The Royal Mark-Chapter 80: Potential Husband
The lively noises of horses, and carriages, and the constant flow of people in and out of the castle disrupted Elsa’s peaceful slumber.
Still drowsy, she resisted the urge to open her eyes and attempted to retrieve her pillow from the opposite side of the bed, only to experience a sudden bout of muscle pain in her arm, as though she had engaged in an extensive weightlifting session at the gym for hours.
Then the memory of the previous night flashed in her mind. In a sudden motion, she sat up, experiencing a surge of pain throughout her body. "Ouch... Argh..." She gradually lowered herself back down.
"How did we end up at the castle... hmm... we were sitting, and then—"
[You probably passed out in that position.] Ciel interrupted as she leaped onto the bed.
"Ciel!" Elsa exclaimed and attempted to reach for her dog but quickly withdrew her arm due to the intense muscle pain.
[Yes, it’s me, unless you were expecting the prince to be here to greet you, which you’d be disappointed by.]
"What do you mean?" she inquired. However, Elsa had to acknowledge that Ciel was right; she had somehow expected Chris to be by her side when she woke up, even though he was the reason for her current miserable state.
[The four of us waited for you last night after you abruptly left us, in case you’ve forgotten...] Elsa pouted at Ciel, who seemed irritated by her. [He arrived carrying you while you were unconscious, and we immediately understood what had happened. You both carry each other’s scents, Elsa; any werewolf would recognize that you and the prince spent the night together. There’s no concealing what happened if you encounter someone from Arcanis.]
Elsa was left dumbfounded and instinctively covered her mouth with both hands. She had not anticipated the consequences of their actions. "Where is he now?"
[After he brought you to your room and cleaned you up, one of his people came to the castle with news that a pack from Arcanis had just arrived at the port, and many of them were injured. They barely escaped the demons patrolling the route from Arcanis to Zemaria. So your prince went to check on them.]
"I see... By the way, why is there so much commotion outside?" Elsa inquired, having heard the sounds of horses once again.
[I heard that the king plans to hold a memorial ceremony for your mother.]
"So early in the morning?"
[It’s almost noon, Elsa. You’ve been sleeping the entire morning. You’re fortunate that Chris instructed the staff not to disturb you, making them believe you were unwell after eating some Arcanis delicacies from the party.]
"Lucky? It’s his fault that I’m in this situation. I need to get up and find out what the king is planning. It’s my mom’s memorial, so I should be present," Elsa said before attempting to get out of bed. "Oh shit!" she exclaimed upon feeling a sharp pain between her legs.
[What exactly did that werewolf do to you?] Nile asked, curious and concerned, seeing Elsa in such discomfort.
"Don’t ask, Nile. I won’t tell you," Elsa replied, attempting to walk, but her entire body ached, making it unwise to push herself.
"Do you think my grandmother can heal me?" she asked Ciel.
[Are you willing to tell her where it hurts?] Ciel asked sarcastically.
"I could trick her and give her some other reason," and that’s precisely what Elsa did. Valeria healed her body pain, believing it was due to sitting on a wooden carriage without a cushion last night.
After getting dressed, she made her way to the dining hall to join the others for lunch. To her surprise, Chris was already there, engaged in a serious conversation with the king and the two princes. He turned his gaze towards her as soon as she entered the hall.
’He probably caught my scent, but why is he looking at me like he had seen a ghost?’ she wondered to herself.
"Princess, how are you feeling?" Chris stood up from his seat and walked over to her immediately.
She froze in her tracks, her heart pounding as she recalled their passionate activities from the previous night. She saw a smirk cross Chris’ face the moment he was out of sight of the others. Elsa understood the meaning behind that smirk, so she narrowed her eyes and responded to his question.
"I’m fine, Prince Christopher, thank you for your concern," she said, each word laced with sarcasm, causing Chris to grin.
"Elsa, dear, take a seat," the king said and continued, "We’ve decided to hold a memorial for your mother tomorrow night, to provide closure. Our people need to know what happened, and this will also serve as your formal introduction to them."
"Thank you, Your Majesty. I appreciate it," Elsa replied after taking the chair that Chris had pulled out for her.
The Queen spoke next, "Since the people will learn of your existence, we will formally announce your ascension as the second Princess of Zemaria. You will inherit Hera’s title and crown. Along with this, we will host a ball and invite all the officials and powerful families in the kingdom so you can meet potential suitors, considering you declined the marriage alliance."
Elsa was taken aback by the queen’s directness about her future marriage. She glanced at Chris, who had begun eating and wore a blank expression.
"T-There’s no need to find a husband for me. Thank you for the thought," Elsa stammered, feeling nervous as everyone’s eyes were on her, except for Chris, who seemed unfazed. She took a glass of orange juice, sipped it to calm her nerves, and continued, "I-I will marry Prince Christopher," then took another sip, gazing at Chris, who remained unaffected by her announcement.
Everyone looked delighted, except for Princess Milda, who only managed a half-smile. The king raised his glass and declared, "A wise decision! Now, let’s toast to the marriage alliance between Zemaria and Arcanis!"
