Chapter Twenty One: Gathinbelle

         “It smells terrible here,” I complained. So far I hadn’t found anything particularly ‘belle’ about Gathinbelle. It smelled terrible, the ground was covered in unpleasant slush and the sky had brown in it. It smelled like cows, even from miles away I could smell the overwhelming aroma of the town.

        Louis laughs. “I forgot to warn you. However, it might please you that inside of other markets and castle it smells much more pleasant. Gathinbelle is known for it’s flowers that grow in the spring, and the flowers even out the smell of the cows.”

        I grimaced. How could one stand to be outside when it smelled this awful? I could never make a home here if this is what I would have to go outside to every day. Now I’m truly convinced that I can’t marry their prince. I couldn’t even imagine getting used to the smell, it was just so strong.

        “Alright I’m done looking around,” I comment, plugging my nose. “Let’s just get to the castle.”

        Louis opened the door to the carriage for Abigail and I, then closed us in. I pulled out the bottle of perfume I had brought along and I squirt it crazily inside of the carriage, getting rid of the stench. Abigail and I both inhaled the sweet smell of pomegranate at the same time, thankful for it.

        The castle wasn’t too far since the town wasn’t too incredibly large but we had to frequently replenish the good smell as the bad smell kept finding ways to enter into the carriage. The castle was hardly much to look at, too. It had gray stoned about it, rather than the solid white ones we had in Aynah. The vines draping about it were perished and it was incredibly small compared to that of the one I lived in. Four men and seven women were waiting at the top of the steps of the palace each with smiles pasted on their face. I didn’t recognize any of them except for the king.

        “Your highness, Princess Callea of Aynah, welcome to Gathinbelle,” the king is the one to speak as he comes forward and he takes a hold of my left hand, then kisses it quickly. “We’re delighted that you were able to attend. Please, come inside, it’s freezing out here,” the king insists. Glad to get away from the smell, I followed him in, thankful to find that it smelled much more delightful in the castle after all.

        “And I would suppose that this is your lady in waiting, correct?” the king asks as he notices Abigail alongside of me.

        “Actually, I-” she was about to tell him that she wasn’t a lady, she was only working for pay in the castle but I didn’t want her to feel embarrassed, so I cut her off.

        “Yes, but she is also my dearest friend,” I tell him. Abigail shoots me a thankful look for saving her from embarrassment then nods her head.

        “Well, we’d like to welcome you too then,” the king smiles. “Now, we don’t want to get right to business, when we have plenty of time until the masquerade so we’ll help you to settle into the castle and my son, Prince Keefe would like to tour you through the castle, to help you feel at home. Our home is yours while you’re in this castle.”

        I turn to face their prince and I find myself feeling somewhat shocked at how composed his face appears. His eyes look at me with a bored expression and a frown playing on his lips. His hair was a light brown, cut short and his eyes were a very dark brown. I turned away, understanding what the king and queen were doing but deciding it wiser to act grateful when I have no one to protect me beside Louis. I could trust Louis but if any sort of contention broke loose then I would be doomed.

        “Thank you, your highness,” I thank the king.

        “Here,” a younger girl with large dark curls spoke up. “I’ll show you to your room. Follow me, Princess Callea,” she smiled at me. She looked about three years younger than myself and I wondered which of the sisters she was. She extended her arm to me and I took a hold of it, and Abigail followed behind us.

        Louis explained to me how  the Kaithronese royalty wouldn’t come until the night of the ball, so the king and queen requested I come early so we could speak. Nobody clarified whether or not Kaithron knew I was going to be there or not.

        The walk to my chamber during my stay was silent. I tried to make small talk. “Excuse me if this sounds rude, but which of the sisters are you?” I question.

        “I am Princess Emma, the younger of the two sisters getting married,” she explains to me in her fragile voice. So this was the daughter that was engaged to the prince of Kaithron. I nod.

        “Are you excited about the wedding?” I ask her.

        She tosses her hair over her shoulder, looking at me with large deer eyes. “Well of course. Why wouldn’t I be thrilled? After all, I’ve heard Prince Darcy is very handsome so of course I’m ecstatic.”

        Prince Darcy? I didn’t recall one of the royals of Kaithron being named Darcy, but then again I didn’t recall any of the royals except for Prince Elliot who was the heir to the throne until Aynah killed him in the war.

        “Well then, he should consider himself a very lucky man,” I compliment her.

        She thanks me with red still in her cheeks. “Princess Callea, are you married?”

        I bite my bottom lip. “I am not,” I admit. She gave me a questioning look. The fact was that I should have been married long before I turned seventeen and in many places I would be degraded just for not being married yet. I didn’t mind because I didn’t really care for marriage at all so I just responded, “I am not.”

        She gave me a disbelieving look. “One as beautiful as you! I can hardly believe that!” she gasped. “Your father hasn’t given you to a man yet? I mean I supposed that you were wed to Lord Louis, sort of…”

        Didn’t she know I wasn’t, considering her parents wished to marry me to their son; her brother? I shrugged it off. “No, Louis is an old friend. And I was almost married once but then… things happened.”

        “Like what?” she wanted to know. I sighed.

        “I fell in foolish love,” I mumbled. “Mark my words, Princess Emma, don’t let yourself fall in love with anyone besides your prince.”

        “But Callea,” she huffs. “I have something to admit to you… Ever since we heard that a woman was going to become the heir to Aynah you have been my role model. They have stories about you- how you were indifferent about the war, how you ran away from home at night and would return in the morning. Some people rumored you were plotting against your own country; others said you had a secret lover. My sister and I thought… well we thought you were in love. A word some of us weren’t even taught. Callea- or, Princess Callea, is it real? I mean love…”

        I turn to face her. “I don’t mind you calling me Callea,” I say, amused that I had been her role model, even after the stupid things I had been doing two years ago. “And I presume I may call you Emma?” I ask. She nods. “Emma, are you aware of the history of our war?” I ask her.

        She nods her head. “It was built up out of pride. Why do you seem to be the only one in both lands that see that?”

        “I don’t think I’m the only one,” I shake my head. “I’m just the only one who can speak my mind and not be beheaded for it. But I only tell you this to warn you to keep away from my mistakes. I did have a secret lover, we did nothing but the truth was that he existed… but he did not know I was myself. I told him my name was Azalea and to this day I would guess that is what he believed. Then when I became betrothed to the son of a Duke, Hadrian, I asked the man one thing. How many men he killed in the war. He told me, many,” I put my head down and sigh. I always tried not to think of the last night when I could help it but it still hurt, even to this day. I suppose it’s what I deserve for being such a fool.

        “What was his name?” she whispered, stopping right outside of a door.

        “Kieran. Kier,” I gulped. It was painful even just to say his name.

        Abigail, who I had nearly forgotten was behind us, gasped. I turned to look at her, just in time to see her step on a spider.

        “What a strange name,” she concluded. I laughed a little. It was strange but I loved it. Once in one of my miserable states I looked up its meaning, not thinking I would find anything. But it meant dark; I thought it was most ironic. Just like how ironic it was that my name meant beautiful.

        “Anyway,” I sigh. “This is my chamber?” I ask. She nods, looking at me with a confused look as if there was something she couldn’t quite figure out. Abigail pulls some of my belongings inside and I thank Emma, following Abigail in. We start unpacking the bags, finding temporary homes for our things.

        “Princess-” Abigail starts.

        “Princess,” another voice cuts her off. I turn to the doorway to see their prince standing there, still with the same bored expression on his face. “Might we tour?”