003. Persuasion... Is that the key to success?

[ A FEW MONTHS LATER ]

A couple of monts had passed since the princes and princesses left to stay at their Dukedoms—their new territories, and only Princess Hyacinth was left. With His Majesty's orders, she was instructed to move to the empty room in the Diamond Palace, where the King and Queen were assigned to live. However, she rejected the offer and thought of staying in the Amethyst Palace with her servants.

To her and to the others, especially the nobles who could not accept the King's final decision, it would come out as a declaration of her as the heir and the future master or owner of the mainland. And she didn't want that. As much as she can, Hyacinth wanted to avoid further conflicts between them.

In fact, she had been striving to get in touch with her siblings. She didn't find anything suspicious other than the meetings his brother, Prince Oleander, arranged for his faction, while her sister, Princess Belladonna, had been going in and out of the palace. Sir Angelico couldn't investigate any further because of the little power she has as a princess.

But she wanted to change that now. Princess Hyacinth thought that if she wanted change or if she wanted for them to hear her, she will have to become a competent person worthy of being heard. So she spent her time studying and learning more about their Kingdom, especially about Politics.

"Your Highness, His Majesty has called for your presence." The maid bowed her head. She was a maid personally serving the King, her father.

Princess Hyacinth closed the book she was reading before standing up. She was too busy polishing her own knowledge that she had forgotten about the afternoon tea that her father had arranged for them.

"Your Highness, would you like to change your dress?" Lucrezia inquired when she saw Hyacinth coming out of her study room.

Hyacinth shook her head while she fixed her hair, brushing her pale locks using her fingers. "I'll see my father now. It's not good etiquette to make someone wait," she said, beaming at her.

The maid sent to her and her personal guard, Sir Angelico, followed behind her. When her siblings moved, Hyacinth had been wearing humble clothes as her daily attire. She said that she didn't have anyone to impress anymore, so she instructed them to keep her style simple just within the palace grounds.

There were a set of knights guarding every corner of the Palace and two knights guarding each door. The knights of the Kingdom are divided into two orders; the Order of the Peace and the Knights of the Round Table. The Order fo the Peace serves as the knights who guard the royals and the palaces, while the Knights of the Round Table are like the Kingdom's swords and shield. There are other knight factions from other noble families that helps maintain the order and peace of the Kingdom. Like the Knights of the Round Table, they also fight for their Kingdom.

Two royal guards, wearing the blue uniform and insignia of the Order of the Peace knights, stood outside the sitting room. They paid their respects as Hyacinth stood in front of them. Then the tallest guard announced her arrival.

"Her Highness, the third princess, Princess Hyacinth have arrived."

"Is His Majesty alone?" She inquired with a low voice.

The taller guard swallowed hard at the sudden closeness of the princess, then he nodded his head.

"I see. Thank you." She smiled at them before entering the room.

"Princess Hyacinth greets His Majesty the King," she greeted, showing a proper curtsy to him.

The King laughed softly. "I told you not to do that anymore, Hyacinth," he reminded her. "It's only the two of us in this vast place."

Hyacinth only smiled at him as she approached him. "But father... How can I possibly be casual to the great King?"

"You, my daughter, do not understand a thing," he chuckled, giving her head a gentle pat.

Hyacinth sighed inwardly. She noticed the dark circles under her father's eyes and a dark glint of emotion filling his eyes. His lost of weight had been evident because of how thin he looked, not like his former huge self. Hyacinth held his hand that's placed on the table as she sat across him.

"Father. I think I can manage a few documents now. I can help father now, and you won't have to do everything alone," she said, her voice felt so soft and low.

The King took a sip from his cup before facing his youngest daughter. His thumb rubbing against the back of her hand that's holding on to him.

'It will only take a moment before her innocence will be ruined by her siblings greed,' the King thought.

"I was thinking of the same thing, my dear. I know you believe that you can still talk to your brother and sister and convinced them of what they want to achieve, so I'll give you the task to attend the meeting they assembled."

She unconsciously squeezed his hand. "Father, is that really true?" Perhaps she could use this chance to change their minds, and they can all live in peace again.

The King smiled down at her. "It is, my dear. The meeting will commence in three days time, in the Wilmington Estate."

"Tell me more about it, father, so I could be of help," she urged him. And so the King did.

The two spent a time together by discussing the complaints that the King was still receiving from the nobles and the Peace Treaty he was planning to offer to her elder siblings. What he left out was the fact that both the first prince and first princess was threatening him.

"Your Majesty... Wouldn't it be harsh to treat Princess Hyacinth like this? Forgive this loyal servant's insolence, but I believe it will leave a scar on her if we let her be," Ludwig argued as he tried to knock some sense on his King.

The King exhaled heavily as he stared at the documents scattered in front of him. He, too, was unsure whether to inform her prior or to allow her to witness what he wanted to tell her, to make her understand. The King knew his daughter well. Princess Hyacinth had been a devotee of peace and order. She was a bright child with a very optimistic personality, and even if he shows evidence of her siblings greedy threats sent to him, she would still pursue him to forgive them.

Which is why he resorted to this kind of plan. In three days time, she would witness how greedy the people could be just because of a single throne.

▬▬▬

Hyacinth giggled in excitement as she helped her nanny Lucrezia packed her stuff. The Wilmington Estate wasn't that far of a place, but her father insisted for her to travel today. It was still two days before the assembled meeting, and they were already ready to leave the Palace.

The princess could feel something odd about her father's sudden decision, but she also tried to keep her positive mind, thinking that her father might've acknowledge her of someone worthy enough to help the King.

"Safe travels, my child. I hope you carry a good news when you return." The King had blessed her before she departed from the Palace.

The King's thoughts wandered as he watched her carriage head off. 'We'll have to prepare in here before she comes back. Everything should be arranged, so she could still have enough time to fight them back. If worse comes to worse, we'll have to open the Pandora's Box I closed off a long time ago.'

Hyacinth brought enough servants to accompany her for their short trip. Two of her ladies in waiting, Sir Angelico and four other knights that her father had deployed to assist them. The princess and the ladies in waiting boarded the royal carriage, while the knights rode on their horses.

'All I need is to listen through the meeting as father's substitute and then arrange a time to speak with my brother and sister. I think I can convince them.'

The ride wasn't that exhausting for Hyacinth, despite it being her first time to travel outside the mainland. On the contrary, her ladies in waiting looked exceptionally tired. They were greeted by Count Wilmington and his wife.

"It is an honor to be blessed by the third princess' presence. Count and Countess Wilmington greets Her Highness. We hope you could enjoy your stay in our humble abode, Your Highness."

Hyacinth greeted them back. For some reasons, there was a mysterious glint on the Count's eyes as Hyacinth look at him. She was unsure of what it was, but it made her feel uneasy. The ominous feeling she was trying to ignore since she left the palace was now growing inside of her.

Hyacinth wasn't numb nor was she dense. She has a sense of danger that she refuses to follow most of the times. But if she'll stop thinking too positively and maybe listen to her guts, then she'll probably be able to avoid conflicts or dangers that usually swarms towards her.

"It is a pleasure to meet you in this place, Your Highness." Hyacinth stopped from her tracks. She could feel her heart beating wildly as she saw an unwanted man greeting her in front of her.

"Marquess Lewis. It's a pleasure to meet you again," she greeted back, her formal smile trying to hide the growing anxiousness within her.

She was too focused about their family affairs that she had forgotten that other nobles would attend this meeting.

'Maybe the uneasiness I felt was because of this? Meeting my former fiancé had always brought me nothing but bad luck.'