Diplomacy: A Princess's Guide Pt. 03

She took a deep breath.

"Mary told us so much about you. You are a good person and I still believe you can look past the hate that has been engraved into the very foundation of the society you live in. You can help us, you are the only one who can."

I looked at the Queen, who had tears in her eyes, and I couldn't help, but feel compassion towards her. Although I hated myself for it.

Slowly she turned her head to Carr. "Let her room door unlocked. If she tries to flee, you know what to do."

"Don't even think about running away, Princess," Carr growled, "because I have to bring you back and I have no interest in being stabbed again."

The Queen huffed a laugh. "I am sorry Carr, but what?" she asked and turned to Carr.

"Our little Princess here is quite a fighter. She didn't really like when we took her."

The Queen looked at me, surprise written on her face. "Take it as a sign of good will. Your room will remain unlocked and you are free to visit the city of Asteria and get to know us. But if you run away or try anything funny, don't underestimate me."

"Or me," Carr added, glaring at me, as if he could read my thoughts. Well fuck you, bastard.

"Now, please excuse me, I have a country to rule." She kissed Lex' cheek and turned to me, giving me a genuine smile, before she left the room.

***

Kassandra walked me back to my room. She was much more approachable, at least she tried to be and after a while, I talked to her. A little bit.

After she had opened the door to my room, she walked inside with me and closed it behind her.

"I know that you don't trust us. And I know that you think we are the villains. But we are not. I can assure you that," she said softly and I crossed my arms over my chest.

"I was taught my whole life that you are... vicious. It is not exactly easy seeing you as anything else, when I had just been kidnapped."

"I can imagine, but I promise, we will not hurt you."

"You didn't hurt me, but that doesn't mean, that I have to trust you, or believe you," I stated coldly.

She nodded, stepped closer, her arms reaching for mine, before she gently touched them, her skin soft and warm against mine. "I am sorry, Princess, I know that it must be confusing, but you have to understand, we are desperate. Our people are dying. And we had to do something about it."

Something in my head told me that I could understand them. But I didn't want to be swayed so easily. I would assess the situation as always and then think about what to do.

"I have to think about all of this, to fully comprehend what is happening. Give me time and don't expect me to make a decision immediately, or something stupid like that," I replied.

Her dark eyes didn't leave mine for a moment, while she nodded. "We will take what we can get," she smiled and bowed. "Well, I will leave you alone now, I suppose, and see you later. Enjoy our food, enjoy our company, enjoy our men," she added with a wink and I rolled my eyes.

"Bye, then."

She left and closed the door behind her. I waited for the familiar "click" to indicate that the door was locked, but it didn't happen. I could still leave my room.

I quickly ran over to the window and pushed it open. There was no lock, just as I had suspected. And a good drop, to my death.

I wanted to leave the castle, but at what cost? Surely they would just hurl me back and then I would be tied up again. Sighing I fell on the bed and looked at the stone ceiling.

I could feel the heat radiating through the walls, as the summer was starting to burn. It was the start of the season, the time when my father had always planned his annual trip, taking a carriage ride through Moira. We would visit the different provinces and see the farms and livestock.

I loved this trip. My father would tell me stories and I would tell him about what I had experienced over the years.

This was the first time I would miss it.

I missed my family, my home, I missed Asher. I hoped that he was alright, wherever he was, because if he was searching for me, he could be in danger. Maybe the people who had killed that merchant had killed him, too. His blood on someone's hands, lifeless eyes staring into nowhere, his once full of love face, gone. My chest tightened at the thought of him gone.

I sat up in an instant.

If they said they wouldn't harm me and they needed me, I could surely ask them for a favor. I just had to try.

Slowly I opened the door and looked left and right. No one was to be seen. So I stepped out and closed the door.

"Princess, are you okay?" a voice called and I turned around.

"Oh, yes, I am fine, thanks," I said and walked towards her, a young woman, wearing a maid outfit.

"I am Cecilia, your maid, your Highness." She curtsied.

"It is nice to meet you Cecilia. Could you please take me to the Queen or the Prince? I have to talk to them, it is urgent."

If they were looking for me, they would be within the borders of Asteria already.

She blinked in confusion but nodded. "This way, your Highness."

I couldn't run or fasten my walk, without looking ridiculous, so I waited for her to lead the way and then followed. I felt her curious eyes watching me from time to time, but I gave my best to ignore it and continue.

"Do you know where the Prince is?" I asked and the young woman nodded.

"Probably in the library, your Highness."

I nodded and thanked her, before she took another few turns and opened the door to the library.

Lex was sitting in the corner, reading a book.

"Your Highness, Princess Enya wanted to see you," Cecilia said quietly and walked out of the room, leaving me alone with him.

He closed the book and looked at me in confusion.

"Hello, Princess. What happened to give you such haste in finding me?" he asked and I sat down across from him.

"I wanted to talk to you. It is important," I said and he watched me closely, his brown eyes searching mine.

"How can I help you, Princess?" he asked and put the book aside. I folded my arms over my chest and straightened my posture.

"I want to ask you for a favor. One I expect you to fulfill."

Lex lifted an eyebrow, a frown appearing on his features, as he listened to what I had to say, when I started talking to him.

"I am sure, there are people that are looking for me. I fear for them. I don't want them to get hurt or killed."

He sighed and leaned forward. "I can't help you there, Princess, I can't let them roam freely and find you."

"But you can make sure that they won't get hurt." I knew that I sounded as if I was pleading, but I didn't care. Their lives were on the line after all, not my own. I would plead for their lives every day if I needed to.

"How can I do that, Princess?" he asked and I looked at him, desperation in my voice.

"I don't know, just don't hurt them. You are tall, strong, nearly unkillable, can't you just take them captive, just like you did with me?"

He sighed, but didn't answer immediately.

"Please, Prince Aedan, I am begging you."

His eyes flew to mine, when I called him by his second name.

One side of his mouth curved up into a smile and I had to clench my fists to prevent myself from punching him. This stupid smile was so infuriating!

"Let's make a deal. I will try to prevent them from being hurt, but you will try to understand us. Get to know us. Talk to us. And you will do so without being disrespectful the whole time."

I hated this man with every fiber of my being. The fists on my side opened and closed rapidly and I knew he could smell my overboiling anger.

"Well, Princess? Don't you want your precious Captain saved?"

I stiffened. Did he know? What was between Asher and me? He couldn't, could he?

"Of course I do," I hissed, trying not to make it sound so personal, though the intensity of his stare suggested otherwise. He knew, somehow he knew, the little rat.

"Good. It looks like we have an agreement, then. You will try, and I will do everything in my power, to get your people to safety."

I let out a deep breath, before I let out a quick Thank you and stormed towards the door.

I had nearly reached it, when he called after me.

"Princess Enya?" A shudder went through me, when I heard him say my name for the first time, "Where is the book you took out of the library the day I first saw you?"

I blinked in confusion.

"Which book?"

"The book about us, about the wolfborn."

I had given it to Asher, but I didn't know if he still had it.

"I gave it to the Captain. I don't know, if he still has it," I told him and he furrowed his brows, as he walked closer.

"Your Captain?" he raised an eyebrow.

"He is not my Captain!" I told him and poked my finger into his chest. His hard unyielding chest.

"Careful Princess, you'll break a finger," he said smirking and I pulled back, scowling at him. "As I said, I gave it to the Captain."

Lex smiled knowingly and sighed.

"Why did you give it to him?" he asked, his face expressionless, as he waited for an answer.

"Because he was looking for traces of wolfborn and I wanted him to be safe," I admitted quietly.

"Safe from what?" he asked, his eyes burning into mine, while he looked down at me. "If we were a threat to him, he would be dead, so we're not."

"But I didn't know that back then!"

"How do you know that now?" he asked and I huffed.

"Because you are trying to show me that you are not."

He nodded slowly, his eyes never leaving mine.

"You are so different now," he observed and cocked his head.

"Should I curse at you again, Prince Aedan?" I asked and raised an eyebrow.

"Just Aedan please, I don't really like being addressed by my formal title."

"So, Aedan, you prefer me cursing at you or actually trying to understand this situation?"

"The second one, of course," he grinned. "It's much easier to talk to you that way."

"Of course," I replied and he smiled.

"Well, as long as you don't stab me, we're fine."

"I wouldn't go that far," I said and he laughed, his voice low, vibrating through the room, reaching deep into my ears. It felt good, actually.

"Enya?"

"Hmm?"

"I am sorry about Mary. About what she had to do to you in order to get you to us." At the thought of Mary, my heart clenched. She wasn't a bad person. Even after all this, I had to think that. She was like a friend of mine. Or had been.

"I can't believe that she did that," I whispered, as I remembered the tears on her face.

"She did what she had to, in order to keep us safe and bring you back here."

"I know. That doesn't make it any better at the moment. How many wolfborn have infiltrated our kingdom? In important positions?" I asked him and he tried to avoid my gaze.

"What is it, Aedan?" I crossed my arms, when he looked up, guilt visible in his expression.

"Three."

"Who?" He let out a deep sigh and ran his hand through his hair.

"Aedan, if I am supposed to trust you, you have to trust me a little in return. I really want to understand what is going on here, so you can be assured that I won't run away. And as long as my people are safe, I don't have a reason to. So, who are those three wolfborn in important positions in Moira?"

"Mary, commander of the army, and Minister of Finance."

I felt dizzy. "Commander Aris is a wolfborn?"

"Yes, he is," he nodded, "and the Minister of Finance, as well."

I felt as if the world was collapsing around me, all the pieces falling into place.

"Enya, are you alright?" he asked and I took a deep breath, trying to calm my racing heart, "I have to go." I got up and stumbled against the chair and he caught me by the arms.

"Go where, Princess?" he asked and kept me up.

"To my room! I need some time for myself!" I said, my voice merely a whisper. "Aedan, please."

He eyed me worriedly, his eyes traveling from my pale face to my shaking hands and back up again, then slowly lowered his hands, giving me some space to steady myself.

"Alright, Enya."

I turned around and quickly walked out of the library and down the hall, heading back to my room.

I opened the door and fell down on the bed, trying to catch my breath.

It made so much sense now! Mary, insisting it hadn't been the wolfborn. Commander Aris not finding any clues. It was too obvious now, too easy to find out, but we were all too blind to notice.

I groaned and rolled around, hiding my face in the pillow.

It was too much for me at the moment. I was still confused about everything that was going on and now there was this too.

I closed my eyes and tried to calm down, but all I could think about were the three people in question.

Mary, the one person I had trusted more than anyone, but who had betrayed me.

Minister of Finance, who I had trusted with my life and who had been lying to me since he was appointed to this position.

And Commander Aris, who had served me my whole life, who had trained me in combat, when Aktaion was away.

I didn't want to believe it, but I knew that they had deceived me. My father had been deceived, too and probably didn't know about it yet.

***

I remained in my room for another two days, trying to process everything, before I agreed to join them for dinner. After all, I had promised to get to know them in exchange for Ashers safety.

A knock sounded at my door and pulled me from my thoughts.

"Yes?" I called and the door opened.

Kassandra came in, not wearing her usual leather gear, but a light blue dress. It was gorgeous and brought out her eyes. Her hair was tied into a ponytail and she smiled at me.

"I wanted to get you for dinner, but your hair and makeup is a mess."

I sighed and sat up, running my hand through my hair, trying to smooth it down, but it didn't really work. Kassandra chuckled and walked closer.

"Stop. You'll do something stupid, like pulling out strands and that will be worse. Sit over here, Princess, I'll quickly fix your hair. The colour is so pretty," she said admiringly, before she patted on a chair in front of a mirror.

"Thank you, I am able to brush my hair on my own," I told her and grabbed the brush, but she was quicker, and pulled it from my hands.

"Let me. Please. I'd rather be useful, than waiting outside for you."

I gave up and sighed. "Alright, you win," I muttered and sat down on the chair.

She picked up a comb and began untangling my long strands of hair. A quiet sigh escaped my lips, as the tips of her nails softly brushed across my neck while she fixed my hair.

"I really didn't think that you would look like this," she said quietly.

"Like what?" I asked, while looking at her in the mirror.

"This... pretty. We probably don't think better of humans than you do of wolfborn. So I imagined you ugly. But here you are, pretty, petite. Our men will be scared to break you," she said and laughed. Not that I had any interest in being physically intimate with a wolfborn.

"Thank you, I guess," I replied and she smiled, her green eyes sparkling.

She braided my hair into a messy updo, with some strands falling over my shoulder and back, giving me a messy but elegant look. She powdered some glittery eyeshadow on my lids and contoured my features and nose with a pencil. When I finally saw myself, I couldn't help, but look longer at myself in awe. I didn't look my best but definitely better than I had the past couple of weeks. The bags under my eyes were still present and very visible in stark contrast to my pale skin.

"There you go, Princess, looking good as new!"

"Thank you," I said and slowly got up.

The outfit was an ivory sheath dress, with an off shoulder design that flattered my fair skin, slender figure and feminine beauty. It was light, breathable fabric, perfect for the hot summer temperature. I used some matching jewellery to complete the look. It was subtle, beautiful and elegant.

"Now that you are ready to take everyone's breathe away... Come, I will lead you," Kassandra offered and held her arm out.

Together we walked to the dining hall, a big hall with massive windows and the ceiling even made from glass. Colourful chandeliers adorned the ceiling, and the table with beautiful flowers between the plates, made for a delightful setting. There were golden chairs placed evenly around the dark red table, a stark contrast, but at the same time it looked pretty.

The walls were decorated by colourful portraits of royalties and events.

Everyone turned around to see who just entered and stared at us.

"Good evening, Princess Enya!" a man with a huge grin and a thick beard said, while he stood up and bowed, before pulling back the chair, indicating for me to sit down.

"Thank you," I smiled, but the man just grinned, while he watched me like a hawk.

"I am the cook, chef, baker, anything you need, your Highness," he explained. "I am also the best swordsman in the whole castle!"

I smiled. "That is very nice to hear, but I don't want to test that, Sir," I said, trying to be polite.

"Of course not, Princess Enya, because you are a Princess, you are too good to dirty your hands with a sword!"

I turned around, my brows furrowing.

"You are mistaken, I am actually trained in weaponry, ask Carr," I said with a smirk and looked over at Carr who coughed in surprise.

"So, you are telling me, that this little thing can beat your huge ass?" the man said and crossed his arms over his chest, while he looked at Carr who frowned.

"Don't let her looks fool you, chief, she might be small, but she is fast and lethal, if she wants to be," he said and the man laughed out loud.

"Of course, Princess, but why would you need to fight, if you have all these big men protecting you?"

"I am a Princess, and I can protect myself, thank you very much," I said with a frown, making it very clear, that it was his turn to stop testing me.

He chuckled and shook his head, before he added, "Dinner is almost ready," and walked out of the door.

"You really do know how to handle the people," Kassandra smirked, before she took a sip of her water.

"I don't like people who underestimate me," I answered, while I sat back and observed my surroundings.

"I don't think they did," Carr stated, "but you managed to turn their confidence into doubt."

Kassandra chuckled but bit on her lower lip, so she wouldn't say something she regretted.

"I can't remember his name," I admitted and Kassandra laughed.

"The cook is Morkas, he is an asshole, but he makes the best food in the whole kingdom! And he is a good fighter, too," she told me and I nodded, making a mental note to stay on Morkas good side.

The Queen and Aedan had observed the encounter closely, their eyes twinkling in amusement.

A few moments later the door opened and servants and maids streamed in and put the steaming food on the plates. They had fish soup with sour cream, meat with vegetables and potatoes. Everything smelled great. My stomach growled hungrily at the wonderful scent. A few moments later, we all began eating and smalltalk filled the air, while everyone discussed the newest news and a festival in the next month.

The food was fantastic, the dishes incredibly creative and beautiful.

I felt the warmth of the wine spread through my body and I had to admit that it was pretty good!

"You look happy, Princess," the Queen noted and I blushed slightly, while I looked at my plate.

"You can't really blame her, your Majesty, after all, she hasn't tasted any real food in days," Kassandra interjected and laughed.

"Thank you for your insight, General," the Queen chuckled and then leaned back, patting her slightly round stomach.

"The only food she ate, when she was with us, was a piece of bread Lex shoved down her throat," Carr added and Aedan choked on his wine.

"You shoved a piece of bread down her throat?" the Queen asked, obviously shocked, and looked at Aedan, while he coughed and grabbed his chest.