Betrothal

[Princess Diaspro]

Standing before the King and Queen of Eraklyon, six year old Princess Diaspro lowered her small frame into a fine curtsy, her head bowed in respect and the hem of her dress held daintily between her thumbs and index fingers. This particular gesture had been drilled into her head by her Manners Mistress ever since she had taken her first step years ago and, much to her parents' immense relief, it had all paid off. Without a doubt, Queen Riannon, the Prince Sky's mother, was pleased with the diminutive princess of Chalcedony and her obvious fine upbringing.

As for Diaspro, she enjoyed being prim and proper; how could she not when she was regularly awarded pretty dresses whenever she pleased her parents? And so, as Diaspro curtsied for the King and Queen, she reminded herself that she must be on her best behavior. Her parents had warned her that today was "very important," though she herself did not know why, and that she must "be a very good girl;" with a tiny smile, Diaspro knew that if she managed to please the King and Queen of Eraklyon, who she assumed her parents thought highly of, she would get piles upon piles of new dresses. The thought of this made Diaspro's heart flutter as she struggled imperceptibly to contain her excitement.

Only vaguely aware of what was going on around her, Diaspro rose from her curtsy after an appropriate amount of time had passed and moved to sit in the chair that had been brought forth for her. Folding her hands on her lap, Diaspro waited docilely for her elders to speak, knowing that she was not at liberty to speak until spoken to.

[Princess Diaspro]

As Diaspro kept her eyes trained on the marble floor beneath her feet, she felt herself grow restless. Knowing that if she didn't distract herself in some way she would soon begin tapping her feet, something that would not please her mother, Diaspro tuned in to what the elders around her were saying. The conversation seemed quite boring - something about a betrothal, whatever that meant. Deciding that she would be better off finding another way to amuse herself, Diaspro started to tune out when out of the blue, she heard her name. At this, Diaspro's ears pricked as she wondered why her parents would possibly be discussing her with the King and Queen of Eraklyon.

Diaspro didn't have to wait long to find out the answer as the King Aldrich said with a hearty laugh, "We are pleased to see that Diaspro has become quite the little lady since we last saw her as an infant; she shall be the perfect wife for our Prince Sky when they both come of age."

Diaspro may have been but a little girl of six years, but she wasn't stupid. She knew the meaning of "wife." With a cold dread coming over her body, Diaspro knew at that moment that whoever this Prince Sky was, he was going to be her husband just like the way her daddy was her mother's husband.