Emilyn's Story

The next morning things in the palace were Rather busy. Cooks ran around the kitchen in a hurry. Maids were also restless, cleaning every speck of dust so that every single corner looked perfect. Decorators and flower arrangers were invited to decorate the ballroom and surrounding rooms. A small orchestra was setting up on a stage situated at the corner of the room.

Dalila had been witness to preparations of a number of balls but none of them were as grand as this was would be. After all her parents wanted their destined meeting to be perfect. She was overjoyed they paid so much attention to everything for their happiness.

“All this fancy set up won’t change much if the person we’re to marry isn’t nice….,” her brother said walking down the stairs from which Dalila was watching the hustle downstairs. She looked sternly at her brother but then giggled slightly. “You can’t say such things Alec. They are sure to be lovely people!”

Alec sighed and mumbled something along the lines of “I guess”. He hugged his younger sister and continued down the stairs. He stole a fruit from the kitchen and existed the palace. These were his last few moments before meeting her. In about two hours the air would feel different, he wasn’t sure if it’d be heavier or maybe somehow lighter. Everything would be revealed tonight.

Time passed too quickly for Alec and incredibly slowly for Dalila. As the clock struck five it was time to get ready. The man groaned with dissatisfaction as the maids helped put on his suit. The clothing felt stiff and uncomfortable and he couldn’t wait to get out of it. Dalila on the other hand chatted cheerfully to the maids while they dolled her up.

Then came the anticipated moment. Dalila and Alec were both at the balls main room. After an announcement of their arrival and main introductions their parents ordered them to stand aside and wait. Alec hoped the arrival of the other kingdom would drag out for as long as possible. He leaned against the wall watching people party like nothing was about to happen. His sister was a bit more restless but she too stood waiting.

Suddenly trumpets played a tune and they could spot a pair of silhouettes at the entrance of the palace. They had finally come.

Dalila’s heart pound as the man came closer to her. He looked like a kind man and she liked him instantly. She thought luck must have really been on her side as the man placed a kiss on her hand. She smiled at him too, her eyes glowing with excitement at getting to know Martin better.

“It’s really nice to meet you, I hope we can get along well,” she said cheerfully, also bowing gracefully. She stared at him for a few moments trying to think of something to say. It was a little hard to think of a conversation starter with your future husband you just met. Then an idea popped into her head. “Maybe we could dance? I don’t have much practice but that way you could tell me more about yourself.”

Emalyn seemed different than the other women who approached him. It could have been the situation they were put in but Alec was sure it was something else. The woman made he feel at ease. She was beautiful. Of course it wasn’t enough for him to fall in love, but seeing her all flustered unlike any other royal lady he had met, made him realize it wouldn’t have to be such a bad thing marrying her.

As she blushed Alec decided it was probably time for him to say something. He reached out his hand and boldly yet also gently cupped her chin so she would stop looking down. “No need to be nervous. I’m Alec. Would you mind if I have the first dance?” He let go of her face and bowed.

It wasn’t hard for Dalila to synchronize with Martin. They danced together well and she felt at peace being led by him. His hold on her was reassuring as they swayed in time with the music. The pairs of people around them were unimportant. For the first time ever the woman felt this was a dance specifically for her. She felt special.

“I don’t dance too much. It’s a little tiring but I enjoy it. Do you? You’re leading me quite well.”

Talking to him was easy and she wanted to know more, “Tell me about your kingdom. Is it pretty? Any interesting things you wouldn’t find here?”


Alec was surprised at his own behavior. This was possibly the first time he danced with someone outside of the family at his own choice. Emalyn wasn’t hard to lead but something seemed off. They danced quietly for a little while and once the song finished he decided to change things a little.

“Would you like to get out of here for a while, there’s this hill nearby with a lovely view. We can take a breather, I don’t think anyone will notice if we disappear,” he said winking and began walking looking back at her to see if she’d follow.

"Why thank you, and I'm not sure if I can tell much of a difference betweens our homes yet. You do realize, you're coming back with me?" He grinned, and kept his grip on her, swaying in time with her.


Emalyn watched him walk away, and felt a pang. She turned to console her brother, but he was too busy gazing into the eyes of the Princess. With Alec growing smaller in her vision, something took over her, and she walked and caught up with him. She felt a little bad for choosing a man she'd just met over her brother, but he's obviously already forgotten about her.. so.. why shouldn't she forget him? "Sorry, I dazed out for a moment. We're going to a lovely view on a hill?" She asked, and intertwined their hands.

The moving homes thing was a detail her parents forgot to mention. She was extremely happy to see another place, to finally leave the palace for once but anxiety circled at the back of her mind. Would she not cause them trouble? Dalila was sure Martin and the people at his home would take care of her but she didn’t want to be too dependable or a bother. Yet his grin and reassuring touch reminded her things wouldn’t be that bad. It would just take some getting used to. She looked into his eyes and returned the smile.

“I can’t wait! I heard your kingdom has a wide array of flowers that don’t grow here. I’d be glad to see them with you.”

A smirk appeared on Alec’s face as Emalyn caught up with him. For a moment he thought she wouldn’t come. In a way he was testing her. A woman for him had to be at least slightly spontaneous. He held her hand firmly as they slipped out through a side door. He gently pulled her along as they made their way up the hill.

Then reaching its peak he and let go of her hand. He pointed upwards, “look. Pretty isn’t it? I’d have to say the stars have a bit to go before they can reach your beauty though.”

He took of the jacket of his suit and lied it on the ground. He sat down on it and motioned for her to do the same.

This was by far the best dance Dalila ever experianced but she was starting to feel a little tired. While her mind was set on keeping the magical moment going her body was slowly giving up. She sat down on the stairs with a drink in hand and looked at the man.

"I wouldn't worry about your sister, I'm sure Alec will take good care of her," she reassured her partner with a smile.The fact her brother ran off somewhere with his new lady, suprisingly, didn't bother her in the slightest. In a way she was proud her brother wasn't making a big fuss out of it.

Alec felt a wave of joy as the woman sat beside him. His heart beat almost as quickly as when he rode a horse when she lied on his shoulder. He laughed light heartedly and embraced her, calming himself down. Emalyn was almost shining in the moonlight. He joking thought that maybe she was just a night spirit ready to disappear at sunlight, only to be replaced by a spoiled little princess brat. Thankfully this wasn't the case.

He turned to her. She was very close and Alec decided to kiss her on the cheek. He wasn't sure if kissing her lips would be to bold of a move and didn't want to scare her. "So, what do you usually do on evenings like these when you're at home?"

Dalila’s energy slowly began to re charge as Martin sat beside her and wrapped her in a warm embrace. She was slightly startled as the man placed his hand on her now bright red check and kissed her. While surprised, she didn’t mind at all. In fact it was quite enjoyable and she kissed him back gently forgetting about the ball around them. From then on time went quickly, they danced and chatted a bit more. He was a fantastic man. Unfortunately soon it was time for the woman to sleep. She felt it was too early and she wanted to spend more time with him but her body couldn’t take much more action. She gave Martin a small goodnight kiss and excused herself.

“Oh so you like horseride……” Alec couldn’t finish the sentence and she kissed him. Not waiting long, he kissed her back passionately. Soon he was lying on top of her kissing her deeply. The cool air soon didn’t bother him at all as he became warmer and warmer. His misfortune at being told to marry turned into something happy. He realized this looking back at Emalyn. She had a fun personality, seemingly similar interests and by god was she good at kissing. Realizing, by the place of the moon it was past midnight, Alec straightened himself up. “Thank you for the lovely evening, I’ll see you in the morning.” It might have been an impure thought but he almost wished to share the bed with her, however it would have been a great dishonor to them both. He just had to wait for their marriage.
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The morning sun shone into her room. She remembered the almost dreamlike night she had yesterday. She wondered if Martin was awake yet. She called in her maids and got dressed in a simple light blue dress. She brushed her hair. Breakfast at her request would be served in the greenhouse. She decided to wait there for Martin and check on her flowers in the mean time. She’d have to say goodbye to them after all.

Alec sighed as obnoxious light shone into his eyes, waking him up. He was pretty tired and decided against riding his horse this morning. As he got up and wondered about inviting Emalyn for a ride after breakfast. He didn’t bother changing into day clothes and walked downstairs.

A bright smile filled her face as she sensed his presence from behind. He kissed her head and she looked up to meet his eyes. “Thank you,” she responded with a lighthearted giggle. She felt so safe in his gentle embrace. She wanted to trust him as much as her brother. It’d take time but she believed Martin deserved her trust. Thinking about her brother made her wonder when he’d show his face. The woman was beginning to miss him, the new princess seemed to distract him from greeting her. She sat down at the neatly arranged table and locked her eye with Martin. “Welcome to my own little kingdom she said looking around the greenhouse, did you sleep well?”
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Emalyn’s harsh greeting made him wonder if she was unhappy with what happened last night. It’d be surprising considering how much fun they had but she could have been concealing her true feelings. Alec also wondered if getting dressed would have been a good idea too. He followed her to the balcony and grabbed her arm softly with just enough force to stop her. “Good morning to you too Emalyn dear, has something happened you don’t seem to happy?” He spun her around and hugged the lady to cheer her up. “We might want to head to breakfast, wouldn’t want to make our siblings wait.”

She was glad Martin mentioned ma king a greenhouse at his palace as Dalila was beginning to worry about abandoning her little botany hobby. She wondered if her lillies would survive a long carriage journey but those thoughts quickly drifted away as the man took her hand. “I slept very well, one usually does when they’re very tired.” Breakfast was peaceful and Martin’s company was very enjoyable. At the back of her mind she questioned why her brother never showed up. She was glad he was happy but a pang of jealousy filled her heart. She shook away the thought and smiled, “What would you like to do now?”
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Alec was close to being surprised as Emalyn mentioned skipping breakfast. He thought about it for a few moments as he swept his fingers through her hair. He was sure Dalila would understand, he’d make it up to her. Now he had a second lady to take care of. “Sure, just let me get changed.” His feet quickly carried him upstairs and he quickly ran back down. He let Emalyn to the stables and introduced his horse along with another he was planning on lending Emalyn. “Well then, hop on. There’s a cool place in the forest I can show you.”

Martin allowed Dalila to take the lead and decide what they could do. His smile reassured her wherever they went they could have a good time but Dalila was still a little worried about disappointing him. She wondered if he knew she never left the palace and that her pastimes were limited. She thought about what they could do and only one thing popped into her head.

“Why don’t we go to the library then? It’s calm and there’s a beautiful stained-glass window which let’s in an almost magical light if you close the blinds.” The woman wasn’t sure if it was romantic enough but they could make it work.
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Emalyn’s laugh as she rode out made him happy. He was glad he could cheer her up, even in the slightest. He led the way on his horse down from the stables and up a large plain of thick green grass and small flowers. They continued further until the castle was only a little speck in the distance and flowing water would be heard. They stopped at the bank of the river and Alec let his horse go, he knew the horses were trained to come back when called.

“It’s pretty cool, isn’t it?”

She led him up the stairs and then down the hall. The library was at the back of the palace where it had the most space to thrive. It occupied three floors but could only be accessed by the one in the middle. Like she said, colorful rays of light radiated throughout the room.

“Well this is it, it’s quite a relaxing place.” She walked down a smaller stair way to the first floor where a few couches stood. She motioned for him to sit down. “I come here quite often, I know every little secret and hideout in this place. People rarely come here anyway so we’ve got it all to ourselves.” She said this while raising her hands, maybe a bit dramatically, and spinning around.


Alec couldn’t help but laugh as she asked what they could do. He wondered what she expected him to do anyway. He didn’t consider himself a man capable of making someone nervous. He began taking of his shirt and winked at her playfully.

“Considering it’s pretty warm I was going to take a dip in the river. The current is pretty weak and the water isn’t cold. Why not jump in with me?”

He didn’t really take her dress into consideration but a princess was sure to have many clothes. Ruining one to have some carefree fun shouldn’t have been a problem.

“It must really be a sight to admire then. So many books. It sounds amazing.” She was in awe just imagining it. So many experiences would await her once she made the journey to Martin’s palace. She was happy to be able to do it all with him by her side. Even with all these joyful thoughts her mind still drifted to her brother.

“What kind of person is your sister?”


Like he expected it didn’t take her long to get in. She looked like a water nymph as she came up from under the water. He dived and came up top closer to her. She embraced her and kissed Emalyn softly in the water. They had fun like this for a while. As afternoon came Alec decided it was time to get back. He put his clothes onto his wet body, knowing they’d dry as the rode anyway. Before mounting his horse he picked a few wild flowers for his sister, she wouldn’t be too dissatisfied that way.

“I wasn’t suggesting anything really, just curious who my brother will be marrying. I barely know anything about her. I'm incredibly sorry I asked.” Her words faded out into a whisper, her head hanging downwards. She was surprised by his almost hostile answer. Sure she was a little jealous of his sister for taking Alec, but she came to terms with it and the question meant no offence. She tried to understand Martin’s reaction, even a supposed attack on a family member is horrible, yet she grew even sadder. Stronger, he said. Dalila couldn’t argue, Emalyn’s physical abilities hugely beat her own and she definitely had more freedom but was that all that counted in strength. Dalila dealt with her weak body for years, she stayed locked up without as much as a single out loud complain, she kept a happy attitude to cheer up everyone around her. Was that not considered strong? She looked back at him and smiled to cease the tension.


Alec never before had to worry about anyone but him and his little sister. Having a third person was strange, as wonderful as that person was. Emalyn filled a big part of his head as he rode towards the castle. Her expressions, her body, her voice equal to the song of a bird. With all this floating in his mind he could barely keep his horse in check. With all the fun he had, he honestly forgot he should wait for her. He felt bad, but turning back not would be more than a little embarrassing. Alec decided to best course of action would be to wait for her until she made her way back. He’d apologize and even if she was angry, hopefully he’d still be in one piece. For the first time ever the man realized his carefree personality could cause troubles. He got off the horse and sat on the grass until he spotted the woman.

“That sounds like a good idea, maybe we could all have dinner tonight.” She said with excitement. She wasn’t sure they’d get along but trying wouldn’t hurt and she was very curious to know who the woman was. This way she’d also get to see her brother. All her sadness and anger disappeared, instead it was replaced with joy and anticipation. “I’m going to arrange it!”


Alec was surprised as he heard the calmness in her voice. He was sure she’d be unhappy with him but maybe he didn’t know her well enough yet. He smiled, got off the floor and bowed, maybe a little too dramatically. “I wanted to apologize for leaving you behind, I got a little carried away. Now shall we head back?”

Dalila couldn’t help but let out a giggle of excitement. Considering how much time she spent together with Martin, dinner time was actually not so far away. She hoped things would go smoothly. With an even brighter smile on her face she thought about meeting the woman. If her brother liked her so much she must have been quite an interesting person. On the other hand, sadness welled up in her heart as she thought of Emalyn’s position in his life, but she pushed it away. She slowly got up and bowed in Martin’s direction. “If you excuse me, I’m going to get a few things done before dinner. I had a lovely time. Hopefully I’ll see you in a couple hours.”


Alec wasn’t too surprised with the invitation, it sounded like something his sister would do. He was quite looking forward to meeting the man who was going to take care of her and seeing if he was up to it. Then Emalyn’s voice abruptly cut off his thoughts and brought him back to the real world. Her anger was justified but out of place compared to her warm greeting. He never considered himself a fabulous gentleman but he was no fool either, just a little too carefree. He decided to let her cool off and apologize before the dinner.

Martin nodded as he watched her walk away, and simply rubbed his forehead, falling asleep on the couch where they had been sitting.

Emalyn walked the horse back to it's stable, brushing it, and walking back to her room, shutting the door, and collapsing on her bed, as she stared at the ceiling. "What am I doing here?" She sighed, and rubbed her head. She longed for her brother. So, she set out to find him, and according to Dalila's likes, they'd be at the library. She found him there, and they spoke about one another's experiences so far, ending in a much needed, teary-eyed hug.

Time passed quite quickly as Dalila excitedly awaited the dinner they Gould all have together. She cut some flowers to place on the table. She tried to make a composition which would express her feelings, putting in yellow carnations for joy, Casablanca lilies for celebration, red roses for love, red Chrysanthemums for sharing, tuberoses for caring and a few little hollies for domestic happiness. Once satisfied with the arrangement she set the vase on the table. Everything would be perfect. She changed her dress into something a little more formal and began looking for Martin.


Alec spent his time walking around the palace grounds. He avoided people in fear of any responsibilities that might come his way. His thoughts were concentrated on finding good words to say as an apology to Emalyn. They needed to be honest words, but nothing seemed to sound right. As time for diner approached he headed for Emalyn’s bedroom. He knocked gently, “Hey? You there? I came to apologize again. I guess my behaviour wasn’t the greatest back there. Believe me I didn’t mean harm. You can be angry I understand but could we at least try make this meal enjoyable for everyone?” He waited for her reply, unsure if she was even there to hear it.

Dalila found Martin still in the library. The room was darker than when she left it, proving how much time passed since she left. She waved at him from the doorway and spun around in her dress. “You ready to go to dinner?,” she asked with a bright smile, “this will be the first proper time we all get to spend time together.” She walked up to him and gently grabbed his hand.

Emalyn’s voice brought him back to his senses. The fact it didn’t come from her room was a little embarrassing. He quickly turned to face her. “I was wondering if you’ve calmed down….” She didn’t look the greatest but at the same time she didn’t seem angry anymore. “I’ve also come to accompany you to the dinner.”

Dalila led Martin into one of the dining rooms. It was the smallest one but she decided it’d be the most peaceful and cozy. She sat down happily and her eyes turned to the door.

Alec loved seeing Emalyn in different clothes, it was as if everytime she changed she looked even prettier. He returned her kiss with passion. “I think, just a little, I love you too.” He said it in a joking manner, but anyone could sense his conformation of love for her was true. They walked to the dining room and he opened the door for Emalyn. He saw Dalila and smiled in her direction. Then he examined the man sitting beside her. He’d find out tonight if he was worthy of his little sister. “We’re here! Let’s have a lovely time.” He pulled the chair out for Emalyn and waited for her to sit before sitting in the chair beside her.

Dalila was happy to see her brother. Her heart also beat faster when she saw the woman with him, she was very pretty and he seemed at ease beside her. “It’s good to see you two, especially you Alec. This is Martin, I’m sure you will find his as wonderful as I did,” she said to her brother . It’s also very nice to meet you,” she continued, holding her hand out to Emalyn.

Even Dalila could sense the situation was a little strained. Probably even more than a little. She continued smiling but didn’t say much as the food came. Nobody was jumping at each other’s throats, that was a good thing. Things at the table were peaceful but she started believing the evening was not such a good idea.

Alec also felt the tension in the room. It was obvious to most Martin showed jealousy as Emalyn kissed his check and Alec put on an almost triumphant smile. It was now his honor to be by the side of the incredible lady. He also saw that Dalila’s eyes were becoming downcast and decided to break the silence.

“You made the bouquet on the table right Dalila? What do you think Emalyn? She has a gift for flower arrangement. Maybe one day she could decorate your beautiful hair with some flowers. Martin, has my sister shown you around the palace a little, are you enjoying your time? I mean, she knows more about every little hole and corner in here than me.”

He tried to liven the conversation. Involving all the people at the table and pleasing them all. It was harder than he thought, but he did an ok job. He could also see Dalila livened up with an enthusiastic nod. Then his eyes traveled from looking happily at Emalyn to scanning Martin again.