Princess Eleanor and Nia looked at each other in confusion.
"Yes," Princess Eleanor replied as she looked at Nia.
"Princess." Nia whispered into her ears, as if she had remembered something, "The guard from the Roulux Empire was supposed to enter today."
"On the same day we are entering the Kingdom?" Princess Eleanor's eyes sharpened as she whispered, "They have planned it all along."
Nia nodded her head as she started rearranging Princess Eleanor's dress. "I heard there is a prophecy."
"A prophecy? What is it?" Princess Eleanor asked as her eyes stayed on her lady-in-waiting.
Nia shrugged her shoulders as she stood straight. "Maybe you will find out soon."
Princess Eleanor took a deep breath as she tried controlling her emotions. "Let's go to our first battlefield."
—------
Princess Eleanor entered the study room with her lady-in-waiting, Nia. Her eyes looked around but she only saw an unknown man standing at the side and an old lady sitting in front of the King.
Princess Eleanor and Nia curtsied and bowed their heads. Once they got permission from the King, they looked up as their curious gazes shifted towards the new faces.
"I called only for you." The King addressed Princess Eleanor solemnly, but his eyes were on Nia who was behind her.
"Oh?" Princess Eleanor's voice sounded surprised but she did not acknowledge it anymore. Her body language clearly stated that no matter what the King says, she would not be sending her lady-in-waiting away.
The King sighed as he moved his gaze towards the people from the Empire. His eyes looked towards the lady as he said in a soft tone, full of respect.
"Lady Gisella, this is the Princess Eleanor of the Angevin Kingdom." The King's gaze moved towards his niece before smiling, "And Eleanor, this is Lady Gisella from the Roulux Empire."
Princess Eleanor curtsied to the lady who stood up gracefully. She moved towards the Princess as she touched her face slightly, "I had heard the rumors that the Angevin Kingdom's Princess is very beautiful. I must say that the rumors were true. You have a gem in your Kingdom."
The King smiled but his eyes were emotionless. His face stiffened for a bit but soon he nodded his head. "Of course, my niece is beautiful. She has taken after her mother, the late Queen."
Princess Eleanor's eyes sharpened as she looked at her uncle when he made that comment. There were many things that were going on in her mind but she was not sure if that was true or not yet.
'I need to find out if my Uncle was involved in my parent's and brother's death.'
Princess Eleanor thought as she took a deep breath. Her eyes moved towards the man who was silently standing. His face was not visible but his eyes were.
By the build of the man, Princess Eleanor knew that he was a warrior. Someone who had gone through a lot of wars, someone who knows the sword well.
"But I heard the Angevin Kingdom has one more Princess?" Lady Gisella asked in a soft voice but if one were to look closely, they could see that her gaze was sharp and observant.
The King's body stiffened at those words but he soon came back to reality. "Oh, that… My daughter, Princess Macy is engaged to Duke Felix. They will be having their wedding ceremony next month."
Princess Eleanor looked at her lady-in-waiting. She could see her eyes narrow as a wave of uneasiness flooded towards her.
"But it should be a huge event. Won't it take more than a month to plan the wedding?" Princess Eleanor seemed to be muttering to herself, but her voice was not small. Everyone could hear it clearly.
"We have been planning this for a year. Everything is ready and just needs to be executed." The King explained as he looked at Lady Gisella. He did not want to give any bad impressions to the Roulux Empire.
The Roulux Empire covered a huge chunk of land. The best which had everything. It had large bodies of water and a range of mountains. It also has regions covered in snow and places like the desert. It was a place ruled by Emperor Kingsley for centuries.
And then there were small kingdoms like the Angevin Kingdom that surrounded the Empire. Although they had their own King and Queen, they all still came under the rule of the Roulux Empire.
Princess Eleanor knew it. How could she not? As a Princess, she had studied it from a very young age. Maybe that was why she could understand why her Uncle wanted to send her over, instead of his own daughter.
The Roulux Empire had only one Crown Prince who was adored by the Emperor. As per what happened to the other male heirs to the throne, that was an open secret. They were all killed under the guise of a Prophecy.
Princess Eleanor knew that the role of the temple was huge in the Empire. And maybe that was why they had asked for every Princess from the surrounding kingdoms to participate in the Crown Princess selection banquet.
'But his reputation with the ladies is not good.'
'The Crown Prince of the Roulux Empire is known to be greedy and he even has an unspoken rivalry with the Empire's Grand Duke, Duke Christopher Beaumont.'
Princess Eleanor looked to the side. Lady Gisella was talking with her Uncle. She did not care about what they were discussing about but her sight moved around the study room.
This room used to be her father's study. There were times when Princess Eleanor used the large table as her study table, with her father and brother on either side. Her mother would then bring them cookies and milk. It was a very happy memory.
As Princess Eleanor was reliving her past, her eyes drifted to the seal on the desk as her eyes sharpened in shock.
'How can this be?'
'Did he really?'
Princess Elearnor's mind was filled with confusion. She could not believe her own eyes. The seal was black, and was kept on the black wooden stand. If one did not look closely, they would have missed it completely.
But the seal itself was not important. It was the design on the seal that was the answer to Princess Eleanor's most important question. An answer that would eliminate all others and show her the true target.