Chapter 23
Two days later, Gwendolyn was devoutly thankful for the dresses she had purchased when Prince Aparen came calling.
She was wearing a simple, but elegant, linen gown that was made out of vertical strips of cloth in differing pink colors. It cinched at the waist with a white belt made of wyvern scales and had gold buttons down the back.
After Prince Aparen was announced, Gwendolyn stood from the window seat in the library, where she had been reading a book about a Prince of a foreign land who leaves his throne for the love of a serving girl. Books of fiction were the hardest to come by in Bartet, and she was reveling in the newfound access to more books than she ever could have dreamed of. She had no qualms about spending her sudden fortune on books, and she wasted no time doing so.
“Lady Gwendolyn,” said Prince Aparen, his voice formal. Trailing behind him, she saw several members of her household, as well as several people she didn’t recognize, but who wore a version of the Royal coat of arms.
Prince Aparen noticed her gaze linger on them, and said, “some of my household.” At his voice, the servants all bowed.
“The Royal crest… it looks different,” Gwendolyn said.
“Yes,” he smiled, looking pleased that she had noticed. “It is the crest for my Royal household, which means I am allowed to change the design to distinguish my staff from my father’s. All subject to his approval, of course. I added a fifth wyvern to the design and—” without realizing it, Gwendolyn interrupted, moving closer to the servants who wore the crest.
“You added shading to the field, I see,” she murmured. “It looks beautiful and adds a sense of realism.”
“Thank you,” the Prince nodded. “I am very proud of it. Have you chosen your colors?”
“No, I think I wouldn’t quite know where to begin,” Gwendolyn replied.
“Do you have a favorite animal?” Prince Aparen asked, approaching her. Gesturing to the armchairs set up for reading, he said, “shall we sit?”
Gwendolyn nodded, then turned to her household staff and said, “perhaps some tea?” and the two young girls curtsied and rushed off to prepare some.
“My favorite animal is probably a cat,” she said as Prince Aparen took a seat next to her, “or perhaps Solithi,” she giggled. “But I know I can’t put a dragon on my crest.” It was strictly forbidden to all but the Royal family to display a dragon on any family items.
“What about the voncat?” Prince Aparen asked, “they live on The Floating Valley, do they not?” Voncats were a particular favorite of Gwendolyn’s, a rare big cat that lived along the cliffs surrounding the valley.
“They do, I’ve only seen them a rare few times, but they’re beautiful. Their tails are so long, for balance, and their grey fur changes in the sunlight, it’s incredible.”
“We have two in the Royal Menagerie, should you ever like to visit. You’ll need a member of my family with you, but…” the Prince lowered his voice conspiratorially, so low that the attendants standing by the door would not be able to hear, “it’s sort of my secret spot. I’d be happy to show you.”
Gwendolyn nodded enthusiastically. “I’d like that,” she said.
“Well,” the Prince returned to his usual tone, “for now, I would suggest the voncat for your personal crest. In fact, it has never been used on any crest that I know of, so you would be the first.”
“That’s interesting, I think that is a good idea, thank you.” Gwendolyn was nervous, unsure of how to speak to a Prince who treated her like an equal. She had adapted a little better to her newfound friendship with Sharaa and the others, but the Prince was disarmingly handsome, and his quiet nature make it harder for Gwendolyn to understand him.
“If you would like, I will leave you the name of the artist who I commissioned to create my own seal and other heraldry. They can help you create yours.”
“That’s very kind, Your Highness, thank you.”
He smiled at her. Then after a moment he added, “I’ve come here to deliver an invitation to the first event of the Festival of the Five Gods. My father hosts a lavish week of parties each year, one day for each of the Gods, as well as an opening dinner the night before and a closing picnic on the Palace lawns to close out the event. The opening dinner is on Nunden, of course, as the first day of the week.”
“Three days,” Gwendolyn said, alarmed. “I’m not quite prepared…” she looked down at the invitation which Prince Aparen held out to her, a stiff sheet of dark green velvet embossed with gold.
Honored Guest,
It is the pleasure of the Shimmering Palace and the Maitala family to invite you to the Grand Dinner of the Festival of the Five Gods, to be held in the Onyx Dining Hall in the Shimmering Palace. The dinner shall be held at six in the evening on the second Nunden of the month. Present this invitation at the time you arrive.
As always, please refrain from wearing more than minor golden embroidery.
King Arelon Maitala, Ruler of Imirene, Conqueror of Shark Isle, and Protector of the City of Gold and his beloved wife, Queen Rabecci Maitala of Krastiv, formerly Duchess of Ivernelton
At the bottom, the official seal of King Arelon was painstakingly embroidered. Gwendolyn looked up at the Prince.
“Why do we have to avoid wearing gold?” she asked.
“Only my family can wear gold at the Grand Dinner. It’s an old rule, and no one quite knows where that tradition started, but as it causes little in the way of problems, my family keeps it.”
“Can I ask, do all of your siblings have their own households?” Gwendolyn asked, unsure if the question was improper.
“They do not,” he replied. “I am the only one, except of course my siblings who live in Parcee and my sister Duchess Windenshire. They are married and have their own households with their families.”
“So, you’re the only Royal Prince or Princess with his own household who isn’t married?”
“Correct,” Prince Aparen said, tilting his head slightly as he pondered her question. “Why do you ask?”
“I’ve been told that you are the heir apparent to the throne,” Gwendolyn admitted. “I suppose I am just curious as to how these things work.”
The Prince sighed, but then explained, “my father has not yet named an official successor, but yes, it has been intimated to me that I am the most likely choice. This is mirrored by the size of my household and the duties my father has granted to me, but it is meaningless without a decree. He cannot name a successor until his chosen heir is married, in any case. So, unless he wishes to name Rayla, which he doesn’t, he has time to make a decision.”
Gwendolyn nodded, slightly, seeming distracted.
“My Lady, what troubles you?”
“I just feel quite overwhelmed, and I worry I will make a fool of myself,” Gwendolyn admitted quietly. “Or worse, I worry I shall embarrass your family after all they’ve done for me.” Gwendolyn looked at her feet, ashamed.
“Ah,” Prince Aparen said. “Many new nobles feel a similar fear, you know. You are hardly the first individual that has been elevated, nor will you be the last. How is this,” he suggested, “stick with me and Sharaa at the party. We will make sure you meet the right people, avoid the right people, and don’t make any mistakes.”
“That is a relief,” Gwendolyn admitted, “I have been reading the book that you gave me, and I do feel I have learned a great deal. I never would have guessed, for example, that the Royal family may not leave Ardelen without wearing at least one item made of gold, why is that?”
The Prince laughed a bit. “An old superstition. We draw our power from our mastery of the dragons, and the dragons originate from the City of Gold, as you know. It is believed that the bond between my bloodline and the dragons was formed when my ancestor found the City of Gold, for he was wearing a golden pendant in the shape of the sun. He encountered a young dragon, not yet fully grown, and offered the pendant to the dragon as a gift. However, he was shaking so hard in the presence of a fearsome dragon, at the time unknown to our people, that he cut himself while trying to take the necklace off. When the dragon accepted the gift, covered in the blood of first King Serter Maitala, it created a unique bond between them.”
“So, is it true you can speak to your dragons?” Gwendolyn asked.
“It is, yes. In a manner of speaking, at least. The strength of the bond between dragon and parette, the bonded human, is what determines how much, or little, the two can communicate.”
“So, you have the strongest bond with Liella of all of your siblings with their dragons?”
“I do, though Sharaa and Tariam both have strong bonds with their dragons as well.”
“What of Princess Pala?” Gwendolyn asked.
“She doesn’t have a dragon. Not all my siblings are granted the gift.”
“Why not?”
The Prince’s eyes flashed with some inscrutable pain, or anger. “It is not my place to tell that story,” he demurred. “But I know you have much to learn and very little time, so I will answer any other questions I can.”
“Thank you,” Gwendolyn said, exhaling a breath of relief. After a moment to process, she asked, “one more question, at least at this moment: do you hand deliver these invitations to all the guests?”
Prince Aparen chuckled, and for a moment he even let his gaze linger on Gwendolyn, looking her right in the eyes with his dark gaze.
“A Prince’s privilege is to deliver the invitations to the most beautiful ladies of Imirene,” he finally said. A blush crept across Gwendolyn’s face, spreading like dragon’s flame and equally difficult to extinguish.