Alia had already awakened at the first crow of the chickens, long before the sun had fully risen. She barely slept last night. Alexander had made sure everything was prepared for her the night before: clothes, shoes, jewelry, even the color of the ribbons for her hair. He made sure she was comfortable, treated, and cared for as though she already belonged to him. The thought alone made her heart flutter in her chest.
A small, hopeful smile tugged at her lips. Maybe... just maybe... their wedding would truly happen.
But she quickly pressed her hands together and inhaled deeply, reminding herself not to get too excited. Hope could easily turn into heartbreak if she wasn’t careful.
She dressed in the gown chosen for her, an elegant, long teal-green dress decorated with soft floral embroidery. The corset hugged her waist tightly, enhancing her silhouette and lifting her chest just enough to make her look regal and mature. Her hair was pulled into a perfect bun, pinned with delicate flowers that shimred faintly under the light filtering through the window. Her makeup, though a bit more striking than what she usually wore, only made her look more radiant. A princess in every sense of the word.
A maid stepped forward to adjust the ribbons at the back of her gown. Alia glanced at her through the mirror.
"What is your na?" she asked gently.
The maid bowed her head instantly, almost trembling. "My na is Leah, your Highness."
Alia reached out and touched her shoulder, urging her to relax. "There’s no need to bow so deeply. I only wish to speak with you."
Leah raised her head slowly, though she still kept her gaze lowered. Even though she was human and humans were often considered weaker but the fact that Alia was a princess, and a guest of the Vampire King, was enough to intimidate her.
"What would you like to ask, your Highness?" Leah murmured.
Alia turned around and sat on the edge of the bed. She hesitated for a mont, unsure if she should voice what was on her mind. But curiosity got the best of her.
"Well... since the king and I will be getting married in the future, I want to know more about King Alexander, sothing beyond the usual things everyone says."
Leah blinked in surprise. Married? Was she hearing correctly? The king... getting married?
She composed herself quickly. "What more do you wish to know, your Highness?"
"Anything," Alia said, a little shyly. "His likes... dislikes... what he does daily... hobbies... anything small."
Leah looked troubled. "Your Highness, King Alexander... is not like other kings. He has no hobbies. He doesn’t particularly enjoy anything. He spends most of his ti in his study, or with his advisor. That is all."
Alia’s bright excitent dimd a little. What was she expecting? That he took walks in the garden? That he liked music or books? That he smiled easily?
She offered Leah a polite nod. "Thank you, Leah. Let’s—"
A knock cut her off.
Leah hurried to the door and opened it. A guard stood there, tall and expressionless.
"His Majesty requests that Princess Alia be escorted to the dining hall for breakfast," he announced.
Alia smoothed her dress and followed him, her steps light and hopeful. Maybe she would finally get to see Alexander this morning.
The guard pushed open the large doors to the dining hall and motioned for her to enter. She stepped inside only for her excitent to dissolve instantly.
The hall was empty.
No Alexander.
Only a familiar figure stood at the long table—Arthur, the king’s advisor.
He smiled warmly. "I’m sorry, Princess. I know I’m not the one you hoped to see."
Alia forced a small, polite smile. "Forgive for that, Sir Arthur."
He guided her to a seat and sat beside her. "I hope you had a comfortable night at Noct?"
"I did. Thank you."
Maids placed trays of food before her, fresh bread, fruit, roasted at, sweetened tea but Alia’s appetite had already faded. She pushed her food around for a mont before finally asking:
"Will King Alexander be joining for breakfast?"
Arthur stopped mid-step, his face tightening. "I’m afraid not, your Highness. The king is occupied with urgent matters. He may be unavailable for the rest of the day. In the anti, I will have soone give you a proper tour of the palace."
Alia tried to hide her disappointnt behind a polite smile. "Of course. Please tell King Alexander that... I would like to visit the city of Noct with him when he is free."
Arthur nodded. "I will inform him." And then he took his leave.
Alia leaned back in her chair with a soft sigh, staring at the untouched breakfast. Perhaps she had been too hopeful.
---
She ate only a little before the tour began. Servants led her through the grand corridors, past enormous paintings and chandeliers shaped like silver roses. The gardens were vast, filled with flowers
While admiring the blooms, Alia froze.
Ahead near a marble fountain stood Alexander. His tall, imposing figure was unmistakable. But what made her heart tighten was the presence of the young girl standing beside him. They seed to be speaking privately.
Alia politely excused herself from the servants and walked toward them.
"King Alexander," she called with a hopeful smile, "you did not join for breakfast this morning. I hope everything is alright?"
Alexander turned to face her, his expression unreadable. The girl stepped out from behind him, her black eyes narrowing slightly.
"He must have inford you that I was busy," Alexander said flatly.
Alia nodded, though disappointnt flickered in her eyes.
The young girl crossed her arms, inspecting Alia openly. "You must be Princess Alia?"
Alia turned to her politely. "Yes, I am. And you are?"
"I am Athyst. Princess of Noct." The girl answered confidently.
"Oh," Alia smiled softly, "I didn’t know you had a sister."
Athyst glanced at Alexander. "Not many people do." She then stepped closer to him. "I’ll speak to you later."
Alexander didn’t fail to notice the change in expression of Athyst when talking to Alia but he chose to ignore it.
She walked away, leaving the two alone.
Alexander sighed quietly, clearly not thrilled to be trapped in a conversation. "Do you need sothing?"
Alia tugged nervously at her sleeve, her gaze dropping. "No... but um... I would like to explore the city of Noct. And... I wish for you to accompany ."
Her voice was barely audible, but Alexander heard it.
He stared at her for a few long seconds.
"...Alright," he finally said. And then he walked past her.
Alia froze. He agreed. Her heart pounded wildly. She hurried after him with a growing smile.
Arthur prepared the carriage. Alia stepped in first, sitting neatly as she waited for the king.
Arthur leaned toward Alexander. "Enjoy yourself, Your Majesty," he said with a teasing grin.
Alexander shot him a glare that clearly said Don’t push .
Arthur raised both hands in surrender, smiling. "One more thing. Keep an eye on Serena. She didn’t show up for breakfast." Alexander said.
"Of course."
Alexander climbed into the carriage, and it began to roll through the palace gates. Arthur watched until the carriage disappeared from view, then turned back toward the palace with a sigh.
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