Princess Eveline's Arc

Chapter 1 of 1

Princess Eveline slid three books under her bed just as the knock came. She wanted the kind of love her stories promised, not the kind arranged over dinner. Her father did not approve of stories. He called them nonsense that filled her head. So she hid them, and she brushed her dark curls into place, and she opened the door with a calm face. King Edmund filled the doorway in his fur cape. His golden crown caught the morning light. Beside him stood Queen Eleanore, silver gown trailing the stone. Her father's eyes swept the room, checking corners. Eveline held her breath until they landed on her instead of the bed. "Tonight matters," King Edmund said. "Four new suitors dine at our table. Princes and Dukes. You will smile. You will listen, you will not disobey this house." "I never have, Father," Eveline said. It was true. She had never once disappointed them. That was the trap. Every year she folded herself smaller to keep their approval, and every year they asked for more. Queen Eleanore stepped closer and touched her daughter's cheek. "You look beautiful," she said, her voice soft and regal. "Beauty is what they came for," King Edmund said. "Give them nothing else to question." The words settled in Eveline's chest like a stone. They came for her face and her crown. Not one of them knew she loved stories, or hated cold mornings, that she loved animals of all sorts or dreamed of being truly seen. For twenty two years she had obeyed to keep the peace. She thought of the books beneath her bed, the pages that promised more than a smile at a table. Something in her refused to fold this time. "I will come to dinner," she said. "But I will not act pleased for men who don’t even know me." The hall went quiet. Queen Eleanore's hand dropped from her cheek. King Edmund studied his daughter as if seeing a stranger. The king spoke plainly and bold. "I will choose for you by month's end. And you will not refuse." He said quick. He turned and left. His cape swept the floor behind him. Eveline stood in the doorway with her heart pounding. She had never disappointed her parents. Now she had.