EVERMORE (COLBY BROCK)

3. THE SUITORS

You were absolutely thrilled at the prospects for the day when you awoke. The events of the previous night were all anyone could talk about. Even Elias, who never seemed to smile anymore, seemed content with the prince's interest in you. And when Elias informed your mother? Oh, she wanted to throw her own ball on the spot! A prince? Interested in a Covington? Why, that's something no one would dare forget! And should you marry him? After being called simply divine by not only Her Majesty but also His Royal Highness? You may as well be elevated to goddess status! To think, she would've been content with you marrying an marquess! A marquess! But, now, you had yourself a prince! Oh, there was nothing a mother could for more.

She did seem to grow anxious, though, when he wasn't among the first to arrive when time came for you to entertain potential suitors for the day. You kept whispering to her that the prince didn't seem to care for time, that he even arrived to the ball late. What was time when you were to be a king, after all?

Still, that meant you had to entertain more men than you cared to see in one day. At least they seemed to be more...charming than the men who spoke to you last night. The prince's interest in you, coupled with the Queen's comment during your presentation, was enough to make your value as a future bride skyrocket. And, well, you'd be a fool (and rude) to not entertain them until the real prospect for your hand arrived.

This, however, quickly soured Elias's mood.

Every man who arrived that morning brought a gift of some sort. Fresh flowers, baked goods straight from the oven, sparkling jewelry. Still, none of it seemed to impress your brother. He turned his nose in the air, scoffing so only you and your mother could hear about how he thought in some way or another the gift was cheap. Your mother was quick to hush him, knowing his tendency to scare other men away.

Still, much of your mother's efforts went to waste. Sure, the men never heard Elias's snide comments. But they'd have to be blind to miss his darkened glare, the way he stood a little too close, towering over the potential suitor. How he kept you close, how he stayed slightly in front of you to create a barrier of sorts between you and the suitor.

At one point, you had to wonder if the man you were speaking to was a bad person or if Elias was in some way trying to make it clear he intended only for one person in particular to earn your hand in marriage.

Regardless, it was all becoming a bit too much for you liking.

You long side lost count of how many times you'd have to give a man a kind smile before excusing yourself, pulling Elias to the side and telling him to lay off.

"You need to stop this foolishness, Elias," you hissed when he nearly fought a potential suitor.

"He wasn't worthy of your hand, sister," he snarled back.

"You have no right to say that. He seemed a fine enough man!"

"Fine enough is not good enough!"

"You should not meddle so much, brother," you snapped. "No man is perfect! I need to have room to breathe and figure out who is good for me on my own! Let me figure out who I think is worthy of my time before you chase them off for the most minor of flaws!"

"Very well, sister."

But he didn't listen. He never listened, at all, really. Perhaps that was a benefit of being a man. Men didn't have to listen to anyone if they didn't want to.

Eventually, the suitors all left, seemingly not...too upset at your brother's behavior. At least that was an improvement from last night.

You and your family waited in the sitting room for some after that, just in case the prince did decide to grace you with his appearance. It seemed unlikely at this point, though. It was nearly noon. Surely, if the prince was going to come, he would've by now?