Hellaur! Please note that Lizzie of the North's timeline sometimes overlaps with Aruna's story. 🥰 Enjoy!
-ˋˏ ༻◖𖤓◗༺ ˎˊ-
Currently, Aruna had two moods.
One was the nightly irritation towards Giovanni when he answered with a sharp "No." at her request. He refused to share his space and he acknowledged that he was the ghost of the garden. With a cold, "Don't you dare enter the garden again," he shooed her away.
So for days, she would just stare out the window with a pout. At the sight of a moving figure or shadow beyond, she would click her tongue and shut the windows.
It was a different case during the day.
It took mental strength for Aruna to look the king in the eye, without biting the inner corners of her cheek. On occasions that the comic image of Giovanni caressing his buttocks was more vivid in her head, she'd cover her face with a fan and snort, then giggle. Once or twice the king glared her way as if aware of her thoughts.
She was glad the ladies held no interest in inviting her into their circles, so she would not have to explain herself at the unprovoked titters. She did meet other ladies kind enough to strike up a conversation and some who expressed in a whisper that they were there out of obligation.
"He is gorgeous and all, and my word, my knees did wobble just looking at his face, however, being his queen required guts," one of the ladies said. A pale woman who seemed to have an obsession with pink and food. She recalled her name as Lady Bethel from one of the kingdoms in the Gran Dacchian Empire.
Another lady, named Lady Margaux chimed in and agree. "Truthfully, I'm here for the women. Look at those beauties, in all sizes and colors."
The three of them would intersect at some events and huddle at the corner of the hall, taking advantage of the food and indulging themselves in gossip.
"If one could match His Majesty, I'd say Princess Norvillon."
"Heard she ran away?"
"Some saw her with the Gran Dacchian imperial prince."
Despite the distance from the empire, Aruna was amazed by the power of gossip to reach the desert so fast.
"Oh my, isn't that scary?" Aruna asked. Everyone knew the tension between the Gran Dacchian Empire and the Norvillon Kingdom. Although small, the latter was the biggest supplier of spirit stones and had trade ties with the empire of Levich.
"A war may engulf the western continents soon," Aruna added. The three of them silently groaned.
"Inconvenient," Lady Margaux tutted, eyeing the other ladies enjoy the company of their circle whilst subtly watching the king who was at his limits besides the queen dowager introducing him to different women.
Aruna and Bethel nodded, "Inconvenient indeed." As Bethel ate her plate of sweets, Aruna paused mid-scoop of the creamy dessert.
She met eyes with Giovanni, fully dressed with great integrity and manner. Then her eyes fell to his buttocks and she looked away, snorting until it became a giggle.
"I just remembered something funny." she reasoned when the two other ladies asked. When her eyes returned to the king, he was glaring at her.
-ˋˏ ༻◖𖤓◗༺ ˎˊ-_
For the queen selection, it didn't come as a surprise that there were planned events for a harmless competition among ladies.
It was not something they were told about, but everyone who was there for the crown and the handsome yet snobby king that came with it, anticipated that much.
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Aruna of Nowhere (Yrsoreth Chronicles 3)
RomanceThe sun could have everything, except his moon. It was a price to pay for defying the will of the gods. ◖❂𖤓❂◗ Aruna is dying. Yet, in her limited time, she chose to enter the palace as Giovanni's queen candidate. Aruna is a liar too, and she wishe...
