Sacrificing his own daughter

Larisa came to a halt a few steps in-front of the main hall and looked longingly inside. Maynard curious at what she saw glanced in the direction she was looking. Inside the hall, the men were assigned to sit to the left and the women to the right, Larisa was looking towards the right side were a few noble ladies were standing together and chatting. From where they were standing, they could slightly hear their conversation.

The ladies kept on telling each other the latest gossip like who got engaged to whom, who was caught in a scandal. Then they would compare each-others clothes and jewels. The typical ladies topics,

In Larisa's eyes, they were talking very harmoniously and seemed to get along with each other very well like good old friends.

To Maynard, the hostility in the air couldn't be more obvious, every word that came out of the ladies mouths, though polite was aimed to hit at each-others sore spots, they couldn't wait to be at each-other's throats. Looking at the princess, she didn't seem to notice the tense air at all.

It really couldn't be helped. The king started going on expeditions after the Queen's death and would only be back after long periods of time and yet he never stayed for long either, he stays for just a few weeks and then he would leave for another expedition.

The King only had three children, the oldest prince Jaylen was exiled to the border when Larisa was three years old so she may not remember this brother, then Prince Dario who was left to handle the state affair, as such Larisa grew up with little to no presence of friends and family in her life, so she probably didn't know the art of insulting people with polite words. So naïve, it just made her look cuter.

This fact also made him worry that she might fall into depression without anyone to keep her company when he leaves for the border, thankfully a study partner would be chosen for her today so he won't have to worry about her being too lonely.

"Why is Princess not entering?" Maynard asked.

Larisa snapped out of her trance, "No reason,"

Maynard just smiled and offered his hand, "Then should I escort Princess in?"

Larisa looked at the out stretched hand and asked, "Who will you escort me in as?"

Maynard couldn't understand clearly, "What does princess mean."

She looked straight into his chestnut eyes, "The only one who can escort me into a banquet is my Father, Brother or..." Larisa paused before she bit her lip and continued, "Or my fiancée,"

She looked away, unable to keep his gave as she asked, "So who are you escorting me as?"

Maynard awkwardly scratched the back of his head, "Why would princess ask this now when I've been the one to escort the princess for the past seven years now?"

Larisa's hand clutched her dress as she looked back at him, "Maynard, it's my coming of age ceremony today, if you escort me in today, you will be declaring that you are my fiancée,"

Maynard's eyes widened slightly, right, how could he forget. She wasn't the little princess anymore, he could escort her all these years when she was still considered a child and no one would find anything wrong with it, but not today.

Today she would officially be considered of marriageable age and only family members or her fiancée can escort her in.

"I was too careless, forgive me Princess for almost ruining your reputation," Maynard said as he held his hands together and gave a low bow.

Larisa didn't know whether to laugh or cry, what reputation would he ruin, the red eyed demoness reputation?

"You can escort me in and be my fiancée, that wouldn't be so bad right?" Larisa offered.

Maynard's muscles tensed up, could what the prince said be true? He immediately rejected in the most polite way possible "That would not be appropriate Princess, you can't joke about matters concerning your future."

So being her fiancée was a joke, huh? Larisa smiled at Maynard, "If you know it's a joke, why are you tensing up like up?" Larisa forced a laugh at the end.

Maynard looked up at the laughing princess and internally breathed a sigh of relief, right, how could the princess like him, the prince definitely interpreted things wrongly and he was also almost taking that nonsense seriously.

Although he knew the princess was joking, he couldn't help the awkwardness that spread in the air, after all, how can he respond in such a situation.

"Why are you standing here?"

Both Maynard and Larisa couldn't be happier at Prince Dario's appearance to save them from this awkward scene. Maynard quickly greeted him.

Larisa smiled at him," Brother, I was waiting for you."

"What? I thought you always choose Maynard to escort you in?"

"Brother, don't joke with me, it's my coming of age ceremony today, I can't go in with a man who is not family."

Dario looked at Maynard who slightly lowered his head then at Larisa's smiling face, what she said was true but it somehow felt out of place being said by her when it involved Maynard. His guards informed him that she had come over a while ago, did she hear their conversation, if yes then her attitude is understandable. That's good if she heard and is going to give up on Maynard.

Dario gave a particularly dazzling smile, "You're right, come on then, I will escort you in."

Dario signalled the servant at the door to announce their arrival as Larisa put her hand on his forearm.

The chattering in the hall ceased as everyone went back to their assigned seats, the seats were arranged in ranks. The ones who sat closest to the door were of the lowest rank and the deeper you went into the hall, the higher the ranks became until you reached the front where the royal family sat.

Everyone stood up and bowed as Larisa entered with Dario beside her and Maynard followed behind them. Larisa with her red coat, dressed in a red dress with iris flower imprints to signify that she is now mature and her golden head dress that made her neck ache a bit since she wasn't used to wearing so many jewels.

She looked like a phoenix in human form as she was escorted to the front-of the hall. Maynard went to stand next to his father whose sit was second to Prince Dario's sit which was at the bottom of the stairs leading to the kings sit.

Dario and Larisa stood at the front as they all waited for the king who arrived not long after together with consort Ari.

They all said in unison, "Greetings to your Majesty and royal Consort, long live your majesty and royal Consort, long may you reign."

The King waved for everyone to sit down, Consort Ari sat at the front sit to the right, in-front of her son, Prince Dario. Larisa's sit was always placed next to the kings so she followed her Father up the small fright of stairs and sat down after him.

The king addressed them all, "As we all know today is my dear daughters coming of age ceremony, but before we start, is there anyone who wants to volunteer to be her study partner?"

The hall fell into a graveyard silence and Larisa clutched the ruby anklet that Maynard gave her seven years ago that she was now wearing as a bracelet. She didn't want to have another study partner, but her protests had fell on deaf ears so she had only given the condition that they cannot select but the person has to volunteer themselves. Now she just prayed that no one should volunteer.

But to her utter dismay a girl stood up from the sits close to the door and came forward to the front and knelt down with her forehead touching the carpeted ground.

"Your Majesty, I am willing to be the Princess's study partner,"

The King was delighted, "Raise your head and introduce yourself,"

Selah raised her head while lowering her eyes not to look at the people in-front of her. "Your Majesty, I am Selah Wormwood of the Wormwood Marquis manor."

Whispers were many as the other nobles were guessing who this fearless girl was when she first presented herself, but now that she had introduced herself the nobles only felt contempt for the Marquis.

It was no secret that the Marquis Wormwood was a waste with no real power that spent his wife's money on women in brothels. The laws of Iralah kingdom state that if a noble family did not make proper contributions to the state and has no official position for a long time, only one descendant can enjoy an empty position, if no other descendants make a contribution then the noble title could be lost and they would be demoted to commoners.

Being the princess's study partner could be considered as somewhat of a contribution, so everyone could see through the Marquis's intention. Sacrificing his own daughter to keep the Marquis title longer.