ONYX

Chapter Two

“You will like him. I’ve met him twice before and he remembered me each time. He is handsome and so nice and all the women of his kingdom have set their sights on him. He’s refused three marriages, but he agreed to the one your father proposed!” Greer squealed.

Alessandra wanted to be excited. However close she and Greer was, Greer didn’t know about the princess’ curse. It saddened her even more that she couldn’t confide in her dearest friend.

“How long will you be at my father’s court?” Nick Winston, Greer’s father, was previously married to Alessandra’s aunt, but when she passed, Nick had sent his daughter all over the world mostly so he wouldn’t have to raise her on his own. Nick wasn’t a bad man; he just wasn’t the best father. Alessandra knew of Greer’s unhappiness at not being able to spend time with her father and that’s where she bonded with her cousin the most. Both of them didn’t know the men they called their father.

“I don’t know. Father usually lets me stay longer because it is Christmas, but where he sends me next is unknown. The last time he talked to me he told me that he was looking for suitors for me. It is time for me to be married.” Greer informed her.

“That is happy news, Greer.” Alessandra said, meaning every word. Greer deserved a permanent home with a husband and children.

“What is happy news?” Theresa interrupted, announcing her appearance. At first sight, Alessandra wanted to jump up and hug her, but she remembered her circumstance and she refrained. Instead she beamed at the beautiful friend she’d also known all of her life.

“Greer might be getting engaged as well, soon.” Alessandra said.

Greer rolled her eyes. “It’s up in the air.”

“Nonsense, there is always a time to be merry about an engagement.” Theresa scolded and she took the seat on the bench next to Alessandra. Thankfully, she kept her distance. “My mother made a fine dress for you, Princess.”

Alessandra looked at the dress that Theresa’s mother made. It was a fine dress, indeed. She even appreciated that her mother made Alessandra custom gloves to match with her wardrobe. She didn’t ask questions about Elizabeth’s request, she just did what she was told and didn’t treat Alessandra like she was different.

“I’ll have to thank her when I get the chance.” Alessandra said. She scanned the sea of guests crammed in the room in search for one person in particular, her mother. Queen Elizabeth was a Godsend. She conducted herself with ease as she mingled with everyone according and she gave all of them fair chance to speak as they conversed. Even though she was calm, Elizabeth was anything but. She had to think, to act, and fast.

Across the room, King James had been conducting his own conversations. The way he acted was exactly the same way he acted in private. He pretended like his wife, the Queen, wasn’t in the room as well as his daughter. He’d grown tired of the woman that’d failed to deliver him a son and the daughter he had was a hermit. She’d been a strange child growing up and Queen Elizabeth tended to her every need and began to neglect her duties as a monarch.  

They’d barely communicated in over two months and that’d been the perfect time to secure a marriage for his daughter without having Elizabeth constantly badgering him out of marrying her off. In his mind Alessandra needed to leave, he wanted her to go and a marriage with Daniel helped secure a strong trade of goods with Daniel’s kingdom. His father was a prominent king in which he needed to ally himself with for future purposes. Maybe Alessandra would make some good of her life and give her new husband a son.

“Ah, I knew I’d find you three kittens curled in a corner somewhere.” Priscilla Trescot said, startling the girls.

Ever since King James made her father a duke, she’d been parading her status about. She had grown in grace and participated in the life that Alessandra wished she had. Sure, Alessandra was a Princess and that was a status higher than Priscilla’s, but she was jealous of her. She knew Priscilla had the best teachers around and she was fluent in many languages and she interacted with the people of Evyon more than Alessandra.