<h4>Chapter 202: What arge family!</h4>


    All over Eldoria, televisions sted the footage of the princes meeting the king, offering gifts and images of their flying ships. They also exaggerated the meeting between Prince Firron and Princess Thssa, and spected on what it meant for the empire.


    Commentators and Tv anchors spoke on the possibility of a royal wedding and where it would happen if it became a reality. Would they marry in Eldoria or Sndor?


    Meanwhile, the royal luncheon arrived and it was quite the spectacle to behold. Because of all the changes to the guest list, it had been arranged like a party. Long tables were adorned with crystalmps and fresh flowers provided by rin. The velvet curtains which framed the windows had been closed, allowing glistening chandeliers to cast a warm light on the scene. The seductive smell of food, pastries, wines and spices filled the air.


    The guests had already arrived, mainly young women that were brimming with eager smiles and dressed to the nines, eager to leave asting mark on the princes. The princes had yet to be seen but among the guests, dynamics of power, ambition and resentment were already simmering beneath the surface. If one wrong string was pulled, the bnce of the event would be undone.


    The De-Kensington’s were not pleased to see the Thorin’s or the female mages. The Thorin’s were acting as nothing was of their concern and they were having a good time talking to the Rosewood’s and Givenchy’s. The Givenchy’s were not happy to see the Durin’s, the two families had a feud. These three families were not pleased to see the Windrider’s, only one female from their family had been invited and yet ten had showed up.


    The women from the royal family were not happy to see any woman from the various noble families that had attended or those from the mage estate. As if thepetition was not stiff enough, the doors opened and daughters of nobles from the families of the queen’sdies in waiting arrived.


    "This is worse than a battlefield." Mauve whispered to her cousin Jenna. "The princes have not even confirmed if they are open to a marriage alliance and yet the women here have drawn swords, each ready to ughter the other for a chance to be royalty in a foreignnd. I say it’s foolish."


    Jennaughed in response. "Well it is not our concern, we are just here to make up the numbers for the crown princess and have fun. If any Prince does find me suitable, I won’t object to the courtship."


    Rnd and Sigrid arrived first, Galen stole him away and this left Sigrid beside Princess Romilda and the queen. The queen was not too happy to see the Thorin’s at the event.


    "This is not your estate or the Vale or Stormwind. It is my castle, you had no right to invite your cousins without my permission." She snapped while maintaining a fake smile for those that were watching them.


    Sigrid gestured for a servant to bring her a ss of wine and she replied through an equally fake smile. "It’s not your event dear mother-inw. It is the king’s event and I do not think that he will be too happy to see all the women you invited. You are not a fool so you must be aware that he wants to match Princess Thssa with one of the princes. An alliance with Sndor will shape Eldoria’s future, your De-Kensington family is too greedy and selfish because they want to gulp all this power for themselves."


    Queen Maurelia bit her teeth and turned to her sister-inw. The two did not like each other and Maurelia harbored a deep grudge against Romilda stemming from years of perceived undermining andpetition for the kings favor. Romilda was aware that Maurelia had insinuated to herdies-in-waiting that it was possible that the rtionship between King Raff and her was like that of Lady nche and his sister.


    Romilda had only kept her temper in check because she did not want to draw attention to the ugly lie and give it life.


    "And you Romilda, how dare you bring that hussy Marianne here?" Maurelia hissed.


    Princess Romilda scoffed, the hussy was her daughter who was charming everyone with her beauty and wit already. Romilda was sure that if Thssa failed, Marianne would get the job done.


    Sigrid was not worried about who the two women had brought, her eyes lingered on Lady Emmah whose halo was extremely active tonight. So far, the maids had tried to ruin her dress and failed, poison her wine and failed, shove her out of a window and failed. Every disaster she could have stumbled on tonight ended up harming another young woman, reducing herpetition. Emmah had not even looked Benjamin’s way tonight, she hade with one purpose--to capture the heart of one of Sndor’s princes, the older one preferably.


    She had dressed strikingly as if she was attending the met g back on modern earth. Her beauty coupled with her lucky halo which had a talent for putting her in the right ce at the right time made her a formidable yer in the courtly game.


    King Raff entered the room with rin and he froze for a moment. He had envisioned a quiet family lunch but that vision vanished and it was reced with reality which was a bustling gathering that held a semnce to a royal g.


    The king made his way into the room and sat down next to the queen. "I see many of your nieces here, apanied by their fathers."


    Queen Maurelia smiled provocatively and replied, "Family does not refer to our children only, it is a broad term. You wanted the princes to feel wee my dear, what says you are wee more that our most beautiful maidens, the finest women in the kingdom. I am just so regretful that I do not have more rtives because four of the women on Eldoria’s beauty list ranking have not made it." She picked up a wine ss and added, "Thssa is number nine on that list and she was squeezed in because of her identity, I don’t think anybody would miss her if she was not here."


    As rin calmed the king down, the princes made entry with regalposure in their empire’s red and golden garments. They were as startled as the king had been to see such a big family!


    It was if a gun had been fired to start a race because they found themselves in the midst of eager beautiful women and each was vying for their attention.


    Sigrid observed the spectacle with a hidden smile on her face. "The simple lunch has been turned into a battlefield of ambition." Sigrid scoffed and sipped her wine, she had no ns to intervene unless Emmah got too close to Firron.