Just as Queen Carolina had predicted, soon after the Emerald Kingdom and the Sapphire Kingdom made a preliminary announcement of the festivities spanning from the winter solstice to the new year, emissaries from the Amber Kingdom arrived promptly with a formal proposal for Princess Astra of the Emerald Kingdom and Crown Prince Mars of the Amber Kingdom, with follow-on celebrations in the Amber Kingdom after the winter solstice banquet in the Emerald Kingdom and the new year banquet in the Sapphire Kingdom. The suggested time was three days after the celebrations in the Sapphire Kingdom.
King Jaren went to meet Astra for the first time since she had been grounded and confined to her rooms. She had been behaving herself and had not tried to break out or created a ruckus after the first week, realising the futility of it.
"Papa?!" Astra cried in surprise as soon as she saw him. "You…you're here to visit me?"
Her pretty face was lit up with hope.
