“I wanted to be a dressmaker growing up,” Prince Matthias said, “So I learned the trade, but not many people know about it. I'm telling you because I want to make you some dresses, nightgowns, and maybe even undergarments for when you want to get engaged for real. I do have a few that I made before, but the size might be a bit off because I didn't use a tape measure to measure you properly. They're in the black wardrobe with blue roses carved on them. I'm going to sleep, so if you could try a few on and tell me how they fit in the morning, I’ll be happy.” Prince Matthias climbed into bed and promptly fell asleep, so I tried on the dresses.
There were a lot that fit me: a pink one with puffy sleeves, a blue one with long sleeves and silver embellishments that matched my eyes, a red one with silver ribbons, a green one with yellow flowers on it, a purple one with a high neckline, a sliver one with pearls, a black one with red ribbon, a yellow one with white lace, a brown one with a slit in the leg, 12 different colored underwear that were smaller than I was used to, 4 padded bras (which made the dresses fit better), and nightgowns in the different colors of the rainbow. There were three that were made for a different body shape that I knew wasn’t for me. They were very fancy. I changed back into my uniform, but wore the dark blue underwear seeing as the maid forgot it before.
“Her highness, Princess Hildegard, wishes to speak to Sir Hawthorne,” Sir Molten said as he opened the door slightly.
“His highness, Prince Matthias, is still sleeping,” I said, “If we switch places, it would probably be best. Can you ask her highness if I can go out to where she is?” Sir Molten closed the door for a little while and then came inside Prince Matthias' chambers.
“She said yes,” Sir Molten said, “So go ahead. Sir Tourney is outside so if you need to leave to talk to her highness, you can.” I nodded and left the room. Princess Hildegard was wearing something similar to a guard uniform, except the colors were different. She had the same expression she had when we had our duel over a month ago, like she was ready to cut me down. I bowed.
“I know that you're working at the moment, Sir Hawthorne,” Princess Hildegard said, “But I’d like to spar with you at another time, if my dear brother Matthias would let you.”
“I enjoyed our duel the last time, your highness,” I said.
“Do you have your answer to my question from my winnings?” Princess Hildegard asked.
"I love him," I said, "I have no other words to say, but those."
"So, I have another question," Princess Hildegard said, "Do you think he should be King?"
“I don't think that his highness wishes to be King,” I whispered, “And I just want to marry him, no matter what he wants to be or do in the future.”
“Sounds just like him,” Princess Hildegard whispered, “He does make gorgeous dresses, but hardly anyone is allowed to wear them. He made me 11 different dresses over the years. I'm hoping that he will make my wedding dress in time for my wedding in a month.”
“I will see if I can remind him when he wakes,” I said, “He stayed up rather late due to some unfortunate circumstances.” Princess Hildegard frowned.
“They started moving sooner than I expected,” Princess Hildegard said, “Well, let's spar another day. Possibly one when you aren't working.”
“I’d greatly appreciate that, your highness,” I said. We waved and I went back to Prince Matthias' chambers. Sir Molten didn't say anything when I entered, but nodded and left.
“I want you, Lia,” Prince Matthias said a little while later, causing me to flinch because his eyes were still closed.
“Your highness?” I asked. Prince Matthias opened his eyes and stared at me.
“Come here, Lia,” Prince Matthias said. I took my shoes off and climbed on the bed. Prince Matthias took me in his arms and kissed my forehead. “Sorry, I had a bit of a bad dream. Can we sit like this for a bit?”
“Yes, your highness,” I said.
“I called the jeweler yesterday,” Prince Matthias said, “I want to give you a ring, but I don't know your size. You're probably going to be sleeping when they come, so can I measure your fingers? Oh, did you try on the dresses and other things?”
“Go ahead, your highness,” I said, “I tried everything on and the ones that didn't fit were the brown one, the yellow and brown one, and the black one with red.”
“Okay,” Prince Matthias said, “The measuring tape is on my desk.” He let go of me, I got the measuring tape, and I went back to the bed with it. Prince Matthias measured each of my fingers on either hand. “That should do it. Thank you, Lia. I love you.” He grabbed my chin and kissed me.
“I love you too, Prince Matthias,” I said, and I kissed him back. When I pulled back, Prince Matthias was blushing.
“We should probably leave the bed,” Prince Matthias said, “I don't know when the morning guards are reporting for duty, but it should be soon.” I nodded and got off the bed. I was putting my shoes back on when there was a knock on the door. The door opened slightly, so I looked up to see Sir Molten looking at Prince Matthias with a strange look on his face and a letter in his hand. “What is it, Molten?”
“You got a letter from his highness the King, your highness,” Sir Molten said. Prince Matthias walked over to him quickly and took the letter. When he opened it, his face stiffened.
“He wants me to meet with him regarding my engagement,” Prince Matthias said, “But I haven't even mentioned it to him yet.”
“It might've come from the guards,” Sir Molten said, “You don't usually pick beautiful people or women for that matter as one of your guards, so they probably made up a rumor that you wanted to marry Hawthorne here, because it's so unusual and they think he's a woman. I mean, if you two did want to get married, it's possible if you conceal Hawthorne’s gender. The people who know about that should stay few in numbers, but I believe that Viscount Hawthorne might be able to approve of it, regardless of whether it's his father or his brother-in-law.” Prince Matthias looked at me.
“Does your brother-in-law also think you're a woman?” Prince Matthias asked.
“Yes,” I said, “I think only a few of my family members actually remember that I'm a man, because they all call me Lia instead of Liam.”
“Then, I’ll send a letter right away to your family,” Prince Matthias said, “Because you might have to give up being my guard when we get approval for marriage and if you don't then, you will have to give it up around our marriage.”
“That makes a bit of a mess, doesn't it?” I asked, “I just got this job and I might have to quit it because I might marry the prince who is my boss?”
“Don’t worry, I’ll compensate you and apologize to your family,” Prince Matthias said.
“Did his highness the King ask for me as well?” I asked.
“Father did not mention your name, Lia,” Prince Matthias said, “But he did ask for you, calling you my fiancée candidate.”
“What should I wear?” I asked. Sir Molten took that as a sign to leave.
“Whatever you want to wear, Lia,” Prince Matthias said, “But I suggest you wear the padded bra with whatever you’re wearing.” I didn't want to wear whatever he was talking about, but I decided on one of the dresses that Prince Matthias made, the blue one.
“This one is my favorite one,” I said.
“Can I put it on you, Lia?” Prince Matthias asked.
“I don't know why you would want to do that,” I said, “But if you insist.” Prince Matthias helped me out of my clothes and into the chest undergarment and dress.
“You wore the underwear I made for you,” Prince Matthias said after I was all dressed.
“Yes,” I said, “Because the maid didn't get me any when she brought me a new uniform.” Prince Matthias kissed me.
“We should make love while you're wearing one of the dresses I made,” Prince Matthias said, “But maybe when you're my fiancée and not just a guard. If you get sent away, I'm sending the dresses and other clothes with you as a gift. I’ll try to make more after Hildegard’s wedding, because I did say that I would make her a dress suited for a royal wedding.”
“It would probably be best to wait,” I said, “We should go see his highness the King and then I might go to sleep in the guards' bunks.”
“I think it's a bad idea for you to sleep in the guards' bunks,” Prince Matthias said, “I’ll have you sleep in my bed, in a nightgown that I made.”
“Let's get you dressed now, your highness,” I said.
“You won't call me by my name?” Prince Matthias asked.
“Prince Matthias, it's hard when there's other people,” I said, “And we are not officially engaged yet.”
“Okay, dress me in something that will match your dress,” Prince Matthias said. I quickly picked out something that matched my dress. Then, I undressed him and changed him into the clothes I had picked. “You did a good job, Lia.” He wrapped his arms around my neck, kissed me, and I kissed him back. It started sounding like there was a commotion outside the door. Then Captain Cappernick burst in while we were still touching each other.
“Your highness, what is the meaning of this?” Captain Cappernick asked angrily, “I thought it was just a rumor, but are you actually going through with it? You don't even know her that well.” I tried to pull away from Prince Matthias, but he held on tight.
“Captain Cappernick, this is my decision,” Prince Matthias said, “I made this decision with Lia Hawthorne in mind. She may be a witch, but since meeting her, my life has changed completely. Say something, Lia.”
“I feel like you're missing something very important here, Captain Cappernick,” I said, “His highness is a Prince, who was allowed to choose his marriage partner due to his previous fiancée’s infidelity.”
“Yes, I remember that happening,” Captain Cappernick said, “But his highness the King probably wouldn't like Miss Hawthorne.”
“Father requested us to meet with him for breakfast,” Prince Matthias said, “We have to leave, have two guards follow us.” We quickly left and went to the meeting place the King set up. The King had light brown and graying hair, and his eyes were green. A woman who looked to be the Queen was sitting next to him on his right, she had long blonde hair and gray eyes. I curtsied.
“You must be the guard in the rumors,” The King said, “The one my son Matthias wants to marry?”
“Yes, your highness,” I said.
“Your name, dear child?” The King asked, “You may stand.” I stood up.
“Lia Hawthorne, your highness,” I said.
“Now, will you two sit down for some breakfast?” The King asked. We sat down at the table and the maids took out a luxurious breakfast. I was hungry, but I didn't want to be looked at as a ‘lady’ who ate too much, so I ate less than I usually would.
“What hobbies do you have, Miss Hawthorne?” the Queen asked. I think she meant what I was taught growing up, probably only ladylike things, but I was taught a vast amount of things.
“I embroider, whittle, sew, paint, draw, and make stationary, your highness,” I said, “But I prefer swordsmanship.’
“That's quite a list, child,” the King said, “What was your favorite subject when you were taught?” I think he meant before going to the knight training academy.
“I never really had one, your highness,” I said.
“Matthias, I approve of this marriage,” the King said, “But you have to promise your mother and I one thing… That you will be happy with Miss Hawthorne. On the other hand, I wish that Miss Hawthorne would be relieved of her duty as a guard, because I will be sending the both of you to your own mansion and territory after Hildegard's wedding. You're now Grand Duke Korinauks, so Matthias, you no longer have to worry about being in the running to become King.”
“Thank you, father,” Matthias said, “Is it alright if Lia sleeps in my room?”
“A guest bedroom should be better,” the King said, “I believe there's one adjoining your room. The adjoining door is next to your bed hidden underneath a curtain.”
“Thank you again, father,” Matthias said.
“We hope that you two send us invitations to your wedding,” the Queen said, “But please don't wait too long to let us see our grandchildren.” Matthias coughed. I had forgotten to tell him about the ‘father of my children’ thing, which was weird because we're both men.
“Thank you for having a meal with us, children,” the King said as he and his wife stood up, “Your mother and I have to go and make sure the kingdom is running smoothly. We’ll speak again soon.” They left and Matthias turned to me.
“Let's go back to my room,” Matthias said, “I want to see if the adjoining room is good enough for you.”
“Sure, Prince Matthias,” I said. Matthias smiled.
“It's Grand Duke Matthias Korinauks now,” Matthias said proudly, we both stood up at the same time somehow, “Do you want to hold hands on the way there, Lia?”
“That would be nice,” I said. He grabbed my hand and we walked back to his room. His morning guards were looking at us anxiously the whole time. When we went into his chambers, none of them followed us in.
“Lia, you should probably change into a nightgown,” Matthias said, “I’ll look for the door to the other room.”
“I do want to get changed,” I said. So, I got out a nightgown, but realized I didn't know how to get out of the dress because it was tightened when it was put on this time, not last time.
“I found it,” Matthias said as he opened the hidden door and looked inside the room, “It looks like it was cleaned recently.” He turned around and saw me struggling. “Let me get that off for you.” He helped me out of the dress and into the nightgown.
“Thank you, Matthias,” I said. Matthias picked me up in a bridal carry and took me to the bed in the adjoining room. He kissed me deeply before tucking me in.
“Sleep well, Lia,” Matthias said.
I opened my eyes to the sound of yelling in the next room. It still seemed to be daylight, but something felt off. I sat up and noticed that I was in my bed at home. I must have gone through a ripple in time in my sleep. I got out of bed and went to see what the commotion was about. My entire immediate family, aside from myself and my sisters' husbands, was in the sitting room next door. It seemed to be a few years ago.
“When are we going to tell Lia?” Father asked angrily, “If he finds out from someone else, he’ll be furious.” What are they talking about?
“Tell him when he graduates from the knight training academy,” Bertha said.
“I did tell him that he was going to have a husband who was the father of his children,” Mother said.
“Wait, someone is hiding,” Edith, my fourth sister, said, “Come out, Lia.” I frowned and showed myself. There were a lot of gasps.
“I have ‘time ripple’ magic,” I said, “I'm actually from the future. My fiancé was able to get our engagement approved by his parents, even though we're both men.”
“We have something to tell you,” Father said, “Camilla, will you do the honors since you found the complete truth.” My seventh sister, Camilla, put on a fake smile.
“Lia, you have had a powerful magic spell cast on your body,” Camilla said, “It will wear off when you turn 20 and you'll turn back into a woman. You won't lose muscle mass, but it would become harder to gain it. You probably won't have to worry about gaining big breasts, because nobody in our family has big ones.”
“Wait, I was born a woman?” I asked.
“We found out last year that someone put this spell on your father's family a long time ago,” Mother said, “I wondered why I swore you were a woman when you were a man. So, no you weren't born a woman, but you were supposed to be a woman.”
“Then, can I ask you a favor?” I asked.
“You want us to send a letter of approval for your engagement, correct?” Father asked.
“No, that isn't it,” I said, “Can you come to the capital to meet my fiancé in person to give your approval? The year I graduate from the knight training academy, I will get a job at the palace for the third prince, he is my fiancé”
“Prince Matthias is your fated man?” Ebony, my sixth sister, asked.
“Yes, he just became the Grand Duke Korinauks,” I said, “Though I never heard of that last name before.”
“That's because it was never used,” Father said, “It was supposed to be used by a King's brother, but due to circumstances the name was never used.”
“Well, we should meet three weeks before Princess Hildegard's wedding,” I said, “Because after the wedding we are moving to the Korinauks territory.”
“That would mean that you're going to turn twenty at that time,” Mother said, “I suggest you tell your fiancé about the spell as soon as possible. I won't call it a curse, because it was not placed with malicious intent, but since you're a witch yourself, it wears off easier. If you weren't a witch yourself, you could have been a father and lived life as a normal human male until you were decades older, maybe even in your sixties.”
“But what if it doesn't fully go away?” I asked.
“There is a possibility of that, but may I ask how many types of magic you have right now?” Mother asked.
“I have six,” I said. All 7 of the witches in my family looked a mix of shocked and excited. Everyone else just looked confused.
“And you were the type to only want to do that with your fated man,” Ruth, my second sister, said. It seemed like the others caught on.
“It was only him,” I said.
“Well, you did say that you got the ‘time ripple' magic,” Edith said.
“That was the first one I got,” I said. The 7 witches all gasped.
“That type of magic is very rare,” Camilla said, “But even so, it's usually one of the last ones to manifest. The second is always healing, but what are your other four?”
“One is instant drying, another is water magic, a third ice magic, and the other is memory manipulation,” I said, “But I haven't used the latter.”
“You have two very rare ones,” Sophia, my first sister, said, “You and your fiancé have a lot of good luck. Now, why don't you go back. We’ll see you there weeks before Princess Hildegard's wedding.” I nodded and went back to the present through the ripples in time.
I was back in the bed of the adjoining room to Matthias' chambers and the door was open. I sat up and saw that Matthias was sitting on the couch facing my bed looking over paperwork on the table in front of him. He had heard the bed rustling and looked up. He smiled when he saw that I was awake.
“Lia, good afternoon,” Matthias said, “We have good news.”
“What is it, Matthias?” I asked.
“Your family said that they want to meet with us next week,” Matthias said. I got out of bed and sat down next to him on the couch.
“I have something I need to tell you, Matthias,” I said, “It's probably going to sound strange, but my family was placed under a spell to have one of the children be a man. It will wear off in two months on my 20th birthday, which is sooner than if I wasn't a witch.” Matthias looked a little concerned and put down the paperwork.
“What will happen when it wears off?” Matthias asked, “Will it hurt?”
“They said that there won't be many changes,” I said, “But my dick might fall off. And it probably won't hurt.”
“You won't grow breasts?” Matthias asked.
“My mother and sisters all have small breasts,” I said, “So those might not get much bigger.” Matthias looked relieved.
“Good, my former fiancée had big ones,” Matthias said.
“Wait, you aren't mad that I'm going to become a woman?” I asked.
“I can't control your body,” Matthias said, “It's not like I put the spell on your family. Besides, I love you regardless of your gender. I can't wait to make you so many dresses.”
“You have to finish Princess Hildegard's wedding dress,” I said.
“The three that didn't fit you are the ones I made for her,” Matthias said, “She was supposed to choose between them tomorrow.” He grabbed a box and opened it to show me a gorgeous blue jewel cut into a square shape encrusted with a silver band and small red jewels on the four sides. I put it on my ring finger and it fit perfectly. “What do you think?”
“I love it,” I said, “I don't know how you managed to obtain such a magnificent ring.”
“I'm good friends with the jeweler,” Matthias said.
“That makes sense,” I said.
“I just realized that you only slept for a few hours at most, are you okay?” Matthias asked.
“I had a bit of a time ripple incident while I was sleeping,” I said, “So I don't know how much longer I slept. Usually when I do have that, I go back to the exact point where I left.”
“Well, you're awake and out of bed just in time for lunch,” Matthias said, “I’ll call one of the maids we’ll be taking with us to our territory to help get you dressed as she will be doing that from now on. I had everything that was yours moved into this room, including what I made for you.”
“Okay,” I said. Matthias went into his room and a little while later, a maid with brown curly hair and thick glasses came in and closed the door behind her. She seemed to be looking me up and down.
“I am Ellie,” the maid said, “Master Korinauks told me that you're his fiancée. I will be helping you get changed from now on.” She went over to the dresser and grabbed a few things. She then helped me take off the nightgown, but then stared at my chest a little too much.
“I'm naturally flat chested,” I said, “My mother and sisters are all about as flat as me.”
“Oh, sorry, Miss,” Ellie said, “I thought I saw writing on your chest, but it must have been my imagination.” I was worried that she'd change my underwear, but she didn't.
“What did it say?” I asked.
“I'm not sure,” Ellie said. Ellie helped me get dressed into the dress I had worn this morning. “The Master asked me to put this back on you because you only wore it for a few hours and it's the same day, but normally you wouldn't wear the same dress before and after you’ve slept.”
“I figured,” I said, “But I’ve always liked pants better.”
“It seems like you only have the guard’s shoes, Miss,” Ellie said, “Do you want me to send for the shoemaker?” Ellie helped me put the guard's shoes on anyway.
“Yes,” I said, “If time allows it.”
“Can you sit in front of the vanity so I can brush your hair?” Ellie asked. I did as she said and Ellie carefully brushed my hair. “Do you want me to put it back into the ponytail, leave it down, or dress it up?”
“I’d like to have it dressed up,” I said, “I’ve never really had it done like that before.”
“I’ll make it look really nice, Miss,” Ellie said as she started messing with my hair. The final result was perfect. She also put a necklace that matched the dress on me. “You look beautiful, Miss. The necklace is from the Master.”
“I’ll be sure to thank him,” I said.
“I was told to bring you to the west pavilion for lunch with the Master,” Ellie said, “So, follow me.” Ellie showed me to the west pavilion, but we bumped into a bunch of angry looking people on our way.
“That's the fiancée who appeared out of nowhere,” one whispered.
“She doesn't look like she used to be a knight,” another one whispered.
“I heard that she was a man?” A third one said.
“What's a witch doing here?” A fourth one said.
“That dainty little thing carried a giant like him?” A fifth one said.
“I wanted him to marry my sister,” a sixth one said.
“Well, at least we won't have to see either of them in the palace after the royal wedding,” a seventh one said.
“Miss?” Ellie asked, “Are you alright? You shouldn't listen to them, they’re not here for you. They will only tear you down.”
“Yes,” I said, “I know. It was the same at the knight training academy, but at least there I was able to obtain merit with my own hard work. It's not the same here. I'm glad that things are somewhat working out.”
“We’ve arrived, Miss,” Ellie said. I looked around at all the beautiful flowers before I noticed that Matthias was not alone at the table and he looked upset. The only seat open was to Matthias' right, which was one person away from Princess Hildegard, so that man must be the foreign prince that she was going to marry next month. I believe the other ones were the three other Princes and their partners, the dead criminal Prince wasn't there obviously. Ellie helped me into my seat.
“I want everyone to meet my fiancée, Lia Hawthorne,” Matthias said.
“How do you do," I said.
“I am Prince Lucius of Lorena,” the prince three to the left of me said, he had blond hair and green eyes, “And this is my wife Anathema.” He gestured to the woman on his right, who had lovely platinum blonde hair and large blue eyes.
“I am Prince Stephan of Mordonia,” the prince to my right said, he had dark hair and blue eyes, “My bride-to-be Princess Hildegard has already met you and talks highly of you.” Princess Hildegard smiled at me.
“I am Prince Orion of Lorena,” the prince on the other side of Princess Hildegard said, he had light brown hair and blue eyes, “And this is my wife Tatiana.” Tatiana had red hair and green eyes. “I am sickly so I decided to relinquish my claim to the throne, so we will be leaving after the Royal wedding between our sister and Prince Stephan to become Grand Duke and Duchess Nielsbeth.”
“I am Prince Eric of Lorena,” the prince next to Tatiana said, he had blond hair and gray eyes, “This is my wife Sofia.” Sofia had long blond hair and purple eyes. I believe if someone has purple eyes it means that they are resistant to spells.
“So, we finally met,” Prince Lucius said, “I’ve been waiting to meet the one my dear brother Matthias has been talking about for four years.” Matthias had been talking about me since the incident when he walked in on me naked? “You met at a ball, didn't you?” Prince Lucius asked, contempt dripping from his lips. It was true that I went to a ball in the capital in a dress four and a half years ago, but that was because my sister Edith and her husband Richard played a prank on me before I went to the knight training academy. I did run into Prince Matthias, but it was when we were hiding from people. We spoke briefly, but he never told me who he was.
“Yes,” I said, “But it wasn't until recently when we met again that I realized who it was I was speaking with.”
“Why did you even become a knight if you were just going to marry a prince anyway?” Prince Lucius asked.
“Why?” I asked, “Because I was told that I would take this path when I was young. I'm the 9th of 12 daughters, so I decided to take up the sword so they didn't have to.” Everyone looked a little shocked.
“I had heard that the former Viscount and Viscountess Hawthorne had a large number of daughters,” Prince Orion said, “But I did not realize there were twelve.”
“Do you have any brothers?” Prince Eric asked.
“No,” I said.
“Does it have to do with your mother being a witch?” Prince Orion asked. His brothers shushed him.
“I don't mind,” I said, “I don't think it has to do with my mother being a witch. I have nephews on both sides and blood related uncles on my mother's side of the family. I think my parents are just unlucky when it comes to sons.”
“I heard that witches have what’s called a ‘fated man', is that true?” Prince Stephan asked.
“It’s true, but it's unlikely that they would ever meet,” I said.
“Is my brother Matthias your fated man?” Prince Orion asked. Matthias put a hand on my thigh, he must have noticed that I was not feeling up to talking anymore.
“Yes,” Matthias said, “I believe that's enough. Please stop asking about witches. I believe we gathered for other reasons as well.”
“And what are those reasons exactly, dear brother?” Prince Eric asked.
“Father has declared that I am to become Grand Duke Korinauks,” Matthias said, “With Lia becoming the Grand Duchess Korinauks after we wed. We are also leaving after the Royal wedding. We are going to have a birthday celebration for Lia when it's her birthday in two months. It's the fifteenth of the eighth month, right, Lia?” I don't remember telling him, but he was right.
“Yes,” I said.
“When will you have your wedding, Matthias?” Princess Hildegard asked.
“We need time to figure it all out,” Matthias said, “We just became officially recognized as engaged this morning, but it's only been since yesterday that we got together.” There was an awkward pause.
“We thought that you two had been together for years,” Princess Hildegard said.
“It's true that it was love at first sight for me,” Matthias said, “But Lia…”
“It was the same for me,” I said, “But I wanted to graduate from the knight training academy before I dated anyone officially, which happened a few weeks ago. I didn't realize that I was going to be working for the one I had been looking for these past four years. It didn't help that he didn't tell me his name when we met at the ball.”
“I didn't?” Matthias asked.
“I don't believe you did,” I said, “You just said that you were hiding from a terrible woman. I didn't realize you were talking about your former fiancée.”
“Wait, Hildegard, I thought you said they were the same age,” Prince Eric said.
“No, I said that Lia and I were born the same year and Matthias and my fiancé, Prince Stephan were born the same year,” Princess Hildegard said.
“There’s a four year and seven month age gap between us, just like Hildegard and Prince Stephan,” Matthias said, “But I assure you, both sets of our parents have already agreed to it.”
“You didn't have a fiancé chosen for you, Miss Hawthorne?” Anathema asked.
“Witches don't do that, we go to Seers,” I said.
“Interesting,” Prince Orion said.
“I just realized that the second prince is missing,” Prince Stephan said, “Where is Prince Johan?” There was an awkward pause. I guess Prince Stephan didn't know that Prince Johan had murdered his nursemaid, his wife, and their two young children. Then, he killed himself while in jail.
“He died,” Prince Eric said, “Let's not talk about him.” A Butler came up to the table.
“Lunch should be here shortly, your highnesses,” the Butler said, “Sorry for the delay.”
“Thank you, Gerald,” Prince Orion said.
“What are we having for lunch, Orion?” Prince Lucius asked.
“I had asked for everyone's favorite meals,” Prince Orion said, “So, that is what I am serving.” I don't recall being asked my favorite food.
Soon everyone was served a plate of whatever their favorite meal was and I was given a plate of my favorite meal from home, mashed potatoes made with cheese and garlic as well as some chicken breast and green beans. I looked over at Matthias' plate and he had a huge steak with mashed potatoes covered in gravy and broccoli. We all started eating. I tried my best not to finish my meal too fast.
“This is delicious, but these aren't from your usual cooks, are they?” Prince Lucius asked.
“That’s correct, they're the ones we hired for our Nielsbeth territory,” Prince Orion said, “We can send you some recommendations for staff if you’d like, brother Matthias, now that we know you are going to become Grand Duke Korinauks instead of staying in the Palace.”
“We mostly hired from who has been taking care of us here at the palace,” Matthias said, “But if my younger brother Orion has recommendations for the other staff we might need, we will gladly accept your help.”
“I'm only taking a few maids and one cook with me after our marriage,” Princess Hildegard said, “So, can I give some recommendations to you as well?”
“Sure, dear sister,” Matthias said. I could feel a slight tension in the air as Prince Eric and Prince Lucius started glaring at each other. I wonder who's idea it was to have them sit so close with just Sofia in between them. I just realized they were probably sitting in the husband's birth order, with Lucius being the eldest and Eric being the youngest.
“Now, onto the final part of our lunch,” Prince Orion said, “We are announcing the birth of our youngest, Jezebel.” A wet nurse brought a tiny baby to the table. She looked to be a few days old and was just staring at everyone before crying. The wet nurse took her back.
“Are you alright, Tatiana?” Sofia asked, “Just giving birth, but already moving around so much?”
“I'm alright,” Tatiana said, “I'm a little worried about the journey to our new territory for my new baby, but it's not as far as I had originally thought. It's only about a day's carriage ride to the Nielsbeth territory, but the Korinauks territory is about four days’ carriage ride.”
“The new Neilsbeth territory used to be the territory of Marquis Montgomery,” Prince Eric said, “And I believe the new Korinauks territory used to be the territory of Duke Purdue, but I'm not too sure. Those two former nobles were both stripped of their titles and executed for treason a few months ago, so they had someone fill in while Father tried to find someone else to take the land.” It dawned on me where the Korinauks territory was, it was the territory of a noble who had been executed for treason and it was just past the Viscount Hawthorne territory.
“Wait, isn't that close to Hawthorne Viscounty?” I asked, “Maybe we can leave the capital with my family and stay with them a few nights before we go to our territory?”
“Your family is coming to our wedding?” Princess Hildegard asked, “I haven't gotten a response to the invitation yet so I was worried.”
“We got a letter from them today, but haven't had the chance to open it,” Prince Stephan said.
“We received a letter from them today as well,” Matthias said, “They said they were having a family reunion at the Hawthorne mansion in the capital next week and that I was invited because they approved of our engagement and wanted to celebrate. I didn't even have time to send them a letter informing them of it yet.”
“We have a seer in our family,” I said, “But she only sees how we get engaged, not to whom or how we first meet.” A bell I never heard before went off, everyone stood up at once aside from me. They waved and left me with Matthias staring at me with a twinkle in his eye, like he was secretly laughing at me. I stood up and Matthias pulled me into an embrace. He stroked the back of my head.
“You did good, Lia,” Matthias said, “Let's go back, the fabric and other sewing supplies I bought the other day should be arriving soon. I need to make you more dresses. The shoemaker should arrive at some point, but I don't know if he'll deem it urgent, even though you only have the guard shoes right now.” Matthias let go of me. We walked together back to his chambers and when we got there, there was a large pile of gift boxes.
“This is all from the sewing shop, your highness,” one of the guards said, “They said that they were sad they didn't have enough time to chat, so they added extras that they thought you would like instead. They also told me to tell you that they gave you another dress form in the extras. We have looked through it all and haven't found anything that is harmful aside from sewing needles and pins, which our newbie, Sir Morning, had never seen before and thought they were put there maliciously.”
“Where is Sir Morning?” Matthias asked.
“He is being scolded by Captain Cappernick, your highness,” the same guard said.
“Alright,” Matthias said, “Since he's already being scolded, I am going to ask for help to unpack everything here and then put some of it away. I want to make some dresses today.” So, everything was soon taken out of the boxes. Matthias put the new dress form together and changed it to my size with the padded bra. He made two dresses by dinner time.
The next day, Princess Hildegard chose her wedding dress out of the dresses Matthias made for her, which was a gorgeous silver dress that had jewels in the colors of both countries. The other dresses weren't as nice, but she still took all the ones made for her. He suddenly decided that he had to be making too many dresses for me. I helped him sometimes, but it was only to embroider parts of the dresses or add embellishments to the dresses. He wanted to make me a wedding dress, but I refused that idea because we only just got engaged.
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