Sold to a Prince!

"Greetings, your highness." Priscella walked over to Mikel and bowed slightly. She tucked the couple of strands behind her ear and shyly smiled, giving a nod to the others standing near Mikel as well.

"Ooooh. Sister-in-law looks so pretty." Nicolas beamed and winked at her, making her blush even more after hearing the endearing term he had used.

That's right she was going to be a royal princess! She was going to marry the eldest son of the King! Priscella was over the moon and couldn't stop blushing.

The well dressed woman standing next to Prince Nicolas also chimed in. "Greetings Lady Priscella. You look absolutely gorgeous today."

A couple of other men and women standing near them added in their compliments as well, all singing praises of the special guest for the evening.

Mikel, however, remained silent and simply returned the greeting with a polite smile. He didn't talk much or join in on their conversations except for the occasional polite nod.

If it was any other day, perhaps Priscella would have noticed his behavior which was a little off, but now she was too preoccupied to observe these small details.

The guests mingled for a while before the royal guards finally showed up. 

They entered in a single file and marched into the huge dining room, silently taking their respective places, standing like statues against the wall.

Their presence had then completely disappeared and if one didn't closely look for them, they probably would not even be noticed. 

They blended into the background like the several exquisite artworks that hung on the walls. 

However, unlike the artwork, these were strong and powerful mages, belonging to one of the most elite armies of the Kingdom. 

They were the King's personal guards and they were with him at all times.

Shortly after the guards took their place, the King arrived, followed by the Queen and then a couple of concubines.

Everyone immediately bowed and greeted his majesty, a respectful silence enveloping the room.

"Alright. Sit down and make yourself comfortable." The King Lucious Zaharia cleared his throat loudly and sat down at the head of the table, the seat of honor.

He looked like a respectable man, a strong domineering air of authority around him. Even though he looked middle-aged, he was extremely energetic and gave out a powerful vibe.

After he waved his hand, the frozen crowd once again moved and the guests quickly and respectfully bowed before the King one by one before taking their seats.

A soothing melody wafted across the dining hall, musicians standing in every corner and entertaining the dinner guests in synchrony.

Maids and servants flitted around here and there and served the guests and a heavenly aroma lingered in the air from the supreme quality meat dishes on the table.

And at the center of the table, laid the head of the Quilin beast which was recently defeated and slaughtered. It was a symbol of the current King's power, so of course, it was proudly displayed.

Several people gawked at it with surprise and reverence, it looked like the beast's head indeed made a wonderful centerpiece.

And as everyone spoke to their neighbors in hushed voices and exchanged greetings, in just a few minutes, dinner was quickly served and everyone's wine glasses were filled to the brim.

The King then once again waved his hand, immediately bringing the low chatter in the room to a standstill.

"Oh! What a wonderful night to dine amidst friends and family!" Lucious chuckled and raised his wine glass, rubbing his clean shaven chin with his other hand.

"Before we dig into this wonderful dinner that is making me salivate, I would like to first share the good news with everyone."

"I am hereby announcing the engagement of my first son Mikel Zaharia to Priscella Durazzo, daughter of Duke Reynolds Durazzo."

"I am very happy to welcome such a beautiful daughter to the house. Please join me in celebrating this happy occasion." 

Mikel and Priscella, both then stood up and politely bowed once to the King and then once facing the other guests.

The King then lifted his wine glass and clinked it with the Duke who was sitting two seats away from him on his right and Mikel who was sitting two seats away from him on his left.

"Salute!" "Salute!" "Salute!" "Salute!" 

"Salute!" "Salute!" "Salute!" "Salute!" 

Everyone cheered for the announcement and the dining hall immediately turned into a boisterous environment with everyone laughing and drinking.

The huge multilayer chandelier which hung at the center of the dining hall brilliantly sparkled and its reflection fell on the several wine glasses that were clinking with each other and cheering for the young couple.

After the main announcement, the music then turned louder and the formal atmosphere changed into a very informal one with everyone freely chatting with each other.

Priscella couldn't stop smiling. She was getting wishes from left and right and she beamed like a young girl in love.

The day she had been dreaming for a long time had finally come to fruition and the thing that she yearned for had finally happened. She couldn't be anymore happier even if she tried.

She put on a shy smile and chatted with everyone, as well as stealing a couple of quick glances at Mikel whenever she got a chance.

He as well seemed just as happy as her and that made her feel very relieved. Whatever small doubt she still harbored prior to tonight had now completely disappeared.

This man in front of her was hers and hers alone and now that the King himself had declared it, nothing and no one could change it.

Even when she was sitting amongst the entire royal family, she still couldn't help but lose focus and daydream about the future that awaited her with the man of her dreams.

"What are you thinking about, my dear?" A voice suddenly sounded, snapping Priscella out of her thoughts.

Oh my gosh! Priscella immediately panicked. It was the Queen herself talking to her!

"Your highness." She smiled sweetly and shook her head as if she was too embarrassed to answer her.

"Ha Ha Ha." The Queen, Lady Eleanor chuckled teasingly. "I already like you, my dear. Such an honest and refreshing young girl!"

"Ahh…" Priscella smiled, inwardly enjoying the compliment. "Your highness, I have prepared a gift for you."

"Oh! Thank you so much, dear. You didn't have to go through so much trouble."

"It is not a trouble at all, your highness. It is my honor."

While the Queen and the soon bride to be Princess continued chatting, the other women sitting around the table looked at Priscella enviously.

King Luscious had five sons including Mikel and six daughters, and Priscella had successfully snatched one of the five golden princes.

What a jackpot! Not many people could grab the good luck of marrying into the royal family! 

After all, there wasn't an endless supply of Princes available and there could be only one official wife.

Of course, the Prince could take several mistresses as he sees fit, but no one wanted to be the unrecognized concubine. It was barely a consolation prize compared to the seat of the official wife.

However, now that the King had made his official announcement, nothing could be done anymore and the women could only continue watching on enviously as Priscella freely mingled with the Queen and the other daughters of the King.

While everyone's eyes were either on Priscella or on Mikel or the King or the last daughter of the King who was dressed a bit too provocatively for the evening, Mikel's eyes alone roamed amidst the flock of maids, who kept flitting about every now and then, refilling the wine glasses and serving everyone.

But unfortunately, the person he was so desperately looking for did not even show up once.

And of course, she didn't show up because Sylvia was intentionally hiding. She didn't want to fall on anyone else's eyes and was determined to keep a low profile for the rest of the night.

Back inside the kitchen, the group of maids giggled and chatted happily in a hushed voice.

"Did you see that? Prince Nicolas grabbed my behind when I walked away from him. I think he might like me?" A young maid coyly exclaimed.

"Are you an idiot? Prince Nicolas is a womanizer. He flirts with everyone. If you are not careful, you will end up losing your virginity to him." Another maid muttered in annoyance, breaking the young girl's bubble.

Ahh… the first girl's face immediately turned sour and she realized how naive she had been.

"Girl. Are you new to the work or what? These men from the noble families and royal families will always flirt and try to bed you, but don't start dreaming."

"They will never ever marry someone from a lower social standing. They care about the dowry and the estates that came along with the marriage."

"Why else do you think they are getting married in the first place?"