Royal Advisors' Approval
The Royal Advisors arrived exactly when they said they would. Persephone waited for them in the King’s study, feet up on the table as she laid back, a look of satisfaction on her face.
Sir Reginald cleared his throat and Persephone looked over at them, “Gentlemen. So lovely to see you.” She said as she swung her legs down. She stood up and went to them, shaking each of their hands. They did not look pleased to be touched.
Sir Reginald cleared his throat again as he wiped his hand on his robe and sat down at the other end of the table, “I assume you remember why we are here?”
“To marry me off and take away my power? How could I forget?” Persephone plopped back into the chair and picked up a pastry from the tray on the table. She shoved it into her mouth as she looked at the three men.
“Yes. We assume you have found a suitable husband.” Sir Henry said, not even trying to hide the look of disgust on his face.
“Indeed I have. A fine, strong man.”
Sir Gregory raised an eyebrow, “You have?” A tone of surprise leaked into his voice.
“I sure did. I love my Kingdom and will always do what’s right for it. I will marry a man who is brave. A fighter. The greatest King Helanthius has ever seen.” Persephone said with fake pride.
“And who is this gentleman? As you know, we must approve of him before a wedding is to occur.” Sir Reginald said.
Persephone picked up the little bell on the table and rang it. A few seconds later, Casper came into the room, wearing the finest clothes the Kingdom had to offer. His red hair was slicked back, not a strand out of place. He walked over to Persephone as she stood up.
“Gentlemen, this is Casper Griffin. A loyal soldier from the King’s Guard. He is to be my husband and the next King of Helainthus.”
The three Advisors stood and walked around the young man. Casper bowed, “It’s an honor to meet the esteemed Royal Advisors.”
“Hmm...yes. Tell me, how did you and the princess meet?” Sir Reginald asked.
“We came across each other during one of my training sessions. It was love at first sight.” He slipped an arm around Persephone’s waist.
Persephone smiled sweetly, “It truly was.”
“How long have you been a member of the King’s Guard?” Sir Henry asked.
“Since I turned sixteen years old. I knew from childhood all I wanted was to serve the Kingdom.”
Sir Gregory nodded slowly, “Please, have a seat. There is much to discuss.”
Persephone took that opportunity to get out of his grasp and sat back in her chair, Casper taking the spot next to her.
The three old men sat down; Sir Reginald took a sip of his wine, Sir Gregory started to eat the dessert placed in front of him, so Sir Henry decided to take up some of the questioning, “Mr. Griffin, please tell us about your family lineage.”
Casper nodded and cleared his throat, “Every man in my family has served on the King’s Guard. My father, my father’s father, and so on. The Griffin family has lived in Helanthius since it was first founded. We are loyal to the Crown and are hardworking people.”
“And you are educated?”
“Indeed I am. My mother made sure me and all twelve of my brothers and sisters had a proper education.”
Sir Reginald raised an eyebrow, “Twelve, you say? Well that means you will be more than able to provide heirs to the throne.”
Casper smirked a little, “I don’t see any problem with that.”
Persephone did her best not to choke on the wine she started guzzling down.
“What are some of your other skills?” Sir Gregory asked.
“I’m fluent in two languages, I am an excellent badminton player, and I have been playing the lute since I was a young boy.”
“Impressive.” Sir Gregory said. And for once, he looked like he actually meant what he said.
Persephone looked between the three men, “So, does he pass your little test? Do you approve of the marriage?”
Sir Reginald let out a humorless laugh, “Patience. This is the future King we are discussing here. Let’s not take this lightly and be too hasty. I think at this time we should continue our discussion alone.” He looked pointedly at Persephone as he said this.
She let out a scoff, “Are you asking me to leave?”
“Yes. We have much to go over with Mr. Griffin. We must make sure he is the perfect fit for the Kingdom. You understand, of course, Princess.”
Persephone took a breath and stood up. She grabbed one of the wine bottles on the table by the neck and took a swig of it before bowing and leaving the room, wine bottle still in hand.
It seemed like hours passed before the four men exited from the study. Persephone was slumped in a chair not too far from the door, the bottle empty. She stood up when she heard the men’s voices. They sounded...she couldn’t say happy cause she didn’t think the Royal Advisors were capable of that. Amused? Humored?
“Ah, there she is, my beloved.” Casper said as he went to her and wrapped an arm around her waist.
She forced a cheery smile, “It sounds like things went well?”
“Oh, Princess, we were wrong to question your judgment. This man was meant to be a King.” Sir Henry said.
Persephone’s eyes lit up a bit, “So the marriage is approved?”
“Yes. And we would like the wedding done as soon as possible. Mr. Griffin will come with us for the week so we can provide all the knowledge he needs to be King and when we return, the wedding will occur. I assume you will be able to make all the arrangements in time for our return?” Sir Gregory said.
Persephone found herself nodding, “Yes. Yes, I will have everything ready for my husband.”
“Excellent. Mr. Griffin, we will give you ten minutes to pack some belongings and then you will join us in the courtyard so we may take our leave.” Sir Reginald said.
Casper saluted them, “I will see you soon.”
The advisors bowed and made their way down the hall.
“This is really happening…” Persephone said.
Before she could pull away, Casper leaned down and kissed her, “I will see you soon, my love. I look forward to our wedding night.” He let go of her and walked down the hall to the soldiers’ quarters.
Persephone went to the large vase near the door of the study. She vomited into it, then wiped her mouth with her sleeve and made her way to her room. She had a wedding to plan.