Raised From The Wild-Chapter 89: Strumming the Guitar
Marx’s expression turned ugly when he heard what the King of Albania said.
King Duncan coughed awkwardly. "Ah, we were drunk at that time. Besides my granddaughter has just come back to us and is still very young. My queen has recently recovered from her sickness because of her, so we cannot let her marry yet."
"What are you saying? It is just an engagement." King Hebrio seemed displeased with the rejection from the king.
"The children are still very young. Let them enjoy their youth. If they like each other, then they can be boyfriend and girlfriend first." King Duncan rose from his seat and gestured for Amaya to sit down. He moved closer to Hebrio so there were two vacant seats for Marx and Amaya. 𝗳𝚛𝗲𝕖𝕨𝕖𝗯𝚗𝚘𝕧𝕖𝗹.𝗰𝗼𝕞
"I am interested to know the gentleman who is escorting the First Princess?" Prince Gamaru asked as he sized up Marx.
"He is Marx Skylar from Usturia. His plane crashed on the island and he brought back my daughter Amaya." Crown Prince Ibarra introduced Marx to the people at the table.
Amaya was feeling uncomfortable. The people sitting around the table were all men. She stood up.
"Please continue to enjoy your food and wine, Your Highnesses and Your Majesties." She said politely while bowing down slightly. "I’ll go around and greet the other guests." Clarissa briefed her earlier on the ’Whats’ and the ’Whats Not’ of a royal party."
"Wait!" King Hebrio protested. "I have seen the rest of the princesses performed earlier. Can you also perform for us?"
"Umm... King Hebrio, as you know, Amaya recently came back to us. She did not have time to train." Prince Ibarra almost said, ’She came from the wild so how could she have any talent?’
"Dad, it is alright. If there is a six-stringed instrument, I can use that. Daddy Ibrahim once built me an improvised six-stringed instrument. There is a kind of hemp plant on the island. The fiber is so strong as a string and produces a good quality sound when vibrating."
"You mean to say that you know how to play the guitar?" Prince Gamuru asked her with amusement in his eyes.
"It was a long time since I last played." When Amaya said that, Prince Ibarra felt uncomfortable. What if she made mistakes and became a laughingstock?
"Amaya, you don’t have to perform if you are not ready. I will hire a tutor for you to learn all those musical instruments."
"Let her play, Prince Ibarra. I would like to see her perform." King Hebrio looked for his firstborn son Raquim who was eating with his brothers two tables away from them.
"Raquim, come bring your guitar here and lend it to the First Princess." He beckoned the man who looked very serious but had an air of nobility surrounding him.
Prince Raquim heard his father loud and clear. He bent down and took the guitar under the table. It was his beloved guitar. He carried it with him anywhere he goes.
He rose majestically from the table and closed the space between their table and that of his father.
He stood beside the King of Albania. He took out the guitar from its leather case and handed it to the princess.
Marx looked at Amaya anxiously. "Are you sure you want to do it?"
Amaya just smiled at him. "Yes. I know how to play this." She ran her fingers on the smooth material of the guitar. "This is very nice and a little bit different than what Daddy Ibrahim made for me, but I can play this." She said confidently.
"I did not see any guitar in your house on the island." Marx frowned but he knew he should trust Amaya.
"I only have one, and it was hidden under my bed. Unfortunately, I forgot to pack it when we left the island." She said sadly.
The two princes, Raquim and Gamaru watched the interaction between the two, and both were displeased by their closeness.
"Allow me to escort you to the stage, Princess." Gamaru stood from his seat. But before he can step out, Prince Raquim blocked his path.
"I’ll do it Gamaru. This is my guitar after all. I’ll help her tune it later." Prince Raquim extended his hand and Amaya took it and allow him to escort her to the stage.
Marx followed the pair with a dark look in his eyes. Prince Gamaru pursed his lips. His hands which were hidden under the table were clenched.
Before coming up the stage, Amaya took off the bejeweled gloves she was wearing and passed them to Lilia who was standing nearby.
Princess Consort Nelida raised her eyebrows. She was surprised at Amaya’s boldness to play the guitar. Has she ever handled one? She could not believe that there was a guitar on the island.
A servant placed a tall chair in the middle of the stage then he fixed the microphone. Amaya sat on the chair and Prince Raquim handed her the guitar.
Amaya strummed the guitar to test its sound. A loud piercing sound magnified by the microphone was heard from the stage. People down the stage covered their ears.
Prince Ibarra’s expression turned sour. Consort Nelida however has a smirk on her face.
"Does the princess know how to play the guitar?"
"I don’t think so. She grew up in the jungle. There couldn’t be a guitar there right?"
"Then why did she go up the stage? Wouldn’t she embarrass herself?"
The audience was murmuring and those did not escape the ears of Tatiana and Zanzarra who were laughing inwardly. They were jealous of how beautiful Amaya was tonight. The tiara on her head was magnificent. Tatiana knew that her gown was worth millions because it was designed by the top designer in the whole world. Tatiana was her follower and she just posted a photo of the gown and shoes on her social media.
Danella was looking at the stage smugly, while Camilla was worried. She wanted to help her elder sister but she has just started learning stringed instruments.
"Can you sing, Princess? You can tell me what song and I can play the guitar for you." Prince Raquim finally offered after releasing an intake of air.
Amaya kept turning the knobs of the guitar. Raquim glared at her. That was his precious guitar. What was she doing?
Amaya strummed and plucked the guitar. An ear-shattering sound that was worse than the first emanated from the musical instrument.
