“Aha…that’s my Leia. That’s exactly the advice I needed.”
Eric gave me a thankful smile, and I smiled back.
We’ve just taken one big step forward.
After dinner, Eric and I took a stroll through the palace garden; the night breeze caressed us as we walked. Illuminated by the moonlight, the palace garden looked like a wonderland at night.
“Thanks for everything today, Leia. And thanks for staying out so late with me like this.”
“Oh, no, I had a wonderful time. And it has been a while since we’ve been up so late together. Strange, we used to stay up together like this all the time when I was your bodyguard.”
“Come to think of it, you’ve taken care of me since the day I met you, Leia.”
“Oh, now don’t say that, Eric. You’ve taken care of me more times than I could count.”
“Have I?”
“Yes.”
I nodded firmly, and Eric smiled back softly. It was a gentle smile, the sort he never would have shown me when we first met.
I’ve seen him smile like this a lot lately.
The thought brought a smile to my face. Eric stopped in his tracks.
Is it just me, or is his expression kind of tense? I wonder what’s wrong…
I looked at him, waiting for him to speak.
“Leia.”
“Yes…Eric?”
“There was a reason His Majesty broached the subject of family at dinner.” Eric spoke slowly, his gaze on me turning serious. As his eyes, bluer than the ocean, beheld me, I felt myself tense. “Before he married my mother…my father proposed to another woman and was turned down.”
“I didn’t know that.”
“Of course you didn’t. I was just as surprised when he first told me. Apparently, she turned him down because she was sickly all her life and felt she wouldn’t be a proper mother for the future ruler of this kingdom.”
“I see…”
The sickly woman who turned down His Majesty’s proposal must have been a very empathetic person. It surely took a lot of courage to turn down a chance to be a queen. Yet, she made that choice.
“Then, the woman he married wound up dying soon after Dale was born. And until very recently, my relationship with Dale was not what you could call great, even if you were being charitable… So I imagine my father has some insecurities about what a royal family should look like—well, any family.”
“Meaning…he doesn’t want you to end up like him.”
The king’s boundless goodwill warmed my heart. It was clear that he loved Eric dearly.
“That’s what I think, yes. Which is why he’s trying to push me toward fatherhood.”
“He’s a wonderful person. I respect him even more now.”
And I meant every word. He cherished Eric and valued familial bonds. It was worthy of respect.
“Thank you… To be honest, all my life, the only thing that’s been on my mind was my role as crown prince.”
“But not anymore?”
“That’s right. Of course I want to live my life for Elshaid. But now I want us to be happy together, to guarantee that I am a proper king. How can I possibly make my kingdom happy if I can’t make my wife happy?”
“I see your point,” I giggled. I couldn’t hide my joy—I felt the same way.
It might have been a mundane conclusion to reach, but I wanted to be happy with the one I loved. It was a promise we made to each other. And just the act of making that promise made our future seem much brighter.
“That’s why I want us to each think about what we want to do in life. I’m sure this is the key to having a happy marriage.”
“Yes, I’ll gladly think about that.”
I took Eric’s hand, and he smiled bashfully. I loved the boyish expressions he had come to show me from time to time.
And there we stood, gazing up at the stars coloring the night sky.
The stars seemed to twinkle into infinity.
✦ ✦ ✦
“So, what do you think?”
“Yes. You look very nice.”
After a flurry of busy days, Foundation Day was here. At tonight’s banquet, my engagement to Crown Prince Eric was to be announced.
I stood before him now, wearing a new gown. It was made of dark blue fabric that darkened as it neared the hem. I loved the color, since it matched Eric’s eyes. The bodice was adorned with large diamonds that sparkled whenever I moved, and a similar style of jewelry adorned my neck, hair, and ears.
“Thank you, Eric. Your vote of confidence is the most reassuring of all.”
“Ha ha! Oh, don’t sell yourself short,” Eric chuckled as he looked me up and down. “All eyes will be on you tonight.”
He was dressed in formal attire, predominantly white—the very portrait of a crown prince. He was even more striking than usual.
“Is something wrong?” he asked, his voice tinged with concern.
“Er, n-no. I was just swooning…” I stammered.
“Swooning, you say? But I hardly look any different.”
I was embarrassed that I’d blurted out the truth, but Eric remained composed. In a way, I was a little disappointed, but it was an authentically Eric sort of response.
That dense man… He has no idea what effect he has on me. Eric was dignified to begin with, but that suit only amplified his aura.
“Well, I’m relieved to see you aren’t too nervous. That’s my Leia, steady as a rock.”
“Oh, I am nervous. I’m barely holding it together right now.”
“Ha ha ha! Oh, really? Sorry I assumed. Well, shall we go?”
I took Eric’s arm and we walked together to the party hall. Today was the biggest day of the festival, and Johann had said that the streets were just as lively as they were last year.
But this year, with the radical reforms that were passed, all of Elshaid’s subjects, common and noble alike, were anxious. We needed to make sure that the announcement of our engagement was a success. I hoped that it would brighten the mood of the kingdom, even if just a little.