Chapter 3: Petty rival's

A main fire had been lit by the grand fire place. The marble stones framing and guiding the toxic fumes out of the room but kept the heat of the fire within the large throne room. Gentle chatter failed the courts as they all ate a rich meal with the best beef statkes that King Arvin could find. Shir sat between her brother's, well Prince Angus and her sister in law, Lady Swea. Commander Kyree sat just next to the royal family, being the King's right hand, he had a permanent seat within the council. Beside him should have been the court mage, Toney, but he had been excused for research that the King had an interest in.

As much as Shir would have preferred to sit by Toney and talk about whatever was on their mind tonight, she still had a duty here. A duties that had her mix Tonies potion into her whine to sip on throughout her meal. When she did, Lady Swea gave a knowing smile, leaning in to speak softly. "I remember being nervous on my night to, well I didn't have two courts to talk about it but I understand how anxious it is" Lady Swea grabbed Shir's hand in an attempt to sooth the Princess. Shir appreciated it, her mind was so focused on the possibility of being proposed to tonight that she hadn't considered the fact that she also had two full courts to watch over it. The thought only made her heart race a little faster.

Lady Swea gently squeezed the Princesses hand, "calm down, take a breath, ok?" The Lady cooed. The soft voice helping to untangle the matted thoughts within her mind.

"Thank you" Princess Shir smiled back softly, grateful to at least have someone who understood. Looking at the Lady Swea, Shir couldn't help but notice how large her bump had gotten. It may be because Shir doesn't see the Lady everyday, with the Princess running off to the trianing grounds or the forests to hunt but her baby bump had seemed to be have gotten larger. Shir opted to focus on that instead, the idea of having a niece or nephew soon excited her.

Shir wasn't much for babies but talking to them like they were adult and pretending that they can answer fully was always amusing. Not to mention how easy it is to have a toddler entertained when horse riding only to then give then back to their parents when they want to be on a horse all day long is funny to her. "Oh, I'm totally going to be a fun aunt for this kid" Shir thought to herself, smiling a little more at the idea. "How far long are you now?" Shir asked, taking another sip of her whine, "can't wait to have your own little one?". Lady Swea smiled back in a friendly way.

"Eight months now, I'm sure" Swea nodded, "but it had been kicking up a stom every night" she added, now sounding a little tired.

Shir giggled a little, taking a small bite out of her meal, "oh? So it likes the night, then?" She mused.

"Unfortunately" Swea nodded, sipping her own drink, "but we also got the nursery all set up, all we have to do now is wait" she added, a sparkle to her eyes as she talks about her child. Shir could feel the excitement the new mother has, after all her child would be a Prince or Princess. Anyone would be proud.

"I wish you the best of luck, I mean, I heard that child birth can be exhausting" Shir added, smiling softly and trying not to worry her after she blurted the exploration.

"Thank you" Lady Swea nodded back. Before their conversation could continue, however, the two King's called for attention.

"As much as it is an honour to be the personal guests to, King Arvin, we have come here to discuss a new alliance" King Shev announced, his voice gruff with age whilst holding his goblet up to tap King Arvin's.

"Yes" King Arvin spoke up next, not too bothered in returning the gesture to King Shev. "I have called my council, excusing my court mage, to provide their word in the agreements tonight" he bowed his head and sat back down. The two King's half way through their own meals, as they pull out a fresh paper. "Shall we begin?" Both King's called to their courts, both sides nodding and a few adding in their comments of praise.

"Boot licking, honestly" Shir had to bite her lip to not laugh with her little brother. Prince Angus muttered in an almost disgusted tone.

"Not a fan of people cozying up to the King for power, ey? Looks like we raised you well" Shir smirked back, planning to gossip and make fun for a little while, only for a deeper tone to scold at the two monarchs.

"I'd be a bit more serious, if I were you two, pay attention because whatever goes on this paper, desides how the two kingdom's would interact from now on" Commander Kyree schooled. The young Prince nodding and looking back at his meal and the Princess just sighed with a nod in response. "And drop the attitude, be more formal tonight" her older brother scolded this time, Prince Bosso glared down at his younger siblings. Only for Lady Swea to whisper in her gentle tone, too quiet for then to hear but whatever she said, the heir nodded and turned his focus to the bickering King's.

"Well that didn't take long" Shir thought, watching as her father and King Shev try had starting to fail at fitting in thier peace treating with the new alliance. "No, you agreed ten years ago, when you signed this paper that you would move your borders back and provide us the farm land" King Shev started a little harshly, pointing at the old peace treaty papers.

"That is true but you also agreed that grazing land would still be available for my people, we can't make a whole new road where my people are trying raise cattle" King Arvin nodded then spoke sternly but in a more calmer tone. "We don't need a new road through the hills when the one that follows the valley connects our kingdom's perfectly fine" he added, King Shev sighing in a more childish fashion.

"Better connections with a shorter road would benefit us both, Eddie, don't you agree?" King Shev called to an older mage. King Shev's court mage who wore what seemed to be a very powerfully enchanted robe. Shir could feel an almost warm atmosphere, radiating from them.

"Yes my lord but do keep in mind that those hills would be a strain on, even our best of horses" Eddie answered in a calm and wise tone. "I believe a shorter road would be beneficial but the hills is not an answer, now a tunnel through the valley, inside of having to go around it would be far shorter" the old mage nodded to himself. Murmers filled the court, both sides beginning to sound in an agreement.

With a smug grin, King Shev turned back to King Arvin, "you heard them? If we can make a tunnel here or here, we'll be able to have better communications with each other" the older King pointed to the map. Gesturing to show an ideal path through the valley, one plan in need of a bridge to replace the long and twisting road that sat with the bottom of the valley. King Arvin paused to think about the plan, Shir didn't truly understand the fuss over a road in this matter but if there is an alliance, might as well update any form of communication. "Yes, very well, this path would be better" King Arvin pointed to the plan that cut through one of the valley walls then a bridge that made a new path ontop of the other valley wall. "The other one would have all tunnels collapse, one side of the valley is softer than the other, you see" King Arvin explained, satisfied nods and comments followed soon after.

With that, many other, smaller details of the alliance was discussed. Shir honesty couldn't care less, if it was left up to her she would just make a smaller council to discuss the smaller things in life and leave the royal courts for more pressing politics. The Princess didn't see the need for the King to be involved in everything that happened, surely there should be someone else who can deal with the every day? At least in the Princesses opinion. It didn't take long for the papers to begin to be written out, each line was double checked with the rest of the court and after what felt like hours, finally, one page was fully decided out.

Decisions included the shorter road, any restrictions, of which King Arvin requested for Montes to stay away from the volcano, stating that; "just because it has been done erupting, doesn't make the area safe and many men had already perished in the unstable grounds". Of which, King Shev agreed along with most of his court, except Eddie. The old mage had grown suspicious from what Shir could see on him but she also recognised that he opted to stay silent about it.

"The volcano?" Shir thought to herself, "if it's dangerous then why would Toney let me join him without worry?" The Princess questioned, making a mental note to ask the young mage later. The Princess couldn't feel a need to listen to many of the other details, having not paid attention, she had finished her meal long before anyone else. "Ugh, why does politics have to be so boring? I would be off in the valley by now, probably coming back with an elk" Shir thought a little bitterly, frowning with a yawn that just escaped her lips. Within her boredom, the Princess looked around the room, there is when she saw the Queen of Montes, Queen Ivy, nudge her son. Prince Rknom looking at his mother with a slight confusion before she handed him a small black box, the Prince nodding and sitting up straighter.

"Nothing is confirmed? Huh, father, then what was that!?" Shir complained internally, knowing exactly what a proposal box looks like. The Princess had to force a soft and neutral smile as to not pout in the middle of court, looking over at her father who was just clearing a few details before witting them down. Shir now wished she didn't eat her meal so fast, it was a simple, rich stakes with with some sides. But now she only had her whine to keep her entertained, which, if she had too much of would definitely lead to issues. "As fun as getting drunk when being proposed to can be, I'd rather not be the reason why another war starts" the Princess thought to herself, sipping at her red whine again that had a slight bitter taste due to the potion Toney gave her earlier.

"Thank you all for your participation" King Arvin called out. Putting a good handful of papers away in a secure case before calling a servant to lock them in the castles court room. "We will take a quick brake and rest our food before returning to clean up any other details" Shir's father spoke softly then looked over at her and his sons. With a sigh, the Princess got up when the court was dismissed, moving to sit by the Commonaders but was stopped with a sudden grab on her shoulders.

"Princess Shir, am I right?" Prince Rknom asked with a grin, "I must say, you look prettier than your portraits betray you as". Shir knew he ment it as a compliment but something about his smug expression and proud tone ticked her off the wrong way. No matter how much she tells herself that she was just being petty and that he was a Prince, something deep within her hated the fact that he was most likely to be her new fiancé.

"I am" Shir nodded, turning to face him and keeping her tone as neutral as possible.

"Come sit with me" Prince Rknom gestured to a more quiet spot by the book shelves of the throne room, "let's talk, get to know each other better, yes?".

Shir so badly wanted to just show him off of her shoudler and continue to sit with the Commander or brush him off to talk with the guards that she helped trian. But she couldn't, this is far too delicate of an opportunity to just throw away because she wanted to go train instead. "No, this is much bigger than me, too many innocent lives have been lost already, I can't forget that" Shir thought to herself then nodded at the Prince. The image of all those wounded soldiers entered her mind as she followed him, she can't let her men die like that if she can help it. This is just something she would have to bare for her people, even if something screamed within her against the idea.

It was out of her control now, she loved her people too much to be thinking of her ideal, single life. "At the very least, I can get to know him? Who knows maybe we'll get along, we're both soldiers" Shir told herself as she sat down. Now having a chance to get an idea of what her future would bring.