Wasn't it Supposed to be Different?

9: Sord

Prince Ivan's POV

After around two months of travel, we finally sighted the walls of Sord.

I was reluctant to have our easy traveling routine end, being Christia's friend was someone I enjoyed being. But I was also happy that we would be able to spend the night inside near a warm fire, with winter on the brink of taking hold on the land.

As we entered the city's gate in our traveling parade, I noticed that past the castle looking walls the castle itself, or rather as Christia called it here 'Palace' was built with beautiful slender towers, and a beautiful assortment of stones I would sooner find in jewelry than a building. It was as though beauty was put before any usefulness it could serve in times of siege or war.

We had sent a messenger ahead of us to bring tidings of our visit. So now as we made our way to the palace crowds of people had flocked to see their princess return.

Making our slow way through, we came to the courtyard to find what seemed to be the whole court of lords and ladies outside in their finery to harold us in.

I was unsure of what to do, the nobles of this kingdom's court seemed way more pompous than any I had seen before. Even dragon court was less grand.
Christian seemed to shine in this environment, her smile lighting up and greeting over half the people by name. Personally I wouldn't be able to tell any of them apart from even royalty, which is what I was having trouble with now. How was I to know which one was the king, my new father in law I had never met?

Christia's POV

I wasn't too worried about my father's reaction to Ivan, he had seemed perfectly content with the match in his letter stating how he and my mother were unable to attend my wedding. That was one thing I had learned to get used to, no matter how important the occasion was to his personal life, my father always did what was best for the kingdom.
Though, even if Ivan was a good match for the kingdom, my father was still very overprotective of me. I was looking forward to Ivan meeting him.
As I looked around greeting old friends, I didn't see my father, or mother for that matter.

What did surprise me was seeing Meria, glowing as a man casually wrapped his hand around her waist from behind.
I had heard she had gotten married from Ivan, but it was beyond my imagination that with her strong stubborn personality she would even want a man to take care of her in her life.

Dismounting, I came over to Meria, hugging her with joy. My cousin had used to be my deepest friend, but with us both being captured by creatures of the night we hadn't seen each other in years.

"Oh my goodness! How have you been?" she exclaims as she releases me from our hug.

"I have been well, it seems you have been doing fine." I look her up and down, her happiness seems to radiate from every part of her. "If this is what marriage has done to her she has gotten real lucky"  I look around for the man I saw with her, but he's nowhere to be found, neither is Ivan.
We slowly make our way into that palace, greeting people and conversing.

Prince Ivan's POV

I wonder what the king of Sord will be like as Elexonder and I walk towards the King's private office.

When I had gone to save a princess from a dragon I had come into the middle of a romance between Elexonder -who is a dragon, but with his magic can take the shape of a human like all dragon's can do- and Meria the princess.

I didn't get a princess for a wife that day, but staying in the gyser castle for a while I grew to be very good friends with both Alexander and Meria.

"What is the king of Sord like?" I ask nervously. I hadn't expected it, but showing up having married someone's daughter and meeting them for the first time is rather nerve wracking.