Never fall in love again ~ Otome game ~

Chapter 16

No one's POV

With the flick of the finger of Prince Ryuzenheim, the lights dim and only the spotlight at the stage is on. All the maidens are all nervous and waiting for the long awaited announcement of the Prince. The King and Queen also are excited of whom their son  will pick for tonights event and the future of Farrel Kingdom.

"Tonight! The so long waited ceremony will start. For the information of everyone, this tradition had been pass along from generation to generation  and only one lucky maiden will be pick. But! In ny reign as the Prince if this country, I will select 3 maidens of whom I see interested and fitting to be my side and rule this Kingdom in the future."

Gasped from the crowd can be heard as the Prince announce his decision about his bride searching for tonight. Though his parents know this already, they didn't ask him why he do this. They have given him freedom to do whatever he likes as long as it will benefit and nurture the Kingdom. Prince Ryuzenheim is a good son and they respect his decision like tonight.

"So now! All maidens here, thank you very much for coming and I will start to announce the first maiden that I'm interested in."

As soon the Prince announce the first maiden, a beautiful young lady come out and slowly descend from the stairs as the crowd keeps looking at her with bewilderment and amazement on how beautiful she was at that time. Also the King and Queen and especially the Prince astonished as they saw this young woman coming out from the 2nd floor of their castle.

Kae slowly descend at the stairs towards the crowd where the Prince will announce his Princess to be. But Kae didn't know that all eyes are all fix in her as she slowly coming nearer at the end of the stair. Then when she was about to held is head up to see the crowd, a hand is being offer at her by a certain man who was waiting for her to come out. Kae accepted it and the man give his brightest smile to her. Kae also smiled back and they continue to walk towards the table where she was splash with a wine earlier.

"Your finally here huh?" Kae commented as she soon realized that Fou lo is present in this tonight's event.

"Well, yeah?! I don't want to miss anything about you. If you know what I mean." Fou lo chuckles. " Also you look gorgeous in your gown. You are like a goddess that descends upon the sky!" 

"You're exaggerated too much! I'm not even as close to that. Look at these lovely maiden around here! I'm just 1/4 of their beaut..y?"

 Kae finally noticed that something is wrong about the surroundings. All of their gazes are fix at her, especially the Prince, the King and the Queen. She didn't know what to do and just firmly grasp Fou lo's hand. Fou lo didn't complain as he is able to understand the situation right now. 

Kae is really nervous and frightened right now. In her mind, she only see the situation as dangerous. She interpreted the stares of all these people as though she is mock and look down upon for not being a noble as themselves. But in reality, all these crowd especially the other Kingdom saw her not as a noble but a Royal blood suitable for being the Princess beside the Prince. 

"Be careful my Lady. You are about to be selected" Fou lo said as he grasp fully the hands of Kae.

"Stop being ridiculous! There's no way that the Prince will choose me?" Kae laugh mockingly because there is no way around that the Prince will pick her. There are hundreds of maidens out there. There is only a 0.01% chance that she will be selected.

"Ahemmm!" the Prince cleared his throat  to caught again the attention of everyone.

"Without further adieu I will call 3 maiden names. As soon you will be called, please come up stage to be seen and recognize" All the maidens are now nervous and wished to be pick in this once in a lifetime experience of their lives. Some are praying and others are very confident that they will be pick because of their undying beauty that they own.

" Nina Hulvier " the Prince announce the first lucky maiden in the selection. Nina is surprise and not able to contain her happiness as soon she heard her name pronounce by the Prince at the stage. She jump out with joy and almost got teary eyed when she saw the Prince descends at the stairs to escort her to come at stage. They soon reach the stage and as courtesy, Nina curtsy at the King and Queen who is in front of her right now. Prince Ryuzenhiem kneeled and grab the hand of Nina and kiss it. Nina blushed and now is covered with sweat because of hotness that she's enduring right now. 

" Nulier Halvien " Nulier in the other hand knows that her name will be called. Because of her status and good relationship with the King and Queen, her parents keeps on pushing and persuading them to make their daughter be betrothed to their son. As soon Prince Ryuzenheim knows this, he can't possibly refuse them because of their debt in them. To escape this, the Prince device a plan like this to ensure that his life will not be force upon by certain someone like them. Like the first name called, Prince escorted Nulier to come at stage and kiss her hand too.

"You know what Fou lo, the Prince is really weird."

"Why do you say so?"

"You see, these 3 maidens that he pick by himself will give them false hope that they are likely to be selected as the Princess of this Kingdom. I mean, he can choose immediately if he wants too because he has power to do so but why in a long process? It's like he gives them a prolong agony to be just selected."

"Maybe he has just a reason. Don't judge him by its cover." Fou lo tap Kae's shoulder and give her a glass of wine to quench her thirst.

Nina and Nulier are now both selected as one of the candidates for the Prince to be his Princess soon. As the Prince announce the 3rd one, the King interrupted and make a sudden announcement.

"Ahemm.. Hello everyone, I would like remind you that once being called and selected you are forbidden to refuse anything. We are not to harm you, rest assured." then the King go back to his seat again. He was straight forward but direct to the point. 

"Well maybe there is nothing to be afraid of since being beside the Prince is a dream for all maidens out here." I exclaimed.

"In case you will be selected, what will you do?" Fou lo ask curiously.

"I will kill the Prince for calling out my name without my permission." Kae answered jokingly and chuckled.  Back in her mind, it is half meant. Kae doesn't want to be selected because being a Princess is a burden. Kae knows already the ending and the story-line of all the captured targets. She is merely a spectator for all of these events that she wants to watch as close as possible.

"You are so brutal. Then if that's the case, be mine" Fou lo sincerely ask for Kae's hand to marry him. Because she is really dense, she didn't fully understand all of it and thought that it is joke only.

"Don't joke around like that. Tell that to the person you like. Not me, we just met yesterday. You didn't fully know me well." Kae rejects him unknowingly. 

"I will not give up on you" Fou lo now is serious and was gonna take Kae outside the Castle when...

"Kae Winster" Lightning strikes Kae as she heard her name being called by the Prince.