Sentria: The Knight Prince (Book 1)

Chapter Seventeen: Tea for Two

Prince Lucas and I sat at a table in the castle garden. The scent of the petunias and the bleeding hearts were so sweet that they overpowered our apple tea and biscuits. We sat in silence for a few moments, and I admired Lucas. He had grown quite handsome in the years since I had last seen him. His golden blond hair shimmered in the light. His features were pronounced, upfront and demanding to be adored like a marble statue. He wore an all-white outfit, white blouse, white jacket with gold trim, white trousers, white shoes, and a long white cape.

"I'm glad you could join me," Prince Lucas said, then sipped from his tea. "I wished I could have joined, but I'm often regulated to private councils with father. We clash heads most of the time and it's best to do such things away from the prying eyes of powerful men who might find fault in our lack of a united front."

"It went well," I said, buttering my biscuit. "We still must hear word from my father, but I'm sure he will agree to the plans."

"So Cordath has made up their minds then? War is it?" he asked.

"We are to prepare for the worst."

"I always knew that the north would strike again...Cordath and their greed. This time, we need to destroy them for good and take over their lands, freeing their people from tyrannical reign. King Solice doesn't want peace, so we shouldn't give it to them."

"I loathe them and all that they stand for,. I wished that their aims weren't so high and they'd stay in the forsaken north. The stories you've heard do not compare to the reality of the true horrors."

"I almost forgot that you had been held captive by those beasts. How ever did you survive?"

"By the skin of my teeth. The northern king and his wizard were more foul than you could imagine, but Sentria raised me to be strong in the face of adversity."

"And I'm sure your relic proved helpful." Prince Lucas puts his cup down.

"Yea, he was," I said, looking over my shoulder as if I had expected him to be standing there. I looked back at Lucas. "Without him, I wouldn't have gotten past the dark wizard. His magicks were too powerful to face alone."

"I'm glad to know it," said Prince Lucas with a smile. "I will admit, there is more to this meeting than my innocent offering suggested."

"Oh?" I uttered, once I swallowed my bite of biscuit.

"Yes, my father and I had a meeting upon your arrival. We both knew what such an act by the Cordathians meant. They kept the Sentrian High Prince under lock and key. War is inevitable. A new age is coming faster than any of us have expected, and we must venture to the future to bring it forth. The ground is shifting beneath our feet and standing idle will plummet us to depths unknown. Sentria and Stargon need to be united more than ever. Our people must be as one to take on the coming chaos." Lucas reached over and held onto my hand that rested on the table. "What I'm asking of you, High Prince Darren, is that we marry."

I coughed and covered my mouth to keep my tea from spilling out. If he had said that he turned into a wolf in the moonlight I wouldn't have been as surprised as this news.

Our wedding had been decided when we both came of age and our preferences became known to our parents. It was an accepted thing for the same gender to love each other, and as royals, we were allowed the choice of our partner's gender, even if we couldn't decide the partner. Kings and queens in the southern realms oftentimes had lovers outside of their marriage, which opened the door for women companions to carry their child for their continued reign. It was all very formal.

"This is sudden," I said to fill up the silence between us. I needed more time to think about this proposal before I could officially respond. I still had Eldwyn to think about.

"I know that this is unexpected, But why prolong the inevitable? I've always imagined a spring wedding, but depending on how this war proceeds, we could be married by the winter."

"The southern realms are already united," I said, looking around, piecing together my thoughts as they came to me. "Our union wouldn't change anything by any great degree."

"Yea, but the north is strong and getting stronger by the day. Cordath, Rainn, Meren, Kilgore will be coming for us and the eastern mountainlands could go either way. They respond to strength. If they know that are kingdoms have come together, they will surely side with us."

"Tarkarus will not side with Cordath." I narrowed my gaze on Lucas. "Neither will Invar and Vilquist. They are rebellious and it will take more than two preening princes coming together for them to change their minds. Assumption is dangerous."

"Reason is just as dangerous if used properly. Cordath will stop at nothing to see us destroyed, and with the dark wizard next to the throne and all the gold in their deposits, their influence rivals that of our realm"

I sighed and looked away. Prince Lucas withdrew his hand from mine and I clenched my fist.

"Nothing is set in steel," said Prince Lucas. "Think about it on your return home and send your answer to me by way of dove."

We finished with tea, stood up, and bowed to one another. The surprise still hadn't left my mind, but I had gotten good at hiding the truth behind a cordial smile. That was the royal way.

"Just so you know," said Prince Lucas as we stood there amongst the manicured bushes and bright flowers, "I still feel as I did when we were children before they  told us that we would be wed." He took a step towards me. "I think we always knew it, that we were meant for one another. It was something unsaid, but I felt it as true as the air."

"Good day, Prince Lucas."

"And to you, High Prince Darren."

We departed and I returned to my chamber more confused than ever. I needed to tell Eldwyn all that had transpired, but I still hadn't sorted out my feelings from before. Everything was crashing down upon me and I felt submerged in fear. Before this day I thought that the ensuing war was all that I had to contend with. I was wrong.