Saved By The Mad Duke
Chapter 89: Traits Not Suited For A King

Chapter 89: Traits Not Suited For A King

As the brown and golden carriage glided through the grand, shiny gates of the Royal Palace, Melania felt her heart quicken its pace even more. The reverberations echoed through her chest, spreading a quiver to her hands and knees, anticipation coursing through her at the impending moment of stepping out into the unknown embrace awaiting her.

The rhythmic drumming on the carriage’s roof heralded the onset of rain, a rare thing to occur in the typically warm and sun-drenched Lafad.

"It seems the entire royal family has come out to greet you, My Lady. And there, behold the Crown Prince himself! What a handsome young man he is!"

Loraline gently pressed her index finger against the chilled glass of the carriage window, directing Melania’s gaze to the gathering of figures near the main entrance of the Royal Palace.

’They seem so somber... Black and blue, the hues of Geraldion... Black and blue, the remnants of bruising left upon the skin.’

When the carriage finally came to a halt, it was Ruan’s butler who graciously swung the door open –– a gesture of decorum upheld by nobles across the Continent.

Melania accepted the butler’s hand, adorned in a crisp white glove, as she gracefully descended from the carriage, exuding the poise and elegance characteristic of her demeanor amidst her own people. Approaching the Royal Family, she offered them a respectful bow, her greetings conveyed in a composed yet confident tone,

"I am Her Highness, Princess Melania of Lafad. It is with great pleasure that I extend my greetings to the esteemed Royal Family of Ruan. I am honored to be in your presence."

Her greeting brought satisfied smiles on the faces of every member of the Ruan family. All but one.

Melania shifted her big brown eyes to the Crown Prince, whose demeanor, much to her dissatisfaction, remained unaffected by her presence. Taking her elegant hand in his, Yanad planted a light kiss on it, his lips simply touching the air that was brushing over her skin.

"Welcome to the Kingdom of Geraldion, Your Highness. I hope you will like it here."

The Crown Prince then released her hand, and took a step backwards, renewing the distance between them which made Melania realize that her guess was correct –– Yanad Ruan did not care about her, and it was very safe to assume that he most likely even despised her.

"It pleases me to see that your journey here was not stalled by anything, Your Highness. Perhaps you would like to have lunch served to your chambers before you take a necessary rest?"

King Euris, as cordial as ever, extended his genuine concern for the princess’s well-being which she, however, discarded with a subtle shake of her head and a cold, yet polite smile.

"You are very generous, Your Majesty, however, I am not feeling hungry. I would prefer to retire to my bedroom right away and have some rest if that is acceptable."

With an authoritative gesture of her pale hand, Queen Fleur ordered one of the maids standing behind them to attend to Melania’s luggage, while adding in a kind tone,

"Very well, Your Highness. I will have Paulina, our head maid, to escort you straight to your chambers."

Perhaps to dispel the chilling atmosphere that was still lingering between her lady and the Crown Prince, Melania’s lady-in-waiting stepped in, addressing Yanad rather coquettishly,

"Perhaps His Highness the Crown Prince would like to give Princess Melania a tour of the palace after dinner? It is safe to assume that the intricate structure of the building will prove difficult to navigate alone at first but I’m sure that His Highness’s company and guidance will help quite a lot."

Yanad arched his black eyebrows, surprised by such an unexpected remark, then shook his head, and replied,

"I’m afraid that is not possible, My Lady. My schedule is packed with important tasks and I simply cannot make time for idle chitchat or playing a tour guide. Please have one of the head maids or a butler to show you around. Their help will be just as effective."

Shifting his deep green eyes to Melania, he nodded lightly, and concluded,

"Now, please excuse me, I still have a lot of work to do."

Unwilling to wait for the princess’s response, Yanad turned around and left, disappearing behind the tall doors of the main entrance.

Smiling awkwardly and with a hint of embarrassment, the King turned back to face Melania and shrugged his shoulders, his face –– a blend of parental guilt and disappointment, as he tried to justify his son’s rude words and actions,

"Please forgive him, Your Highness. His Highness is indeed quite busy preparing to become the next great ruler of this land. He is so dedicated to his tasks that sometimes he spends days in his study without ever leaving it. Isn’t it admirable?"

The young princess did not find it admirable. On the contrary, she had already painted Yanad as someone cold, distant, and clearly antisocial –– the traits that did not suit a great King.

Nevertheless, only to preserve the air of agreed decorum, Melania offered Euris a brief nod and a light smile. The Queen chimed in again,

"Your Highness, perhaps the company of the second prince would suffice for your trusted guide instead? Valon is a scholar, his skill at storytelling will definitely be a source of entertainment during the tour."

"Prince Valon?"

The lady fixed her eyes on the red-haired slender man standing silently next to Fleur, his emotionless expression only intensifying the sickly paleness of his thin face. Shrugging her elegant shoulders, she replied,

"Thank you, I guess it will be alright."

While her response was met with another symphony of smiles on the faces of the royal family, Melania could not help but feel strange shivers running down her spine. Still trying to remain as calm as possible, she carefully grabbed Loraline’s hand in hers, then, too, stretched her lips into a light smile as she added,

"Thank you for such a warm greeting but I’m afraid the traveling fatigue has become unbearable. I would like to retire to my bedroom now to have some rest before the shared dinner."

"Yes, of course, Your Highness!"

Fleur snapped her fingers at Paulina –– a short, sturdy middle-aged woman with a long sleek braid hanging behind her neck like a snake. The woman nodded, then stretched her hand to the right, showing the foreign ladies the way to the entrance.

Melania took a deep breath, her chest still trembling from the unsettling blend of emotions, clutched the hand of her lady-in-waiting even tighter, and whispered,

"Let us go, Loraline."