Chapter Six

The conversation was flowing smoothly and lively inside of the limousine heading to the royal palace. It was a quarter to seven in the evening. The sun was finishing to set and the sky was painted a lovely shade of slate blue with melting clouds. The wheels speeded through Île Paraíso's streets and splashed the puddles that the previous rainy night had left, making a cacophonous sound that accompanied the cheerful ambiance really well. The roof of the limousine was open, letting in the sweet air scented with the numerous tropical flowers, and the chilly breeze felt simply exquisite, matching the warm environment in the vehicle perfectly.

Everyone was laughing at Lord Stefano's awful dad jokes and Lady Caterina's quirky anecdotes. Both of them seemed to be made for each other, they were both free spirits that complemented each other in a way that was quite difficult to explain. Both of them had this passion for everything artistic and crafty, they had traveled the world more than once together, they were true intellectuals. One could easily say that they were soulmates; as far as Evan knew, Lady Caterina got engaged to Lord Stefano when she was only seventeen years old. It usually is really hard to get along with your fiancé, especially if your betrothal was arranged, and even more at such a young age. Teenage years mean the discovery of oneself, rebellion, and a flurry of unstable emotions. Still, he wondered how it felt like when they got to know each other. When they locked stares for the first time. Was it love at first sight? Did they learn to love or appreciate each other's company over time? Were they actually putting on a mask to seem like the perfect noble family…?

"Evan, dear, are you okay? You seem lost in your thoughts!" Lady Caterina asked, worry could be perceived in her voice.

Evan blinked twice, bewildered, then, he shook his head.

"Oh, it's nothing actually. I was just wondering…" He hesitated for a moment. Sketching an awkward smile, he asked: "What did you feel the first time you saw Lord Stefano, Ma'am?"

Lady Caterina smiled with sweet nostalgia and let out a gracious nasal laugh.

"I'll answer that question later on, my darling. But, if this somehow gives you a vague response…" She placed one of her hands on Stefano's shoulder, proceeding to wrap his broad shoulders with her petite arm. "My love, can you tell Evan how you felt when you first saw me?"

Lord Stefano chuckled, a glimpse of joyful remembrance plowing through his dark eyes with no dissimulation.

"Well, I'm no one to say love at first sight does not exist. But when you see that person, when you hear that person, that primary instinct will not fail you." He assured, nodding slightly with a satisfied smirk. "She was too young, while I was twenty-four she was still a teenager, too beautiful and smart for her age, yes, but still a child in my eyes… I was hopeful, though, that she'd become the perfect life partner someday. And that instinct didn't fail at all, as you see, we've been married for over forty years!" He exclaimed, making everyone laugh as he planted a tender kiss on Caterina's head.

As he was laughing, Evan set his eyes on Gabrielle, who immediately stared back. She smiled gently at him in anticipation, like expecting him to say something.

Evan swallowed, his nervousness impeding him to utter a word.

"My Lord, we're arriving at the palace right now." The driver said as he parked the car on a small spot in front of the building's gate.

"Oh, perfect, have you ever posed for the press, Evan?" Lord Stefano asked nonchalantly.

Evan simply let out a hesitant sound.

"We'll take it as a no," David said. "Just smile and reply to the questions politely, you'll get used to it over time."

Suddenly, he felt a warm hand on his. It was Gabrielle, smiling sweetly at him with shiny eyes.

"You'll do just great, don't worry." She pronounced with a heartwarming voice.

The chauffeur hopped off the vehicle and proceeded to open the door at the left first, where Lord and Lady Martí were sitting. They were the first to get out of the car.

Evan could hear the short interview the woman from the press and the Martís had.

"Lord Stefano Martí! The old friendly rival of King Antoine in polo back in their youth! How are you feeling today? Any comments on Prince André and Lady Madeline of House Blanchard?" The interviewer inquired with a loud and perfect pronunciation.

"I'm feeling great on this lovely evening, ma'am! I indeed miss my old polo opponent." He joked, and the crew covering the Martís' opinions laughed along with the Lord and Lady. "Prince André will be one of the greatest rulers this country has ever seen for certain, and I'm sure Lady Madeline will be a perfect partner to help him reign this wonderful kingdom." He asserted with a solemn voice.

"Lady Caterina Martí, the white carnation of Île des Toucans, how are you enjoying this evening so far? What do you think of our First Prince's engagement?" The woman asked her.

"Why, thanks so much for asking! I'm certain the gala will be amazing, I only expect the best from the Royal Family. Regarding Prince André and Lady Madeline's engagement, I only have to say that Lady Madeline is an exquisite young woman with a unique taste and far prettier than a flower in bloom. Prince André is surely a lucky man, and I only wish the best for the soon-to-be king and queen. I trust and have faith in both of them." Lady Caterina finished her sentence impeccably.

"Well, people, those were the comments of the leaders of House Martí, Lord Stefano and Lady Caterina. Now, let us interview Lord David and Lord Pablo." The interviewer informed the cameraman with an enthusiastic tone of voice.

David and Pablo got out of the vehicle, and the chauffeur closed the left door. Still, Evan was able to hear the chat from his place in the car's seat.

"David Martí! The oldest son of Lord and Lady Martí. Are you eager to meet with Lady Danielle this evening?" The interviewer asked with a cheeky voice. As far as Evan knew, Lady Danielle of House Cádiz was David's girlfriend.

David chuckled a bit in self-assurance.

"Well, of course, Danielle and I are dating after all. In fact, I picked this tie for her since she says it looks the best on me." He replied, making the crew laugh at such declarations.

"Do you hear wedding bells in the future, Lord David?" The interviewer asked intrusively.

"I don't see why not, I'm in love with her and she's with me, we just need our parents' approval." He replied smoothly. Apparently, he was used to facing these sorts of situations and questions.

"Did you hear it, people? Lord David Martí is possibly going to marry Lady Danielle Cádiz in the near future!" The interviewer said cheerfully, without seeming to care about the Lords' comfort in the conversation. "What do you think about Prince André and Lady Madeline's engagement?" She inquired once more.

"I don't have much to say except that I hope they rule the country well after King Antoine's abdication. They look really good together, and as far as I know, Lady Madeline has an exceptional lineage, she'll be a worthy queen hopefully and her soon-to-be husband a fair and wise king. Best wishes to both of them." He finished his speech with a charming smile.

"Thank you very much, Lord David. Lord Pablo, any thoughts on our First Prince's engagement?"

"No comments, sorry." He answered, sketching a sly apologetical smile.

"Well, those were Lord and Lady Martí's oldest sons. Now, let's greet Lady Gabrielle and her British fiancé, Sir Evan Clarke!" The interviewer exclaimed cheerfully.

Evan heard the cameramen and the interviewer moving to the right side. His face turned paperwhite in fear, his limbs started shaking. Everything he could feel was Gabrielle's hand squeezing his. He turned around to find her reassuring gaze, her rosy, pouty lips smiling impossibly gently at him.

"You'll do great, don't panic." She assured, placing her other hand on his arm, gently stroking it.

Evan didn't want this… The way she touched him… It only made him feel more anxious and uncomfortable. How was he going to tell her…? It was fine for him to pretend in front of the cameras (although maybe not right now, when he still had a chance to escape the betrothal), to look like a happily married noble couple and not having anyone know about his true self. But how could he explain it to her? She seemed so wishful and infatuated. Breaking her heart would certainly break his as well, sadly.

Gabrielle opened her smiley mouth to utter something when she got suddenly interrupted by the chauffeur opening the door abruptly.

Evan froze and entered in a sort of automatic mode. His legs responded by inertia and he got out of the car. An ambush of camera flashes blinded him suddenly. He squinted and turned around to offer his hand to Gabrielle in a gentlemanly act. Gabrielle accepted with no hesitation, then, she proceeded to get out of the vehicle gracefully.

"Lady Gabrielle Martí! The beautiful carnation bud of Île des Toucans! What are your expectations for tonight's gala? What are your thoughts on Prince André and Lady Madeline's recent engagement?" The woman asked, it seemed as though she'd never get tired of asking the same question over and over again…

"Well, thanks for such a lovely compliment! My expectations for tonight's gala are having a great night with my friends and family, hearing a touching speech from Prince André, and of course, getting to know my fiancé better." She responded with a perfect, charming smile. "And about the royal engagement. Prince André has always been king material for me, he's gentlemanly, caring, clever, and devoted to the kingdom and its culture and history, as well as his people's well-being. I believe he'll be with no doubts the greatest ruler Avevia will ever have. Lady Madeline is a charming girl with an impeccable pedigree and a regal personality, she'll be up to the Royal Family's standards for sure. I'm really happy about their engagement and I hope they live not only for ruling the kingdom but also for a great love story." She ended her speech.

Evan still struggled with the white spots of light blinking on and off in his eyes, he could faintly make out the interviewer smiling at him. Her skin was tan, her hair was cut in a long bob haircut and it oscillated from a light brown color to a brownish blonde. She had thick lips painted of magenta pink and her fair almond eyes were covered in a heavy layer of eyeliner.

"Let's move to Lady Gabrielle's handsome fiancé! Sir Clarke, how are you feeling tonight?" She asked, seeming too polite suddenly.

"I'm feeling… good. Sorry, I'm not really used to being in front of so many cameras." He responded, still feeling a bit anxious.

The crew laughed and he sketched an awkward smile.

"Are you enjoying being in Avevia so far? This place is going to be your home from now on!"

Evan gulped in bashfulness.

"I think it's indeed a beautiful country. I arrived just last night and it was raining heavily, but right now the weather and the landscape are truly amazing." He simply said, his voice sounding a bit low yet still honest.

"Last question for you, Sir Clarke, what do you think about Lady Gabrielle?" She sketched a toothy and cheeky grin.

"O-oh, um…" He averted his gaze for a moment to see Gabrielle. She was smiling shyly at him and still encouraging him with her glance. "I think she's a lovely lady, I'd love to get to know her better, though... B-But I'm still looking forward to our wedding!" He added a bit exasperatedly, thinking he might have screwed up for the first time.

"Thank you very much for your comments, Lady Gabrielle Martí and Sir Evan Clarke. You may go and enjoy the gala now. These were all of the House Martí members' comments, guys! Now let's go with..." And with that, the interviewer vanished into the massive crowd of the noble, the wealthy, and the famous people from that unknown little kingdom.

Evan noticed his and Gabrielle's arms were locked together, and he wondered when did that happen… It made him uncomfortable, yes, but it was needed to make it look like they were actually glad to be engaged with each other.

"Um… Where did your parents and brothers go?" Asked Evan.

"My parents are probably schmoozing with Lord and Lady Cádiz and other noblemen. David surely is with Danielle looking good for the pictures. And Pablo… I don't know. Honestly, when I don't see Pablo I have no clue about where he is or what he could be doing, he's my older brother by three years and I have known him since I was born, of course. But even after all of this time spent with him, I still see him as a quite mysterious guy." She replied, her voice sounding so soft and sweet. Evan was even able to smell the scent of her perfume. Everything in Gabrielle irradiated sweetness and fragility and he couldn't help but feel in some kind of danger when he was around her. "By the way, I'm really sorry we didn't get any time to get to know each other better so far. My parents like to be aware of what I do all the time… They want to be with me all the time and make sure I'm not doing anything bad. Even if I'm an adult woman already, it's as if I were still the little girl that they need to look after…"

Evan pursed his lips and smiled shyly for her. Gabrielle was really kind and, just like him, she somehow was only looking for some freedom. She wanted to be her authentic self more than anything.

"It's okay, we still have plenty of time." He looked at her with a sort of self-assurance in his eyes. "And we have something in common! I also think of Pablo as a mystery man."

They both laughed, the tension feeling a bit less heavy now. Evan hoped that, even after they got married and he confessed his actual preferences to Gabrielle, they would still be able to keep a close and beautiful friendship. After all, they were going to be a part of each other's lives forever from now on.

"I think it'll be better if we entered the palace now. I really want to teach you the Avevian waltz." Gabrielle suggested, clearly eager.

"You have a waltz of your own?" Evan asked, impressed.

"Yes, we do! It's not that difficult to learn in my opinion. But we'll have to look for an empty room so I can teach you properly." She said, sounding half sheepish and half bold.

"Well, you'll need to teach me a lot of things about this country, I barely knew where it was situated when my parents told me about it." Evan added, ashamed.

"It's okay. And don't put on that face, please! We're a very small and well-hidden kingdom, but our culture is rich and very nice actually." Gabrielle smiled widely at him.

"Let me be your student, then." Evan replied, smiling slightly.