Amnicity's cough brought Valander back to the room.

Valander looked at his daughter. "Yes, Nici?"

"Are you not accompanying me to midday dinner, Father? It is of great importance to Mother."

Valander met his daughter's smirk, leaning back in his chair with a sigh. A knock interrupted them.

"Come in," Valander commanded.

"So sorry to interrupt, Your Highness and Your Majesty. A letter from High General Fenellia." The young boy rushed with a slight break in his voice at moments to betray his nerves and age.

"Bring it here." The young boy who scurried to hand him the letter. "You are dismissed."

Amnicity watched the interaction with amusement. Her smile fell as her father's face transformed from agitation to vexation while reading the letter.

"The fool," he hissed, slamming the letter upon his desk.

She furrowed her eyebrows. "What is it, Father?"

"The drunken idiot has chosen a Lessure to succeed him as High General." Valander hissed without thought, causing Amnicity to furrow her eyebrow in confusion. "Never mind, let us go to this midday dinner."

Amnicity took her father's offered arm as they moved to the door. "What is wrong with a Lessure?"

"Nothing to concern you with, my dear." Valander patted her hand comfortingly. "Let us simply enjoy more of the right sort of society."

"Very well." Amnicity studied her father from the corner of her eye.  "Your intonation requires more sincerity. Mama would easily perceive your sarcasm. I would hate for you to be the one to pollute her centerpieces." Her father's boisterous amusement echoed off the walls as he opened the door.

Amnicity never understood why her father refused to have a doorman inside his office. He only allowed Henry to stay inside the office with him.  She did not know how he could live such a simple existence. 

***

Amnicity sat near her parents and the young Preenian heirs at midday dinner. She determined that Korak Fallyn had decent taste. Artistic braids framed her oval face and highlighted the contrast between the natural ash and pearl blonde tones. Korak Fallyn even chose the right shade of blue to compliment her eyes that were a shade darker than ice. Amnicity could not even find fault in her nose that was sharp but not too large for her face.

"Oh, your baker has splendid taste." Korak Fallyn smiled at Queen Christaline. Her ice-blue eyes flashed towards her brother. "Do you not agree, brother?"

Amnicity's eyes turned to Konrik Loren. His curly pale-blonde hair fell almost to his shoulders. It made his delicate facial features seem a touch more feminine than masculine.  Amnicity would not have mistaken him for a woman since his nose was more extensive around the nostrils than his sister's. She also determined his light blue eyes had a hint of warmth that made her feel at peace.

"The crust is nice." Konrik Loren murmured, taking a sip of juice.

A slow smirk became hidden behind Amnicity's napkin at Valander's exasperated sigh. Her father hated mundane conversations.

"Thank you, Korak Fallyn and Konrik Loren." Christaline smiled, placing a steadying hand near Valander's wrist that now rested upon the table.

"I agree with Konrik Loren." Amnicity started after a moment, gaining the attention of the table. "The crust is always a sign of a quality loaf. Without a good crust, how would we dip it properly?"

"Exactly," Konrik Loren stated in wonder. "There also cannot be too much flaking. Nothing is worse than a crust that leaves crumbs on clothing."

"Very true," Amnicity agreed with feigned sincerity. "Speaking of, Lady Toria, the shade of blue you chose for your dress is beautiful. You must provide me the name of your seamstress."

An auburn-haired lady choked further down the table. Her wide hazel eyes met Amnicity's as a blush stained her slightly upturned nose and aristocratic cheekbones. Lady Toria raised a napkin to her heart-shaped face as she recovered from her embarrassment.

"Thank you, Princess." She smiled. "It is my creation."

"Your father, Lord Ewren, must be proud of such an artistic ability." Fallyn gushed. "To think, a lord would let his daughter partake in a commoner's occupation. It is so progressive."

"He—yes, my father finds my devotion an enamoring quality." Lady Toria's cheeks flushed slightly.

"Were you the lady in the green dress last evening? I thought so. The beading is just as exquisite as your other creation—a true sign of our country's great creativity. Not unlike the production, Preena gifted me last evening," Amnicity interjected.

"Did you enjoy it?" Konrik Loren added to the conversation.

Amnicity nodded.  "I found the whole production fascinating. The performers were proficient in their craft."

"My father and mother will be pleased to hear you enjoyed it. They spent weeks choosing the performers. The competition almost challenged that of the ice sculptures for our winter festivities." Konrik Loren replied with a dreamlike gaze beginning to creep into his eyes.

Amnicity smiled genuinely at him.  "That is too kind. Thank you for the honor. We have heard reports that it is easier to catch lightning than it is to have one's ice sculpture chosen for your winter festivities."

Konrik Loren laughed. "The level of expertise and detail must be as great, if not more, than Lady Toria's, even with her own mastered artistic craftsmanship."

Lady Toria blushed once again.

"Yes, it is always nice to see true artists at our festivities." Korak Fallyn concurred, leaving Christaline in the role of saving the conversation from her daughter's humor by guiding it further down the table.

"Well, with little to do in Preena but wild boar, I am sure your artists find plenty of time to hone their craft," Valander whispered after a moment's pause. His daughter choked upon her juice while providing him an amused glance.

Valander always had a way of playing with other's emotions while remaining innocent. The late Queen Mother found the ability to be one of his many savage qualities that affected her nerves. She spent many a day ordering the servants around in shrill unrest. Amnicity believed her antics were why Father insisted she vacation at the coastal palace, Undine.  The late Queen Mother considered it a prison, but Amnicity thought it to be peaceful. Undine had minimal servants. 

Maybe I will gain that type of freedom soon.

Fallyn's voice interrupted her thoughts.  "Oh, what a lovely dessert, did you know the snow pudding at our winter—"

"I do not believe I will be able to stomach dessert." Valander interrupted her while rising from his chair. "Thank you all for coming. I wish you the safest of journeys home."

The room took a few moments to settle after King Valander's abrupt departure.

"Konrik Loren, are you a fan of snow pudding?" Amnicity finally asked, taking a small bite.

He considered the yellow and white dessert on his spoon.  "It is a palpable dessert."

"Better than cake?" Amnicity smirked.

"It is not in my practice to spend time weighing the difference in qualities between unnatural foods. There are far more enlightening things to meditate upon." Loren shrugged.

"Such as what, Konrik Loren?" Christaline questioned, sending Amnicity a warning look to not press further.

Amnicity thought her mother would be keen to know more about "unnatural foods"; shocking things happen.

"Nature," Loren sighed.

Amnicity bit a small part of her bottom lip to reframe from retorting.

"That is a vast reflection," Lady Toria commented. "It must take some time."

"Oh, it does," Loren agreed. "I spend much of my time meditating.  My sister tends to reflect more within confine spaces and over books. Sister, you must join us in the garden more often, as nature at the core of the spirit. It requires the greatest contemplation."

"Apart from when it is artistically expressed," Amnicity commented.

"Well, yes," Loren stated in slight shock as his sister took a longer than usual drink of her juice. "There is nothing that conveys nature better than artistic expression. Princess, you are an enlightened soul."

"This again leads to another compliment of the dancers from last evening," Christaline interjected.  

Amnicity shared a mirthful glance with Lady Toria.  She knew there would be a lecture later from her mother concerning the diversion shared with Lady Toria at Konrik Loren's expense. However, she did not want to hear Korak Fallyn speak another word.

Suzerain Zakarus was far more entertaining than—no mind, do not venture there.

A lady of her heritage could never choose him. Such a thing would be worse than marrying an heir from Merce.  Judian lineage was merely the result of heathens making pacts and killing their brothers.

"Do you not agree, Amnicity?" Christaline asked, starting Amnicity from her musings.

"I am so sorry.  I have missed the origin of the question. Do I not agree to what Mother?" Amnicity asked her tensely smiling mother.

"We were discussing the importance of gardens. I told Konrik Loren how we always believed a garden to be an extension of one's personality," Chritaline clarified.  

Amnicity nodded before she entertained the concept of flowers and shrubberies amongst acquaintances.  They required some form of entertainment until their carriages arrived.

She later felt surprisingly at ease watching the carriages leave. A sense of delightful freedom filled her at no longer having to entertain nature's connection to art or how to understand the spirit better.  

A tree is beautiful but does not represent eternity, nor her lineage. What person of any intellectual prowess wished to tie the symbolic meaning of power to something that can be so easily molded or destroyed?

Flowers are just as useless to represent love. Why would I want something the gentleman condemned to death? Is that what he foresees for me?

Amnicity shook her head to stop the thoughts. Konrik Loren would be a harmful influence if he already caused such intense retroflection. She already had enough to consider without becoming so existential.  

***

Hey!  So, I shortened the chapters.  Sorry if it is too short for some, but I wanted to make this book easier to read for people on their phones.  Any opinions on Loren and Fallyn?  What about Amnicity?  Let me know below!  Thanks for reading :)