I stand trying my best not to squirm as this formal suit constricts all of my movements in a severely uncomfortable way. I mean what if someone attacked us right now? I would have to tear the jacket off first before I would be of any use. I envied the guards in the room at their stations, wearing their uniforms, designed for agility and protection. This black fitted suit seemed more like a death trap than anything else.
I glance at my brothers who haven't been speaking to me since they found out what I had said to Daella. I had no regrets about it, they might be angry now but it will be for the best, she was a distraction that needed to be removed.
Alvaryn leans close to Aeris and says something quietly while Aeris nods in agreement and I turn back to face the doors to the greeting room.
Let them have their secrets, let them sulk and sit in their anger, they would move on eventually and I will know that I did all I could to make sure they didn't make the biggest mistakes of their lives.
Varis leans close to father at his side while Mother takes her seat, Father nods at whatever Varis is speaking to him about and I turn back to the doors letting out a frustrated sigh as I stand waiting for our guest.
It was to be a formal welcoming of Prince Arden and then a family dinner with him as our guest.
The whole idea made me uncomfortable. They had been our enemies for years and now all of a sudden they wanted to band together and have peace. I didn't buy it, I didn't trust anyone from his kingdom, most were born with dark magic. I didn't blame mother from being born in the Nievenyth Kingdom, nor her dark magic, but at least she chose not to use it.
Arden was different, he revelled in his dark nightmares. I had witnessed him on the battlefields bringing men to their knees as his nightmares reeked torment and torture on their minds. He was relentless in his assault and I could see the revelry in his eyes as he watched my men fall to his magic.
The guards snap to attention and move to open the doors and I stand a little straighter as Arden steps into the room.
His white blonde hair the exact shade of Mother and Aeris, only his was cut shorter, much like Alvaryn's it was short around the sides and a little longer on top pushed back and away from his face. He wore a black riding suit as he stalked in with an arrogant grin on his face, his black riding boots clipping on the floor. His ice blue eyes stare straight ahead as he walks to the dais.
He stops as he nears the dais, a little too close for my comfort and nods towards Father and Mother.
"King Harwyn, Queen Marlia and my cousins," He nods towards us. "I feel honoured to be a guest in your beautiful Kingdom and extend my gratitude for you allowing me to enter your palace walls." His words sure and smooth like a practiced speech.
"Prince Arden we are glad you have come and look forward to your visit and your offers of peace between our Kingdoms, it has been many years since we lived in peace with Nievenyth and it would bring us much joy to live so again." Father says in return.
"Thank you King Harwyn, I look forward to discussing our ideas with you and your council and hope that we can come to an agreement of what our futures will come to be."
Every one of his words and smiles and gestures is too precise, too perfect and I can't help but fist my hands behind my back as I stand still and silent. I didn't trust him, I didn't trust anything he was saying and even said as much to Father when he had told me about the planned visit, but he had insisted I was wrong and the idea of peace was a good thing for our Kingdom.
"Well you have travelled many days to reach us, please let our servants show you to your rooms and get settled in. We have a family dinner planned for this evening that we would like you attend and hope you will be able to join us." Father smiles as if he believes every single word coming out of Arden's arrogant smug mouth.
"Of course, I would be delighted to join you and your family for dinner this evening." Arden nods again.
"Excellent!" Father claps his hands, calling for servants to show Arden to his rooms before he leaves with another bow to Father and Mother, just as he is about to turn and leave he catches my eye and the corner of his mouth lifts. I can't help but take it as a threat of some kind, like he is just proving to me how convincing he could be and how his act had already won everyone around him.
I wait for him to leave and the doors closed before relaxing my stance.
"Shouldn't we have told him about the Offering, warn him about the presence of the chosen?" I ask turning to Father.
He lifts a hand to placate me. "We can speak of it tonight at dinner, I'm sure he isn't about to go wandering around the palace anytime soon so he would have no reason to even know of the chosen's presence."
"I still think it is irresponsible to have someone from our enemy kingdom here while the chosen are here in the palace." I press, trying yet again to get him to see the risks.
He sighs heavily. "Demwyn, I understand your caution in this meeting, but at the end of the day, they have offered a road to peace, something that would benefit our kingdom greatly. He is one Prince, not an army at our doorstep. Your role as general has served us well but for now all I want you to be is a Prince welcoming his cousin to our home in the hopes to join our Kingdom's like they once were."
Mother stands with one of her servants and smiles at me, Alvaryn and Aeris before leaving the greeting room to return to her private rooms. Varis is already at my Father's side whispering in his ear as usual.
I want to turn to my brothers and make sure they know to be wary, to not believe Arden's claims of peace and his act but before I can speak to them they leave the dais and out of the room.
I grip my fists tighter. I suppose I would have to be the only one who refuses to believe his act.
Our usual dinner was small and comfortable, most of the time it consisted of my brothers and Father, quiet conversation would fill the silence.
This however was far from comfortable. I stand behind my chair as Mother walks in, her lavender gown flowing around her as she smiles at each of us, usually choosing to eat alone in her rooms she is here because of Arden.
Arden immediately goes to her and offers her his hand. "My dear Aunt, you are looking positively radiant." He smiles while leading her to her seat.
"Thank you Arden, you are too kind." She smiles, shaking her head softly. He kisses the back of her hand before moving to his own chair beside Aeris.
I notice Alvaryn and Aeris watching him with the same wariness as he waits for Father to take his seat.
Once we are all seated Father begins the conversation. "Arden, we should let you know that we are in the middle of The Offering, a time in which the human women from our treaty stay at the palace and engage with the High Lords before being chosen as wives. The Selection will be happening just after your departure."
"What an exciting time this must be for your High Court, choosing brides and carrying on their lineage is an important task." Arden replies.
"Well it won't only be our High Lords choosing wives this time, my sons, the Princes will also be choosing a wife each from this offering." Father continues while serving his plate.
I see Arden falter for merely a second before collecting himself with a confident smile. "Well then this Offering is a special one indeed, it is a shame I will not be here for the Selection to see my cousins choose their brides." He looks over at me and I return the stare waiting to see who breaks first.
"Well you have been invited to one of our events during your visit where the chosen will be. You yourself have not found a wife yet, correct?"
Arden shakes his head with a smile breaking his stare from mine. "I have not unfortunately. While we have a similar event take place in Nievenyth to marry our High Lords with human women, we have not passed on that tradition to the royal family."
"We were hesitant as well, but it is time they start producing heirs and securing our future. The Offering has allowed us to grow as a Kingdom and I feel this decision will only strengthen us." Father takes a sip of wine as Arden smile back in return.
"I'm sure you gave much thought and consideration before making your decision and know what will benefit your Kingdom best."
Father smiles in return before turning to Mother to speak to her quietly, she smiles back, nodding at his words. It's nice to see Mother like this, with us instead of alone in her rooms.
"So cousin Demwyn, you must be excited for the Selection as you call it, choosing a wife is an important decision. I myself couldn't imagine having such a responsibility choosing a human as a wife." I turn to him as soon as he starts speaking watching as he cuts his meat on his plate and glances up at me, casual and confident as he eats.
"It is an important decision, one that will help secure our Kingdom." I reply.
He nods slowly. "Still, all three of you must have entertained the idea of marrying a fae female, someone actually suited to being a Princess and future Queen."
Alvaryn looks up at that, his eyes focussed on Arden and I see Aeris tense beside him.
"What makes you think the woman we choose won't be suited to being Princess?" Alvaryn counters and Arden only shrugs, chewing on his meal as if he is having a normal, completely harmless conversation.
"Well they would have been raised in your Kingdom, had all the training and education relevant to your people. The human you choose would have none of those, a few weeks spent at the palace teaching them the basics of civility and common manners wouldn't compare to a fae female." Arden replies, barely even looking up from his plate.
"And while your own lineage diminishes into nothing because of your inability to produce heirs, then perhaps you will consider our decision is the best one." Alvaryn replies, clearly caught in Arden's web.
Arden laughs softly which only seems to make Aeris more tense, his hands gripping his utensils tightly. "I understand the importance of having heirs and the entire reason for the Offering as you call it in the first place, we need the human women to have children and further our people. But that does not mean we need to marry them and make them Princesses and Queens in our Kingdom. You can sire children without needing a marriage, and they would be born half fae and be raised as fae, making them appropriate to carry on the family line."
"So instead you would pick a human woman to bed and give you heirs, stealing her children from her to raise as your own and then just leave her to die without marriage or care of comfort?" Aeris demands, turning to Arden with fork and knife gripped firmly in his hand.
"No one said anything about stealing. Any children produced by me would be my property, that is the law. The woman would be compensated for carrying and delivering the child. I would then be free to choose a fae female as my wife who would be more appropriate to fill the role." Again another shrug like he had no idea he was angering three fae males while stuck in a room with no one to support him.
Could we do anything? No. I knew that, but that didn't stop me from thinking about it.
"You arrogant self-serving wanker, what gives you the right to treat them as your property, they are people, just like us, you can't just buy one and send her on your way when you're done with her." Aeris snaps suddenly catching the attention of Father and Mother. Arden stares back like he is honestly surprised by Aeris' reaction.
"Forgive me, it seems we share different views on the whole thing. I didn't mean to offend you, our Kingdoms are very different in their beliefs, and the entire reason I am here is so we can share our customs and beliefs and hopefully create a strong bond between us." Arden says calmly, his words delivered smoothly.
Aeris opens his mouth to say something in return before Father interrupts. "Arden, please, tell us about your journey here."
Arden's confident smile snaps into place as he begins to tell of his travels and I watch Aeris cautiously.
Aeris glares at his plate before looking up at Alvaryn who shakes his head subtly. Aeris seems to relent, stabbing his plate repeatedly with his fork before placing it in his mouth.
I hadn't expected Aeris to react like that, I didn't agree with Arden, I knew neither of my brothers would but for Aeris to snap back like that instead of reply in his usual cocky arrogant way was not what I wanted. Perhaps he was still angry because of Daella. It was taking longer than I had expected for both of them to forget her and move on.
The Selection couldn't come soon enough in my opinion. Once they had both made their choices and had to live with them then their obsession with Daella would come to an end.
Actually Arden leaving our Kingdom couldn't come sooner, I didn't like the idea of him being here in the palace sneaking around, joining in on council meetings. Father may trust him and his illusion of peace but I sure as hell didn't.
Both of these problems would come to an end soon enough and then my brothers and I would begin the next chapter of our lives.