Chapter two

My dear Kitaja is lying on the bed, sound asleep. She looks so adorable like this, and I already feel guilty about having to wake her in an hour. I tell Sisi to prepare my deep red dress and a pink one for Kitaja for tonight. She quickly goes to fetch them while I change out of my current clothes and put on something comfortable.

I grab some paper and a quill and start writing a letter to my fourth sister about the events of the past week. It's the fourth day of the week, so it's her turn. My father and mother had eight daughters and no sons. Even though I haven't seen my sisters in at least seven years, we write to each other every week. My sixth sister passed away shortly after getting married, so the seven of us each have a day of the week to write to each other, as we were married off to different kingdoms, except for Alexandra, my oldest sister, and Catherine, my third sister.

We write to Alexandra on the first day, of course. She is the crown princess of our home country, Verdania. Bertha is the sister I haven't seen the longest; she married the king of Piraz nine years ago. Catherine fell in love with a duke from our own country, and luckily, our father approved since the duke had political advantages for the royal house. Della, my fourth sister, also loved the duke, but as he was devoted only to Catherine, she was married off to the emperor of Bismolen. Unfortunately, Catherine and Della don't speak much now.

Esther, my fifth sister, lived closest to the kingdom I've been in for the past seven years—Posha. She lived in the neighboring country of Aborran, and we often exchanged gifts. Sadly, we're far apart again. Now, I live closer to my first three sisters. Florance, my sixth sister, married the king of Esara, who murdered her after their wedding night because she didn't please him. After hearing this, my sisters convinced their husbands to go to war with Esara. They all did.

I am the seventh sister and the only one with light hair. My father always loathed me for this, believing my mother had cheated on him. Consequently, I was married off to the fourth prince of Posha when I was 14 years old. Picus, the prince, was 15 years older than me and a famed warrior. With no claim to the throne, he fought for his kingdom. After a two-month honeymoon, I never saw him again, as he was always on the battlefield. I gave birth to our daughter, Kitaja, when I was 15 and had to fight for our survival in a palace where no one wanted us. I heard of Picus' death on the battlefield just a day before I was sent here to marry King Augustus. My younger sister, Henrietta, the eighth daughter, sent me a letter about his passing. She married into a war-hungry kingdom; her husband seeks every opportunity for power, but from what she tells me, he does seem to care for her.

Since my home country values beauty above all, my sisters and I were married off for this reason as well. My father manipulated the entire continent into believing we are the most beautiful women in the world. Ridiculous, but it worked. Kings and emperors from almost every kingdom requested our hands. The kingdoms to which we were "sold" maintained peace, so my father sought increasingly powerful kings with each daughter.

After finishing my letter and sealing the envelope, I open the door and ask Mindy to send it to the royal palace of Bismolen. She glances at the envelope and sees "Della" written on it, widening her eyes. "Yes, Princess Genevieve!" she replies, rushing off. Once back inside, I slap my forehead. I should have instructed her not to open it, as Della would never break a seal she didn't recognize. I hope they won't be foolish enough to do so.

Looking at the clock, I see half an hour has passed. What should I do next? I start opening drawers and cabinets in the room, exploring everything. Whoever decorated this room certainly didn't skimp on money. The dresser drawers are filled with beautiful accessories, and the furniture is of exquisite quality. It can't have been Lucinda and Merida's doing; Augustus must have ordered it.

I hear a knock at the door and invite the person in. Sisi, Daisy, and Mindy enter with the two dresses I asked them to prepare. I smile at them. "Could you ask Mucala, my daughter's nanny, to help Kitaja get ready? If she doesn't answer when you knock, she must be asleep already, so you can let her rest." Daisy heads off as I wake Kitaja.

"My sunshine, wake up. We have to get ready for dinner." She slowly opens her eyes and frowns. "Come on, you need to eat something and meet His Royal Highness." Her frown deepens. "I don't want to," she grumbles. "I'll give you two minutes. If you're not up, Mommy will get mad," I tell her sternly and walk toward Sisi, who is holding my dress.

"You can set that down. Please help me put my undergarments back on first." I smile at her, and she complies. This time, the process is much faster with Sisi and Mindy's help. Daisy and Mucala return as well. While Mucala helps Kitaja get dressed, the three maids attend to my hair and makeup. As I hear another knock on the door, I put on a ruby necklace from the dresser.

"Come in," I call. Augustus enters with a broad smile. "You look wonderful. I'm glad to see you wearing the necklace I chose for you." I rise from a deep curtsy. "Thank you, Your Highness. The necklace is indeed beautiful. Allow me to introduce my daughter, Kitaja, and her nursemaid, Mucala. Kitaja is still learning Gritz, so until she knows more, I will translate for her." I instruct Kitaja and Mucala to curtsy as well. "Pleasure to meet you, Kitaja." He only glances at her, which irks me. I notice he's extending his arm, which I take, telling Kitaja to walk beside us. He begins to ramble about his ancestors and the history of Gritina. I've learned all about the continent's histories from my father, who wanted his daughters to embody beauty inside and out. Ironically, that's how I became friends with Tincar, the opposite of what my father desired. I feign interest in Augustus's discourse. "Gritina sounds fascinating. I'd love for my daughter to learn about it as well. Perhaps I could hire a tutor for her. What do you think?" "That would be fine. You can hire a tutor whenever you like," he replies passively, clearly less than thrilled that I shifted the focus to Kitaja. "While Gritina's history is interesting, I'd like to hear more about you as a person, Your Highness." This perks him up. "Of course! What would you like to know?" "Everything—your interests, hobbies, friends, etc." "Well, I enjoy horse riding, hunting, tea parties—the usual. Most of my friends are the sons of a few nobles. I'll introduce you to them at our wedding. What about you?"

Hubert opens the doors to the dining hall, where Lucinda and Merida are already seated. "I'll tell you later, Your Highness." I turn to the ladies and give a deep curtsy again, Kitaja following my lead. "Hello, I'm Kitaja," she says, her accent heavy. "Sit, sit," Lucinda says after introducing herself and Merida.

As we take our seats at the table, Augustus prompts again, "Now tell me about your hobbies and friends." I didn't expect him to push this so soon; he seems a bit impatient. I smile at him. "I enjoy reading, embroidery, and tea parties as well. Kitaja and I have them often. My sisters are probably my dearest friends, as we write to each other every week. My knights and Kitaja's nursemaid also hold a special place in my heart; they have been with me for the past six and a half years."

"Your servants are your friends?" Merida scoffs. "How unusual." "In a foreign country, it's quite difficult to make friends immediately. I don't discriminate; rank in society does not define a person's worth." That shuts her up, though she looks angry. Lucinda, too, seems displeased but masks it better. Augustus, however, stares at me, making me uncomfortable.

I decide to change the subject. "The weather is quite nice today. Don't you agree?" "A bit chilly, but yes, the weather is agreeable," Lucinda responds. "In Posha, it's much hotter than here, so it's nice to be in such a temperate climate." No one responds; mentioning Posha seems to sour the mood. It appears everyone truly dislikes Posha. Even Augustus, who has shown some favor towards me, looks glum. Kitaja, oblivious to the atmosphere, plays with her food, still grumpy about being woken up.

"Eat, Kitaja," I say in Gritz. She looks at me, confused. "What?" she asks in Posha. I feel everyone's eyes on us. I gesture an eating motion while calmly repeating myself. "Why are you speaking Gritz to me?" she asks with a frown. Augustus interjects, "I understand now why you need a tutor so badly." I turn to him. "Maybe you should call for one tomorrow," he says. "Yes, Your Majesty. Thank you."

"I am your fiancé, you know? You can just call me Augustus. Stop being so formal," he says, his tone firm. "How could I? I would never insult royal customs." He studies my face as I stare back at him. "I insist," he adds. "I will call you Augustus then, but speaking informally will have to develop between us," I reply. He seems satisfied with my answer.

"Alright. You can speak informally to my mother and sister as well. We are to be a family, are we not?" He glances toward his mother. "Of course we are. Please speak freely around me; I will do the same." Merida remains silent, glaring at her plate filled with delicious food.