Abigail, true to the servant girl's word, was waiting for Shelby just outside her bedroom door.
She was wearing a matching dress, except in yellow. Rubies were sewn into the bodice and rim, and her hair tumbled over her shoulder in pretty ringlets.
The princess beamed when she caught sight of Shelby. "You look gorgeous!" she said.
"Thank you," Shelby said. "And you as well."
Abigail raised an eyebrow at her.
"What is it with you? You're so formal."
"Yes I am," Shelby agreed.
"Whatever for?" Abigail cried. "You have always been carefree when it came to rules and regulations."
"Before I became part of the royal family," Shelby reminded her. The princess took her hand.
"You can still be you," Abigail said dreamily and tugged her along down the hallway. "The people love a carefree princess."
"I'm sure you know this by experience," Shelby said drily.
"But of course."
The hallways of the Norgate fief looked a lot like the ones of Redmont, except a little drearier. All the tapestries and rugs looked like no one ever cared for them. The perhaps once bright colors were washed out and ancient. All the architectural pillars were dented and looked like someone had let an angry cat loose on them.
Despite all the dreariness of the hallways and rooms, the great hall was quite an improvement. New and improved banners hung from the roof supports (Sorry, I could not think of the word for those things, bear with me). The long wooden tables spread across the polished lacquer floor, something Redmont had never had. As was standard, another, larger table sat at the very back of the room where the Baron and his wife were waiting.
Abigail waved at some of the Norgate nobles sitting at their places at the tables, but Shelby didn't recognize any of them. If any of them had shown up at her birthday feast, she wouldn't have ever known. Usually Shelby was good with names, but if Abigail hadn't invited every single noble in all of Araluen, she would have been surprised.
The Baron was waiting for the two girls in the front of the room, and beckoned them over once he caught sight of the princesses.
"You both look lovely!" he boomed when they came closer.
"Thank you, Baron," Abigail said for both their sakes. The two girls bowed slightly, and the baron kissed their hands warmly.
"We can't tell you how delighted we are to have you," said the baroness, once they had taken their seats. She was a woman of small stature, but lovely nonetheless. Strawberry colored hair tumbled across her shoulders, and her eyes spoke volumes of her honest delight. "It is wonderful to have castle folk up north upon occasion."
"It's wonderful to go other places upon occasion," Shelby said with a smile. The baroness smiled back, and turned to her plate.
Servants loaded the nobles' plates with roasted potatoes, cooked beef, steamed green beans, and sweet rolls. Shelby's stomach rumbled with anticipation as a servant piled her plate high with the delicacies. Abigail unfolded her napkin next to her, smoothing it out on her lap. Shelby followed her lead quickly. Growing up with a Ranger and a Courier, one could expect her to have excellent manners. That is, until they met Alyss and Will.
Shelby winced as she remembered her mother.
"Are you alright?" Abigail whispered to her. Shelby nodded once, and blinked several times. It was anything but easy being a royal.
The meal was fabulous; Shelby had no complaints. But after thinking about her mother, her appetite was diminished. She excused herself early on in the feast, protesting that she was exhausted. That wasn't a complete lie. She had been traveling all day, after all. As soon as Shelby shed her heavy gown, she slipped into the heavy, linen sheets. She expected to fall asleep immediately, but it didn't take her over.
So, instead, Shelby lay in her large, fluffed bed, staring up at the decorated ceiling. She followed the swirly designs with her eyes, weaving in and out of each other. Her mind dwindled to her mission, and how she was happy to be spontaneous again. There wasn't a bit of her that regretted agreeing to become a princess, and a queen, one day. Yet, she did wish the circumstances were different. The Queen, in her defense, did clearly lay out all the responsibilities Shelby would have to undertake, but she supposed she didn't understood what the words meant until put into action. And by the time she realized, she'd gone fully under.
Shelby let out a sigh.
She missed Castle Araluen already. And Mason. Sweet, thoughtful Mason. She knew she'd see him again in a month, give or take. But that was a long time to be away from your newlywed husband. He had responsibilities of his own, she knew, and it would be selfish to drag him away. Yet, that seemed to be all Shelby wanted. To take him on a ship and drag him back to Nihon-Ja, where they'd be free to explore together.
Their adventurous spirits were all thanks to their parents, she knew. Only with less freedom and more kingdom.
Shelby's thoughts drifted to her mission to Picta. She'd been to the country a few times before. When Will wasn't on a mission, he insisted on taking her places to get her used to their neighbors. He always told her it wouldn't hurt to make friends with people in other countries, just in case. Shelby was never sure what he meant by, 'just in case', but she was happy to take short vacations.
Shelby was vaguely aware of what he meant, now. The friends she made in the past would respect her for her position now, and the country's hospitality would be greater. Negotiations hopefully wouldn't take as long. She wondered what could be causing such problems in Picta, considering it was usually a peaceful land. Sure, they had their squabbles, but nothing besides the citizens being their stubborn selves. The disturbances over the past weeks were enough to bother the Queen, and Shelby herself.
With all that heavy on her mind, the princess managed to slowly drift to sleep.
Sorry for such a long gap, guys, haha. I've been beyond busy. Thankfully, my health is getting steadily better and I told you I haven't given up on this story. See you soon, - Destiny