Someone Else's Kingdom, BOOK I - Chapter 30

King Kaspria, the king of the Eastern Kingdom, and the father of Princess Liofia, arrived at Castle Tori to little fanfare. It was to be a fleeting journey, consumed as he was with the war still raging in the west. The cover story that an outbreak of the Pox needed containing was beginning to wear thin. So more and more were asking questions, and more and more of his nobles were having to be let in on the secret. Making the secret increasingly less of a secret - much to the annoyance of his counterpart, King Mizmeam. Meanwhile, increasing numbers of men were being pressed into service to maintain the war effort - a war they were still largely losing.

Prince Aralak, likewise, had little time for dalliances. He'd raced on horseback, eager to get his formal marriage arrangements sorted before heading off to writhe beneath the desert. Hoping to see the world eat its own tail. His marriage to Princess Liofia had all but been agreed in principle, as far as the two kingdoms were concerned. The only sticking point was Liofia herself, who kept continually playing for time. So far, Aralak had quite enjoyed the gamesmanship of it all. Being so used to getting his own way, the surliness and strange behaviour of the princess made her an even more attractive prospect. A worthy prize. However, even he was beginning to lose patience, and both he and his father had now started to apply a lot more leverage to press King Kaspria into speeding up the process. Though, as Princess Liofia waltzed into the room, he quickly blossomed into charm mode.

As he greeted her he immediately launched into tales of his upcoming voyage to the Upper Desert, omitting the secret details, but not failing to omit any of the danger. Liofia play-acted a sense of impress. Lulling him into more details, and not wanting the conversation to move on to other matters. Oblivious to the falsity, but feeling teased by her natural reticence, Aralak continued on in the same form.

"You never know, by the time I return you may have given birth to my first heir."

"How so?" replied Liofia, feigning a complete innocence.

"Well, we are arranged to be married," answered Prince Aralak, nodding his head forward, as if trying to impel the issue, like a dog pushing its bowl forward in the hope of food. "There's no point wasting time. Once a few heirs have been produced you'll be the most powerful woman in all the mainland. Your father will be happy, ..and you will too, of course. As I'm informed by both our fathers, the marriage ceremony will be over before I head off. Held in our capital, Keneeshka, ..if that pleases you."

"Perhaps after you return," responded Liofia, with a tone both blunt and polite. Maintaining her feigned dumbness.

"Why wait?" returned Prince Aralak, with a touch more snappiness, realising further persuading was in order. "It's the perfect time of year for it. The weather in Keneeshka is beautiful. You'll really love it. You've never been before have you. We'll have an amazing life there, and we can travel back here whenever you like. Royal duties permitting."

"But what if you die on your dangerous journey and never return. I'll be a childless widow." 

Liofia said this is a playful way, so as not to be especially offensive, but it nevertheless provided yet another layer of blunt resistance. Leaving Aralak, frustrated and allured, at a loss as for what to say. As this all unfolded, her father, who'd been talking to another nobleman not far off to the side, felt quite the opposite. He'd been keeping a beady eye on his daughter's interactions, ever since she'd made her glancing way down the stairwell. As he listened in to her unserious mood a sense of anger began to overcome him. He recalled the assurances he'd given King Mizmeam, and felt the pressure he was under only too keenly. Seeing the conversation pause he marched over and asked for a private word. They both excused themselves, then headed out of the large ballroom, then back up the winding staircase. King Kaspria could feel his rage climbing as he climbed the steps, and as he got further from the ears of his guests he allowed it to reach the surface. Grabbing his daughter by the arm he barged her into her bedroom. Then slammed the door behind him.

"What was that!?"

"What?!" replied Liofia, trying to maintain the feigned innocence she'd employed in the ballroom.

"You will be going to Keneeshka, and you will be married to Prince Aralak. You have precisely no choice in the matter. It's been arranged. You've messed people around for far too long. If you do not go willingly, you will be forced. Do you hear me? It's that simple. You have a sworn duty to this kingdom."

Sullen, but composed, Princess Liofia began straightening her crumpled clothes and hair, "I won't be going. You'll have to kill me first." She then began to take the earrings out of her ears, before removing the shoes from her feet.

Witnessing this cool disobedience from his daughter Kaspria felt his anger deepen An anger only compounded further by visions of the displeasure he'd in turn face from King Mizmeam, thanks to this ungrateful behaviour. He grabbed the door handle and opened the door to leave the room, but unable to contain his ire he slammed it shut again, then stormed back towards his unruly offspring. He dragged her by the hair, then threw her down onto the bed. As he pressed her face down hard into the soft bedquilt he dragged her long billowing dress up over her back. The long tail, the she'd promised several times to have removed sprang forth.

"And this goes! - It goes tonight."

He then got back up and smoothed his own clothes and hair down.

"My own personal surgeon has travelled with me. I'll send him up later. Then, in a few days time you will travel to Caster. Hopefully willingly, but dragged in chains if necessary."

He then left the room and ordered two guards to stand sentinel at her door. Liofia composed herself once again, forcing a mood of calm defiance ..but then, in a brief fit of wrath, almost matching her father's, she picked up a wooden jewellery box and flung it across the room. It hit the surround of the large looking glass, chipping the wooden frame, but without breaking the glass.

After another brief pause, followed by a sigh of breath, Liofia then got up and walked over to her wardrobe.