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“Are you nervous?”
“No.”
“Not even to meet your future wife?” Sapphria teases, looking past Citrina to Lazuli.
Lazuli raises an eyebrow at her little sister. “No, I am not nervous. There is no reason to be.”
Rococoa sighs impatiently from Lazuli’s right side. “They’re late.”
Sapphria snorts and gasps sarcastically, “By the Bulb above!”
“Sapphria…” Citrina frowns lightly, “We’ve talked about this.”
Sapphria grins widely, “I’m so sorry, you’re right. I just mean, is it such a terrible thing that they’re a few minutes late?”
Rococoa looks frustratedly at Sapphria, “Some people here have things to do.”
“Oh, ok, did you hear that, Amethar?” Sapphria elbows Amethar in the side, “the HEIR has stuff to do. We wouldn’t know anything about that, would we? We just sit around like decorations!”
Amethar chuckles, “Oh, yeah. We don’t do shit.”
Rococoa scowls, “Well, you certainly don’t go to your lessons.”
Sapphria rolls her eyes dramatically, and Amethar snorts, “Well, we’re doin’ pretty good even for not going to the stupid lessons.”
“Yeah! We’re smart! We don’t need that!”
“You may be, but I rather think it would have been wise for our dear brother to learn how to read.”
Amethar scoffs, “Aw, c’mon!”
“He’s fine! He’s a warrior, not a politician!”
“And that, Sapphria, is the problem! Neither of you seem to realize that we must all be both.”
Citrina shakes her head, “I don’t know about that, I don’t really think I’m much of either.”
Rococoa sighs, “No, but you’re an important figure in the Church, which I know you’d rather not think of it in this way, but religion is politics, and certainly a healer is as, if not more, important in a battle.”
“Hmm, well, I think Amethar is fine. Surely not everyone needs to be a genius.”
“He doesn’t need to be a genius, but perhaps it would be wise for him to be literate!”
“Girls!” Queen Pamelia calls out softly from behind them, “Leave Amethar alone, today is about Lazuli. Remember your manners.”
“Yes, mother,” the girls chorus. Rococoa steels herself back into her stiff, royal posture, staring straight ahead, and Sapphria also puts on her princess posture, but bumps shoulders with Amethar quickly, grinning mischievously up at him.
There is about thirty seconds of silence before Sapphria dissolves her posture and groans, “I’m bored!”
Citrina, Sapphria, and Amethar all dissolve into laughter under Lazuli’s amused and Rococoa’s disapproving stares.
Amethar nods, “I mean, why do we even have to be here?”
Rococoa sighs, “You have to be here to support your sister in her betrothal, as you did me in mine!”
“Sure, but we didn’t have to stand around forever for yours.”
“That is true, they are really very late.”
Citrina frowns, “I hope they didn’t encounter trouble on the road. There has been much unrest recently.”
Lazuli shakes her head, “No, I have seen them being late many times, but very rarely do they not come at all.”
Rococoa pinches the bridge of her nose. “Laz...can we not do the cryptic vision thing right now?”
Citrina quickly pipes up before Lazuli can launch into her typical spiel, “Well, I for one am excited! To witness a declaration of love and commitment! It is truly one of the greatest honors under the Bulb.”
Rococoa frowns, “It is not about love. It is about duty. Politics, alliances. The House of Meringue is a very important house in Candia. This alliance will be instrumental.”
Just then, the sound of trumpets ring out, and the squires announce the Countess Caramelinda of House Meringue and her father.
Caramelinda walks in on her father’s arm, she keeps her gaze firmly fixed ahead of her, keeping her eyes respectfully downcast from the faces of the royal family, her face in a somewhat false pleasant smile.
Lazuli, who had been mostly standing in tense silence, hands nervously clasped on front of her, despite her statement earlier, not only visibly relaxes, but upon seeing Caramelinda, softens into a mild but persistent smile that warms her usually cold visage.
Caramelinda curtseys extremely deeply in front of Lazuli. "It is an honor to meet you, Your Highness.”
Lazuli walks down the steps and offers a hand to Caramelinda. She pauses for a moment, as if unsure of what to do, but tentatively takes Lazuli’s hand, finally raising her gaze to meet her soon-to-be betrothed’s for the first time. Her breath catches in the back of her throat.
Lazuli brings Caramelina’s hand to her mouth and kisses it, staring deeply into her eyes. “The honor is mine.”
All of Caramelinda’s discipline and training fly out the window as she, entirely lost in Lazuli’s eyes, fails to be able to put two syllables together, let alone a response. Time fades away as the two of them stare at each other, Lazuli still holding Caramelinda’s hand in hers.
Citrina gasps and grabs Sapphria’s arm, “It is love!”
Rococoa looks over at her younger sister, both amused and a little bittersweet, and as the contracts are signed and the betrothal is finalized, she claps her hands once, “Well, why don’t we give the couple a moment alone?”
Citrina grins at Rococoa, “Happily!” she skips over in the direction of her eldest sister, but stops temporarily to squeeze Caramelinda’s arm, stealing her attention away from Lazuli for a moment to say, wrinkling her nose in a broad smile, “I think we’re going to be very good friends.”
She takes Rococoa by the arm, each step bubbling with excitement, “Did I not say it was love?”
Rococoa shakes her head, “I did not say that it couldn’t be love, I said it wasn’t about love.”
Citrina smiles, and the two of them leave.
“C’mon, Amethar!” Sapphria grabs Amethar’s arm and begins to drag him towards the door, “Let’s leave these two to...get it on, shall we?”
Amethar pulls a face and shakes his head, “God!”
Sapphria giggles, "Sorry, I mean get on with it."
Amethar rolls his eyes, "Sure you did."
Sapphria openly laughs, shooting a look over at her sister.
A deep, hot blush comes over Caramelinda’s face and chest, and she looks down at her feet, Lazuli suddenly blinding to look at. Lazuli smiles wryly at her youngest sister, “Sapphria, what was that move you were telling me about this morning?”
“Oh, yeah!” Sapphria’s eyes light up, “Amethar, I have a new move to try on you!”
“On me? Why’s it gotta be on me? It can’t be with me?”
“Nope!” She says cheerfully, “Besides, it’s not like you can’t take it!” She punches Amethar teasingly, and the two of them leave the hall.
Lazuli turns back to Caramelinda. “Have you ever been to Castle Candy before, My Lady?”
Caramelinda, still blushing fiercely and refusing to look at Lazuli, shakes her head, “Only a few times and very briefly, I’m afraid.”
“Would you like to go for a walk? I’m not much of a tour guide, but there are many artifacts and such I could tell you about.”
Caramelinda nods, managing to raise her eyes to Lazuli’s, who are fixed intensely on her, and says shyly, “I would very much enjoy that.”
“Lovely.” Lazuli offers her arm to Caramelinda, and they take a long walk around Castle Candy and its grounds, Lazuli explaining all the magical items and artifacts, and Caramelinda hanging onto every word.