4 The Invitation

Silja still smiled at her and took a seat.

A maid came and poured tea for her.

"What are you doing these days? I hardly saw you around," Asked king Evan.

"Nothing important, just reading some of the books and old scrolls," Silja took a sip from the cup elegantly and replied.

"What a scholarly sister I have," said Prince Benjamin in a teasing tone. Both the siblings were very fond of each other and got along very well.

"That's good," King Evan took a small pause.

"Did something happen recently that I should know about? Did you meet someone from outside?" asked the king. His face was serious as he asked. Silja's heart skipped a beat at his question.

She cast her eyes down. She was an idiot to think that she could hide anything from her father.

"Woahhh, did she create a blunder again?" Benjamin asked. He was excited to know what his sister did this time.

"Tell me, dear sister, what new mischief you did this time?" He asked while pulling Silja's cheek.

Silja glared at him and slapped his hand off her face. Benjamin laughed at seeing her annoyed face.

"Both of you shut up." Suddenly, the king said in a raised voice. Benjamin looked at his father in a little shock. He knew his sister could be a little mischievous sometimes, but what she did this time made their father angry.

"I asked you something?" Then, the king looked at his daughter and asked again. But this time, his voice was softer than before.

"I…" Silja didn't know what to say or how to start. She had a few things in mind, but she didn't know which one he was referring to.

"What did she do, father?" Benjamin now asked seriously. His father and sister were not clearing anything, and the tension was rising in the air.

"Did you meet anyone from the North Empire?" His father asked again.

"From the North Empire?" Silja asked in confusion.

"No, I didn't." Silja hastily shook her head. "Then how come the king personally sent an invitation for you." It was the Queen who spoke.

"Invitation?" Benjamin asked. His mother and father both were talking in circles.

"Current king of the northern Empire, Zachary Regalhelm, personally sent an invitation for Princess Silja to attend his eldest son's bride-choosing ceremony." Queen Doris clarified the matter.

"What?..." Benjamin, who was sitting on the chair, asked in shock.

On the other hand, Silja was stupefied.

The Northern Empire was known as the biggest kingdom one has ever known.

Its history can be traced thousands of years back.

For all these years, this kingdom has flourished and developed under the rule of a single bloodline, Regalhelm.

All the kings from this bloodline were known for their power and ruthlessness.

Both the siblings were shocked by the news.

But Benji was the first one to calm down.

"Why would they send an invitation to our kingdom? And that to participate in the ceremony of their PRINCE?" Benji pressed on the last words. There has to be a mistake. 

King and queen shook their head, indicating they had no idea as well behind this unexpected and almost a jock of an invitation.

"How can she marry anyone from that kingdom? She would never participate," Benji asked. He didn't understand what was going on here. The invitation was sudden and odd at that. Even though the North and Atlanea have a good relationship, the marriage was never in the picture. And wedding off his dearest sister, the thought didn't sit well with him.

"It's okay. No big deal. It's just an invitation; it's not that she has to attend." He said while taking his seat back. Benji answered his own question.

"She has to. I don't think we have much of a choice here," Evan said in his grave voice.

"What do you mean, father?" Silja looked at her father. She was too disturbed within the past few days with things going wrong around her and now the topic of marriage and that to someone from Nothen Kingdom.

"What do you mean, father?" Benji also asked at the same time as Silja, bewildered.

King Evan didn't say anything and just handed him a red scroll.

Benji took it in his hand and opened it. His eyes read the content on the paper at lightning speed.

The more he read, the more his expression became confused and worried.

Silja saw his brother's face fall as soon as he was done reading.

"What is it?" She asked but didn't wait for him to reply and took the latter from his hand.

She read the whole letter out loud.

###

My humble regards to the king of Atlanea.

I'm writing to send my warmest wishes to the king of Atlanea and the royal family. Our two civilizations co-existed on each side of the vast sea of Atlanea for generations, separated by nature and manners. But I think this is the time to build a pull to cross those boundaries that separate us.

On my recent tour, I got a chance to visit your beautiful country and I'm happy to say that I gained much more than I expected from this visit. 

During this trip, I accidentally put my life in danger and coincidentally met a kind young lady, who helped me save my life.

Later, I found that the kind young lady was none other than the honourable princess of your kingdom.

Impressed by her kindness, I hereby invite the princess of Atlanea, Silja Castemont, to attend the bride-choosing ceremony of the eldest Prince of the Northern Empire.

As I have heard, the people of Atlanea don't like to leave the kingdom much. So, for the princess's convenience in reaching the Northern Empire, I'm leaving some of my royal guards of the Regalhelm family at the outer shore of the Atlanea Sea, who will guide you to reach our castle without any problem.

I hope you, King Evan, will soon send his kind daughter to North. Or if he wishes, I won't mind coming myself to invite her in person again?

I will wait to meet the kind princess of Atlanea soon in the Northern Empire.

I'm hoping you'll be there on that day.

Zachary Regalhelm

###

The letter was sealed with the seal of the royal family of the North.

Silja was unable to speak for a long time and so were other members of the Castemont family.

For quite some time, no one said anything. The atmosphere became heavy.

"Are you sure this is not fake?" Benji asked.

"The masters of the court have verified the seal," The king replied. 

Silja gulped softly as her thumb traced the seal at the bottom of the letter. A fierce red dragon surrounded by his own fire. 

"This is ridiculous." Prince Benjamin lost his temper. He stood up and threw his fist on the table out in the middle. The table broke into pieces. The glass cutlery on it also broke, and some pieces of glass pierced through his hand.

"Benji…" Silja hastily stood up and took his hand on hers, which was bleeding. Some pieces of broken glass were stuck on the back of her hand.

"Benji… what are you doing." The queen also stood up to check on her son's injury.

"What are you so angry about?" She asked, glaring at his son for injuring himself.

"Don't you understand why I'm angry?" He looked at his mother as if she was joking.

"We have a treaty with the North for the peace of the Kingdoms, and the North can't break it. And here they are sending letters like this." Benji said.

Atlanea was a small and peaceful kingdom, while the North was a country that was at war with the South for many years.

There was a time years ago when all the kingdoms were living in harmony and had a promise and treaty of peace with each other. But years ago, the relationship between the North and Southern empires turned sour, and they became arch-enemies. While Atlanea decided never to take part in the war and stayed neutral with both Kingdoms, thus maintaining peace for it's people.

"It's just an invitation. It's the blessing of the mother ocean that the North personally sent an invitation to our kingdom." Queen Doris said while taking his hand from Silja's hand.

"This is not just an invitation. It's a threatening letter." Benji roared. The more he thought about it, the more he felt furious.

"Calm down, Benji. We will think about it carefully." The king said, trying to calm his son.

On the surface, the letter looked like any normal invitation filled with flowery words and courtesy but there was more to it.