Royals of Ruemri Book I: Betrothal

Chapter 2 - Part 2

AFTER EATING supper with High King Alizade and Prince Raffe in the dining hall later that day, Soren immediately excused himself when the king left before everyone else, hoping to avoid further encounters with the prince or with everyone for that matter.

A maid escorted him to his chamber and was delighted to see Jiri when he opened the door. Soren also discovered, after a moment of awe and wide-eyed fascination with the room that was thrice as big as his room in Gwyndal, that there was another door leading him to a garden just outside his chamber. He looked around again and gawked at the thick mix of gold and velvet ornate decorations of doves, lions, and deer in the curtains, carpet, and bed.

Then suddenly, everything seemed too much. And that brought him to the conclusion that he was getting such extravagant treatment because he was betrothed to the empire's Crown Prince. He immediately regretted thinking about it because it made everything dull.

Soren was studying the rows of rose bushes when a knock came at his door. He regretted his action the second that he opened it because Thar Mal and his siblings paraded their way inside his chamber ignoring all his protests. He could only gape at them as they found their places and regarded him with impatient looks. Soren rolled his eyes and sighed exaggeratedly. Silly me for thinking that I could finally rest tonight without the familial talk.

"I know you're mad—" his father began.

"That's a splendid observation, Father," Soren said, cutting him off.

Under normal circumstances, such behavior would have landed him weeks of kitchen floor scrubbing, tedious stable chores, or perhaps even the arduous task of cleaning every shoe in the household. However, tonight was different. Soren felt the sting of anger bubbling within, a right he was entitled to exercise for an extended period. But Soren thought better than to be a brat. He told himself that he was an adult, and he would make adult decisions. Although by faie standards twenty summers old was still a child, unlike his father who will turn five-hundred-seventy-four in the coming autumn.

Thar Mal pretended that he hadn't heard a thing and continued. "And I know that you felt betrayed because we hid it from you."

"I'm pretty sure Malin enjoyed that."

He cast a venomous glance at his brother, sprawled on the bed with a smug air, lazily running his fingers through Aliya's hair as she nestled her head in his lap. "You have no idea," he said and Soren fought the urge to strangle him. "Why do you strongly object anyway? Anyone in their right mind would be elated by the prospect. You're getting the full package—marrying a prince of an empire."

"And you get to live in a palace," added Aliya.

Soren glared at them. "You two should marry him then."

Malin snorted. "I could bed him, but producing a bloody heir is beyond my capabilities."

"Quit using 'bloody'," reprimanded Aliya, turning her attention to Soren. "I can give him an heir, but ruling an empire is not in my skill set."

"And what makes you think that I can while you can't?"

"Because," Aliya slowly sat up and gave him a tolerable look that adults would always give to children who were slow and oblivious. "I wasn't trained to be a consort."

"Well, I didn't ask you all to train me! But you did it anyway even without my consent," Soren snapped and slumped in his chair.

Malin threw his arms around Aliya's shoulders protectively. "Mind your manners, you brat. And stop blaming Ali. It's not her fault that the Hirah's Thar took a fancy to her and asked Father for her hand."