"What do I do? The wedding is tomorrow and father is not willing to listen to me at all. I have gone to look for him three times in the past six days, but every time he's either not present or with other diplomats. He is clearly avoiding me!" Princess Nari exclaimed annoyedly.
The past week, as she spent more and more time with Prince Noore, she realized that she liked him and wanted to marry him, but when she needed help the most to convey this matter to the Regent Prince, her own father was not on her side. Feeling restless and depressed, she could not sit down, walking back and forth in the room.
"Is there really no way to stop this wedding?" She lamented sadly.
Just than, Lumos nervously entered the room with a gold box in his hands. Upon hearing Princess Nari's mutter, he was even more motivated to carry out his plan to the end. After all, the princess was not happy with this marriage either. It was her father who forced her into it for the benefit of the Jinn Kingdom. By taking this step, he would be saving her. Thinking this way, he confidently continued towards the princess.
"Your highness, tomorrow is your wedding day. I, as your childhood friend, cannot do much for you other than wishing you luck. But I hope that you will accept this humble present of mine." Lumos presented the gold box with both hands.
"Lumos, you did not have to. But thank you." Princess Nari took the gift half-heartedly, upset at the mention of the wedding.
"Princess, I know that you are not happy with this marriage. But do not worry, as long as you carry the gift that I have given you with you at all times, everything will be fine. During the time of the betrothal gift presentation, place it next to the Crown Prince." Lumos instructed as he deeply gazed at her.
"Oh? oh, okay." Princess Nari did not know what Lumos meant by everything will be okay, but since it could not stop her wedding from taking place, she was not that interested in the item, placing it carelessly on the dinning table.
"Princess, the item in that gold box is very precious. It has the ability to fulfill your wish, so you must not be careless with it. Keep it close to you at all times and place it next to the Crown Prince at the most opportune moment." He insistently instructed, seeing her careless attitude.
"Yes." Princess Nari said frowningly, as she picked the box back up, holding it in her hands.
"Was there anything else, Lumos?" The Princess asked impatiently, indirectly telling him to leave her alone.
"No, your highness, that was all. I hope that all your wishes will be fulfilled tomorrow." He said with a gentle smile as he took his leave. He was not offended by the princesses impatience at all, as it only served to show how much she was unhappy with this arranged marriage and how right he was in taking such a step.
"I am saving her lifelong happiness by stopping her marriage with the Crown Prince." He convincingly thought to himself as he left the courtyard.
Right at this moment, Myifs of various sizes and colors carrying chests of treasures, clothes, and jewelries arrived in front of the aquamarine mansion, armored guards in black riding atop them. Behind the betrothal cart procession were the envoys and ministers of the surrounding realms, Regent Prince, Crown Prince Lail and Prince Noore leading in front.
A crowd of nearby guests gathered to watch the spectacle as the chests of gifts were lifted off their carts and carried inside, the group of envoys lead by the Regent Prince, Crown Prince, and Prince Noore entering the mansion through a side-door.
The royal guards of the Jinn Kingdom, led by Lumos, stood at the entrance of the main hall as they acted the role of the brides maternal family and welcomed the guests, leading them to their seats as they provided refreshments. The envoys sat down with Regent Prince in the main seat, and talks commenced, gradually turning the main hall lively.
Princess Nari and Qamari were inside their courtyard, not allowed to step out from their room until the day of the wedding, as per tradition. The two were in yellow robes, maids going back and forth doing their facials and manicures. At this instant, the laughter and chattering of females sounded outside their room, before a group of women entered, crowding around them.
"Well, are you girls not lucky, marrying the Crown Prince and Prince of the Amayan Empire with your statuses of backwater kingdom bumpkins." One of the females, in sapphire blue robe, resentfully said as she glared at the two princesses hatefully.
"Right? With their status, even marrying the guard of our realm would be there good fortune."
"We can only blame ourselves for being too loyal to our homeland, not willing to sell our national treasure to secure a good marriage."
What they skipped out on was the fact that even if they desired to sell their nations treasure, they would not be able to secure a marriage with the princes, as not every realm possessed a national treasure. And if they somehow did, it would not be a golden bird. However, to make themselves feel better, they sprouted all kinds of nonsense with the hope of shaming the princesses and eliciting reactions from them, instead they seemingly portrayed themselves as clowns performing for the entertainment of the two.
Princess Nari, feeling suffocated by their constant mention of the impending wedding, gracefully stood up with a smile, excused herself from the room as she walked into the courtyard, pink peach blossom buds showering her body as the fading radiance of the setting sun enveloped her figure shedding silent tears of helplessness and grief.
"Are you alright, your highness?" The gentle voice of Prince Noore reached her ears, surprising and delighting her. Hurriedly wiping her face, she turned and excitedly approached him, as she took in his charming appearance in his gold robes under the sun's final spark before covering the universe in darkness.
"Your highness, what brings you here?" She softly asked with an infatuated gaze.
By now, anyone with discerning eyes who saw this scene would immediately know that there was something between the two. Princess Nari unrestrainedly gazed at Prince Noore, while the prince himself did not discourage her approach, but rather behaved even more gently with her.
"This is exactly what I wanted. For her to be so fascinated with me to the point of blindness. Only then will I be able to successfully make use of her as my spy beside the Crown Prince, easily convincing her to take my side with the excuse of it being the only way for us to be together. Then with his own wife betraying him, the Crown Prince will not only be shattered, but also become the joke of the century. Haha..." Prince Noore darkly thought, softening his gaze even further as he looked at Princess Nari straight in the eyes.
"Your highness, would you like to come in for a cup of tea? It helps keep the body warm during the chilly nights." Princess Nari shyly invited the Prince into her personal living room, which only females and family relatives were allowed entry, forgetting the fact that men and women should maintain distance at all times.
At the same time, inside Princess Nari's living room, a maid who was clearing the dining table saw the gold box sitting in the center of the table. Curious, she opened the box to see a dark gem with a faint fragrance inside.
"What is this? It smells nice. Maybe it's a fragrance gem the princess wanted to admire while dining but forgot to take it out." She thought quietly.
As she held the dark gem in her hand, she heard the sound of approaching footsteps, and hurriedly placed the gem in the center of the table, keeping the box on a shelf as she left the room, unaware of the suspicious blush spreading on her cheeks.
Princess Nari and Prince Noore entered the living hall and sat at the table together while softly conversing. The two, fully immersed in each other, thoroughly ignored the dark gem on the table while failing to catch the faint fragrance spreading in the room.. By the time half an hour had passed, they felt so uncomfortable that they were tearing at each other's clothes, their faces flushed and judgment clouded by heat and need.