Ariella made it to the dinner on time, though, she didn't leave much room to spare. She had just enough time to sit down between her mother and father, flick open her fan, and cool herself off. Just as she was dabbing away some sweat on her forehead, since she practically trotted to the hall, the butler announced the arrival of the western delegation.

Panicking, Ariella quickly dropped the sweaty napkin on the floor and swept it under the table. Her father shot her a look, but said nothing more as the king and his son stepped into the room. Due to the small number of dinner guests, King Alexander decided to use the family dining hall rather than the formal hall. The table fit eight guests; three on each side, and one for the two ends of the table. Normally, Ariella's parents would sit at the head and foot of the table, and she couldn't help but wonder why they were not now.

Zion, the western king, must have thought the same, for he bellowed out, "Come, your majesty, let us kings sit at the head of the table just as we are the heads of our great nations!"

Ariella could tell that there was a reluctance to her father, though, she couldn't seem to figure out why. Reasoning must have won over that reluctance, however, for King Alexander rose from his seat beside the princess and took his rightful place at the head of the table. His dining throne was different from the rest with the frame being masterfully carved into a beautiful arching, beveled spike. King Zion proudly sat at the foot of the table, though he deemed it to be another head.

Delusional. Was the first thought through Ariella's head.

"We have prepared some of the finest Northern cuisines that are a staple to our culture!" the northern king said as the chef and the servers filtered into the room, donning carts full of food trays. A thick, flavorful aroma wafted through the air, blessing everyone's senses. The line of servers quickly split, going on either side of the table. They lifted the rounded lids to the food trays, revealing different appetizers each catered to the individual guests' preferences. The chef personally served the kings' their foods while the rest of the servers dished out the other plates. They then all filed out of the room, leaving the guests alone with one another. Ariella slipped off her gloves, ready to eat when she had an idea.

This is my time! Ariella thought to herself as she dried her sweaty palms with her dress before handling her fan. She swiftly flicked it open, sweeping it across her bust before amorously fluttering it, just barely hiding her lips. "So my king, was your room to your liking?" she asked, lowering her voice an octave. She thought that she sounded attractive, and from the glint in the king's eyes, she believed he thought the same.

"Why, yes. It was quite excellent. The bedding was as grand as mine back in the west," he praised.

Ariella smirked behind her fan before smoothly sweeping it down past her breasts, drawing the king's gaze with it, before closing the fan in her lap. She inwardly cringed as she felt his gaze land in her lap as well. "I'm glad, your majesty!" She smiled, innocently, before eloquently taking a bite out of her dish.

King Alexander cleared his throat, drawing the western king's gaze to his. "So King Zion, tell me about your nation. I'm indeed curious about our soon-to-be ally," he said.

King Zion, on the other hand, seemed to falter in his demeanor. "There's not much to say. The Western Nation is much like your own!" he exclaimed.

"It must be difficult dealing with the brutal winters. We lose many subjects every year to that bloody season," Alexander continued.

Awkwardness began to seep from Zion, emanating around the others, thickening the air. Ariella felt as if she would choke on the tense atmosphere. "Well, no. . . We don't get that harsh of winters. . ." he trailed off, intensely picking at his food.

"Our summers are wonderful, though!" Ariella said, trying to slice away the awkwardness. "We always take a family trip to the northern shore."

It wasn't King Zion who spoke up next, but rather his son. Xavier, who had finished his appetizer, and was just putting down his napkin said, "That sounds very lovely. It's been a long time since we've been able to go to our shoreline."

"Why?" Ariella asked out of sheer curiosity.

"Because we–"

"Because we're just too busy managing our nation to take family trips anymore," the king quickly chimed in.

Xavier looked too exasperated to argue back. Instead he just returned his gaze to Ariella and asked, "What do you do at the shore?" A childlike curiosity twinkled in his eyes as a grin plastered itself on his face.

Ariella returned the smile. "Well, we have a private section of the shoreline for our beach home, so me and Edric," she stopped to dip her head to the right of her. Where her father once sat was now her older brother, Edric, the Eastern Crown prince, "go swimming and lounge on the beach. Sometimes we host little balls for the locals on the shore as well."

"That sounds amazing!"

King Zion hummed, almost moaning, before wetting his lips. "I wouldn't mind going to the north shore to swim and, um,  experience one of those balls. As Prince Xavier has said, it's been a long time since we've been to the shore. It'd be grand if we could arrange a trip down there during my month's visit," he said, staring flatly at King Alexander.

"Oh, well, of course! My lovely wife, Mortica, is the best when it comes to arranging events." Ariella's father signaled for the entree to be brought in, wanting a diversion from the conversation at hand.

Like before, the servers filed in and served out individually picked dishes, and then they were gone.

"So how old are you, your majesty?" Ariella asked Xavier.

"I've just turned 20."

"I'm turning 20 in a few months!" Ariella exclaimed, finally happy to have someone around that's her age. "What do you like to do for fun?"

"Well, I spend most of my day studying or training, but I always find an hour out of my day for crafting."

"Crafting?" Her interest was piqued, and it was impossible to quell that fire.

Xavier cast a glance toward his father before flicking it back to the princess. "Well, I craft lots of things, too many things." An awkward chuckle escaped his lips.

Understanding, Ariella decided to avert the conversation for now, at least.

"I want to thank you personally, King Zion, for visiting our estate alongside your delegation. I'm eager to get to know the man I'm marrying off my daughter too," Ariella's father said, a hint of malice tinged his words.

"Of course! I wanted to meet my new queen more than anything. It is a shame what happened to my late wife, but I hope our future ahead is bright and freed from any more morbidity," King Zion said, lifting his wine glass up for a toast. Both nations raised their glasses as well, but Xavier, on the other hand, stood up and walked out. His father shrugged it off. "Don't mind the boy, he's sensitive when it comes to his mother," he reassured before taking a sip of the wine.

The rest of the dinner went well, Ariella thought. Her father had gotten the western king to talk about himself, and it seemed that once he began rambling on about himself, he never stopped. Once King Zion retired after drinking himself to stupor, Ariella retreated as well. Her Lady's Maid, Natti, was waiting patiently for her.

"I hope you weren't waiting too long," Ariella said.

"Not at all, my lady. I actually just arrived a few moments before you excused yourself."

"Well, that's good." The princess began towards her room, Natti right beside her. Normally, the help were meant to walk behind their masters, but Ariella preferred if Natti was beside her.

"The western prince sure is handsome," Natti remarked out of the blue.

"You saw him?" Ariella piqued up.

"Yes, my lady. I cut through the courtyard because I was running late to greet you after the dinner, and I almost ran into him. He's very kind." Natti was cupping her cheeks, swooning hard.

"I wish to speak to him. Please go to my room and wait for me, I will not be long," Ari commanded, before turning on her heels and striding off. It didn't take her long to reach the courtyard; the small garden in the center of the palace. The gardeners were tasked with changing the flora along with the seasonal trends, and this seasonal arrangement was her favorite. Every entrance leads out to a wrap-around porch with awnings. Two small stairs lead from the porches to the gardens. Tall, emerald hedges stood guard alongside the porches and cobblestone pathways. Small roses freckled the hedges, adding a pop of color. Pale blue and yellow flower bushes were proudly planted alongside the inner cobblestone path, trailing around as the walkway curled into a slight spiral. In the center, an intricate, ornate fountain stood gracefully. Water cascaded down the fountain's three tiers, serenading Ariella to a state of calmness. As she followed the stone path, dark hair that reflected the moon's luminance caught her attention. Without speaking, she gently smoothed her dress and placed herself on the stone bench beside Xavier. There was a faint blush painted on his cheeks as he looked in the opposite direction of her, intensely observing the hedges.

"How did you know where to find me?" Xavier asked.

"Bold of you to assume I was looking for you," she replied, cockily. When his face turned a deeper shade of red, Ariella had to stop herself from laughing. He was a little attractive, but she had to cut that thought short. She was already spoken for. "I'm just yanking your chains," the princess reassured. "Are you well?"

Xavier nodded, but remained silent.

"Are you being truthful?" Nothing. "Your father said you were sensitive about your mother. I'm sorry he spoke of her that way," she apologized, casting a sad look down at her fingers.

He scoffed, softly. "I'm not sensitive about my mother. I'm used to my father being unempathetic. It's just his personality. I just wish he would at least care about the living. . ." A forlorn sense flowed from him, penetrating Ariella's subconscious. It hurt her, deeply, to see another in such painful distress. "I'm right here." His voice cracked under pressure.

"Well, I see you. You're real to me."

Xavier looked up at her, eyes widened with surprise. The lights that helped to luminate the courtyard flickered in his eyes, lighting up his darkened features. "I-I know I'm real, though, maybe not in my father's eyes. I just wish he would respect my mother's spirit, even if it was just for me."

"If I may, what happened to your mother?"

"She was sick."

And that was all he would say on the matter, so Ariella decided to change the topic. "So," she leaned forward, a wicked smirk playing on her face, "what do you craft?" That intense curiosity had never dispersed. No, it was silently stalking its prey, waiting for the perfect time to pounce, and that time was now!

A soft chuckle slipped past his parted lips. "You really remembered that?" he asked, incredulously.

"Of course. I believe you could think of things to say, but your father had your tongue," she picked.

"I craft weapons like spears, bow and arrows, and shields. I also craft. . . devices. I wish I could tell you more, but I cannot."

Annoyed, Ariella huffed and turned away from him. "I'm going to find everything out one way or another. I am going to be living in the western palace in a month's time, after all." Xavier seemed uncomfortable at the statement, but the princess couldn't discern why. "How about we play a game." She smiled toward him.

"What kind of game?"

"It's called four truths. We each tell each other four stories, one after each other, and after the fourth one, we have to guess if all the stories were true or not."

Xavier thought long and hard before smiling back. "That doesn't sound too bad."

"Good!" Ariella clasped her hand before looking up to the moon, sitting crooked in the sky. She was still on time. "I'll start. When I had just turned sixteen, my mother and father decided that I no longer had to tag along on their annual excursion to the surrounding estates, and Natti and I spent that sennight drinking through their wine cabinet. I was straight up the pole, our poor butler!" She laughs, snorting at the end. "Oh!" she exclaimed, covering her mouth with her hand in embarrassment as Xavier laughed with her.

"I was a very quiet and reserved child," he started, "my father was very withdrawn from me, so it was almost like I had one parent. My mom and I would always walk through the gardens at night when I would have one of my nightmares. Yours reminds me of mine at home. Sadly, it's no longer taken care of anymore. . ."

"Why?" The northern princess asked.

Xavier smirked her way, causing her heart to fly into her throat. "Isn't it your turn to tell a story?" he asked, his husky voice brushing softly against her ears.

"Ah, u-uh, yes! We have a cute family dog. It's a golden cocker spaniel named Knight. Edric named him." She smiled softly at the memory. "knight loves my brother more than anyone else. He never leaves his side, but he absolutely hated me. If I tried to get too close to him, he'd try to snap my fingers off! Every winter, I would sew him little sweaters since our winters are brutal. Sadly, he's starting to get old, so Edric keeps him in his room most of the time now."

"He sounds precious," Xavier remarked before thinking of his next story. "I am afraid of the dark. The western nation is surrounded by dense forests that are almost impossible to navigate. As a child, I got lost for days within those dark woods. I don't remember what happened during those days. . . Our physician says it was trauma-induced amnesia. I was never the same after."

"I'm sorry. That sounds very hard."

"It's not that bad. I just keep a lamp on at night."

Ariella nodded and said, "I'm not very fearful of anything. I was taught since a little lady to hide any emotions unless it is a small, innocent smile, doe-eyes, and lifted eyebrows," she said, replicating the look. She sat straight, poised, hands gracefully over one another in her lap. "My brother gets to become the important heir to the throne, while I'm meant to be their ticket to more prosperity," she vented. "If only my father knew that I snuck out every midnight to learn the way of the blade at the training grounds." Ariella chuckled, breaking her pose.

"A lady that can use a sword?" There was a glint in the western prince's eyes that easily said I'm impressed. "I've been taught to fight using many different weapons and even a little hand-to-hand combat. If I were not the crowned prince, my father probably would have made me a commander."

"You're pretty cocky."

"For good reason. None of the western knights have been able to best me," he said, comedically puffing his chest out. A handsome smile painted a godly image of him as he made Ariella giggle.

"Well, you don't ever want to go up against this lady. I'm sure I'd be able to best you," she playfully mocked him.

"My father probably wouldn't like it if I fought the future queen," he remarked.

Ariella huffed at the mention of her soon-to-be husband. Father must hate me, she thought to herself, but those thoughts wandered back to her father's cries of regret. Inwardly sighing at her circumstances, she shrugged the weight off her shoulders for the moment. "My last story is a recent one. The day of your arrival, I was getting ready with a bath, and I ended up slipping and tearing down my curtains along with me. All because of my silly fear of creepy, crawling creatures!"

Xavier's eyes shot open at the story as a deep red tint spread across his face and down his neck. Refusing to look the princess in the eye, the prince cleared his throat and awkwardly chuckled. "Creepy...?" he mumbled.

"Yes! A horrid, slimy, bumpy toad was spying on me as I bathed! How did a frog even get up to my bathroom? The weird thing is, it was nowhere to be found once others came." She pondered where the critter could have gone, shuddering at the thought of it watching her sleep.

"Horrid...?" Xavier grumbled, looking visibly distressed. "Are you sure it wasn't in your head?" he teased, sheepishly smiling at her.

"Of course, I'm sure! I'm not crazy," she exclaimed, glaring at him.

He laughed, heartedly, surprising Ariella. It was the first time that he had laughed with his entire soul. He seemed much happier in that single moment than he had his entire stay so far. "You sound crazy," he joked, tears forming in his eyes as he continued to laugh.

Embarrassed, Ariella stammered, "Y-You're crazy!" A faint blush creeped across her cheeks. "Anyways, tell your last story," she said, turning away from him to hide her face.

Slowly calming himself down, Xavier wiped at his eyes. "I enjoy horseback riding and tending to my animals. I spend every day with my horses and organize several wildlife reservations on imperial grounds. I like to steal some time out of my day to take my horse out on the town, spending time with our subjects. My father doesn't know, as the royals are not meant to leave the palace, so consider it our little secret." He goofily winked, and Ariella felt as if her blood had been drained. Why did her body continue to react in such ways?!

Ariella wanted to further ask why, but she knew that even if she did, he wouldn't answer her. Instead, she said, "so do you think I was being truthful? If so, shout truth on three. If not, shout dishonest." Xavier nodded. "1. . . 2. . . 3!"

They both shout truth in unison before staring at each other for a few moments. It was Xavier who laughed first, but it was Ariella who ended their laughter. "I should get going, but it was nice to learn more about you, your majesty."

"Please, call me Xavier."

"Isn't that a little too casual?" she cooed, teasingly, leaning ever so slightly forward.

"That's the point," he replied back.

The princess smirked. "Then your wish is my command, Xavier." She then stood up and left for her room, leaving Xavier alone in the courtyard once again.

Running through the halls, the slapping of her flats on marble floors reverberated off the walls. Natti was still waiting patiently for her master; her training outfit had already been picked out and was laying on her bed, consisting of white pantaloons, a simple white muslin shirt that opened up only halfway down from the collar, and a high-collared waistcoat. Her father would kill her if he ever saw her in such manly attire. As Natti helped her into the clothing, Ariella thought to herself, not that I care.

With her makeup washed off and hair tied into a high ponytail, she was finally ready to spar. Her hands felt as if they were tingling with anticipation as she walked out onto her balcony and looked down over it. There were over 5 floors to the northern palace, but thankfully, Ariella was only the second one. That didn't stop her heart was speedily pumping against her ribs as her eyes adjusted to the dark ground. She knew that there would be a large, plush hedge ready to catch her fall, but she couldn't see it.

Regardless, she was sparring. She needed to vent to her friend, and she needed to swing a sword, take her anger out on something. And so she leapt over the railing, squeezing her eyes shut as she braced for impact.