Just after the betrothal ceremony, her father had hosted a three-day feast once the Blackstones' had left. She body Lucian her farewells after he had placed a kiss on her cheeks, his eyes twinkling as he whispered an,
"I will be back for you, my queen." into her ears.
She still felt heat spread through her whenever she remembered her small conversation with the prince, how vulnerable he had been right in front of her and how he had held her hand out of the hall.
And like he'd promised, she received a letter heralding the prince's royal escort. With teary eyes, she body her parents her farewells reluctantly and the next, she was off to Narva on a voyage. Right on a ship that had belonged to Prince Lucien, his initials engraved on it.
The journey had been nothing short of a hassle and once the ship docked at the Blackstone harbor, prince Lucien and his entourage appeared right on time to welcome her.
She huffed, managing to steady herself when her feet still felt wobbly from the travel. She couldn't recall how many times she had thrown up on the ship.
"Welcome to Narvan soils, your highness." He curtesiesd, giving her that smile that made her heart do a three-sixty turn in her chest.
She bowed in reverence of him, noticing the few knights he had with him, and an elite knight wearing simple outfits to aid his stealth.
"Thanks for having me, your majesty."
The night followed suit to bow to her, "Welcome, princess. Mordred at your disposal."
Lucien chuckled, noticing she was taken aback by the knight's sudden acknowledgment of her presence. "Come on now, Mordred. You'll give the girl an heart attack. Come with me, let's get you home."
Reaching for her hands, he walked her over to his private carriage, helping her in as they begun the journey to the Blackstone palace. A land she had only heard of in bed time stories and read about in books. The sounds of the horses neighing were the only signs that they were indeed departing.
"I apologize for not coming to pick you up myself from Elrandal. I should have at least paid my respects to the king and queen but I got caught up in court matters. I do hope that they understand my plight."
She waved her hands frantically, "No, no. It is fine your Majesty! I'm sure they understand." Bronwyn retorted, shying away when she noticed that he still held unto her hand.
The prince chuckled when her skin turned a shade of scarlet, his hand slightly lifted her chin up, making her face him as she blinked continuously,
"I didn't get to thank you the other day. Thank you, for helping me get by that night. Please, by all means, call me Lucien. I'd rather you not address me formally."
She nodded, her mind foggy from their close proximity. Then she heard him speak again, drawling out each words,
"Is that alright by you? Bronwyn?"
He probed, pressing closer to her with their faces merely inches apart, flustered, all she could do was nod again, earning another smile from him. He lifted her hand to his cheek, inhaling before kissing the insides of her palms she stilled under his touch.
Then the horses came to a halt at once, right in front of the majestic palace gates just as they stepped out of the carriage. Bronwyn's mouth fell wide open, bedazzled by the majestic architecture that stood right in front of her, boasting of the Narvan empire.
The Blackstone palace was ten times bigger than all the castles combined in her little home. Then she began to wonder how her mother had successfully managed to pull off an engagement between her and the Prince.
Smitten, she watched the golden palace stand tall, the gigantic building made with rare stones and bricks. She jolted on her feet when sje felt an arm touch her.
"Bronwyn, you're gawking."
She huffed as she backed away from him, "I'm so sorry your majesty., I've never been outside the walls of Elrandal and now, I'm staring at a legend!"
She muttered candidly and he could see the awe in which he regarded his kingdom. Prince Lucien chuckled, the sound of his deep timbre voice doing unfathomable things to her.
"I know Narva is a lot to take in. Wait until you see the rest of it all. Come now, let me give you a proper welcome while you feed your curiosity with the majestic views from inside the palace. I'll even let you go sightseeing, you'll enjoy the wonders of Dremlin and Aranspeth. There is a lot to indulge in."
Her eyes lit up like a million stars in the sky from the excitement that had begun to swell inside of her, Hazel eyes twinkling, "Really?!"
She exclaimed but suddenly, the beam in her eyes went out of them, her countenance downcast, she spoke again,
"That's impossible. No princess is allowed that much freedom to wander freely. The Emperor would never grant that request."
He wiggled his brows playfully, "Not if it is a request from the crown prince himself." Lucien cooed, "Besides, you're no princess. You're the soon to be queen. His majesty would never decline whatever might make you happy."
She felt his hot breath on her neck when he meant closer, whispering into her ears. Like a naive child, Bronwyn chuckled foolishly, feeling her excitement bubble back to life.
She was going to be a queen! An Empress with such a sweet and loving prince beside her who continued to stare at her with those dreamy eyes that seemed to darken whenever his gaze ravaged her. Now she was beginning to like the whole idea!
The elite knight joined them when the palace doors pulled open and the maids rushed out to help her with her luggage. As much as she had tried to travel light, she still couldn't help but take everything that had belonged to her back home, leaving no memories of herself behind.
The ornate building glowed unnaturally like a kingdom out of a fairy-tale. Little incandescent flowers with different colors snaked themselves round the chandelier, casting an otherworldly light on every surface in the room. The jewels of diamond, ruby and sapphire seemed to absorb the glow, the light bouncing off in several directions.
The walls of the castle was covered in gold and white, the floor marbled. Then, suddenly, they halted in front of a huge door and Lucien pushed the door open and they both strutted in.
Rather than the grandeur and exquisite welcome Bronwyn had expected, she was met with downtrodden gloom as the emperor and his queen ate lunch like two strangers,
"Father, mother. The princess has arrived." The prince watched both his parents acknowledge them both with a hum, never sparing them any glance.