Page 29 of The Promised Prince
Seran pulled her lips into a tight smile. “The people of Albion want protection from Tolsten. They need us.” Seran hesitated a moment, then added, “They need me.”
The queen tried to reassure her. “You are doing a good thing. It’s an alliance that will be mutually beneficial to both parties. Albion gets the support of our superior military and the use of our ports. In return, New Hope gets access to valuable resources. Iron, silver, and gold are all items that are scarce in New Hope. The Rocky Mountains of Albion are rich with them.” Her mother smiled back at Seran. “And the marriage joins two powerful, royal families together. Those connections will help keep you and your family in leadership and royalty for many years to come.”
“I know.” Seran nodded.
Renna was in awe at how dignified and intelligent Seran seemed while maintaining an air of gracefulness. It was clear that she had been prepping for this role her whole life. Seran was going to be a magnificent queen; still, there was something about her smile that made Renna feel sorry for her.
It was an odd thing to feel sorry for a princess.
Outside, buildings began to be more numerous. Renna pressed her face against the glass and sucked in a breath at the sight. The capital of Albion was larger than Renna expected. Cream and gray four-story buildings were sandwiched together by narrow, cobblestone roads. Windows and balconies decorated the sides of the buildings, providing a quick glimpse of the working families who lived inside. Damp laundry hung from lines, dancing in the summer breeze—in sync with other colorless shirts hung farther down the road. As they drove along, Renna could tell by the buildings they were getting closer to the ruler’s palace. Apartments got a little taller, a little nicer, and more colorful. Nothing was cream anymore. Instead, buildings were plastered in yellow, blue, and green, with colorful trim around each window.
Renna’s stomach flipped over in anticipation as the transporters approached the palace’s perimeter wall. Large iron gates automatically opened in front of them as the sentries within saw their arrival. All three women eagerly pressed against the windows, trying to get a good look at the ruler’s palace in front of them.
Renna thought the Government Center in New Hope was nice, but it was simple compared to Albion’s royal residence. The level of luxury here had been kicked up a notch or two...or three. Large fountains lined both sides of the cobblestone drive, spaced apart every ten to twenty feet.
Since when are water features considered essential?Renna raised an eyebrow. They had nothing like that back in New Hope.
But it appeared that Albion was less concerned with essentials when it came to their royalty. Perfectly trimmed grass stretched out for hundreds of feet leading up to the palace. The drive ended in a circle with an enormous fountain in the center, dumping gallons of water into a circular stone pool.
Then there was the palace. It was enormous, with exquisite architecture that practically screamedunessential. Towers and gables jutted out of the roof across the entire building. The exterior was covered in balconies and windows of all sizes, facing every direction. Three grand stone staircases led up to the palace entrance, a massive archway surrounding two ornately carved wooden doors.
Renna’s mouth hung open in shock. She couldn’t understand it. The New Hope Government Center was a lot more practical with its flat roofline and box-like exterior. In a world of essentialism, how could the kingdom of Albion justify such luxury?
Beyond the circular drive, a crowd of people waited for them, some of them wearing expensive colored clothes and some in working-class gray. Soldiers lined each side of the path leading to the front steps of the palace. Her heart fluttered. Was Trev among them?
Since she’d last seen him, Renna had dreamed up an entire future for the two of them. She would spend her time in Albion getting to know him. He would show her around the kingdom, and when the time was right, he would kiss her under a moonlit sky. And who knew? From there...maybe they would fall in love and live happily ever after. She liked those kinds of endings, even if Trev didn’t believe in them.
She looked across the transporter at Seran. Would she get her own happy ending with the prince of Albion? Renna hoped so.
The transporter slowed to a stop in the circle drive.
It was time.
Renna’s breaths got heavier as she looked over her reflection in the window, smoothing her blonde hair. Across from her, Queen Mariele fidgeted with Seran’s updo, fixing a few stray strands of hair.
“You look lovely,” her mother said to Seran.
Renna could see Seran’s chest rise and fall as she nodded back to the queen.
“Everything will turn out okay,” Renna said, offering Seran a small smile.
Seran bit her bottom lip. “Thanks.”
The air inside the transporter was thick as a guard approached and opened the door.
10
Trev
King Carver stood just below the palace steps, ready to greet his royal guests. Trev and Drake were just a few steps behind him. The entire palace had come out to see the arrival of the New Hope royalty. A crowd of political leaders and citizens lined the pathway in anticipation, craning their necks to see over the wall of Albion soldiers separating them from the path. Trev’s heart raced with excitement and nerves. He couldn’t wait to see Renna’s reaction when she realized that he was the prince.
“I hear the princess’s beauty surpasses all others. Maybe I will keep her for myself,” the king leaned over and whispered, half-jokingly.
Trev tightened his fists at the thought of his father with Renna but chose not to say anything. His father had always had a weird sense of humor.
The caravan slowly moved toward them. Dozens of New Hope soldiers on PTs flanked the three black transporters as they rolled into the circle. The transporter in the middle was reserved for the royal family and displayed the purple and yellow New Hope flag.
The crowd seemed to get louder as each transporter came to a stop outside the courtyard wall. New Hope guards dismounted from their PTs and set a formation surrounding each side of the main transporter. Trev waited impatiently for the guard to open the door.
