Chapter 4: The First Meeting
"Mikayla, are you ready? We should leave soon or we will be late." I hear my father's say as he knocks on my door. I am seated next to my window watching the ocean water crash into some nearby rocks.
"I'll be out in a minute." I call out. I stand up and walk towards my floor length mirror positioned behind my door. I look ridiculous. I am wearing a gaudy gold and purple robe that ends awkwardly at my shins. From what my father told me, this was my grandmother's robes that she used to wear during royal ceremonies. I try to smooth out the set in wrinkles on my sides, but the material does not cooperate. Despite looking absolutely frightening in these dated robes, I feel more uncomfortable about the upcoming meeting I am heading to.
I take one more look in the mirror before opening the door and heading down the stairs. My dad is dressed up as well, but in far more normal looking clothes. He gives me an encouraging smile as he opens up the front door. I follow his lead out of the house. We walk the small trail towards the palace. At first, I am more intrigued by the shrubs around my feet but as we get closer to our destination, I start to feel the anxiety rising inside.
Today is the first official meeting with King Brady and the rest of the royal family. The only thing my father said about this meeting is that I will be signing a lot of paperwork. A frown appears on my face, knowing that this is probably my last day as a free person. Before I know it, the large castle is merely a few minutes a way. I have seen the palace plenty of times, but never inside. My heart is racing and my mind starts to go blank.
They are all probably waiting for me. What do I say? What will I do? I am completely unprepared for this.
We arrive at the large gates where two bald-headed guards stand stoically. My father gives one of them a quick nod and they begin to open the doors. I step foot into the outdoor plaza. It is a large, open space overlooking the crystal blue waters nearby. Two women greet us with a bow and lead us to another entrance. My eyes continue to wander as I am let inside the castle.
So this is where my dad works. I am awestruck by its size. There is an open area toward my right that gives a panoramic view of the ocean. A large gray throne is seated casually in the middle of what looks to be the living room. And straight ahead I see an open room filled with gold, treasures, and other priceless items.
I then notice three familiar faces me sitting on the palace couch. They are the same old men that were in my house a few days before. They simultaneously stand up and bow at my father and I before sitting back down. I notice a larger table is set up near the elders with two empty chairs. My father pushes me in the direction and it is my cue to take a seat. I continue to gawk at my new surroundings as I take a seat on one of the chairs. My father stands next to the elders with his hands folded.
I look up at a clock on the wall. 10:00 AM. Normally, I would be in class right now, but due to this unfortunate meeting, I am excused from all classes and trainings for the day. I then start to think about Tristan. I told him that I was meeting with the monarchy today and would not be in school, but I cannot help but feel his continued disappointment about this whole ordeal.
No one speaks in the large room and those who are in it make as little noise as possible. The silence bothers me and the seconds start to drag on. I wonder where the king is, because that is most likely whom we are all waiting for.
I look up and see a petite woman walk towards me with a small smile on her face. Her dark brown hair is pulled into a bun and she wears ceremonial robes like the rest of us, except hers are much more flattering and fashionable. She stands next to my dad and he bows to her. I guess she is of higher ranking than my father. Right behind her is another familiar face. Lanny is dressed in black robes and wears the same scowl on his face. He stands next to the dark-haired woman and crosses his arms, looking quite impatient.
"The king will be down shortly." I hear the woman quietly say to my dad. He nods and the room is silent again. I start tapping my index finger on my thigh, anxiously awaiting direction. I was told the meeting would start promptly at 10:00 and here we all are at close to fifteen minutes after. King Brady is late to his own meeting at his own place.
I make sure to let out a clear sigh, enough for everyone in the room to look at me. They look a bit uncomfortable too as the elders keep a stern look on their faces. My dad looks at the brown-haired woman who remains composed. I see her catch a glance at the clock and clench her jaw.
I start to hear loud galloping coming the direction of the staircase. Everyone turns toward the two boys running down the stairs. The first one to arrive is Boomer. He is wearing an open light blue robe revealing his normal shorts and shirt getup. Right behind him is King Brady who is dressed in the same fashion –an open purple robe revealing his casual outfit. Unlike Boomer, he wears a crown that is slightly crooked on his head. They both make their way where I am sitting and avoid eye contact from everyone in the room. Their heads are hung low as Boomer stands next to the desk and Brady takes a quick seat next to me.
One of the elders stands up. He squares his eyes on Brady who is facing away from me, still trying to avoid eye contact with everyone.
"You are late." The old man says in a scolding voice.
"As King Brady's royal advisor, I would just like to mention that it slipped his mind that today was the engagement meeting and he thought it was just a regular school day." Boomer says in his defense. I see Brady nod at his brother before finally turning in my direction. Our eyes lock and I can tell he is shocked to see that I am his new fiancé. I think back to our "encounter" on the campus courtyard a few days earlier. I break out of my daze when I hear another elder speak.
"Inexcusable." The elder says in hoarse voice. For three old men, they know how to intimidate anyone. I see the Brady cower in his seat.
"Uh. I'd like to apologize." Brady's clears his throat. All of the elders are glaring at him, clearly frustrated with his tardiness. The woman takes a step forward. She looks the most forgiving out of everyone in the room.
"My king, we would like to begin today's meeting." The woman says in a kind voice. The king nods obediently.
One of the elders stands up. His large, feathery headdress distracts me and it clearly distracts the brothers next to me. I hear them snicker and watch them nudge each other.
"This meeting is called to order," the elder announces. "We will discuss the stipulations set forth on the decree as signed by the late King Kahn and Manti Makoola."
The elder speaks monotonously about the history of the decree and addresses the Kinkow law of marriage. I listen carefully, hoping all my unanswered questions will be solved. Halfway through the elder's speech I turn to see King Brady nodding off. He is ready to fall asleep there. Boomer nudges him on the shoulder to stay awake and I shake my head internally at his lack of professionalism.
The elder's speech finally concludes and he walks toward the desk we are seated at. He holds a tattered scroll and lays it in front of us. The text is almost too small to read.
"By signing this decree, you will have agreed to this arranged marriage and matrimony. You will have understood that you are required by law to follow all orders of this decree." He says. He eyes both of. My heart has stopped. I never thought this would happen so fast into the meeting. I had not even said one word to the king and now I am signing to be his official future wife.
Brady is the first to grab a quill and sign his name. He pushes the paper toward me and sits back on his chair. I grab hold of the quill and read a few words on the paper. I can hear my heart pound in my chest as I take a deep breath and sign my name. The rest of the elders make their way toward us. One of them grabs the scroll and examines it quickly. They all take a step back and bow to us.
"We will meet in one week's time." Says one of the old men. With that last statement, they bow to the rest of the people in the room and are accompanied out the door by a few guards.
The woman returns and stands in front of King Brady and I. "Now that the elders have officiated your engagement, we have a few more things you two must sign."
"That was the most anticlimactic engagement I have ever seen!" Boomer exclaims. My eyes narrow at his statement. He gets the hint and his expression goes blank. It is clear they are twins, by their similar lack of poise.
"Here on Kinkow, engagements are a simple ceremony. My king, Mikayla, please look over these documents. Boomer, Lanny, Mason we should all get going to discuss some important matters. We will be in the meeting room, if you two have any questions." The woman says as she places a stack of papers on the desk.
I raise an eyebrow, making sure to catch my dad's eyes. He gives me a nod before he leaves with the room. Boomer shrugs his shoulders at his brother and he follows everyone out. Brady and I are now left alone in the room. I stare at the stack of papers set in front of us. It takes me a few moments before I set my gaze on my future husband. I can tell by his look that he has been staring at me.
"I'm Mikayla. Pleased to meet you," I say. I feel myself cringe with the awkwardness of my introduction. I can tell King Brady has sensed the discomfort in my statement and gives me and raises an eyebrow at me.
"Oh I know who you are," Brady says coolly. "You're Mikayla Makoola. Your dad is our royal diplomat, Mason Makoola. You and I attend the same school, Kinkow University. You study in the medical sciences division, but you spend most of your time training for the upcoming royal guard tryouts."
I am shocked by how much he knows me, though I am a little annoyed by the smugness in his speech delivery.
"I had a palace meeting a few days ago. The elders and officials told me all about you," He states. He leans back in his chair looking at the ceiling. I tense up. The rumors I have heard of the king's jerk attitude are definitely true. I give him no response as I take the first paper in the stack.
I read through the first paper. It is another agreement page requiring both our signatures.
By signing this agreement under the law of Kinkowan rule, I hereby agree that the official signed agreements previously signed are officially recognized.
I roll my eyes at the paper and furiously sign my name. What kind of redundant task is this? I slide the paper toward Brady. He finally leans forward from his seat and signs his name without so much as a glance. This process continues over the course of the paperwork I read and sign. I carefully examine each statement, pass it on to the king, he signs it without reading, and distracts himself. At first I ignore his clear disinterest, but after the tenth paper I grow annoyed. He is the king. Does he not care about what he is signing? Before I read the next page I turn in his direction to confront him.
"Have you even read through anything you just signed?" I demand. His gaze is focused on the ceiling as he lays slumped in his chair.
"Yeah, I figured if you signed the papers then it must be okay." Brady replies apathetically. I cannot believe his unprofessionalism. No wonder people want him off the throne. I know he is the king and our respected ruler, but I cannot help myself from bursting into anger.
"Do you not care about any of this? You do realize you are blindly signing official documentation regarding this engagement. I don't want to be here, but at least I'm trying." I hiss. I notice him sit up tensely and look me right in the eye. I was expecting him to be intimidated by my outburst, but he looks at me boldly.
"You think I want this? Of course I don't. I have to marry a stranger to shut my critics up and please the elders. I am already giving them what they want by agreeing to this, so why should I put in the effort?" He says coldly.
Before I can lash out, I stop myself. My fists are clenched. This is the king. We are in the palace. I know better than to cause a scene. This is not how I imagined our first face-to-face meeting would be.
"Look. You don't want this. I don't want this," He says. "But we both agreed to this because of extreme circumstances. Why should we let this forced marriage ruin our lives? I do my thing and you do yours. I am not letting myself be overruled by three old guys."
He goes back to his laid back stance and I clench my jaw. This guy was unbelievable. Had he no respect for this country? Is this really how he took palace matters? The entire royal staff and elders are sacrificing for this jerk to be our ruler. I go back to papers and start reading and signing. I make sure to keep the signed form on my side of table, out of the king's reach.
"You want to pass those over in my direction. Those aren't valid, unless I sign them." Brady says. I glare at him and pass the stack to him. I sign the final sheet of paper and cross my arms, making my annoyance clear. He lets out a heavy sigh as he starts to sign the papers, only this time he takes a few moments to read each statement written. It is a small surprise, but I still cannot get over his arrogance.
My focus turns to the sound of footsteps coming toward the desk Brady and I sit. Brady looks from signing one of the papers and he and I both see the brunette from earlier.
"Your highness. Mikayla. I trust that you have completed the papers," She says. She turns toward King Brady who is still with the pile. "I will leave you, my king, to finish up. Mason and Boomer will be up shortly to discuss a few matters with you. Mikayla, please follow me."
I stand up unquestioningly and I follow the woman out of the living room. I do not take a second glimpse at the king. As I walk away, it is the first time I feel elated since stepping into the palace as I leave my future husband behind.
I sit in a large room filled with paintings of previous rulers. I notice King Brady's first. I roll my eyes and my eyes go to another painting. I sit at a long table extending from one end of the room to the other. There are many empty chairs and I am only one of the only two people in the room. I still do not know who the woman is, curious as to why we are having a private meeting.
"Allow me to apologize. I haven't formally introduced myself. My name is Kaira. I am the royal secretary. I deal with most of the logistical matters here in the palace." The woman says.
A scowl sets on my face at the thought of her masterminding this ordeal. She is probably the one who suggested the arrangement to save Brady's job. She takes a small bow with her head hung low to see the mean look I give her.
"I will be assisting you and the king for the upcoming ceremony. I will have you know that the two of you will be taking an extended hiatus from school as part of the preparations," She states.
"Preparations? We already signed the agreements. What more do we have to do?" I ask abruptly.
Kaira remains her calm demeanor. "This marriage is a sensitive manner, I understand. King Brady has made his mistakes, but this time we will be taking matters more seriously. That is why we have a lot of preparations to ensure there is no longer a threat to his crown."
"So marrying me off is the best solution you could find? Don't tell me you understand?" I tell her angrily.
"I am not trying to pass the blame, but this is the solution set forth by the island elders. I only follow their orders. They are the most respected people on this island." She explains.
I feel my expression soften. So this is the elders' doing. They force me to marry the king. They threaten my father's job. Yet, they are the respected ones. I shake the thoughts away and focus on Kaira.
"With this marriage, we are hoping to change the king's image and the islanders can welcome him back as their trusted monarch…" Kaira says before I interrupt her.
"You think a marriage is going to fix his ineptitude?" I say with anger dripping from every word. I know should speak respectfully since she is a palace official, but I am still on edge from everything that has happened. I am surprise she still remains in her poised composure.
"No, which is exactly why I have been assigned to help you," She tells me. "There are going to be serious changes within the palace. Many of us still have faith in King Brady and with the correct guidance we know he can fulfill his duties as the rightful leader. Before, we gave him the autonomy to rule without question. Now we are establishing a new system for the king to silence the opposition groups. Working with the king means we will be working with the queen as well. That is why until we deem you both to be qualified, you will be taking a few hours a day to be trained as Kinkow's king and queen."
She flashes a smirk in my direction. Ever since the elders met with me at my house, the only thing I could wrap my head around was being someone's wife. This was the first time the idea of me being queen had sunk in. How could that have slipped my mind that I was going to be one half the ruling monarchy?
"Now, the first thing we will discuss is the time frame of the marriage," Kaira paces slowly in the room and grabs a booklet from a nearby desk. She places the booklet in front of me and I immediately flip through the pages and realize it is a planner with every date filled out. "Tomorrow you will officially move into the palace. Your dad is currently arranging for your move."
My heart sinks. I am leaving my quaint house behind and living in the castle.
"Tomorrow we are scheduling an official announcement of your engagement. You two will make your first public appearance together at about three in the afternoon. The entire week will be preparations for the royal wedding, which will be in one week's time. The wedding will be televised. Throughout this entire process, our staff will be educating the both of you on palatial etiquette." She says without a breath. Her lecture-like tone makes everything more daunting.
"The wedding is in a week?" I ask in a worried voice. My words are shaky and I cannot look at Kaira. Tears start forming in my eyes and I try hard not to let them stream down my face. I feel my cheeks warm up as they grow moist each time I blink. I feel Kaira's hand on my shoulder. I keep myself from sobbing. I do not cry. I am a Makoola. I curse myself for letting myself do this in front of a woman I barely know.
"I'm sorry, dear. I cannot fathom what you are going through," She tells me apologetically. "But, I can assure you that everything will be okay."
I wipe my eyes with the back of my hand. For some unclear reason, I trust her words. "Do you really think the king deserves this chance to be the ruler? At my expense?"
Kaira takes a seat next to me and puts her hand over mine. "If my nephew is removed from the throne, the next family in line will succeed the throne and looking back at history, they are known to be untrustworthy."
"Your nephew?" I say in disbelief. It is understandable why she is okay with the plan. I see her nod. "If you're the king's aunt, can't you be the ruler of Kinkow?"
"Yes, but I have politely rejected the throne a very long time ago," She reveals. "My brother already had two sons before his death. I was told I was next in line to rule, but declined because of his heirs, Brady and Boomer. Besides, I already had a job I needed to do."
I am still surprised by her revelation. "Why would you want to be the royal secretary when you could have been queen?"
She lets out a small laugh. "My dear, I may be the royal secretary but I have a different full time job. I am the Surgeon General of Kinkow." My eyes widen at her statement. She was the head of health aspects of Kinkow?
"Enough about me, I am here to help you," She smiles. "I know this will be difficult, but I can assure you that you are serving Kinkow like a true queen already. I admire your bravery for taking this task and for that, I am grateful."
Kaira bows her head at me. I nod in return, still very confused. "What do I have to do now?" I ask quietly.
"I am going to teach you to become a queen, not to be someone's wife." She says. For the first time, I feel hopeful.