Reincarnated Into A Dead Woman's Body In Another World-Chapter 208: Arc 4, Act I, - 53: The Welcoming Arms of a Princess
Chief Hernandeya, dark skin and burnt red hair in a pompadour; hazel-green eyes and sharp burgundy eyeshadow that tipped to his temples.
Mundane was his black uniform with the Ordinate symbol above his left shirt pocket; it was only second to be noticed under the gold chains and little pins he decorated his clothes with—a tiepin with a ruby being the flashiest among them.
He stood upright after his deep bow, "I apologize for not being able to attend last night’s gala your highness. I heard it was a smashing success."
"No apologies needed and it very much was; it’s a shame you couldn’t attend."
"As per the Royal Ministry’s request, I have made sure all the wards around the palace are still in place and not outdated. Century-old magics rarely deteriorate."
Much of the guests went past and loitered around the inner foyer, awaiting for an announcement for the emissary’s arrival. Archduke Guuraj, "Then everything should be fine old friend," he placed a hand on the chief’s shoulder.
Feyan raised a finger, "Uh, not to be redundant, but..."
"Yes, several Ordinate members are keeping a watch for any arcane business that might wish to intrude Lord Artevik."
"Ironically, you saying not to be redundant to say something that’ll be redundant is redundant," Jotou squinted.
"You must be the fabled Thundering Blade then," the chief put out a hand.
To which she gave a wide smile and shook, "That I am; Jotou Howllett. You wouldn’t happen to know Kor Azveal would you?"
"Pavan Hernandeya, pleasure; and the acting chief in Kria? I’ve never met him, but I’m aware of him."
"He’s a friend of mine, just curious." Their words were beginning to drown in the sea of guests around them.
"You are, in a joyous mood today," the archduke chuckled.
"He had a pretty good night."
Jotou’s lips tightened, unable to twist her head like an owl to sear a glare into Daiyu. Hotaru got closer and reached a hand to pinch Daiyu by the waist.
However the redhead’s hand was softly slapped down by Arabella in between. Daiyu stuck her tongue out to the side without looking.
Hotaru’s ears spiked as she flapped her tail against Arabella, causing the Ashen Whisper to take a step back. "I can see that you’re all ready," the chief raised a brow.
"Oh, it’s just the emissary; this much attendance and we might just scare them away," a voice poked in.
Daiyu and Feyan’s faces immediately fell into a grimace upon hearing it. "Countess, count, morning," the chief acted out a smile, "You two are usually timely; had too much to drink last night?"
"Heavens no, just had to stop by a young elf’s room to, make sure she was alright," the countess’s eyes pointed to her neck.
"The former being a reason as well."
"Dear," she glared to her husband.
"There’re topics we just can’t discuss now, can we," Daiyu locked eyes.
"Oh dear highness, your attention is needed elsewhere for today. I’m on my best behaviour, I swear on the crown," she hummed back.
Daiyu stopped tapping her feet and growled a smile back on herself. Feyan surveyed the area; the king, much of the council, ambassadors, emissaries from other nations and social elites.
"Nothing else to prepare... for once, everything is on time and there are no setbacks, no surprises. We just await word of the emissary to be near the gates," Feyan’s brows raised checking his clipboard.
"You’re gonna jinx it," the blonde’s eyes glazed over.
Into the foyer rushed the Captain of the Exterior Guard, towards Arabella. "My lady," she bowed first, "The carriage is nearing the palace gates."
"Or not..."
_
"FLASH!" "FLASH!" "FLASH!" The flurry of camera shutters twinkled throughout the city centre and up the hill towards the palace.
The greying skies loomed over the arrival of the four carriages, each pulled by stallions groomed to perfection with decorations of brownish-blacks and dark magentas, from tassels to harnesses.
The carriages were adorned with emblems; ones consisting of a ship helm, surrounded by three five-pointed stars. Most of them clearly welded on at the last-minute; the flaws would not appear on most photographs anyway.
With a whip of the reigns, all the carriages came to a halt in a line right before the bronze gates. Citizens, young and old had gathered onto the grass and under the trees outside, flanking their entrance.
The Royal Guard had set up tape and cones all across, keeping a barrier between the public and the guests. Dozens of guards checked the carriages, much to the perturbance of the coachmen who drove them.
The second carriage slid open the window and a hand handed documents to the guard present. Now, the unmuffled rally of the public could be heard.
"BOO!!!" Hundreds of slurs and yells were thrown, alongside various fruits. "PUFF!!!" Someone from the crowd threw flour and spices onto the horses making them rear back.
The coachmen yelled, trying to regain control and some of the public cheered. "SPINELESS COWARDS!" "FUCKING ASS LICKERS!" "GO BACK YOU COCKROACHES!" "OUR PRINCESS IS TOO GOOD FOR YOUR KIND!"
The Royal Guard began fanning out into the crowd, beginning to search for those who began assaulting the carriages. The gates opened reluctantly to aid in ending this...
Meanwhile, on the other side stood all the elites with high-ranking reporters taking pictures of the gates and of the possibly largest gathering of the highest ranking people in a while. 𝑓𝑟𝑒𝘦𝓌𝑒𝑏𝑛𝑜𝘷𝑒𝘭.𝒸𝘰𝑚
Daiyu stood front and centre, alongside Feyan and Arabella while Jotou and Hotaru stood a little back. "We’re supposed to do this again for when the prime minister comes... If this’s just the emissary..." the redhead whispered.
"Well, we need to keep the public away from that. Maybe some sort of teleportation’d be better," Jotou hushed away from the king barely a couple of metres beside her, "Does the public ever learn to be less sheep-like?
Save your anger for another day, this just makes Trailon less willing to cooperate. Idiots, I swear..."
"Jotou, they’re allowed to be angry. Who knows how many people they’ve lost in the war. And not everyone easily understands complicated things. I know someone else who can be just as stubborn."
Jotou glanced sheepishly to Hotaru, "Still, this is a bit much." ’Why is her voice so calming to hear all of a sudden...?’ She blushed... ’I want her to hold me again- Howllett! Stop thinking about that! Focus!’
"Whatever we decide, I suppose we can discuss means of travel with this emissary," Feyan whispered back.
The gates opened completely and the reporters began taking more pictures. "PUFF!" "NEIGH!!!!" Another round of assaults hit the horses and carriages, coating them in various powders and liquids.
Daiyu’s right eye twitched, "Alright, I can give them a pass on yelling at them, but no reason to bring the horses into this," she stepped forward and raised a foot.
"My lady-"
"STOMP!" "GRrrr... BRRRRRRRR!!!!" The resounding wave shook everyone who stood in a line. The guests braced for impact onto each other, the king’s guards gathered close around him.
The earth quaked three rhythms, each lesser than the first and anyone with loose footing immediately fell. The carriages rumbled, the water within the fountain rippled and splashed.
The horses whinnied back and went into more of a panic, but the coachmen were barely able to keep them stable. The Royal Guard could feel the buzzing in their chainmail still.
Jotou held Hotaru, preventing her from falling and accidentally caught a whiff of her sea dandelion scent—the same smell she awoke to across her pillows- ’STOP THINKING THAT!’ Arabella steadied Feyan up.
The princess lifted her heeled foot with a glare to the bronze gates that rang the same rhythm as any metal in the vicinity. She strode forward; Arabella noticed it and quickly went to her side.
No Asobi, no Countess Keya to- "ENOUGH!" but neither of them were needed to project her voice as Daiyu yelled at the top of her lungs, exclaiming over the silencing and whispering public.
"I understand your anger, believe me I do, but now is NOT the time. I want things to be CIVIL, so, step back and yell as much as you want.
But if you want any sense of peace to be restored, then you need to learn to be peaceful for the time being. That is all, I request," the princess huffed, feeling her own nerves relax again.
Little whispers resonated throughout, but none yelled back... The figures in the carriages turned to see the lone princess and her guard, standing at the edge of the gates.
The reporters repositioned the cameras, some of them simply held it up to take the pictures, trying to stop their shaking legs as fast as possible.
With a sigh, Daiyu turned around and walked. Oh how much mouth will she get for this by the council; and oh, how little she cared at this point. Besides, who would dare talk back?
The mixture of fear, respect and adoration coalescing into the most confusing concoction of an emotion... To be feared, to be respected or to be adored?
For how confused she was, she merely sauntered back, each step aided by a little spell of earth allowing her to balance. For she would not show the confusion in this moment. She made a decision and she made it firm—no regrets now.
Not many seemed to object among the elites either, simply watching as the princess stepped back into place, without a single slump of her shoulders.
Arabella glared to the coaches and then to Captain Shaira. The captain turned, "Move," she commanded and the carriages continued their circle around the fountain to greet the elites on the right of it.
"I don’t want to hear a word," Daiyu did not look anywhere else but forward while she hushed.
"My lady... Your judgement is well; and I will trust it till the end. Do not believe otherwise."
Her falling heart caught onto something; that something eased her tense breathing. Daiyu held her hands together—the voices of the people from afar and the elites nearby; the corner of her lip rose by just a bit.
"Proud of you psychopath. You really put your foot down; don’t worry too much about the people with brooms up their asses."
Her thoughts went to the word ’smart-ass’ in an instant and her lips curled into what could be called a smile.
"It’s your truest self and what opinions may form will also be true," Hotaru tilted her head, "We’ll be right here in the end."
It was hard not to grin at this point... "I thought I said not a word."
"Yeah, so you heard more than one word."
"Smart-ass," she sided her eyes to Jotou. In her quick survey she could see a few frowns within the elites, sure. However, she also noticed the king having a respectable smile and the countess beaming from ear to ear.
The countess smiling did fill her with concern, but seeing more and more faces of approval or respectful indifference than those who frowned, only made her more confident to face forward.
The carriages stopped and the doors were opened by the Royal Guard with polite bows. From all of them, six or so descended with papers and files.
Seven stepped out with armours of metal and leather; though they had swords, behind their capes who knew what they hid. Each with an emblem of the Trailon Regime above their left chest and on their short capes.
What looked to be their guards helped two to step out of the second carriage and the third. Both dressed in dark magentas and blacks, one in a suit and the other in a patterned lace dress.
Both in their early forties, streaks of grey hair, tan skin and noble faces. The square-jawed man kept his hands to the side, short brown hair on his head and his chin. Lean in figure and tall in stature, he bowed.
The other, a woman with a pendant of some magenta flower. Thin as a needle and black hair tied into a bun with a few strands loose to frame her stern face. She held her hands together, surveying her welcomers.
"I believe we never replied to inform of you of who it is that would be arriving as an envoy and to that, my apologies Undying Princess," the man bowed.
The woman followed, "We are secretary generals of Prime Minister Aldous Woddard. Lady Lilian Oakheart."
"Lord Fynn Oakheart."
Daiyu stepped forward with Feyan and Arabella to her sides. She gave a proper curtsy and a polite smile, "I am her majesty Princess Xia Lan Daiyu. Greetings and welcome to Tamara Palace."
