“Block!” Atlanta shouted as she swung her sword once more. Adrian brought his up just in time to avoid being hit, although it knocked him off balance, “Again.”
“Not now Lanta. I can’t think.”
Atlanta sighed and threw her sword across the training block, ignoring the disproving looks from the knights, “So tell me what’s on your mind.”
“What did you hear mother and father talking about last night? Did you discover anything useful?”
“They want to marry Luna off, and, as I expected, Father is now entertaining the idea of allowing Lume and Annabelle to marry,” her brother closed his eyes, “Adrian, I have a plan for both.”
“What plan? We can’t go against father just yet.”
“No, but we can send Luna away to grandmother in order to stop Father from marrying her off. I’ll speak with him about it, ask him if I may take Luna to see them. That’ll bring up the topic for marriage.”
“Alright. And Annabelle?”
“There’s one duchy that pretty much runs itself. I believe I can get father to give it to Annabelle and Lume, telling him it will improve his standing among our trading villages.”
Adrain nodded his head, “Are you sure you don’t want to be on my council Atlanta? You have a head on you that most people don’t.”
“They won’t accept a woman. Tell me and Anitra the things that were spoken about, and we can all discuss it then,” a mischievous glint echoed in her eyes, “Then present them as if they were your ideas.”
Adrian chuckled, then straightened, “Father,” he called out, “How are you this morning? You seem stressed.”
“Your blasted mother is being a pain,” King Phoenix scowled, “Why did you stop training? And why are you training with Atlanta and not one of the knights?”
“I have much on my mind, father, mainly the war. Atlanta told me to speak so my mind was clear,” Adrian bowed, “And the knights won’t come at me with their hardest. Atlanta will.”
“What about the war?”
“The safety of my family, the future, and everything in between. It’s lasting longer than we thought and I can’t shake the feeling something is going wrong.”
“The other countries hired mercenaries, that’s all,” the tyrant turned to his daughter, “Don’t kill your brother please. And I wish to speak with you soon.”
“As my majesty wishes,” Atlanta bowed alongside her brother as their father left, “What do you think he wants?”
“Who knows,” Adrian nudged his younger sister, “Go. Get washed up and make sure you look presentable. I’ll get your sword to the forge, and you know it’s better to not keep him waiting.”
She nodded her thanks and ran to her room, closing the dark oak door behind her. Amber, her one and only maid, looked up from her cleaning, “Why are you in such a hurry?”
“My father wants to see me. Was my blue skirt washed?”
“Ironed and folded on your bed,” the dark fae, set down the clothes she was folding, “Go put it on then sit down so I may do your hair.”
The skirt was a deep blue, complimenting the black shirt Atlanta grabbed from her wardrobe. She sat down as Amber told her, lacing up her corset while she spoke, “Amber, have you spoken to Diana recently? How do she and her husband fare?”
“Diana wrote me with news that she is well, and that she is with child. She asks permission to name the baby Atlanta if it’s a girl.”
“No, my father would take it as an insult. He still considers nobles from the dark fae to be commoners. She can use my middle name, Hana if she wishes though.”
Amber nodded and smoothed Atlanta’s fringe, “There. Now go before he gets angry.”
“Thank you Hermana,” kissing Amber on the cheek, Atlanta hurried out, just barely able to keep herself from running. The nobles giving her pitiful looks only seemed to scare her more, a fear the red and blue splendor of the palace couldn’t seem to abate.
She stopped outside her father’s study, waiting for the footman to finish bowing, “My father called to me. Is he here or elsewhere?”
“He is inside your highness. I will announce you,” the old man walked stiffly, disapproval emanating from him, “Her highness, Princess Altlanta.”
“Come in daughter,” her father looked her up and down as she curtsied, “You changed.”
“I did not want to come here dirty, your majesty. May I ask what it is you wished to speak about?”
“Simply your future. You are the first princess in centuries to be allowed to choose her husband. Why haven’t you?”
“I’m not sure,” Atlanta turned her head towards the window, looking out over the sea, “I know I should, that it could bring me joy. But I also think that no man around me would accept me as I am and it scares me.”
“Sit down Atlanta,” King Phoenix reclined in his chair, disdain entering his voice, “You think of me and your mother, don’t you? And how we despise each other.”
“Your majesty I would never-”
“Don’t worry I’m not angry. We hate each other, and I can see why you don’t want that,” similar blue eyes stared at each other, Atlanta smiling softly, “You know, Atlanta, I have a feeling you want to convince me to marry Annabelle to Lume.”
“I do father. Lume is a good man and would not mistreat her, not to mention it would improve your standing among the people,” her father's thoughtful look gave her the courage to continue, “There is one duchy that I believe could be a good marriage gift.”
“Which one?”
“Amarkeeri. It already runs itself so nothing would really change.”
Her father chuckled, “You have a strange mind daughter. Always finding solutions.”
“Perhaps that’s my destiny, being a teacher.”
“You aren’t teaching me.”
“I apologize, father,” Atlanta bowed her head, taking a step back at her father's stormy glare, “I did not explain properly. When you said that I find solutions, it reminded me of my old tutors. They always helped find solutions, maybe that is what I am meant to do.”
“Go. See Amory and make sure he’s doing work.”
Atlanta went to the door and stopped, “Father, may I take Luna to Neto Island to see my grandparents?”
“I need to find that girl a husband first.”
Atlanta bit her lip as if contemplating, “Father, perhaps I could look at noblemen there. Wasn’t the ambassador here a few months ago? Asking about marriage?”
“Very well, take her. Ask my dreaded aunt about matches and make the decision. I do not care who, just marry her off.”
“Thank you father,” Atlanta walked out bright silver eyes turning dark as she wandered through the halls, mind turning to her tricks.
How much longer will he tolerate me? How much longer until he figures out I’m not as naive as I was and that I no longer want what he wants?
Coming to the dark door of the nursery, Atlanta took a deep breath, preparing herself for a battle with her brother's tutor. A battle of the old and new ways.
“That is not how you are supposed to look at it, your highness,” the tutors' wrinkly face always gave a chill, the disapproving frown on his face making her brother shrink back, “Your father is going to be very disappointed.”
“My father can accept that sometimes people use different methods to understand things,” when the tutor bowed, Atlanta smiled at her brother, “I would appreciate it if you treated him with respect. Now leave. I will help him continue.”
“Your highness-”
“Leave. My father sent me here to make sure he completed his lessons and your methods are not helping him. I will teach him what he needs to know.”
The tutor left sneering, and Amory looked down in shame, “I’m sorry Lanta. I don’t know why it’s so difficult.”
“It’s alright, just tell me what you think of it, and how you put it together. If there’s a flaw I will tell you.”
Amory nodded and Atlanta smiled as she spoke softly, pointing out the small flaws. They talked until dinner, Atlanta walking down with a heavy heart and Amory with pride at him finishing his lessons.
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