Princess Irisa And The Fragile Prince.

3

"Thank you father, I shall head to my chamber now." she turned and walked out of the room, feeling nauseated. She couldn't believe that she agreed to this.

* * * *
As they started parking out her belongings from her room, it started to sink that she had no real control over her life, or she lost the little control she had.

"M'lady, you haven't eaten all day, please eat something. It is not good for your health, I beg of you m'lady," Irisa closed her eyes and opened it, how could she eat when she was barely able to stomach the fact she was getting married in a week.

"I am fine Nancy you can eat if you want to, I am not hungry," Nancy sighed and shook her head.

"M'lady, pls just try something, it's against the rules for me to eat ehen you have not eaten anything?" Irisa shook her head, her mind lost in thought as she stared outside the window at the beautiful scenery.

"You can't starve yourself like this, it is not healthy for you, pls I am begging you, just understand," she sighed looking away from the window. Nancy was talking too much, she knew that her maid felt guilty for putting them in this predicament but she kind of knew that, she would still have to get married one day, it was inevitable.

"Leave me," she rose her hands signaling her to leave the room.

"But..." she held her hand up, "just leave Nancy, I need to be alone for now." Nancy sighed, looking down, she dropped the plate she was holding, bowed a little, and walked away from her bedside, leaving the room, as the maids continued to out the room.

"Irisa," Benedict walked in, he ran towards her.

"Brother," she sat up and he stopped her sitting on her soft bed.

"What is wrong? Why are you doing this?" he asked quietly as the servants entered the room parking her loads, this was too fast, she looked away from them playing with her nails.

"I am doing this for our family and the glory of Hasten," she repeated mechanically.

"Oh miss me with that bullshit! Since when have you ever cared about the wellbeing of Hasten?" he folded his arms and she scoffed looking away.

"Well thank you, brother, for making me look like and heartless bitch that caused about nobody," she rolled her eyes and turned away.

"Irisa," he sighed pinching his nose, "we both know, hell everybody knows you are been forced to do this," she turned to him.

"Does it matter though? Because it last time I checked you were powerless against our parents and you would not help me advocate. Now I am fulfilling all of your wishes you are questioning me?" Benedict sighed, touching her hand but she shook it off angrily.

"I am tired brother, it would be good if you rest up also, we have a long journey ahead of us," Irisa turned away making Benedict sigh, he stood and stared at her not moving figure for a while before he turned and walked out of her chamber.

* * * *
"Write letters to me okay?" she nodded at her eldest brothers smiling sadly, although they didn't have a close relation, she would still miss them very much. Now she was entering the Imperial household, she had to be prudent and twice as wise to survive.

"I will brother," she looked around, her father wasn't here, she looked down.

Wasn't he going to wish her goodbye? Was their relationship that bad?

"Common, we have to begin our journey now, if we want to get to the capital by nightfall." she nodded and Nancy helped her into the carriage, she sat across the Duchess and opened the curtain, she waved at her brothers again has the horsemen moved and the carriages followed suit.

She was leaving Hasten, for the first time in a while, but this time she was leaving permanently.

* * * *
Getting off the carriage after riding for hours, Irisa was a little dizzy because of the lack of proper food. She looked around the huge old building, this would be her in-law's house very soon.

The castle was beautiful, clean, and outrageously huge for a few people that were residents of it. She swayed a little and Nancy supported her quickly praying the duchess doesn't see it.

"Did you eat something?" Jessica eyed her weak figure, Benedict approached them worried about how she was looking.

"Are you okay?" he examined her body, she shook her head.

"I am fine, I am okay, let us proceed."

"Pull yourself together girl, it will not be a good look if you disgrace us in front of the royal family," Irisa glared at her not replying. Everything was about how they looked. They approached the large pathway leading up to the grand stairway of the imperial entrance.

Nancy looked around in awe, this place was amazing, she looked at the scenery, the beautiful flowers and trees around the stairs, as many servants approach them and started helping the ones they brought from Hasten.

"Are you sure you okay?" she rolled her eyes as they continued climbing the stairs, she ignored him. They finally got to the imperial inner house's gate. Guards guarding it and maids swiftly moving around trying to get work done.

"They have arrived!" a guard yelled starting Irisa a little.

"The Duchess of Hasten, the third prefecture prince of Hasten and the first prefecture princess of Hasten, now in respect!" all maids and guards present fell to their knees and bowed down in respect to them.

"She has arrived!" he continued as a trumpet blee very loudly making Irisa's headache worsen.

"The first woman of Kaley! The Empress and queen, the second ruler of Kaley! Empress Riveria! Now in respect to her!" Irisa and Benedict bowed but didn't fall to their knees, the duchess smiled through the process, she walked towards her cousin and bowed slightly but not noticeable to all.

"Welcome cousins, how have you been?" she took her cousin's hands in hers, Jessica nodded, "I am very well thank you, your majesty." they entered into a tea-scenery hut.

The Empress looked around, "where is she?" Irisa approached them slowly, trying to not misstep, she got to where the queen and the duchess were and fell to her knees, her hands on each other in courtesy and respect.

"It is a pleasure to be in the presence of your highness," the queen laughed heartily.

"Rise! Rise!" Nancy helped her up, her eyes were still lowered, the duchess and the queen sat on the stool provided for them.

"How are you doing this day, Jessica?" the duchess asked as she was poured tea.

"I am very well your highness," she accepted the tea from the maid and took a sip from it setting her cup down as still as possible, making sure it didn't cause any noise.

"I was surprised when I heard you were coming, I thought it would take another fifteen days or so before your arrival seeing that your his name and children arrived in Hasten a few days ago,"

"It wasn't my choice to come here! Irisa here was so excited to hear the news, she went to the priest immediately to pick a date and it was discovered that a week from now is the perfect date to hold the wedding, and they are a perfect match for each other." Irisa internally scoffed.

What a joke?!

"Wow, I didn't know anybody would be genuinely interested in Aaron?" she glanced at Irisa once more and back to the duchess. Irisa could detect a hint of surprise and distaste for her supposed fascination with the first prince of Kaley.

"Isn't that right Irisa?" she turned to Irisa who just nodded defeated.

"She couldn't stop talking about him on our way here, it is the prince this and the prince that" she almost shook her head at the number of lies the duchess was spewing.

The queen laughed again heartily, Irisa cringed, it sounded so high-pitched and fake but who was surprised, the queen was around fifty-something years of age, she has been doing that all bear life.

"Wow! I am so happy to head this! The marriage preparation will start, we will prepare for the engagement than the wedding next!" the Queen said with finality standing up, the maids all fell their knees again, Irisa bowed and the duchess stood as she departed from the hut.