The Cursed King

A couple more days passed when Loriel came to terms that because Elise was soon going to become the queen of Summeria, it was time for him to gather his officials and introduce them to her.

Loriel summoned Elise into the throne room so she could meet them.

It was rare for Loriel to personally call out Elise herself, so after quickly preparing and dressing up with the help of her maidservant Alina. Elise quickly went out of her chambers and traveled as fast as she could to the king's palace.

"I can't keep him waiting," Elise muttered to herself.

Elise was staying in Queen Maude's personal palace and it was a bit farther away from the main palace where the king welcomed all of his guests and visitors. 

One normally traveled via carriage because it was so far away, but even before Alina could ask their two escort knights to summon a carriage, Elise already left in a rush. A brisk walk was what Elise wanted to do.

It meant that Elise could enjoy the sight of both the garden and the lake. 

The residence of the queen was closest to the garden that was an exact replica of the one in Myreen decorated with beautiful jacaranda trees, and there was a grand blue lake that shimmered under the sun's glow.

It was for that reason that most people and even Loriel would have preferred taking a horse or riding a carriage when visiting the queen. The distance was great because the entire palace in Castile was large and vast.

There weren't a lot of servants or guards stationed around this place as most of them were kept close to Queen Maude's side, but even if there was anyone close, it was difficult to see what Elise was doing.

Elise's steps were light and she was swift-footed.

Anyone else would have assumed that Elise was a beautiful nymph that floated or danced in the air. 

Each step took her forward at a distance greater than what one might deem possible.

When the lake started to appear in front of Elise, she did not turn aside or head in a different direction. Without anyone around, Elise's lips curled into a smile and she hopped into the lake.

The spot beneath Elise's feet crystallized into an ice lilypad for a moment, until she leaped to the next one and did the same. She quickly maneuvered through the lake at a speed anyone hadn't traveled through before.

It wasn't often, but Elise knew that ice dragons back in Myreen often turned an entire lake into solid ice when there was no place to land. Inspired by their actions, Elise did a similar thing that was less obvious.

Underneath the heat of the sun, the water she transformed would melt back into water.

At last, Elise finally arrived at the king's palace and headed for the throne room. 

When the guards finally opened up the doors, she was greeted by the sight of numerous people.

There were a great number of officials summoned from all around Summeria and most of them came from even the most distant domains of the kingdom. A lot of them were excited to meet the future queen.

Excited was the wrong word. 

It was actually relieved.

"Is that her?" One of them whispered and elbowed their companion.

"That's the future wife of His Majesty."

"It's from the betrothed agreement, the Princess of Myreen."

It was no joke that His Majesty's Loriel Maxim Ashborn's love for Emmelyn was widely known among his people. The affair was worrying and almost an affront to the people in Summeria as the women were also very beautiful.

Why did the King fall in love with someone who was already married to another man?

That posed a great political problem if the King ever did pursue his affections. Many of the officials sought to rein those desires if it were to ever happen and none were more opposed compared to the Prime Minister Grand Duke Lance Goodwin himself.

A certain lady was amongst the crowd of officials, staring up at Loriel's face.

Loriel sighed inwardly. He was not deaf to the whims and whispers of his people, but he paid no attention to them and instead stood up, walked down the throne, and offered his hand to Elise.

"May I have your hand?" Loriel asked.

Elise stared up at Loriel in awe and surprise. His outstretched hand to her was worth more than anything to her at this moment and she accepted his hand.

The king of Summeria led Elise near the throne as the two of them stood side by side. It was only right to show some face to the princess of Myreen at this moment at least.

"We will now officially begin with the introductions," Loriel spoke. "Order."

The murmuring crowd suddenly turned quiet at the king's one word and turned to pay attention to him. The various men and women were already taking note of how Loriel took Elise's hand in his.

Most of them agreed that Elise was stunningly beautiful. 

"I am sure that the entire kingdom is aware that I have taken the throne after my father has died two years ago," Loriel bowed his head slightly. "And within that time period, already, a lot of you wondered about an heir."

Nobody could disagree with that verdict.

"Before I was born, my mother, the queen dowager, Queen Maude Ashborn, and the late queen of Myreen, Queen Catalina Leoralei were the best of friends that the two wished that they were born as true sisters."

Elise's heart pounded in her chest. This was a story that Elise made her grandmother tell her almost every night when she was younger. It was a story that she knew by heart and memory.

Her mother's friendship with Aunt Maude was something she admire ever since she was young. Secretly, Elise often wished she could have a friend so dear to her, like what Maude Ashborn was to Catalina Leoralei.

"Thus a solemn pact was made that if they were to bear a son and a daughter, the two would wed to form a union between them and actually make Maude and Catalina a true family at last."