Irene returned to her chambers, and she had barely been about to sit down when a knock came at the door.
"Enter."
A royal servant entered, his expression stern, and said quietly: "His Majesty the King… summons your presence immediately to his office."
She froze for a moment, stunned that he who had ignored her existence for the first time in years was now summoning her to his inner sanctum. Her heart clenched, yet she nodded and followed him.
At this hour, the corridors were nearly empty; only guards stood like statues, and a few servants bowed in astonishment, committing what they saw to their memories, while pale light filtered through the high windows.
They reached the office door.
"Your Majesty, I have brought the Princess as requested."
"Let her in."
The guard said nothing; he opened the door slowly, offered a military salute to the King, and retreated. Irene entered and bowed deeply: "I salute the sun of Your Majesty, the Great King of the Eskard Kingdom."
The scent of leather, musk, and old paper filled the air. Tall walls lined with dark wood panels, and a library in the back packed with heavy books, maps, and ancient swords he was there.
King Arexon. Seated behind his desk, leaning slightly forward, his eyes had been fixed on her from the moment she entered cold, devoid of any welcome. He said coldly, returning his gaze to the papers before him: "Sit."
She obeyed in silence. She sat on the luxurious sofa facing his desk, gripping her robe beneath the table to hide the trembling of her fingers, her mind racing to find the reason for this summons. She raised her eyes to him cautiously, but he did not look at her directly; he was flipping through documents as if they were more important than her.
Without lifting his eyes, he said: "The ceremony for your debut will be held in a few days."
Then, he suddenly looked at her and continued: "You must know very well what these coming-of-age ceremonies mean... they are essentially a promotional showcase to attract marriage contracts among the noble classes."
He paused for a moment, then added: "As for you, I have already chosen a husband for you..."
Irene was not very surprised; perhaps, deep down, she realized this. She forced her words out, heavy with realization: "I understand, but... may I ask who this person is, with your permission?"
Her eyes remained fixed on him. "His name is Lukas Theodore Valerian. The only son of the King of Valerian's brother, Kristoff." Silence fell. He then continued in a firm voice: "I had intended to marry you to the Crown Prince, Bastian, but their protocols differ from the rest of the kingdoms; they do not allow a King to marry someone from outside the realm."
The air in the room grew colder... or perhaps it was her breath that had become heavier. She could hardly believe what she had just heard.
He continued without waiting for a response: "Your marriage to Lukas Theodore Valerian has been arranged as part of the new political agreement between Eskard and Valerian."
Then he looked ahead before returning his cutting gaze to her: "A delegation from Valerian will arrive at the ceremony for the purpose of inspection."
His voice lowered slightly, but grew harsher: "I do not want you mingling with anyone, even if someone tries to approach you." He leaned forward slightly, locking eyes with her: "Any slight deviation from the plan could ruin everything; therefore, no small mistake is permitted."
He then added with icy coldness: "You know what will happen if anything goes wrong."
"Yes, Your Majesty," Irene replied calmly.
He paused... then concluded: "It is also likely that your wedding to Lukas Theodore Valerian will take place immediately after the ceremony. Is this understood?"
"Yes, Your Majesty," she replied.
Finally, he said: "You may leave."
She stood, bowed her head slightly as required, then turned and walked away with steady steps. The shock began to manifest in her eyes only once the door was closed behind her. The weight of the atmosphere hit her... as if the ice from that room had followed her out.
Irene stood frozen outside, still trying to convince herself that what had just happened was not a dream. She composed her thoughts, regained her composure, and turned immediately toward the west wing, heading to the lesser library to avoid meeting anyone.
She pushed the door quietly and entered. The smell of old paper welcomed her as always, a familiar feeling offering her some peace. She walked between the high wooden shelves, her fingers brushing against the titles of her books.
"Lukas Theodore Valerian..." she whispered to herself.
She began searching for books related to the Kingdom of Valerian, one after another, until she found a volume titled: *"Princes of Valerian: The Lineage and the New Era."*
She sat on the floor and opened the pages carefully. She skimmed the introduction until her eyes landed on his name:
> "Lukas Theodore Valerian, the only heir to King Richard John Valerian, the second son of King Derek Valerian, and heir to the Golden Sword—one of the most prominent symbols of power in the kingdom. Born in Winterive Palace, he began his military training at the age of six under the commander of the royal army and the supervision of his father, King Richard. He was known for his early bravery and noble conduct, all before the age of ten."
>
Irene stared at the lines, and the rhythm of her heartbeat shifted.
> "He led his first battle at the age of twenty, becoming the youngest commander in Valerian history to receive the Double Victory Medal after crushing a rebellion on the western borders... beloved by his people, known for his handsome appearance among the commoners, a man of few words, and described by politicians as being surrounded by an aura of authority and respect."
>
She closed the book slowly, then looked ahead... nothing but the wall.
"So... is this the man he has chosen for me?" she said quietly.
Then she laughed softly a short laugh, the kind that escapes you when you don't know whether to rejoice or wonder. But she didn't stop there. She moved to another shelf and pulled out a book titled: *"Structure of Governance in Valerian – Family, Power, and Councils."* Then another on the administrative hierarchy of the kingdom, and a third about the political relations between Valerian and the other realms.
She remained sitting on the floor, opening them one by one. Page after page, names to memorize, genealogies to study. She looked like a soldier preparing for her own war.
And when she closed the last book,
something inside her had shifted... not joy, nor confusion... but satisfaction. She breathed quietly, then said to herself, as if addressing fate itself:
"This is excellent! Being away from Eskard will grant me more freedom of movement, and I won't be shackled."
Silence fell, then she looked toward the small window where the first light of dawn was creeping in:
"Has fate finally begun to side with me? I didn't expect him to marry me outside of Eskard; I don't know what he is planning... but marrying into a royal family in another land is a winning card in my hand now!"
Her inner voice grew firmer, devoid of any wonder or hesitation. She looked forward, as if her father's face were etched onto the opposite wall, and said to herself with sharp sarcasm:
"My dear father... you think I am a pawn in a game of chess..."
Then she leaned forward, whispering to herself in the darkness:
"But your greatest mistake... is that you have made the pawn the 'Queen' in your crooked game."
A short smile passed her lips—sarcastic, quiet, but laced with danger.
Before leaving the lesser library, she took one final book quietly. It bore a simple title: *"Key Figures of the Valerian Court – A Contemporary Political Analysis."* Its true weight lay in its contents; it held names, positions, alliances, and networks of influence... everything she needed to understand how power was managed there.
She returned to her chambers in silence. She hid the book carefully, then sat beside a candle and began to read... and the faint enthusiasm reflected in her focused eyes. Terror knew no meaning before the prospect of reaching her goal.
A week passed. Seven days of exhausting, fast-paced preparations full of motion. Irene was not summoned to her father's office again, but orders were issued in her name, and instructions were drafted for her.
She had transformed from a girl everyone avoided speaking about into the center of attention both inside and outside the kingdom. As if she were no longer just a girl living in the shadows... but the event everyone was waiting for.
Some saw her as:
"A celebration of the Great King's sin and scandal."
And others saw her as:
"An easy and cheap opportunity fto get closer to the royal"
To be continued...