Greetings

Princess Leanne's POV

"Welcome," boomed Prince Louis. Ok when I say boomed, I don't mean that he was shouting because he had no reason to shout. His voice was like Ed's, it was quiet but everyone immediately paid attention. We all bowed before him. "Crown Prince Louis, I thank you for inviting us to Zariya for the negotiations. You have a beautiful kingdom," said Phillip. "Thank you King Phillip, and please call me Louis, we are all friends here." The sentence was friendly and his expression was genuine, but his sister's face said otherwise. She was silent and unmoving.

I had to say the 2 sibling were a stunning pair. Louis was tall and even through his thick doublet you could tell he had a muscular build. His hair was pitch black was a stark contrast with the silver crown on his head. His silver eyes seemed warm and friendly, but they held something in their surface. Silver eyes and caramel skin was a strange combination but it suited him well. Beside him sat his sister, Princess Cordelia. Her hair was not as black as her brother's. It had a slight chestnut tint to it. Her eyes were not silver but big and brown. Her skin was caramel too and the silver corseted ballgown she wore emphasized her willowy build. She did not smile but surveyed. Her eyes swept over every single one of us but when her eyes reached Phillip they widened slightly, as though she saw or felt something change. I turned to look at Phillip and saw that his expression was similar.

The exchange lasted for a moment before she cleared her throat and said, "Your journey was pleasant, I hope? I hope that Naseem and Solaris were not late," casting a glance at Naseem as she spoke. Her voice was very whimsical. I turned to look at Naseem and found him already looking at me, hazel eyes alert. I tried to ignore the way my breath caught in my throat, or the way that my heart fluttered. He turned around to her and said "No we were spot on time, unlike you, Your Majesty." I stifled a gasp of horror at his words, expecting him to be thrown in jail. I blinked in surprise when Prince Louis and Princess Cordelia both laughed at his words. Lady Daphne appeared to be struggling to hold in her giggles. I turned to Ed to talk to him about the peculiarity of this situation and found his eyes fixed on Lady Daphne. She definitely was beautiful with her curly black hair and large caramel eyes, but Ed had never been one to stare at girls. In fact. it had actually led to Phil assuring Ed that he could marry anyone of his choosing even if they were a man. Dinner that night ended with Phil's head in pudding and Ed saying that while some men loved men and that was perfectly fine, he was not one of them.

It was with a start that I realised Naseem, Solaris and Princess Cordelia had been bantering whilst I was deep in my thoughts. Princess Cordelia raised her hand to signal that Naseem should fall quiet and he did, but not before rolling his eyes good-naturedly. She smiled warmly and it made her a hundred times more beautiful, before telling us that we should probably be escorted to our rooms for a bath and a meal if we were to be in good spirits for the ball tonight. "A ball?" I asked, before I could stop myself. Princess Cordelia nodded and said in her strange musical voice "In Alynthi, you have a ball once every 6 months celebrating the sun which is said to power your city, it is famous for ending exactly as the sun sets.  But here in Zariya we have a ball every 6 months celebrating the moon which powers our city. It last from sunset to sunrise. Therefore, you must all be well rested for the festivities." We all agreed and bowed once more before a butler came and escorted us out of the throne room and toward our chambers. I turned around to steal one last glance of those who were remaining in the room, and my eyes caught Naseem's. He gave me a warm smile and a wink before the doors slammed shut. I placed my hands on my heated cheeks in an effort to cool them down. What was this boy doing to me?

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