Three Days Later…
"How could Father do this to me? To me!" Lilliana wailed for what felt like the hundredth time, her voice tight with a sense of betrayal. She stared out the window at the passing landscape – rugged hills giving way to denser forests – but saw nothing, her gaze turned inward to her own bleak future.
The royal carriage swayed with a relentless rhythm that matched her turbulent emotions. The journey had been long, minutes turning into long hours, as they traveled across the winding roads from the familiar comforts of Tobit to the unknown territory of Eldoria.
Viviana, seated opposite her, appeared to be lost in her own thoughts, her eyes unfocused. "One hundred days", her mind calculated, a chilling counterpoint to Lilliana's lament. " That's the deadline The Abyss guild set. One hundred days to study prince Dominic, assess his routine, his guards, the palace layout and then… eliminate him. Did I pack the fast- acting paralytic poisons for close encounters? The slow- acting heart stopper for a more 'natural' demise? Yes, I think all is accounted for." Her invisible checklist was as precise and cold as the mission itself.
Just then, Lilliana's frustration overflowed. She reached across and shook Viviana's arm. "Vi! Are you even listening to me? I'm pouring my heart out here, facing a life of misery, and you're off daydreaming!" She pouted, her lower lip trembling.
Viviana blinked, her focus snapping back to the distraught princess. "Oh, I'm so dreadfully sorry, Lily," she said, her voice smooth and apologetic. "My mind was elsewhere, I confess. I was just running through an inventory, making absolutely sure all our gowns and jewels and your favorite embroidered slippers were packed, and that we weren't forgetting anything utterly vital, like your collection of painted fans or the new dresses we precured from Madame Dubois."
Lilliana sniffed, though a tiny bit mollified by the mention of her prized possessions. "Honestly, Vi, you're such a worrywart sometimes. You'd think you were the one being shipped off to marry a monster. Mother supervised the packing herself, you know. Everything is here, down to the last hairpin. Now, please, focus on my impending doom!"
Viviana offered a comforting smile. "Okay, okay, I'm all ears now. You have my complete, undivided attention. You were saying something about your father… and betrayal?"
Lilliana slumped back against the cushions, fresh tears welling in her eyes. "He betrayed me, Vi! He actually accepted the marriage proposal from Eldoria. From Prince Dominic! I don't want to marry a stranger! I don't want to leave Tobit, and I most certainly don't want to be shackled to some… some Eldorian brute!"
Viviana leaned forward, her gloved hand gently tapping Lilliana's, which were clenched tightly in her lap. "Lily," she began, her voice soft and reasonable, "you know your father loves you more than anything in this world. This must have been an incredibly difficult, agonizing decision for him, both as your loving father and as the King of Tobit." She paused, letting that sink in. "Think of it, Eldoria is… a powerful ally, Lily. Their military strength is renowned. Tobit needs that security, that assurance, especially with the unrest in the northern provinces. And Eldoria, in turn, needs our rich natural resources, our fertile lands, our access to the southern sea trade routes. It's a strategic partnership, a bond that will benefit both our kingdoms for generations.
Sometimes," Viviana finished gently, "royalty has to make immense personal sacrifices for the greater good of their people."
Lilliana scrubbed at her eyes with a lace-edged handkerchief. "But Vi, the rumors! Everyone at court has been whispering! I heard Prince Dominic is utterly hideous, like a mountain troll! That he's a brute with no manners, arrogant, and cruel beyond measure!" She shuddered dramatically, her voice dropping to a low whisper. "And worse… much worse… they say he dislikes women! Actively avoids their company! Prefers his hunting dogs and his soldiers! How am I supposed to live with someone like that for the rest of my life? It's a waking nightmare!"
Viviana's expression remained serene. "Now, now, Lily, don't let court gossip paint too grim a picture. Rumors are often just that – exaggerated tales spun from boredom and speculation. And even if some of it holds a sliver of truth," she added, her eyes meeting Lilliana's with a steady, reassuring gaze, "don't you worry your pretty head about it too much right now. I'm here with you, aren't I? We'll face whatever Eldoria, and its prince, throws at us together. And you know perfectly well I've never stopped practicing my swordsmanship with Captain Albert. If this Prince Dominic turns out to be truly a brute, or if anyone else tries to cause you harm or distress," Viviana's voice held a steely undertone beneath the comfort, "I will protect you. I promise. No one will harm you while I'm around."
Lilliana's tear-filled eyes searched Viviana's. Finding the loyalty she always did, she flung her arms around her friend. "Oh, Vi, what would I possibly do without you? You're the only one who truly understands! The only one I can count on!"
Just then, the rhythmic clopping of the horses' hooves slowed, and the carriage began to move a more smoothly paved road. The coachman's voice called out, muffled but clear, "We are entering the capital of Eldoria, Your Highness! The Royal Palace is just ahead!"
Viviana let out a loud, exaggerated sigh, pulling back from Lilliana's embrace. "Finally! Thank all the benevolent heavens! It felt like we've been rattling around in this glorified, gilded box for an entire century! I swear my teeth have been shaken loose."
Lilliana giggled, her mood momentarily lifted by Viviana's drama and the prospect of finally escaping the confines of the carriage. "I know! And they have the audacity to call it a 'neighboring kingdom.' It's awfully far for a supposed neighbor! I think my spine has fused into one long, bumpy line."
Viviana groaned ridiculously, shifting on the seat. "My bum," she declared with mock solemnity, "feels like it's been vigorously tenderized with a meat mallet for a week straight. I'm going to require at least a month of sleeping on a cloud of swan feathers to recover from this ordeal."
Lilliana burst out laughing. "You're not supposed to say that!"
Viviana smirked. "I'm not a princess. I can say what I want."
Lilliana's laughter continued, the sound light and pleasing despite her recent tears. "Oh, Vi, you're absolutely terrible! But I do believe my own bum is staging a revolt."
The carriage drew to a smooth halt before a palace that was indeed imposing. Outside the golden gates of Eldoria's palace, a group of guards stood waiting, their armor polished and gleaming in the midday sun. The palace itself rose behind them, tall and proud with sharp towers and dark blue flags fluttering in the wind.
Before the footmen could even react, a young man, impeccably dressed in a finely tailored dark blue tunic that accentuated his broad shoulders and slim waist, stepped forward and opened the carriage door himself. He had a warm, charming smile, kind blue eyes and looked no older than twenty-three, with golden-brown hair neatly swept back. He extended a gloved hand.
"Princess Lilliana of Tobit, I presume?" he asked, his voice pleasant and well-modulated. "A most sincere welcome to Eldoria."
Lilliana, who had been steeling herself for a troll, blinked in surprise. This man was… decidedly not hideous instead was looking so delicious. She tentatively placed her hand in his, a blush rising on her cheeks. "Yes… yes, I am," she replied, a little flustered, her earlier despair momentarily forgotten in the face of this unexpectedly pleasant reception. "And you are…?"
"Allow me to introduce myself, Your Highness," he said, his smile widening as he helped her alight from the carriage. "I am Lord Theodore, cousin to His Highness, Prince Dominic. It is an honor to receive you. The Queen and the Prince are eagerly awaiting your arrival in the main receiving hall. They are most anxious to welcome you."
Lilliana blushed, already smitten. "It's an honor to meet you, Lord Theodore."
Viviana, meanwhile, had stepped down gracefully from the carriage on her own, her movements graceful and quiet. She took a moment to subtly survey her surroundings – the number of guards, their positions, the layout of the courtyard.
Lord Theodore turned to her, offering a polite, respectful bow. "My lady."
"My lord, I am Viviana," she replied, returning his bow with a perfectly executed curtsy. "Lady-in-Waiting to Her Highness, Princess Lilliana." As she rose, her expression was one of perfect, demure deference. Yet, for the briefest of moments, as Lord Theodore's attention shifted back to the Princess to guide her towards the palace entrance, a tiny, almost imperceptible smirk touched Viviana's lips. It was a flicker of cold, cruel satisfaction.
"Prince Dominic, she thought, the smirk vanishing as quickly as it had appeared, replaced by her neutral mask. "Your days are numbered. And your handsome cousin might just be the perfect distraction for the grieving princess-to-be."