6: Meet with the Prince and Lords

I can't help myself but irked a bit. I mean, I'm not annoyed by what he said, but it sounds really serious. It sounds like someone will literally try to kill me. I smiled at him, uncertain. After that, he asked Elvene to go with me back to the room to change my clothes. He said something like meeting someone and mentioned some strange names, but I can't get them. I don't even understand some of it, so I just let it go. Maybe I'll learn about it later. I changed my clothes into something like a formal dress. It looks like a corset dress like what Elvene's wearing but it's a bit different. It is a dirty white dress and the hem of it is full of curly curls or whatever you call that thing.

I looked at the mirror and can see how much it changed my posture. Well, I don't usually use make up even before in my real world, so this is the natural beauty I have. Maybe it is the dress that makes me a bit different right now. After a second, Sylvar appeared at the door and looked at me for a bit. I slightly felt embarrassed as I saw him looking at me directly. I'm not used to this kind of thing! But even before I could say a thing to him, he immediately turned around and led the way.

"Follow me, Lady Aria," he said as he walked away.

I looked at Skylar's back and followed him. As I walk through the hallway, I can see how amazing things are here. The pillars at the corner intersections between walls seemed so old yet firm on their standing and even the lines that was curved on those stone pillars are incredible. The balustrade made this palace look oldish but it gives me the romeo and juliet vibe. Hmm, just like what we used during our drama presentation at school.

After a minute, Sylvar, who was standing in front of me, stopped walking and directly looked at someone in front. I slightly tilt my head to see whoever he's talking to and for some reason, the guy, who seemed like a guard, looked directly at me and got shocked. It seems like he didn't expect me to see.

"I'm really sorry Master Sylvar, Prince Aiwin and the other Lords are waiting inside the room," the guard said and slightly bowed as he slowly opened the door. Just like Elvene earlier, he got scared the moment he saw me. Oh well, maybe not scared, something like he didn't expect of me. And now, I'm starting to question myself if I'm really welcome here though.

As the big door in front of us opened, a couple of people appeared right into my eyes. Or should I say, a couple of elves as all of them have a pair of pointed ears. At the center of the table, I saw a guy smiling in our direction while looking at me.

At that moment, I felt something strange inside me. Something that makes me uneasy.

As the door opened, my eyes set its landing on the guy sitting in the middle. He's looking at me, directly in the eyes. For some reason, I felt something unexplainable. Oh well, I'm not really used to having eye contact with guys aside from my brother everytime we're fighting and the one who stays longer on the eye contact wins. But that guy, I felt intimidated.

I was about to walk toward Sylvar as he immediately lowered his body and bowed down. His knees are touching the ground while his hands are supporting his body.

"Prince Aiwin and the Lords of the Villages," he greeted them and slowly raised his head to look at those guys. "Let me introduce you, the daughter of the late Freyr, Caillou Dorwynn and Aleessia Elathana Dorwynn and the future savior of our kingdom, Lady Aria," he introduced me in front of them.

With eyes widened, my hands shaking, I still managed to look at them and let a slight smile out of my face.

"G-good day, everyone," I greeted them, trying to be as polite as possible. I even put a little effort to show curtsy to them until I heard a low voice coming from someone.

"Lady Aria, huh?"I heard him say. I slowly looked behind me and to my surprise, I saw a guy standing behind me. His back was slightly slouching as if trying to see something from me. I immediately took a step back and looked back at the table.

I ain't joking! I saw him sitting there just like a moment ago. He's even sitting while his feet are on the chair as if being ready to take off any minute! How come he's here already in just a split second?! But as I looked at the others, it seemed like they were not surprised at all. The woman who seemed unbothered are busy drinking her tea on the cup while her eyes are still close. The other guy, on the other hand, is just looking at me, emotionless.

I looked at the guy in front of me again. My face got crumpled as he moved closer to me. Eh? Can't he see it's getting uncomfortable around him?! I looked at Sylvar but he's just looking at the ground as if he can't see my situation. Like, Seriously?

Come on, Sylvar! Help me! The longer I look at this guy, the more I think of him as the guy in our neighbourhood, trying to get his ass inside some random girls on the street. It's very creepy!

Before I could burst out from disgustment, I heard a noise from a moving chair. I looked at it and saw the prince, slightly push his chair and walked towards me while looking directly in my eyes. Little by little, I faced him not until he was right in front of me. He suddenly bowed down at me as if trying to reach my hands.

"It's nice to see you again. Aria," he said while looking at me directly. I'm still hesitant about whether I'll put my hands on his hands or not. But he reached for it on his own and slightly kissed it. I could feel his wet saliva that touched my skin but I could see nothing on my hands after that. He offered me to go with him and sit with the others. Sylvar, who's just standing beside me just nodded as if saying to go with this Prince.

In the end, I went to the table while the guy who scared me earlier also walked towards the table and went across my seat. It seems like he's one of the Lords that Sylvar mentioned earlier. I looked at him again and saw how he sat. Hmm… it doesn't look like he's a Lord, though at least to how he sits.

"Well then, I'm really glad you came here safe, Aria," the Prince said while looking at his man. It looks like he's ordering him. I looked at them and smiled a bit. The woman beside me, she's just looking at her tea. She doesn't seem like a fan of me, is she? I could even think that she doesn't know I'm here. They said I'm some kind of important person so I expected them to be like you know, more respect?

Oh well, not that I want to be treated too much respectfully. I looked at the door but Sylvar who's just standing there with the other girl seems to be nowhere to be seen. Where did he go? Until someone serves tea on me. Mentioning its aroma, it looks really delicious. Though I'm not a fan of tea or whatever, I just know that it tastes good.

"By the way, Aria….no, I think I should call you, Lady Aria, don't you think?" he asked me. I immediately stopped drinking after I heard it.

"N-no… Aria is good. I… I don't actually want to be referred to as Lady Aria or something like that," I shyly exclaimed while taking glances at them. But the woman beside me suddenly furrowed her eyebrows as if I said something unnecessary.

"Is it okay to hear someone who will be the future Freyr, to say something like that?" she asked and looked with the others. The other Lords seemed disappointed after hearing it.

"W-why?" I unconsciously asked them. I gasped as I felt a cold air at my neck. I looked at it and saw the same guy again.

It's him again!

"What do you want us to think then? Lady Aria? Someone who will hold much greater power in the future, wants to be treated the same way as the others? Don't you know someone might take advantage of it?" he asked me as he looked at me deeply in my eyes.

That is the only moment I realized what he meant. I see. Neither one of them wants to serve or at least acknowledge someone who is in lower recognition than them, I see. I heard Prince Aiwin smirked as I looked at him.

"Oh well, maybe you're just too surprised aren't you? Besides, you live your 20 years in the world of mortals. I must assume that you don't even remember me or any of us. Even though we see each other so often during your past life," he said as he put his hands on the table while his chin was touching his fingers.

I felt the thick phlegm on my throat as I swallowed due to pressure. Literally, this is the only moment that I thought so much about a thing. Ever since I stepped on this land, I haven't bothered to think about what life is waiting for me. Or maybe I have thought about it but I chose to ignore answering those questions in my mind as I got excited about everything.

After a second he sat up straight on his chair while putting some formality on how he looked at me.

"Let me introduce myself then, my name is Prince Aiwin Phifiel, also known as the "prince" of this kingdom. And you and I…" he paused for a bit and looked at me as he smirked.

"...are destined to marry each other," he said.

Awkward silence enveloped the whole room as I just stared at him, waiting to hear him say "it's a prank" or something like that. But it never happened. It even took me half a minute before I could even tell that he's really serious. Even the other Lords seem knowledgeable about what he's saying.

"P-pardon?" I excused myself. He raised his eyebrow, as if thinking that I'm some kind of an idiot.

"I- I mean, you know. What do you mean…destined to marry each other? You and me?" I asked him again, desperate to know his answer. His face that was blank earlier slowly turned into a smiling face.

"Oh let's just say, it was a mere fate for the two of us. Me, as the son of the greatest ally of the late Queen Aleessia, became betrothed to her daughter, Lady Aria. Though it seems so late as you appeared again after a hundred years, I can still consider being married to you. Besides, you're not bad at all," he said as he licked his lips and looked at my boobs.

Seriously?

"As you can see, Lady Aria…" I heard someone said.I looked at him and immediately met his eyes. He smiled a bit and slightly bowed his head as he introduced his name.

"Oh, it's my bad. Let me introduce myself. I am Lord Tyrael Balnorin of Aqua Eldevean, nice to see you well," he said and looked at me again.

"I see, Lord Ty-Tyrael, nice to meet you," I replied as he faced the woman beside me. "I assumed they don't want to introduce themselves, so I'll take the honor to introduce them to you, Lady Aria," he added.

I looked at the woman beside me. Uldreyin Morhorn… despite her age, she's really a hottie! I could even see her as my brother's girlfriend! I would not disagree about it if it happens. Then the guy in front of me caught my attention. He was just there behind me earlier,standing. But now, he's already on his seat, looking at the ceiling like a kid would do.

I guess he's Folduin Pagella, a substitute of the Lady for the land of Witprinds Caligo. Wow! The fact that I could remember their name though, it's kinda surprising. I looked at Prince Aiwin again and caught him looking at me. I slightly looked down to break our immediate eye contact.

"So…shall we go to business?" he asked and suddenly, the aura inside the room became even more serious. The woman beside me became attentive as the Prince started talking.

I don't really know what they're talking about…maybe I'll just act as if I can understand it, don't you think? But after a second, he suddenly looked at me and confronted me.

"Don't you think she's not qualified to be the ruler of this kingdom?" Lord Tyrael seriously said while looking at me like a big shit.