The celebrations continue joyously, gifts being presented to the princess – who accepts every one with a bright and thankful smile. A small feast is offered and the Dukes and Counts don't waste any time making their way to the banquet table. The queen descends from her throne and begins mingling with the duchesses and countesses, leaving the king to speak with his daughter.
"Where were you this morning?"
"Out and about." She smiles innocently. "And I arrived on time." She points out.
"Only just."
"That maybe so, but I was here."
"You're mother thinks we should put a leash on you." He jokes.
"I'd find a way to be rid of it."
"That's what I told her." He laughs robustly. "She thinks that it's not proper for you to be spending so much time in the woods."
"Well forgive me for wanting to explore my kingdom."
"Haha, you should start your next argument like that. Instead of making up excuses whenever you disappear." His majesty suggests. "And stop getting Borivor to cover for you. What good is a good captain who lies to his king all the time?"
"Your majesty I assure you –" Borivor steps in to defend himself, but the king just waves his hand to silence him.
"I'm not sure I know what you're referring to." Andreia denies, for both their sakes.
"Oh please, child. You're as transparent as glass." The princess' cheeks burn the shade of her dress. He father passes the matter by and insists that she join the crowd. She does so, after nodding to Borivor – grateful for his friendship.
"I trust that your association with my daughter is merely that of duty." The king addresses his captain.
"Of course your majesty." Borivor laughs slightly, thinking any notion otherwise to be absurd.
"Good." The king comments and descends the platform as well.
The day transcends into night and the main feast begins, laughter and music echoing throughout the great hall. A dance begins and every lady is twirling in the arms of their partner – their dresses fanning out like a blooming flower. And the rose of the garden is Andreia. She loses herself in the music along with the rest of the crowd, oblivious to the amount of attention that she is receiving. She switches partners and ends up in the arms of a prince from one of the neighbouring kingdoms.
"Good evening, princess." He plants a kiss on the back of her hand.
"Good evening." She smiles back.
"Are you enjoying your birthday?"
"Yes, I am. Thank you."
"I'm glad to hear that." The women are lifted into the air and spun around. "You look quite magnificent, tonight. If I may say so."
"Why, thank you." She blushes modestly. "You look quite handsome yourself." She comments on his dark green tunic embroidered with golden patterns across his front.
"Thank you." He nods with a smile. The time comes to change partners and Andreia spins out of the prince's arms and leaves the floor to catch her breath. As she's refilling her goblet, her mother comes up beside her.
"I saw you dancing with Prince Dominic." She smiles.
"Which one was that?" Andreia asks. She'd danced with so many princes in so little time that she hadn't gotten all their names.
"The last one you danced with. From Avalon."
"Oh. That one." She nods in acknowledgement.
"Yes that one. What did you think of him?"
"I don't know. He seems nice. I only spoke to him for a second." She drinks from her goblet. "Why?"
"Because, your father and I agree that he would be a fine choice for a husband."
"Excuse me?" Andreia chokes. "Husband?"
"Yes. All the princes here are suitors for your hand."
"What?" She exclaims.
"Do not shout, it is unbecoming." Her mother speaks firmly. "You're plenty old enough now to take a husband. You must have known that this moment was coming."
"That doesn't mean I want to! Why didn't you tell me?"
"Oh hush. I married before I was your age."
"Yes, but you always tell me of stories of how you and father were in love. You weren't forced into a marriage."
"Andreia, please. Your father and I would have married anyway. We were just lucky when we met."
"So you're just going to marry me off?" Her eyes glaze over in disbelief. She was having such a wonderful time that she didn't think anything could ruin her night.
"Darling, it's not as bad as you think. And it's not as if you're going in blind. This is your chance to meet somebody. You have a week to get to know somebody, after that a decision has to be made."
"A week! But I don't want to get married."
"Oh don't be ridiculous. You're a princess, you have to get married. You have a duty to your kingdom."
"I never asked to be a princess!" Andreia hisses in a low tone, tears springing to her turquoise eyes. She discards her goblet and storms away, despite her mother's protests. The guards open the doors upon her approach and she runs into the winding corridors, leaving behind the celebrations. She wipes the tears from her eyes as she ascends the winding staircases up to her chambers.
Of course she knew the notion of marriage would come up eventually. Maybe over dinner they would discuss it together. But never had she thought her parents would keep it a secret and then spring it on her like this. She'd been told so many stories of how her parents fell in love with each other the moment they saw each other. And she'd always hoped that one day she'd find love like her parents have. But that no longer looks like an option.
She locks the large wooden doors behind her when she enters her room, pacing in fury as she begins undoing her dress with difficulty. She ignores the knocks on her door by her maids and continues by herself despite the struggle.
None of the princes downstairs sparked her interest, but maybe that was because she wasn't really paying attention to them. She goes back over the brief moments she spent with each one in her head, evaluating whether or not she can see herself married to one of them.
But no one jumps out.
She has countless secrets – which she has only confided in one person, and even he doesn't know the full concept of them. Borivor has been her guardian ever since she was a child, and the trust that she has with him took years of investment. How is she supposed to confide in someone that she barely even knows? Someone who she doesn't even love?
Andreia manages to get her dress loose enough so that she can shimmy out of it. She contemplates bed, but her mind is too frazzled to sleep. She pulls on a pair of riding pants and a shirt, tightening a black under-bust corset around her. She drapes her cloak around her and pulls on her riding boots, which come up to her knees. She listens carefully, before stealing herself away through the castle without being seen. Which is rather easy as everyone is gathered around the grand hall.
The princess sneaks out through the kitchen and heads for the stables. She avoids all the patrol guards and makes it to the stables without being seen … well, almost.
A young man tends to two horses in the first stall. He seems rather occupied, so Andreia hesitantly just walks past him to reach her stall. She quickly saddles up her stallion, a beautiful chestnut steed named Sentinel. He bobs his head and neighs at her presence, sniffing at her in hopes to find hidden treats.
"Not right now." She pushes his head away and mounts him, leading him into a trot. The stable-hand looks up at her and bows in acknowledgement, but doesn't question where she is going. Andreia pulls her hood further over to cover her face and rides out of the castle and into the forest.
Sentinel slows as they reach the clearing for the meadow, neighing nervously. Andreia soothes him and demounts the agitated steed, tying his rein to a nearby branch – so that he doesn't run off. "Shh." She coos. "It's okay. I promise to find you something yummy to eat once we return." Sentinel whines but can't do anything more to stop his princess from entering the empty meadow.
Andreia pulls her locket from below her shirt line and holds it in her hand, standing in the centre of the open field, she purses her lips together and whistles.
At first the night remains calm.
But then the breeze picks up.
A shadow engulfing the field below.
Sentinel pulls at his restraints as gusts of wind flow in waves, disturbing the stillness of the forest, as a great beast lands. Its colossal size taking up the length of the meadow, the long grass giving way under its large, taloned paws. It's vast, scaled wings span out above it before folding neatly to its sides. Its long tail flicking around - the fanned, dagger like end swaying like a ship's sail. "Hello." Andreia smiles up at the creature.
"Hello." Its deep voice booms in her head. Her locket, created with magic, allows the wearer to communicate with the beast that it was designed for. Borivor had given it to her when she first adopted the creature, he said he'd gotten it from a witch in a faraway land. "You took off fast this morning."
"Yes, I know. Sorry. But the kingdom was holding celebrations and I was needed to greet guests."
"Celebrations? With large feasts?" Though his voice is deep and growly, something in his undertone resembles that of a child's.
"Yes, there were large feasts." The princess laughs. "And no, I didn't bring you any food." She informs before he can ask.
"What! Why not?"
"Because you're a big boy now, you can hunt for your own food."
"According to who?" He questions, settling himself into a laying position. He crosses his arms over in front of himself and lowers his head.
"According to me." She moves closer to him, his hot breath warming her against the chilliness of the night. "It's getting hard to bring you food. I'm barely getting away with the handful of treats that I already bring you. And the fire-flowers are not in season."
"I don't ask for much, just a small sheep or two." He jokes.
"Yes, well, if I feed you a sheep a day the kingdom wouldn't have any left."
"Well, what about that horse over there?"
"Don't even think about it." She instructs, though she knows he's only joking. He lowers his head down enough so that she can scratch the bridge of his nose. She drags her nails up and down his hard scales, not bothering to be gentle as no amount of strength she has is going to hurt him. She moves further up his head, following up to his horns, which slowly start to form just past his eyes - the two ridges splitting like a fork in between his eyes. The two bigger horns curl backwards like those of a rams, flicking up slightly at the ends. Whilst the two smaller ones stick out with little curvature, just below each of the bigger ones. "What on earth." She unhooks a small tree branch from in between his left horns. "How did that get there?"
"I was chasing these birds. Tricky little things." He grunts. "They thought they could hide in the trees. But I proved them wrong." He laughs, sounding very proud of himself. Andreia just rolls her eyes and continues to scratch down his jawline, avoiding the sharp spikes that protrude all the way along his jaw.
"Well it sounds like you had a very fun day." She comments.
"I did." He sounds very matter-of-factly. "What about you? Did you have fun today?"
"Well, I did have fun …" She sighs.
"But?"
"My parents are arranging for me to get married. The castle is full of princes, competing for my hand." She explains.
"Ooh a wedding!" He exclaims. "Will there be a mighty feast? Ooh and cake?" He questions, excitedly, not observing Andreia's melancholy.
"Phoenix, I don't want to get married." She drones.
"But why not?" He tilts his head to the side.
"Because I don't know any of those people." She sighs and collapses against his arm, pulling her knees into her chest. "When I marry, I want to know the person. I want to feel a … connection. Like my mother and father had." The princess enlightens. "I want to know someone for more than a week before I marry them. I just want to know what real love feels like. I don't want to force myself into just because I have to." Phoenix lays his head down, next to her.
"How will you know when you love someone?"
"Because I'll feel it." She smiles. "Not just in my heart, but in my soul."
"What does that feel like?"
"I don't know, silly. I haven't felt it yet. If I had, I wouldn't be in this situation." She laughs mirthlessly.
"Then how will you know when you're in love?"
"Oh I don't know. I just will."
"Well then, talk to each suitor and decide which one you love."
"It's not that simple. A week isn't enough time. Loving someone isn't just about liking them. I have to trust them. And I don't even trust my parents with my secrets. And you're my biggest secret, I don't think I can trust anyone in there with that knowledge."
"Why not?"
"Because they're all princes. They're hunters just looking for the biggest beast to kill and mount on their wall. And what mightier beast then a dragon?"
"No tiny human is strong enough to challenge me." He states.
"I know, but that won't stop them from trying." She strokes just above his hazel eye. "And if I marry an eldest child then I'll most likely have to leave for their kingdom. That means I'll have to leave you." He raises his head at the thought, making a low whine of disapproval.
"Then you shan't get married." He protests.
"I don't have a choice."
"Then I'll go and speak to your parents."
"No. That won't be a good idea."
"Then what shall we do?"
"I don't know, Phoenix." She sighs and reclines against his warm scales. She remains in the dragon's company for a while longer before deciding to head back before to many people notice she's missing. Her mother's probably already sent Borivor to find her. Phoenix remains in the meadow whilst Andreia rides away into the forest, much to Sentinel's relief.