The carriage stopped and after a few minutes the door was opened.
"Your highness Dylan and your imperial highness Archie, we have already arrived at the castle," the knight bowed.
"Thank you," Dylan and Archie said simultaneously.
Both looked at each other at the same time, not believing they were both in tune.
The knight backed away from the entrance, giving way to the royalty.
Archie got out of the carriage and held out his hand to help Dylan out.
Not that he wanted to be nice, but he should keep up appearances.
Dylan didn't hesitate, took his hand as usual. He should also maintain the appearance of a delicate princess, while he was far from it.
Finally he got out of the carriage.
Both started walking towards the castle entrance.
The air between them was heavy, barely heard their footsteps on that concrete floor.
Both steps, also in tune.
Both felt they should say something, but not because they were attracted to each other, but simply to break the ice between them.
And even after giving a few steps, the front door seemed to be far away.
Finally they reached the foot of the door and it was opened.
Both entered, as if it wasn't enough, both still had to move on together, after all the royal rooms were located in the same place.
At this exact moment, Dylan stopped and Archie continued walking without noticing that Dylan was behind.
"Ah... Archie..."
Archie snapped back to reality and looked back.
He gaped trying to figure out when he'd gotten so far away from Dylan.
"I'm going to have a few words with my father... We'll talk later," Dylan forced a smile.
"Ah... Alright. See you at dinner time."
Dylan nodded and turned around, striding toward the throne room, just wanting to get away from Archie as quickly as possible.
Archie sighed in relief and walked back to his quarters.
This time, his steps were softer and more casual.
Archie went upstairs, towards Ian's bedchambers.
"Ian... Are you there? Can I come in?" he knocked the door.
"Archie? Come in!" Archie walked in and closed the door.
Ian lowered the book he was reading.
"Huh! You're back... So... how was it with the princess? Did you have fun?"
Archie started pacing.
"Not so much…well, the circus was good…but not beside her," Archie took a long breath.
He crossed his arms and began pacing impatiently around Ian's room.
"You know... I was only gone for a few minutes... And when I was back... There was a man..." he paused for a long time, "huh! He wasn't even handsome."
Ian burst out laughing, "I can't believe Archie! Are you jealous?"
Archie stopped in the middle of the room and stared at Ian.
"Really? I just didn't believe what I saw... The men of Greavaria are very full of themselves..."
Ian frowned, "Wow! You should see your face from her..."
Archie stared at Ian, totally horrified at what he'd heard come out of he's mouth.
"Whatever... The show was good... Nothing more than that... See you at dinner time."
Archie opened the door and walked out without even giving Ian any time to speak up.
The door slammed shut and the sound echoed in Ian's room.
Ian frowned and chuckled lightly.
Dylan entered the throne room and moved on to where his father sat.
His father looked exhausted, after all thirty minutes before the royal council for discussing kingdom affairs had elapsed.
Head held high and steady, and the forearms on the arms of the chair. That's how he was.
"Father!" Dylan bowed.
"Dylan!" Arthur cracked a smile, "how was the circus?"
"It was good. I had a lot of fun."
"Good, daughter. Has your escort told you about tomorrow's schedule?"
"No father. I still haven't met Lizha since I got back to the castle."
"All right. Tomorrow we will receive visits from the ambassadors of Lourutor Kingdom, Zogary Kingdom and the Lavamore Empire. They were our allies during the war and beyond, we established some commercial alliances with some of them. They are going to stay here for two days. Then tomorrow you will stay here in the throne room to receive our visits. Lizha will give you the full details."
"I believe so. I'll be here as you order."
"I hope so, daughter."
"If you'll allow, I would like to ask permission to be absent."
"Permission granted."
Dylan bowed and left.
He quickly passed through the corridor, which was partially lit and filled with sentry royal knights.
He went upstairs, the ones that gave access to the royal apartments.
He finally made it to his bedchamber and opened the door.
There was Lizha, busy packing Dylan's things. In fact, waiting for him to get news about the circus.
Dylan walked in and closed the door.
"I didn't expect to find you here now," Dylan walked to the foot of the window.
"How was the circus?"
Lizha left the clothes somewhere and ran excitedly over to Dylan, who was looking thoughtfully out the window.
Dylan sighed, "It was good," he replied without taking his eyes off the window.
Lizha walked in front of Dylan and looked at him with those bright green eyes like she was saying tell me more.
"It was good..." Dylan shrugged, "it was spectacular... I wish you had gone. I was thinking about going tomorrow, but---"
"Ah... I got your schedule for tomorrow. Looks like you're going to have to spend the afternoon at the council. Three ambassadors are arriving tomorrow."
"Yes. I was in the throne room a little while ago. And my father said the same."
"I'm just looking forward to seeing what people from other realms are like..." Lizha spun around the room, all excited.
Dylan sat on the window ledge, "They're coming because of the end of the war. When I was watching the circus show, I almost forgot that I had this marriage to the emperor's son... this is getting more and more complicated."
Lizha shook her head and returned to the pile of clothes on the bed.
"What's done is done Dylan. We will find a way."
Dylan stood there by the window without telling a word.
"Today the king will have his dinner in his solar... So it's not imperative that you go to have dinner in the Great hall."
"Fine. At least I'm going to get rid of the Emperor's son a little. I believe he'll celebrate for that too..."
"You guys..." Lizha smoothed a dress on the bed.
-----------------------------------
"Come in!"
Archie invited the person who knocked to get in.
Archie turned slightly for a few seconds to see who was the person who had entered, and was Ian.
"Ian!" Archie was putting on his nightshirt, "why aren't you in bed until now?"
"I forgot to share tomorrow's schedule with you."
"Oh...no...Don't say I have to go out with the princess again?"
"Nothing like that. Tomorrow three ambassadors are coming for a courtesy visit to the kingdom. I don't remember the kingdoms names. Actually they're coming to congratulate the end of the war..."
"The war that had many victims, including my mother..."
It was at that moment that Archie remembered his reason for marrying Dylan. It felt more like he was having fun in the realm rather than investing in making Dylan fall in love with him in order to break him psychologically.
"And where do we get into this?" Archie sat up in bed.
"We will have to keep the royalty company, after all we are representatives of the Promor, the empire that was at war with Greavaria."
Archie sighed, unable to hide his lack of interest in the subject.
He laid down on the bed and covered himself, ignoring Ian completely.
Ian crossed his arms, "Aren't you going to say anything?"
"What do you want me to say? If I still can't reject it."
Ian held up his hands as if were begging God for some light.
"Whatever Archie ... There's no forecast what time they'll arrive. So right after breakfast we'll go to the throne room."
"Alright."
Ian sighed and walked out of Archie's room.
-----------------------------------
Dylan walked down the stairs accompanied by Lizha, who was right behind him, and Dorothy and Hannah, who were behind them.
As they went downstairs, they passed Archie, Ian, and Bentley, who were coming from the second-floor hallway.
The three stopped and bowed.
"Good morning your highness!" Archie greeted him, differently, actually a little colder than usual.
"Good morning your umperial highness!" Dylan greeted him casually, then moved on without trying to prolong the conversation.
And his escorts went after him.
Dylan was a man and he knew something was going on in Archie's head, not that he cared about it.
Archie and his companions looked up as the damsels of the kingdom made their way to the great hall.
"What was that?" asked Ian, all confused.
"What?" Archie asked.
The three started walking and Bentley, of course, was behind them, a good few metres away.
"It's clear you're weird today. Even your good morning was cold..."
Archie did not say anything, his head was infested with thoughts about the visit he should receive in communion with the royalty.
These were kingdoms that came to glorify the end of the war. Allied kingdoms that decimated their people. How could he have been able to accept that and still be happy.
Finally they arrived at the great hall.
When they opened the door, he saw Dylan there, at the throne table, right next to his father, Arthur Montgomery.
Both firm and powerful making your meal with a lot of class.
Archie went to his table where he sat next to Ian and had his meal for thirty minutes.
When they finished their meal, as usual, the servants brought their basins of water to wash their hands.
Then Arthur, accompanied by Dylan left towards the throne room.
Dylan was right next to his father, standing three feet behind.
Both went out parading, all possessed of firmness and grandeur.
"Like father, like daughter," Archie said in a mutter, watching them walk out of the great hall.
"What you said?" asked Ian.
"Nothing..." said Archie, standing up, "we're going to accompany the royalty. They can't wait..."
"Correct," Ian stood up too.
Both quickly left there and went to the kingdom room.
Upon entering, Arthur and Dyan were already seated on the throne.
Archie and Ian walked to the benches reserved for the royal escorts, which were left and right, next to the wall.
Archie and his escort went to sit on the right.
On that day there wouldn't have the royal council or the king's audition.
The day was just reserved for receiving the ambassadors.
Finally, after two hours of waiting, the first entourage appeared.
"I Announce the entry of the ambassador of the Lourutor Kingdom and his entourage!" announced the herald.
Then the doors were opened.
A handsome white man with black hair entered. His hair was tied and fell over one of his shoulders. He wore a long-sleeved velvet tunic, black pants and a pair of black boots.
He took firm steps and his body swayed gently with each step he took.
Behind him came a few knights and far behind, a few servants bringing offerings to Greavaria.
The man genuflected, "My name is Keith Gingerich, Ambassador of the Lourutor Kingdom. I came to glorify the end of the war between the Kingdom of Greavaria and Empire of Promor and I came also to fortify our alliances. We bring some humble gifts, such as cloth, gold, and precious stones."
Keith lifted his head slightly and his eyes met Dylan's.
Keith gave Dylan a seductive smile.
Dylan remained firm and indifferent, after all that sort of thing didn't work for him, because he was a man.
"Welcome Keith Gingerich. Please stay in the kingdom as long as you need."
"Thank you your majesty."
Keith stood up still looking at Dylan, gave him a quick wink and walked away.
Dylan frowned, not wanting to believe that he had the nerve to wink at him in that place. Even if he wasn't really a woman, it took a lot of daring.
"I've heard a lot about this man..." said Ian, watching Keith walk away.
Archie remained silent.
Ian looked at him and saw Archie all pissed off.
"What is up?" Ian asked him worriedly.
"Didn't you see that man wink at the barbarian's daughter?"
"Blink? I didn't see. How could you see a blink from this distance?"
"Only a blind man wouldn't see..."
Ian smirked just listening to those comments.
"You know? I heard some comments comments about that guy."
"The one who just left? Keith?"
"Yes... Despite the appearance of an ethical man and such... They say he is an innate predator. I have heard a lot about him."
"Really?" Archie tried to hide his curiosity from him.
"Yeah... He's already slept with several maidens of his kingdom. Wives of friends, wives of important lords of the kingdoms he visited. The biggest scandal was when he slept with the princess of Meserar, the day before her wedding day," there was Ian trying to get Archie more pissed off.
"And how come I never knew about it?" Archie asked him even more curious.
"You were traveling the world."
"It's... It's understandable."
"Yes... Keith doesn't forgive. There's no woman he can't take to bed... Even a princess from an allied Kingdom and committed to someone, he can sleep with her."
Archie remained silent, intending he hadn't noticed the teasing.