Cornelia and the Grand Duchess Ortega arrived slightly later than their escorts. When they stepped into the reception room, servants helped them with their cloaks and offered refreshments. Cornelia only took a sip when the men joined them.
"You look beautiful, Your Highness."
With these words of praise, Dietrich hurried over to the princess' side. She smiled and thanked him, then looked at the fake guard, who was attached to her by her father. As always, he kept a distance. Compared to Dietrich's burgundy suit, embroidered with golden threads and cufflinks with rubies, Sieg wore a black dress uniform without medals or insignias. In a sea of luxurious outfits, he could easily be mistaken for a servant if it weren't for his athletic build and lack of a smile. An indifferent look seemed to have been applied to his face like a carnival mask. Meeting her gaze, Sieg uttered, "This suits Your Highness better than a bucket and a floor cloth."
"You sound like you are mocking me," - she tried hard to hold back her irritation, but it still showed through her words. 'I know that he is a man of few words, but a polite compliment should not be such a difficult task.'
"That wasn't my intention at all, Your Highness."
Avoiding disapproving glances, Sieg hurried to finish the conversation and stepped back. He was saved by a herald who announced their arrival. The grand duchess, without wasting any time, entered the ballroom. The princess followed, accompanied by the knight. Cornelia was used to splendid interiors - Castro's royal palace was not a model of modesty. If her parents had anything in common apart from children, it was a craving for luxury. In this regard, the Fuego palace shared similar traditions with Castro and was not inferior at all. The parquet alone contained at least 12 types of wood and cost a fortune. The girl was looking at the Talavera tiles used for wall decoration, when the knight leaned over and whispered in her ear: "I'm still confused. Why did you let this happen?"
Dietrich did not say any details, but she understood immediately what he meant. The young knight of the house Berg was so annoyed that he didn't even try to hide it. Cornelia shrugged. If anything, she had more rights to feel irritated. Yet, for the last few weeks, she grew accustomed to her father's spy's presence.
"Why shouldn't I? Surely, you don't think he would be stupid enough to harm a member of the royal family in broad daylight and at the royal palace?"
"You never know what's going on in a person's head. It will be too late to regret it after he has done something ridiculous."
Before the princess could answer, the herald struck the floor with his staff and, in the ensuing silence, announced the arrival of the royal family. The first to enter the hall were King Frederico and Queen Dolores. All the members of the Fuego royal family have black hair and dark brown eyes. From Cornelia's point of view, the king hadn't changed much since his visit to Castros. He was average height and complexion with a medium-sized salt and pepper beard. His jacket was the same shade of violet as his wife's silk wrap dress, and it matched perfectly with their golden tan skin. The queen was a chubby woman with a round face and long hair - the complete opposite of Cornelias mother. Behind them, a young man with a trimmed short beard and long-styled hair was leading another man with short brown hair by the arm. The king greeted everyone present, and with a wave of his hand, the orchestra resumed playing. Music and chatter once again filled the hall.
"Francisco, the crown prince," whispered the grand duchess, slightly nodding towards a young man with a trimmed beard. "It's a shame, but the younger prince, Diego, is currently attending your brother's wedding. He is still single, unlike Francisco."
Dietrich glanced at Francisco, who was chatting with his partner. The man looked slightly older than the prince.
"I wonder how they will deal with the inheritance issue," the knight asked in a low voice.
"As usual, the throne will pass from Francisco to Diego or his children. There's also a possibility that the crown prince may adopt his nephew to avoid legal disputes. Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to greet His Majesty and Her Majesty. I'll return in a few minutes, so please be ready," the duchess said, walking towards the royal family with such words. Her intentions had already been discussed beforehand, so the princess just needed to patiently wait
Dietrich used this as an opportunity to proceed with his plan. He glanced at one of the balconies, partially hidden by curtains. His intentions were clear on his face, as were his doubts. Seeing the struggle, Cornelia decided to help the knight and took him aside. The look of relief on the young man's face was priceless. With a smile, he took a small box from his pocket.
"Happy birthday, Your Highness. Please accept this humble gift."
"Thank you," Cornelia smiled back and opened the box. A gold necklace with a ruby was lying on a red velvet. 'It's so like him,' thought the girl, and hugged the knight. "It won't go with my current outfit, but I'll wear it when we return home."
"It would be an honor for me," the knight's cheek reddening slightly, making the girl smile wider, and he straightened his already perfect collar automatically. "I will bring refreshments."
Using this excuse, he walked away, leaving Cornelia barely holding back a laugh behind. Now, the only other person accompanying her was a taciturn guard. He observed the whole scene with the same stolid expression as he had worn throughout the journey.
"What about you?" Cornelia asked, not really interested, but wanting to keep the conversation going. "When is your birthday?"
The guy's face showed no emotion as he replied, "I don't have one."
Cornelia's eyebrows rose. His answer might be just an impolite way of avoiding giving too much personal information, but in that case, he could have lied, as she has no way to verify it. Instead, he said some nonsense.
"So what, you just kind of happen at some point?
"May, I was born in May."
'If you were going to give in so easily, you should have said so from the beginning.'
The princess felt a gaze and noticed Aunt Margaret giving her a sign to come closer. The grand duchess was accompanying the royal family; other aristocrats were keeping a distance, giving space to the most honored guests. Like a shadow, Sieg followed the princess. The king spoke first when Cornelia approached them.
"My, how you have grown! I knew you would be eighteen this year, but in my mind, you were still a rebellious twelve-year-old girl." The man gave her a long, careful look, then commented. "I see you're still wearing your short hair, so I guess the rebellious phase isn't over yet."
"I'm happy to see Your Majesty in good health," replied the girl, greeting the queen and the crown prince next. While the young man appeared to be a reserved person, his mother embraced and kissed Cornelia on the cheek, as if they had been friends reunited after a long separation. For a moment, the girl was taken aback by this unfamiliar affectivity. Her skill at maintaining a smile despite everything, honed through countless events, came in handy.
When the greetings had ended, the king's first question was: "Have you seen my wife's gallery?"
"No, not yet," replied the girl, hiding her surprise. Cornelia remembered how the grand duchess had told her about the queen's love for embroidery, but she never would have expected a hobby to produce so many works or for it to be brought up at such a high-level event.
"Oh, but you must!" Suddenly, the calm King Frederico transformed into an excited admirer. "Loi's embroidery skills are simply heavenly beautiful!"
"His Majesty has even organized a whole gallery?" asked Cornelia, fighting her own surprise and confusion. The man did not notice the slight disbelief behind her words and happily stated:
"What can I say? I'm the biggest fan of my wife."
"Honey, stop it!" - the queen smiled and kissed her boasting husband. "You're making me blush again!"
Francisco rolled his eyes and leaned in a bit, whispering so only the princess could hear: "Don't mind them, and escape if it becomes too unbearable. Even if you left, they wouldn't notice."
Cornelia was not quick enough to reply to the prince. The king waved a handkerchief with an embroidered coat of arms in front of the faces of the guests. It took some effort for the princess to hide her bewilderment, but Sieg's eyes followed the fabric diligently.
"I must say, your majesty, very neat stitches. An outstanding piece of art."
'Look at him, how easily he sweet-talks, as if he understands this matter.'
"You are flattering me, young man," the queen laughed. But the king was even more pleased. He patted the guy on the shoulder, as if they were best friends.
"I must say, you have a keen eye for talent, sir!" said the king. "I see why you were chosen to be the princess' escort. Well done, well done indeed!
Cornelia and the Crown Prince exchanged glances. Dietrich approached them with a glass just in time. Using it as a way to escape from an unfamiliarly difficult conversation, the princess took a sip of the drink. Finally being able to taste the wine her brother loved so much didn't make her happy or proud. The supposedly delectable drink tasted sour and was hard to swallow, almost like medicine.
Looking at the youngsters, the king grinned.
"What a tense bunch you are, Castro! Well, Loli has prepared something that will make you feel better," Frederico said, nodding to a servant who was waiting nearby. A few minutes later, a maid brought a brightly decorated box. At the first glance, the size of the box made Cornelia think that the servant was carrying a pair of shoes. But at the cover, a few round holes were made.
With a solemn look, Queen Dolores stated, "Happy birthday, Your Highness. I hope you will be pleased with this humble gift. I personally chose it with perfect white fur."
After these words, the maid removed the cover from the box. Inside, curled up in a ball, was a small kitten. It stared back at the people, its green eyes filled with cautious curiosity. The princess looked at her aunt. The grand duchess nodded slightly, encouraging the girl to accept the gift.
"Thank you, Your Majesty," Cornelia said, taking the kitten out of the box. The white fluffy fur felt so soft. But the moment she lifted the kitten, it turned out that its paws were wearing black "socks". The pure white turned out not to be so "perfect".
"I'm sorry," the queen said with an apologetic look, stretching out her hands to take the pet back. "I chose it for its refined look in its curled sleep. Let me change it to another one."
"No! - Cornelia's cheeks flushed. Raising her voice wasn't proper in the presence of others, especially in front of the royal hosts. She corrected her tone and assured the woman, "No, there is no need to change. I like it. I think it looks charming."
The king coughed, clearing his throat.
"Well, that's all that matters. Now let us dance!" Frederico invited his wife for a first dance and then turned to the princess, adding. "I hope to spend the next one with you, Your Highness Cornelia."
She smiled and nodded. Francisco followed the royal couple with his gaze. He looked a bit tired, yet he still said, "If you would allow me this honor, I would like to ask for the first dance."
"Don’t you want to ask your partner?" Cornelia looked around, but the man along with the grand duchess and Dietrich already left their side.
That's what etiquette dictates," the crown prince shrugged, "Ignacio understands it too, but thank you for your concern."
"Then with pleasure, Your Highness," she nodded and realized only then that she was still holding the gifted kitten. Cornelia hesitated and looked around, but the knight was engaged in a lively conversation with the captain of the royal guard. Sieg, staying one step behind, let out a sigh
"You can leave the kitten with me." Or do you think I would harm it?"
"No. I suppose you won’t," despite admitting this, the princess pursed her lips. Reluctantly, she handed the pet to the guy. She glanced again before leaving with Francisco. The tall man in black with a tiny white kitten in the middle of the ball looked rather peculiar.