Welcome Party II.

**

The walls of the palace amazed him.  The artwork which his father did were still there. His aunt told him many things about this building. She was right. The palace was gold. It was the most beautiful palace he had ever seen.

A few guards led them to the party venue. Soft music filled the air as they walked into the hall.  All eyes were on them. The chattering stopped at once.

Azriel avoided their gaze. He wished he could hide his face for now. The eyes on him scared his existence.

"Why are they looking at us?" Kielee asked as they moved to the corner. A servant came and offered them drinks.

"Thank you," Stryga said as he sipped from his cup. Even the wine from the palace tasted different.

"We drew more attention than ever," Azriel told them. They needed to act like the rest. Maybe that way, the guests will focus elsewhere.

A man came to the centre of the hall. He called for attention in the loud hall and the musicians stopped playing at once. After some minutes, the noise stopped at once.

The man cleared his throat and spoke "You are all welcome to Akkad. The king is grateful that you honoured his invitation. A few members of the royal family will be joining us. I hope you enjoyed the party and interact well. Thank you."

The music continued so did the noise. The young men adjusted their collars. Some looked in the mirror to see if they still looked handsome to meet the princess.

Azriel shook his head as he saw the excitement on their faces. The men were all crazy and they would fight to death to get what they wanted.

It was not just about marrying the princess and loving her as a wife. They were all ambitious. Their eyes spoke of how they were hungry for power. It was going to be a tough competition. However, he would not give up until he gets what he wanted.

The giant doors opposite him opened. The announcer demanded attention. Everyone was at ease. Azriel did not move. His eyes shifted to the door.

Four women walked into the hall. From their dress, he could tell that they were members of the royal family. Two young girls led by an older woman walked their way. She spoke to them briefly and left.

Azriel had no idea which one of them was the princess. He wanted to go and meet them but something stopped him. What if he fails? What if he chose the wrong person?

He waited by the corner and the other lady dressed in a yellow gown bowed to the other left. Maybe his instincts were right. From the stories that he heard about the princess, there was no way she would dress in yellow ok the first day.

He was expecting a different colour. The dark-haired girl noticed him but due to the men introducing their selves to her, she did not come to him.

Azriel waited patiently. The men were after her as if she was some kind of gold. She tried to excuse herself from them but it was not successful.

He stopped staring at her and paid attention to the music. The musicians must have worked hard. It was perfect and be enjoyed it.

"Are you going to do something?" Heather asked him. She was trying to behave like his maid. Her head bowed as she spoke. "The Princess is standing a few steps away and you are doing nothing."

"Can't you see that the men are all over her?" he asked.

"One may think she is some gold" She rolled her eyes and looked at the princess. Heather was expecting to meet someone different. Many stories were told about the princess. Her presence did not excite the stories.

Stryga got attention the most. He had a few conversations with the men and the other woman from the royal family seemed to have caught his attention. They were already discussing.

"I don't know how he is managing all of these while you can't" Heather could not believe it. She was still confused. At the inn, Stryga was given special treatment. When the guards led them to the hall earlier, they seemed to pay more attention to him than her brother.

What was going on? Did it has to do with their outfit?

The princess left the gathering around her. She walked to where Azriel was.

He was surprised and not expecting to see her so soon.

He bowed as he greeted the young lady.

"I'm happy to make your acquaintance," She said. Her black hair was beautifully packed in a ponytail style. It makes her forehead bolder. Her long green gown caught his attention.

His mother was a lover of green. They said it looked amazing on her. Of that, he fell in love with the colour. However, red was his favourite.

"You look exquisite, Lady..." Azriel waited for her to complete his statement with her name. He did not ask around for her name. Foolish him!

"Ember, please" She gave a warm smile. He was a handsome man. She could barely take her eyes off him. But it was not proper for a Lady to look at a man that way. Especially n their first meeting. "What is your name?"

"Azriel" He bowed again.

"What a unique name," Ember said. She closed her eyes and the sound of his name ran through her head like a bell. When she opened them, she was met with his emerald eyes. They were so beautiful. Gosh! Who was this man?

"Thank you, your highness" He replied without a smile. Azriel noticed that people were whispering about them. They looked so angry. He saw hatred in their eyes already.

"You must be wondering why they are all looking at you that way" Ember asked. She fanned herself a bit and continued when he nodded "They all surprised."

"Why?"

"What am I doing with a baron when they have many princes, Duke and viscounts in the hall."

A cold shiver ran down his spine. Azriel could not believe her answer. He looked at his clothes and noticed the difference from the others. The stupid old man they caught yesterday deceived them. He lied to them about the titles.

Azriel wondered how many lies he was going to uncover before the day finishes. He turned to Stryga and asked Ember if she recognized his clothes as well.

"He is a viscount" She replied as her gaze shifted back to him.

His facial expressions changed from anxiety to anger. He wished the old man was still alive. He would have crushed him.

When Heather killed him, he felt guilty over it. But the man deserved it. He was a fraud.

Azriel lost interest in the party. If he was a baron then the princess might not see him fit to be by her side. When if she will, her father would not allow us a marriage.

He was from the lowest rank in society. No woman in the palace would want to marry him. They were above his standard.

This was just the beginning. He already lost it before it could start. Heather listened to their conversation as well. She was able to solve the mystery. Stryga got the looks viscount. No wonder he caught many eyes.

**