After a few moments of cautious silence,
the hall doors opened once again with deliberate grace,
and a tall, broad-shouldered young man stepped in.
"His Highness Prince Ethan Solaris, second heir to the throne."
The chime of the announcement broke the stillness of the room. Everyone turned their eyes toward him
as he walked with a confidence untouched by years of war.
His blue eyes were as commanding as his stance, and his brown hair fell in soft waves over his forehead, as if he were born to be painted.
Following him with assured, feminine steps came a beautiful young woman...
Princess Diana, with her bright green eyes and a smile that held more than it revealed. She wore an emerald gown that clung to her figure like a second skin,
reflecting every light in the room off her golden hair.
When her gaze landed on me, she paused. A fleeting moment of silence, then her smile widened:
Diana (in a voice both cheerful and alluring):
"You must be... Arwa?"
I stood gracefully, fighting off an inexplicable inner tension, and smiled:
Arwa:
"Yes, it's an honor to meet you, Your Highness."
Diana stepped closer, extending a hand adorned with a large green ring:
Diana (watching me intently)
I instinctively looked at Kyle, who stared forward with a tension he didn't bother to hide.
Arwa (with a faint smile):
"I hope the news is good."
Diana (laughs):
"Very good... and sometimes thrilling."
Her tone was like a breeze across ice... neither warm, nor cold.
As for Prince Ethan, he remained silent, watching. Then suddenly,
he stepped forward and offered a slight bow:
Ethan:
"Pleased to meet you. This is the second time we've met."
I placed my hand gently in his and answered:
Arwa:
Smiling, "Yes, this is our second meeting, Your Highness."
Ethan (smiling):
"Your face suggests you can detect lies—
that you know family secrets better than the families themselves."
Arwa (shrewdly):
"It simply means I'm not surprised when nobles lie."
Diana suddenly laughed, her voice like cracking glass:
Diana:
"Clever! Now I understand why Kyle chose you... He picked a girl who knows how to stab before being stabbed."
We exchanged courteous smiles wrapped in veiled looks. That woman… was a sword wrapped in silk.
The servants approached with royal tea.
Everyone sat around the long rectangular table,
I next to Kyle, while Diana sat directly across from me, one leg crossed over the other, watching me as if I were a painting to be critiqued after dinner.
Diana (sipping her tea):
"Did Kyle ever tell you how he used to sneak out of palace banquets?"
Arwa (calmly):
"Yes. He told me a lot… but most importantly, he told me you always watched where he went."
Her eyebrows rose briefly before she let out a short laugh:
Diana:
"Oh, I thought he was smart enough not to reveal that."
Kyle (with a hoarse voice):
"Maybe I wanted the truth to be known."
Diana (calmly):
"Or maybe you wanted to tell her everything… before she heard it from another mouth?"
I held my teacup with slight tension—not from fear, but because the entire scene was a miniature battlefield, and the weapons were words.
Ethan (in his confident tone):
"Enough, Diana. We're here to welcome guests, not to discuss a boring past."
Diana (with a twisted smile):
"The past isn't boring when it's sitting across from you, in a gray dress and bold eyes."
The tension rose, and I maintained my icy smile.
Arwa (looking at the Empress):
"Your Majesty, I'd like to thank you for inviting us to the palace."
Deviana (calmly):
"Rather, I thank you for coming. I wanted to see you up close… news doesn't convey tone of voice, or posture."
Arwa (with feigned warmth):
"And I wanted to see all of you… especially Princess Diana. They always say her beauty can't be captured in pictures."
Diana (laughs):
"And were you disappointed?"
Arwa (looking into her eyes):
"Not at all… the pictures were far too modest."
Diana fell silent, adjusting one of her earrings.
Several heavy minutes passed before Ethan stood up:
Ethan:
"I suggest we give our guests a tour of the palace. Sara, Miss Arwa, Prince Kyle—would you like that?"
We all stood, and I felt something shift inside me. Something like a spark… but one that doesn't burn.
Diana walked beside Kyle, chatting about childhood memories. I followed behind, next to Prince Ethan, who suddenly leaned toward me and whispered:
Ethan (in a low voice):
"She's jealous of you."
Arwa (calmly):
"You knew from her tone?"
Ethan:
"From her walk… from how quickly she moves whenever you get closer to him."
Arwa (with a smile):
"And would the sister of the heir to the throne envy a duke's daughter? The gap between us is vast."
Ethan (philosophically):
"Sometimes… the moon envies the candle—just because it's the only one burning for someone."