Evelyn was heading to the throne room, where the whole royal family was waiting for her.
Her long blue dress was dragging behind her while she was walking confidently the big aisles.
"Oracle said you wanted to see me", the young princess said as soon as she took her seat.
"Yes, your father has an announcement for you" the Queen prologued.
"Does it concern me as well? If it is only Evelyn's matter, don't waste my time!" the Prince said bored.
"What is the matter, Alexander? Evelyn's life concerns and has consequences to the lives of all of us" the Queen wanted to calm down her beloved son.
"Evelyn... As you already know, next week is the kingdom's founding anniversary." the King went on.
"Please, do not tell me it's about what happened to the ball last year... I said I would not repeat the same mistake!" Evelyn became upset.
"No...This year, we will have some special guests..." King Jason said.
The siblings looked at each other full of curiosity.
"Queen Anne and her firstborn son, Prince Felix"
A long silence followed only to be broken by Alexander's voice: "And why should we care?"
"It is not just a guest" Queen Pandora answered.
"And what is he? " the Princess was trying not to explode as she had already suspected the purpose of that visit. "A possible future husband of mine?"
"Actually...the future husband of yours..." the King answered her wonders all at once.
Evelyn opened her mouth to say something, but nothing could come out. She couldn't find the words to describe neither her thoughts nor her feelings. Her ice-cold eyes were staring daggers at her father. She stood up and walked out of the room.
"Princess!" a housemaid saw her walking down the stairs, with flames spiking in her eyes.
She stayed silent and ran to her bedroom, shutting the door behind her.
"Evelyn?" a hesitating scared voice said.
"Oracle?" The princess looked at her attendant surprised. "What are you doing here?"
"I had orders to clean up your bedroom..." the girl answered trembling. "I think I should leave you alone..."
As soon as the girl left, the young Princess grabbed a pillow and threw it to the wall screaming.
Her brother, Alexander headed into his bedroom, as well, where Tierra, his secret love was waiting.
"Is that your sister screaming?" the pretty lady asked him.
"Who else would it be?" the prince said full of tiredness.
"What is it, again?" the blonde girl lowered her eyebrows.
"My father wants to marry her with Prince Felix..." Alexander unbuttoned his shirt
"And why is she behaving like that? Prince Felix is gorgeous!"
"Gorgeous?" He leaned in and looked deep into Tierra's eyes.
"Not as much as you, though." she gave him a kiss and he kissed her back as well.
"But honestly...why is Evelyn reacting that way?" Tierra pulled back.
"Okay...I get it...You wanna talk..." the boy stood up and looked outside his window.
"I think... she just wants to keep everyone in agony, because...well because it's your sister! She has been complicated her whole life!" she says while staring at herself in the mirror.
"You know, everyone on this palace thinks Evelyn is just weird and spoiled...I may not show it, but I am the only one who actually understands her." Alexander defended his sister.
"And what is your explanation, then?"
"Evelyn is not mean..."
"Do you even hear, what you say?" she interrupted him.
"Tierra, I speak seriously. Her whole life she has been trained to rule. They made her stop feeling and let her only thinking. And now, she is being told that, despite everything, she still is not enough...That she needs a king to protect her...How would you feel?"
Tierra stayed silent and continued brushing her silky hair.
Almost an hour later, Evelyn went to the stable to take her horse.
"Look who's here..." the stable boy who was observing from a corner said.
"...the spoiled royal serpent..." the knight next to him commented.
The stable boy giggled: "You know that if somebody hears you, you will be sent out of the kingdom..."
"Nah...My father will make them come around" the handsome knight smirked.
Both of the boys stopped laughing, as a man was getting closer to them with Evelyn standing right behind him.
"Can we help you?" the genial stable boy asked them.
"The princess needs some help with her horse. It is a bit unquiet today... It might throw her down." the tall man explained.
"Well...I have some work to do here..."
"It's okay, Bill! I am sure that Philip will be glad to accompany the Princess...Right?" the man looked at the charming knight.
"I..." Philip thought about it for a second. "Well...yes, of course!"
Bill gave his friend a weird look. "Don't worry...I won't let her bite me! Philip whispered.
The two seventeen-year-olds went to a huge green area. None of them said a word until Philip got the Princess' horse ready.
"Here you are..." he nodded to her to come closer.
"Ease off. I heard you had a bad day, today..." the knight was trying to break the ice between them.
"Well... It wasn't ideal..." the Princess tried to hide all of her anxiety.
"I was surprised though... Isn't a prince what every princess is looking for?" His tone was a bit ironical.
"Only those that don't have the strength to rule themselves!" Evelyn said, straight-faced.
"But you can rule, right?" he emphasized the word "can".
"What do you think?... Can I?" Her voice tone remained cold and unapproachable.
"Do you want me to be honest?" he took a serious look and Evelyn nodded positively.
"A good monarch is the one that genuinely cares about the kingdom and its people. That monarch is going to be the one that everyone remembers."
The Princess stayed silent for a while.
"You still did not answer..." she finally said., avoiding eye contact with him.
"I think both of us know that you don't care about anyone, but yourself..." he admitted with a calm voice, looking at her straight in the eyes.
"You know, I don't get it...All of you think that a stranger will make a more empathetic monarch than me?" she raised her voice a bit more. You could characterize her stare, even as threatening.
"Maybe not, but that does not concern us, does it?" Philip answered, without changing his tone.
"I mean... We were all supposing that you would go to his Kingdom..." he tried to explain himself to the young Princess, who was obviously confused.
Evelyn, lost in her thoughts, stayed silent for some seconds. That ice-cold face of her was freaking Philip out since he had no idea what she was thinking.
"So, everyone is worried that if something happens to my father, I will take over the throne..." she finally said.
"Everyone wants to assure that my brother will be the next monarch, right?" she raised her voice even more. It was the first time that Philip saw some emotion in her.
"No one cares about what becomes of me! Everyone just wants me out of here!" It was crystal-clear that she was angry.
Philip stayed silent and watched her riding her horse far away.
When the Princess went back to the Palace, she bumped into her brother.
"Woah! We got it! You are upset! But, are you also blind?" Alexander laughed at her.
"Can I have a moment of peace in that palace? Accidents happen, alright? Now, leave me alone!"
"Well...Sorry to disobey your wish" a voice from the Ballroom sounded.
"You have a letter from Prince Felix" Queen Pandora told her as the siblings entered the room.
"He sent a letter?!" Evelyn's face was full of disgust. "So, you didn't take a hint from my morning reaction, right? You insist on that marriage!"
"Just read the letter, Evelyn!" her mother stopped her daughter's muttering.
"FINE!"
Dear Princess Evelyn,
I am looking forward to meeting you next week. Despite this, I wanted to communicate with you before the big day arrived. It's been a long time since I last saw you. I imagine that you, as well as me, are not pleased with such a marriage. I wanna know more about your interests, your desires, and your beliefs. Let me know if you would love that too. If the answer to the previous question is yes, send me a letter, writing whatever you desire.
I hope that you stay as charming as I remember you.
Sincerely Yours,
Prince Felix of Osiris' Sword.
While reading it, Evelyn kept having an utterly cold and straight face, which made the rest wondering what was the Prince's message.
"What did he write to you?" Queen Pandora asked.
"Not your business, Mama." she left.
"For how long is she going to stay mad?" the Queen worried.
"Not long..." the King answered.
"Ha! You wish!" Alexander said while leaving the room.