CHAPTER THREE

A knock on your door the day after your insipid little brother takes what's rightfully yours isn't something anyone would want to experience, one would want to sleep until they wished they could disappear into a whole new world, but we don't always get our wish now do we?

I feigned to still be asleep even as Alice came in, I still recognized her footsteps even as five years had gone by , plus she's the only one allowed in my room so…

"Let's not do this today your highness, please" Alice pleaded.

"What is it now?" I asked, irritation coated in my voice.

"His royal majesty has called for an audience in the council chambers and your presence has been demanded"

The first day of his reign and he has already began to annoy me, but alas it is a royal order, and no matter how much I despised him, it wasn't one I could ignore.

"Help me get ready" I told her.

The walk to the council chambers felt as though every step I took weighed me down. I shook the feeling, steeled my spine and descended the stairs to the ground floor of the castle. "I can feel your tension from all the way over here?" He said.

"I can't help it Amenadiel, I don't want to go in there and look at all their faces knowing they're secretly laughing at me" I admitted.

"I understand, but you are still the princess of this kingdom, a station higher than most of them in there. Remember that."

A chill crept up my spine as I entered the grand room, all were seated except my brother, mother and duke Herbert. The council chambers shone with opulence, it's high ceiling adorned with intricate gold leaf patterns. The room was bathed in warm, golden light which danced along the polished marble floor.

The massive ornate table at the room's center seemed to stretch on forever, its surface gleamed with a subtle sheen. Velvet drapes in a deep, rich crimson framed the windows, adding a pop of color to the otherwise muted, elegant space.

I located my cousin seated in a corner, and I took the seat beside him, not wanting to seat next to one of the other lords or ladies.

"Any idea why we are here?" I asked him in a hushed tone.

"No idea, though it's normal for a new ruler to want to address his subjects." I agreed.

The room remained silent for a while, before the grand doors were finally opened and my brother walked in followed by duke Herbert and my mother.

Everyone stood up, even though I didn't want to I did and followed suit when everyone bowed their head in respect.

My anger sizzled as Ramiel took his seat at the head of the table, a stark reminder of his new position. My mother at his left and duke Herbert at his right.

The meeting was ready to begin.

An hour had passed since he began and I was honestly half asleep for most of it, simply because whatever new policies he was implementing had nothing to do with me and it's mentally exhausting to listen to Ramiel blabber.

What he said next definitely woke me up from my half slumber.

"Baron Acrisius Darrowmere!" he called, and he stood. "After serious consideration, I have decided to grant you the city of Sundara to rule" the council room tensed up and the lords and ladies began murmuring to themselves in disbelief.

What?!

One thing I loved about Acrisius was his ability to know when to back down in situations, but as I watched him thank my brother and sit down, I realized this was not one of those times.

Anyone with a brain knows that the city of Sundara is basically a pile of rubble, and he was handing it to Acrisius whose house was struggling financially.

I stood abruptly from my seat, the sound of it brought all eyes on me. I took two deep breaths in order to control my tongue.

"If I may, your royal majesty, the city of Sundara is barely inhabitable, the land faces famine, and house Darrowmere is barely financially stable-"

"Do not interrupt the king when he speaks!" my mother bellowed. If looks could kill, I would already be dead. I tried my best not to let my tongue loose at her, although she deserved it.

My cousin was barely managing his own land, to add another would be suicide, he was being set up to fail.

"I did not interrupt him your majesty, I was merely stating the facts that he very clearly missed"

Okay, maybe I did not hold my tongue there.

"How dare you!" she said, and I was honestly sick of it.

"Does the crown plan to provide the necessary funds to make this possible?" I asked, though I already knew the answer.

"The crown does not have to, we are not responsible for his father's notorious spending,"

Her cousin, might I add.

"his gambling is what crippled his finances, it is no problem of ours. The baron should be honored to serve the Kingdom in this way don't you think baron?" she asked the question in such a way that he could not say no.

"I am honored to serve, your majesty" he answered.

My neck would have fallen off at the speed in which I turned to face him, eyes blazing with fury, I was fighting for him and here he was, agreeing.

"It's settled then" said Ramiel.

I sat back down, and listened to the meeting go on, duke Herbert was appointed right hand to the king. I mean of course he was, the man has been in love with my mother for as long as anyone has had eyes to notice.

Acrisius tried touching me to show comfort, but I was too angry with him and everyone to condone it. I begged permission and exited the council chambers.

Amenadiel stood outside the door, his face a welcome sight, and it helped soothe my anger.

"I take it all did not go well?"

"Is it really that easy to tell Amenadiel?" he chuckled and nodded his head.

I told him everything that happened and explained my frustration to him.

"Well, you can't expect him to stand up against your mother and the king" he said.

I breathed a sigh of frustration "I know, but he could at least express his displeasure or explain" ugh! This was all so terribly irritating.

"We all can't have your courage your highness"

We walked for some time, and in no particular destination, my blood still boiled with anger at the meeting, at my brother for being such a gullible fool, at my mother and duke Herbert for being conniving bastards and at Acrisius for being such a turtle.

"Where are we headed, princess" Amenadiel asked.

"The training yard," I answered

"I need to hit something."