The distance between our White Pavilion and the Royal Pavilion was short, yet it felt like crossing in a thousand steps. We had changed our dress and matched as a family, pristine white.
We moved as a single family. Father led the way with Mother on his arm. Aurelio walked a step behind them on the left, looking flawless in his white suit. As I walked on the right, mirroring him.
"Shoulders back, Aurelio," Mother whispered. "You represent the future of this House."
"Yes, my mother," Aurelio replied instantly.
The Royal Pavilion was a cavern of blue velvet and gold pillars. As the herald in front of the tents saw us, he immediately announced our arrival to the inside.
"Presenting the House of Aurelius…"
As his voice shouted, echoing off the tent walls.
"The Duke and Duchess of Aurelius with their young lord and young lady."
As we entered, some eyes turned toward us.
To my right, the House of Aemilia was a little bit chaotic, as laughter erupted from their table. As Lady Eliana was there, loud and lively, though her eyes lingered for a moment on my father before she raised her glass to him.
To my left, the table draped in black leather was completely empty. Looking at the table, I assumed it was the table for House Valerius, yet they had not arrived.
However, near the High Table, there was another significant group.
"The Regent is here," Father said with emptiness in his voice.
Sitting at a table was the Regent of the Kingdom, Cato Justina. The position that should have been held by my father. And beside him sat his daughter, Lady Anna Justina.
While everyone in here was sharp and imposing power, she was… soft. She wore a gown of pale lavender that floated around her figure. Her short red hair and her gaze looked perpetually innocent.
As I looked at Lady Anna, I saw her glance towards the High Table. She wasn't looking at the food; instead, she was looking at the Crown Prince.
We approached the High Table. The King was absent as the Queen sat alone in the centre. To her right sat the Crown Prince Fabian. He sat at the edge, looking utterly bored. To her left sat the Second Princess and the Third Prince, both engaged in conversation with each other.
"Your Majesty," my father said as we didn't show any bow towards the Royal.
"Duchess," the Queen said. "We were worried the 'pristine' white of your dress might get stained by the rustic surroundings."
"The mud is an inconvenience," Mother replied smoothly. "But one endures for the sake of…" Her smile sharp as a blade, "unity. Besides, white is easily cleaned if one knows the proper methods."
The air between them snapped.
"Please, take a seat…" the Queen said coldly. "And for Aurelia, I think Aurelia should take a seat beside Fabian…" She showed a smile toward my mother, "For sake…Unity…"
My mother's smile didn't change, yet I saw her eyes sharpen. It was a command from the Queen. To refuse would be to break the fragile illusion of unity, as my mother, who presented the word first, and the Queen just echoed it back with me as captive.
"Go, Aurelia," Mother said softly, though her voice was stern.
I said while clutching my skirt. "Yes, Mother."
I stepped away from my family, seeing that Lady Octavi was behind my family and immediately walked behind me. Aurelio and my parents took their seats at their table, which was covered in a white tablecloth embroidered with gold thread.
Every step felt heavy towards the seat beside the Crown Prince. I could feel the gaze of the entire room on my back, yet Lady Octavi's presence behind me gave me the courage to continue. I shouldn't be here, even sitting beside the Crown Prince; I shouldn't do that.
I reached the seat beside the Crown Prince.
Fabian, who had been looking at his wine glass, suddenly turned his head.
The moment he saw me, the boredom vanished from his face. He didn't just look at me; he stared. His stare was intense, focused, and terrifyingly attentive. However, as I stared towards his eyes, I saw a glimmer of recognition and warmth that made my heart skip a beat.
He stood up and pulled out my chair.
"Finally," he whispered as his voice was low enough that only I could hear. "I thought you would not arrive."
I sat down, "Your Highness…"
"Fabian," he said correctly instantly, "I had done what you had told me, the apology letter… So with that, you should call me by my own name, not an honorific again, Aurelia…"
"Fabian," I felt the name on my tongue. As it felt heavy, filled with the weight of the public spectacle he had caused with that letter, and more importantly, the one that I had caused. "You have indeed done as I asked. Yet, we are under the watchful eyes of the entire kingdom, especially your mother."
"Let them watch, Aurelia," Fabian said. "Let them see that my apology was not just merely ink on parchment. I want them to know where my loyalty lies."
"Loyalty is a dangerous word to speak so freely in here, brother."
A sharp and mocking voice cut through our moment.
I leaned forward slightly to see past the Queen's imposing silhouette.
Sitting on her left, Prince Tito, the Third Prince, sat with a relaxed air. His blonde hair was perfectly styled, yet his blue eyes held none of Fabian's characteristics, only coldness and sharpness. He was looking directly at me.
Beside him sat the Second Princess. She was a terrifying mirror image of her mother, possessing the same long hair and piercing blue eyes. She didn't speak; she simply just observed me.
"Tito," Fabina's voice hardened. "I did not ask for your opinion in here."
"And yet, here we are," Tito countered as his gaze locked onto mine. "Lady Aurelia. I trust you received my… gift? I selected it personally."
The air at the table seemed to freeze. My parents, sitting nearby, went rigid. As I looked at them, I knew they had known about his gift, as they had their eyes on the home even though they hadn't arrived.
The Tansy Flower. The declaration of war or hate from him.
"It was a unique choice, Your Highness," I replied as my voice steadied despite the rapid beating of my heart. "Yellow is a bright colour. Though some say it clashes with white."
Tito's smile widened. "Oh, I think it provides a necessary contrast. A reminder that even in a garden of pristine white, there are always… plants that refuse to be plucked."
"Tito," the Queen warned softly.
"I am just merely making conversation, Mother," Tito replied. "I am simply eager to see how Lady Aurelia handles the environment of the hunt. It is far more dangerous than the Arch-Treasury. Accidents always happen so easily in the woods, even in the camp."
Suddenly, I could hear footsteps behind me, closer towards me. Stopping right at the back of my chair.
It was Lady Octavi.
She didn't speak. She simply stepped out and positioned herself directly behind me. She stood like a statue. She didn't look at me; her gaze was locked entirely on Tito. Her left hand moved from her side and came to rest on the pommel of her sword.
She didn't draw it. She didn't even grip it tightly. She just rested her hand there casually, like a silent promise that if an 'accident' were to happen, she would be the one causing it.
For a long, tense moment. The only sound was the crackle of the bonfires outside. Tito's arrogance wavered as he broke eye contact first, looking down at his plate.
He had received the message from Lady Octavi.
The tension didn't vanish, yet it shifted. Tito picked up his glass, taking a slow sip to mask his retreat. As the Second Princess watched the exchange, her eyes flicking from Lady Octavi's hand on the sword back to me with renewed interest.
Fabian, however, didn't seem bothered by all of that. He seemed pleased by Lady Octavi's reaction. He leaned closer to me, his shoulder touching me.
He picked up a silver fork and offered me a slice of roasted pheasant from his own plate. "Eat, Aurelia. You look pale."
I hesitated, then took the bite. I could feel the eyes of the entire room on us. Yet here he was, feeding me.
Then…
"Careful!"
The shout came from the right.
A young maid, perhaps my age, had tripped on the edge of the dais. She was holding a heavy silver pitcher of red wine. As she stumbled, the pitcher flew from her hands.
It crashed onto the steps with a violent clang. Red wine splashed everywhere, dangerously close to Fabina's boots. The maid fell hard, landing in the puddle with a loud thud.
Silence crashed over the room.
"You clumsy fool!" The Queen stood up as her fury exploded instantly. "Guards! Drag this incompetent girl out of my sight!"
"Wait!"
A soft, trembling voice cut through the Queen's shouting.
It was Lady Anna.
She had rushed forward from the Regent's table, her lavender dress swirling around her. She fell to her knees beside the crying maid, ignoring the wine staining the edge of her gown. She placed a gentle hand on the girl's shoulder.
"She is bleeding, Your Majesty," Lady Anna cried out, looking up with her big and watery eyes. She looked straight at Fabian, clasping her hands together in a perfect plea. "We cannot punish her. It was an accident. Please… show me—"