Chapter 1
A sound of laughter, alternating between cursing leaked through the closed door, as the young mage approached. He excitedly adjusted the laces and buttons on his ceremonial robe, brushed his hands through his grown-out white hair and knocked.
For a moment, the rattle behind the door fell dead silent. The mage waited.
“It’s me,” he finally announced loudly.
A faint “come in”reached him from the other side.
He opened the door firmly to find the most beautiful woman he had ever seen in the most ridiculous situation.
The future queen of the Goldspire kingdom was awkwardly prostrated on the floor, tangled in the million sleeves and layers of her own coronation dress. Her thick, long raven hair was covering her face in a messy pile.
“Ah, Jance, help...” she pleaded, reaching her hand out somewhere from the middle of the tangled ball that was now her gown.
The mage reached and pulled his princess to her feet, made sure she was steady, and proceeded to try to figure out where everything of the dress was supposed to go, before it became a mystical beast that swallowed the young woman whole.
“You spooked all your handmaidens again?” Jance joked.
“I gave them a few days off. I want everyone who can, to celebrate together. Surely, I can try on this dress by myself.”
“Three days before your coronation? The only days in your entire lifetime when you absolutely need the help?”
The pair finally managed to put all of the princess’s limbs in appropriate holes in her dress. Which turned out to be a stunning piece of fashion, adorned with gold and jewels, with embroidery depicting the royal castle in a lifelike manner with a very long train that someone will have to carry eventually. The princess sighed and looked around herself and in the mirror, standing at the side of her bed.
“Maybe I didn’t think this through,” she stated, defeated, and turned to the young man. “You look very handsome in your fancy attire, by the way, is it already time to join the guests?”
“Why, thank you, your highness. I, unlike someone, had put it on all by myself,” Jance taunted her with a smirk, “but, yes, a few delegations had started arriving already. I have to keep an eye on them.”
The woman rolled her eyes and stuck her tongue out, before turning back to her mirror. Jance came closer and placed his hands on her waist, pressing his body against hers.
“You are the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen. And you will be the most beautiful queen anyone has ever heard of, queen Elanore of Goldspire.”
For a moment, they admired the young woman’s reflection together, until she turned around and wrapped her arms around the mage’s neck, with a cheeky expression on her face, and a devious sparkle in her amber-colored eyes. Jance knew this look. The princess was up to no good. She stared in silence into the man’s golden eyes, inspecting them, thinking of something. Then her gaze lowered down to his lips, and he knew what that meant. Did they have time for this? Jance was about to move away, but Elanore’s lips met his and all the thoughts of responsibility escaped his head in an instance.
After fooling around awkwardly for a while, trying to to find each other’s bodies underneath all the silks and laces, the couple stood up, disheveled and blushing, leaning onto one another, trying to collect their bearings.
“Alright, I am not doing this again,” Jance straightened his posture, his fingertips beginning to emanate a faint glow. The mage swiped the air around himself, like he was getting rid of bread crumbs, and in an instant, his clothes adjusted, fixed and straightened themselves. He then turned to his lover and made a few swooshing motions with both his hands. The fabrics around the woman, on their own, found their way into correct positions, and even her makeup, jewelry and her hair was done up again better than before. “There we go.”
“If I had magic like you, I would never do anything by myself,” the princess hopped onto an armchair, after inspecting herself in a mirror and finding her new look satisfactory.
“And that would have been totally alright,” Jance sat in the corner chair facing her.
The woman stood still for a moment, pondering something with her lips tightly pressed together. Another look Jance knew too well.
“What’s wrong?”
Elanore sighed once again, “I don’t know...”
“Don’t know what?”
“Don’t know about Cecile being the crownbearer. It just makes me angry and frustrated...,” the princess crossed her arms on her chest.
“I don’t understand,” Jance leaned forward and reached his hand out to hold hers. The princess reached back, “everyone loves the idea. I thought you did too.”
“I thought at first that it’s a good idea too. But then I read the journals of my father and grandfather, and they both talk about how great their crownbearers were, and how much advice he got from them, and I just feel like I’ve been snubbed,” Elanore plopped on the mage’s lap shaking her head.
Jance sat quiet for a moment, considering the situation.
“I understand, love. It feels, maybe, a little different. But, your ancestors had taken up the crown in times of great hardship and war, so it was important that their crownbearers were war veterans and wise men. I think that Cecile being a child, would signify that everything your father and grandfather fought for, the peace for their children, had finally come true,” Jance tried to reassure his princess.
“You were always the more romantic one, weren’t you?” Elanore gave him a peck on the cheek and stood up.
Jance wasn’t sure if that was a compliment.
“I still think it’s bullshit.”
“That’s not very lady-like.”
Elanore rolled her eyes once again, “The place runs on hopes and dreams right now. What advice am I going to get from a little girl? I stand too close to a kid in danger and now everyone thinks I’m a saint that wants to be around them all the time.”
“Hey, everyone thinks you’re a hero. Doesn’t matter what actually happened,” the mage stood up as well and held both of the princesses’ hands in his. He looked at her furrowing face, “If it helps, I was pondering the idea of re-establishing the small council. Like we had in the old days before the war.”
Elanore’s face lit up.
“That’s an amazing idea. I love it. It will be my first decree as the queen.”
“Great. I will make a list of reliable candidates,” Jance kissed his princess on the forehead and headed towards the door, “Everything is going to be wonderful, El, you’ll see.”
