Princess Iris
CHAPTER 21

The trumpet sounds again.

I turn to Prince Jeffery.

"Jeffery..."

"It's fine Princess Iris. Our discussion can wait," Prince Jeffery says interrupting me.

"Maybe after the inheritance, we can talk more or dance," I say.

"I would love that," Prince Jeffery says.

He quickly takes a bow and leaves. I watch him walk away and reunite with his group.

"What's gotten into him," I say to myself.

I feel like someone is staring at me. I look around the ball and I find Prince Leonard looking at me. He is with Prince Frederick. I can't help but perceive pity from his stare. He turns his eyes away and looks at Prince Frederick. "Iris, what are you doing standing there?"

I turn to Ri.

"Come on, father and mother are waiting," Ri says dragging me along with her to the podium.

Ri and I hurry up to the podium and turn to face the crowd, father and mother join us. When the trumpets sound again, Mother, Ri and I curtsey while father bows. The crowd does the same. The trumpet starts playing. "Are you going to be fine?" Ri asks.

"Honestly, I don't know. Today is starting to get overwhelming and I don't like it," I say.

"Tell me about it. Octavia told me her father finally agreed to Prince Diego's offer," Ri says.

"Prince Diego? You mean the Italian Royals?"

"Yes. If negotiation goes well, the four kingdoms especially Cerphila will never have to worry about silver again," Ri says.

"What of Prince Nathaniel? I thought she liked him," I say.

"There is a chance Prince Nathaniel will not be coming back here. Besides he is soon to become King," Ri says.

"So?" I ask.

"I don't think his people will accept that he takes a foreign bride, worse an English Princess," Ri says.

Just then a thought comes to my head.

"What of you?" I ask.

"What about me?" Ri asks.

I look at Ri but she has her head straight forward.

"Don't you think you should start thinking about someone new, you know someone you..."

"Iris, you are beginning to sound like mother," Ri says.

"I am sorry Ri, it's just that ever since Prince Cameron died, you haven't..."

The trumpet stops and we both keep quiet not to get mother angry. I hold Ri's hand as she reciprocates.

"We are gathered today to celebrate the 16th birthday of my daughters, Princess Adrianna and Princess Iris", Father begins.

For the first time, I notice King Archer standing close to the podium.

"What is he doing standing there," I say to myself.

"On their 16th birthday, they each have reached the age to inherit Filamonda treasures passed down from generation to generation, and of course, you all will be privileged to watch the famous Filamonda shower of fireworks that will be displayed later tonight," Father says as exciting murmurs accompany afterward.

He raises his hand and the end of the whisper.

"Tonight things are going to be done a little differently because I have an announcement to make."

Father turns to King Archer and nods at him. King Archer walks to father and they both shake hands. They whisper to themselves and turn in the direction of Ri and I. At that moment my heart skips a beat. Mother walks to them as they converse between themselves.

"What are they discussing?" I ask.

"I don't know Iris but I am having a bad feeling about all of this," Ri says.

"Really? What does it..."

"Princess Adrianna would you please step forward", Father says.

Ri looks at me worried and I nod at her. I release her hand as steps forward toward father. Father pecks her cheeks and continues facing the crowd.

"For a decade now the four powerful kingdoms have been at war with pirates. The kingdoms have been fighting off these pirates making sure they don't invade our territory. Our military forces have done so well in keeping them off our shores, but the pirates keep coming back with increasing numbers and Filamonda military forces will soon be overwhelmed. With long deliberation with King Archer and our advisers, we have decided to join forces to fight this menace," Father says.

The hall erupts into claps and cheers.

King Archer steps up.

"To celebrate the union of our military forces, there will also be another union," King Archer says.

The hall goes silent and he continues.

"Another union? What is father talking about?" I say to myself.

"My son, Prince Jeffery will be getting married to Princess Adrianna on her 22nd birthday," King Archer says.

As the hall erupts in cheers, I feel like I am being dragged into a dark room. My body feels like it is drenched in sweat. I watch the crowd rejoicing, I look at my friends within the crowd and they are all looking at me. Just then I watch as Prince Jeffery walks up the podium with his face lowered, he takes Ri's hand and kisses it. I can't take my eyes off Prince Jeffery when he turns and looks at me. I could read the plea in his eyes as he turns to the crowd. I feel tears struggling to come out but I refuse to cry. It was then I understood what he was trying to tell me earlier. It's probably the reason why he fought. with Prince Leonard.

It slowly starts making sense. King Archer's frequent visits to the palace, Father's absence at breakfast, no gifts this year, and mother's distance.

I

gasp.

"She knew," I say to myself turning to look at mother. "That's why she kept her distance from Ri and I, especially me. She couldn't live up to the fact that she was about betrayed one of her daughters."

I notice Ri walking back to me, I look at her as she stops a few feet from me. I notice the tears dropping from her eyes.

"Iris I, Iris I," she snuffles her nose. "Iris I am..."

"Adrianna, get back in line your father is still talking," Mother says.

Ri's eye is still on me as she nods at mother and stands beside me. As Father continues talking, I could feel Ri's gaze but I don't turn to look at her. The last thing I want to do at moment is to look at Ri. "Could today not get any worse," I say to myself.

"Just before the fireworks are displayed, we will be passing down Filamonda's treasure to my daughters Princess Adrianna and Princess Iris as their inheritance right on their 16th birthday," Father says.

Father turns to Constantine nodding at him. Constantine claps his hands and the servants start trooping in with treasures of all kinds. Father equally distributes the treasures between Ri and I as the crowd cheers.

"Finally," Father says, "The Crystal Harp of Filamonda, in its beauty, is passed down from generation to generation to the born females of each generation. The best memory I have had of the harp was my mother playing it. She could play it all day and my father including myself was never tired of hearing her play."

Hearing Father talks about Nana made me miss her. Nana was always cheerful, especially around the harp.

"With that being said, I have the privilege of presenting the Crystal Harp of Filamonda to my daughter who I know with no doubt will play the harp as my mother did and as the queens, before my mother did, Princess Adrianna," Father says. A heavy thunder sounds again as the rain pours heavily.

I stand there shocked looking at Father. I slowly turn and look at Ri and she is frozen on the spot. I feel a growing hatred for Ri as anger crosses through me.