, they have more chances to win.

He took a sip from his wine, processing the situation. The king and queen know nothing about the past between Andreas and Dionne; that's for certain. If they knew, they wouldn't risk marrying their son to Rini who happens to be one of the ladies that Dionne loathes the most. A person she loathes that waging war would be her first move.

"That's enough talk of Rini," said Queen Dowager, "Why don't we talk about Dionne instead? When will she visit the castle?"

Kenzo almost choked on his wine. His eyes darted to Andreas who was glaring back at him. Still, he couldn't keep the smile off his face. It's unfortunate, but the situation he's in right now was hilarious.

This is something you don't see every day, he thought. He kept silent, deciding to just be an observer.

Andreas who was red with rage tried his best to keep his cool. This was his grandmother. He can't lash at her.

"I am yet to send her an invitation," was his simple response.

Still, Fera wasn't budging. She wants to meet Dionne herself here in the palace of Nifontovite. The last time she saw her was when Andreas was thirteen. She wants to meet the person who had captured her grandson's heart.

"I will send her an invite then," she declares cheerily.

"No!" both Kenzo and Andreas yelled, making everyone's eyes grow wide.

Andreas coughed, adjusting his shirt.

"What I mean to say is no, I'll do it, grandmother," he said.

Kenzo nodded, sweating nervously.

"That's right," he says, "Andreas should send the invitation to her. It's more romantic that way."

"Okay?" the three senior royals said, almost sounding like a question.

To make the awkwardness worse, Princess Rini arrived unexpectedly. Andreas wondered if his mother had anything to do with it. She favored her because they came from the same kingdom.

"The princess' carriage was seen entering the gates of the kingdom," announced the guard, "Should we send for her, or do we receive her at the gate of the palace?"

Andreas took the opportunity to answer in his parents' stead saying, "We'll receive her here. There's no need to rush."

The king and queen looked at each other in displeasure. Andreas seemed cold and this behavior will certainly not win over Rini's heart. This bothered the queen because they didn't raise Andreas this way. He grew up knowing how to treat a woman.

"Don't you wish to greet her right away?" asked the king.

Andreas wiped the scowl on his face and replaced it with a more calmer and emotionless expression. Despite his displeasure, he needs to win the princess' affection.

"I take it that mother has something to do with the early arrival of the princess," he said, tilting his head to the side.

"She sent me a message regarding her arrival," she explained, "Which is why I wrote back to her saying how much I look forward to seeing her and how I can't wait til she arrives."

"And you didn't think of telling us?" the king asked, furrowing his eyes.

"At least someone understands," Andreas commented, folding his arms over his chest. "It appears you keep information from the king. How many secrets do you keep, mother? Tell us now so we can be over it."

"That's not appropriate, son," the king states, "Let the matter pass until Princess Rini leaves. Then we shall talk more about this." He looked at his wife saying, "You won't repeat this again." The king was obviously displeased with his wife's actions. Keeping things from the king is strictly forbidden.

"So Princess Rini is coming for lunch," Fera says, shaking her head. "Andreas' second choice. How interesting! How exactly do we treat her, huh? Do I treat her like your first choice, my son? Or shall I treat her the same way I treated your wife when your father introduced us?"

"Mother," the king stood, not having any of his mother's comments. "You will behave yourself as a former queen should. You will treat Princess Rini with respect regardless of how you feel."

Andreas took a long sip from his wine. He needed this to survive whatever is to come. To think that his grandmother didn't treat his mother well the first time they met. Why was it though? He thought his parents were arranged to be married in the first place.

"So," Kenzo decided to break the ice, "Shall we greet her at the front door or shall we wait for her here?"

"I vote to stay," said both Andreas and Fera. They were like two peace in a pod.

The queen said, "I believe we should greet her downstairs properly."

"I agree," the king nods, "But Kenzo's vote will break the tie. Whichever do you prefer, Kenzo?"

"I vote to stay here," he replied, looking at his friend and the former queen. "besides, she would've arrived by now and is on her way here. No use for coming down that much flight of stairs."

I can't imagine the horror show that's about to unfold, he thought. The queen wants his son to marry Rini while the former queen seems to favor Dionne. The king however stays neutral.

Before they knew it, the pager announced the arrival of the queen's most awaited guest, "Princess Rini of Yuksporite."

A lady soon entered the room dressed in a lavish purple dress. Her hair was long as her back and her body was petite. She had a warm smile across her face and her eyes glimmered in the light. She's a true beauty from her kingdom.

Andreas stood to meet their guest. He walked to her, kissing her hand lightly.

"Welcome to Nifontovite, your grace," he says, "I'm surprised by your early arrival. You must be famished after a long trip. Come have lunch with us."

She accepted his hand with a smile plastered to her face. Meeting the royal family, she curtsied low on the floor.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, King Alexander," she greets. She then turns to the queen and says, "I am honored to meet you, Queen Minori."

The queen smiled in delight. Rini indeed resembled the beauty of the nation she originated from.

"I am glad you made it," the queen said, gesturing for her to sit.

Rini sat next to Andreas who was across from Kenzo.

"You're here too, Lord Kenzo," she says, "It's great to finally see you again.

Kenzo wasn't surprised at all at how she turned out to be. She's always been beautiful and graceful. Even then, she acted as though she was destined to become a queen. Her only chance is if she decides to marry an heir such as Andreas. She has two older sisters before her making her third in line to the Yuksporitian throne.

"It's been long," he said.

Rini made a grave mistake by ignoring to greet the dowager queen. This alone would ensure her a visit like hell during the duration of her stay.

Fera wore a sinister smile on her face.

You dare ignore me? she thought, keeping her cool.

"Princess Rini," she greeted through gritted teeth, "You look well. Is it a common trait for your people to ignore your elders?"

Rini blushed red in embarrassment. She bowed her head in respect, taking the old woman's hand.

"Please forgive me, your grace," she says, "It was a mistake. I hope you do not take it to heart."

Fera withdrew her hand harshly, eyeing the girl.

"I don't take anything to heart, my dear," she says, sipping on her wine, "So, tell me something about yourself. Andreas has said nothing about you. In fact, we weren't expecting your untimely arrival. Is that another custom from your kingdom?"

Rini looked at Andreas in hope that he'd save her from his grandmother's attacks. Alas, he wouldn't. He wouldn't tolerate anyone disrespecting his grandmother. He raised her after all.

"Well," she began, "I have two older sisters, Mizuki and Ami. Mizuki is the heir to the Yuksporitian throne."

"I see," said Fera, "And you're the third child. What else is there to know about you?"

"Mother," the king said, trying to help the princess out. But he's well aware that once she started, there's no going back.

"Please don't scare off Princess Rini," he says, smiling sheepishly.

The queen interrupted, saying, "My my my. I do adore your kimono. You're the embodiment of the true beauty of Yuksporite."

Rini smiled warmly at the queen.

At least someone has something nice to say, she thought.

"You're too kind, my queen," she says, "I wanted to embrace the culture of my people. Surely, it's not as beautiful as the fashions of today, but I find it nice to represent my true heritage."

"I suppose you have that in common with Princess Dionne," Fera says, earning everyone's gaze. "Most of her portraits are of her in Cerussitian hanfus and the traditional Gahnospinelian dresses. Clearly, she loves both her family's heritage."

"Princess Dionne?" Rini asked, "The princess of Gahnospinel?"

Andreas coughed. "Rini, wasn't your grandmother a lady from Gahnospinel?"

"Why yes," Rini smiled, "She was. She used to tell me stories about the lavish balls and gorgeous beauty of the capital. She grew up there. She came to Yukosporite after she married my grandfather, Duke Natsu. They had my mother soon after."

"I see," Fera says, "Have you been to the palace yourself?"

Rini shook her head in response. She can never set foot in that castle even if she wanted to. Many years ago, before her parents were even born, Yukosporite and Gahnospinel were at war. Her kingdom invaded Dionne's country. It was only with the help of the United Crystals that Gahnospinelians managed to kick them out. They signed a peace treaty together years after.

"I've never been, your grace," she says, "I never received an invitation from their court. Should they send one, I would gladly meet Princess Dionne. It's been years since I last saw her."

Rini found it odd that they would compare her to Dionne like this. Was this just a game?

"Gahnospinel is quite grand," said Andreas, "But I'm sure your palace is also beautiful, Princess Rini. I'm really glad that you're here. We haven't seen each other since the academy. How have you been?"

Rini nodded.

"I've been very well," she says, "I am being prepared for marriage by my family. My elder sisters already performed their duty. My parents believe that I should perform mine." Her eyes landed on Andreas almost longingly. She wanted the crown. She wanted his crown. She doesn't care if Dionne's her competition. She will have Andreas. Besides, she knows him. He couldn't possibly be serious with Dionne. He enjoys playing with her emotions; that's all there is to it.

Andreas sighed. This is going to be a long lunch indeed. His grandmother will grill her until she's all burnt out. His mother will surely keep throwing him at Rini. His father will stay clear of this mess as always. Kenzo, his best friend, is sharing the same pain as he is.

Rini, good luck with my grandmother. You're gonna need it, he thought. But luck isn't what she needs. What she needs is a miracle and so did he.