After returning to Evanna’s quarters and freshening up and changing into a dress of gold and blue from the latest season, the princess had her meal in her room, ignoring her father’s request to eat with the family. It was something she had started to do recently, and her father was still against her not sitting with them. Maggie tried to plead with her, but Evanna stubbornly replied that she would not eat then until lunch. She was soon served a hearty cooked meal.
Evanna went to her first class of the morning after a light stroll from her meal in her garden, avoiding unwanted attention. Now, she was sitting in her embroidery class with Isabel and a few of her lackeys. It was the most painful experience she would ever go through, one that made her mind go numb, her finger pricked from the needle and her irritation barely kept at bay from her sister’s ongoing commentary.
A knock at the door to the emerald drawing-room gained their attention, and Sir Hugh entered with a deep bow. "Your highnesses."
Evanna lowered her embroidery hoop, ignoring the snickers from the girls sitting across from her, eying her attempt at a floral pattern. Isabel sat upright, her eyes beaming and her feet fidgeting in anticipation. Sir Hugh’s appearance only meant one thing. King Osian wished to see one of them, and usually, it was her elder sister.
"I apologise, Ms Scarlett, for the interruption," Sir Hugh smiled apologetically at their teacher.
"There is no apology needed, Sir Hugh. Please," Ms Scarlett gestured for the knight to enter the room more as she picked up her own embroidery again.
The knight took a few more steps into the room and looked at Evanna. "His Majesty has requested your presence."
Evanna ignored the searing gaze from her sister and nodded at Sir Hugh before rising from her seat. "Ms Scarlett, thank you for today’s lesson." She held onto her embroidery, gripping it tightly, refusing to leave it behind where Isabel would probably use it to some scheme of hers.
The princess walked behind her father’s most trusted knight, her footsteps echoing quietly behind him in the comfortable silence. He led her to the King’s study, knocking and waiting for his answer before opening the door for the princess and bowing at King Osian. "Princess Evanna, Sire." He bowed before closing the doors behind him, leaving the King to stare at his daughter disapprovingly.
Evanna tilted her chin slightly higher, ignoring the gut-wrenching feeling and the need to fidget with her hands. "Good morning, father," She smiled, curtsying.
Osian flapped his hand and leaned back in his chair with a sigh as he rested his hand against his temple, staring at her. "Enough, Evanna. Sit." He tilted his chin to the chair across from his mahogany desk.
Holding back a sigh, she sat down elegantly. Her father’s eyes watched her movements, and he smiled, shaking his head. "You grow more and more like your mother," He said fondly before his eyes hardened. "Now, are you going to explain your absence at breakfast to me?"
Evanna raised a brow with a slight attitude. "Must I really explain? I merely sit there for your wife’s entertainment to see me squirm under her annoying remarks. I would much prefer to sit by myself or spend my time with MY mother." Evanna smiled politely though it did not reach her eyes.
Osian sighed and ran his hand through the side of his golden hair. "I have not seen you in almost a week. The rare chances I have seen you are when you are training with your bow or returning to your bed chamber for the evening."
It had been a while, and his schedule was always busy, though she did wonder how he was free right now to have fitted her in. Evanna did not mind; it stopped her from pricking her skin with that needle. Speaking of which, she was still holding onto her awful embroidery; she looked to place it in the bin, but her father reached out and took it.
"No, father!" She clambered forwards to retrieve it, but her father twisted to the side, looking at what she’d done. It was complete, but it looked like a six-year-old had attempted it.
"This is exactly what I need, thank you. I will cherish it." Osian smiled proudly and folded up the material placing it to the side.
A father’s love really was blind.
Osian cleared his throat. "I wish for you to attend tomorrow morning," He said, then held his hand up before she could protest. "Do not make me order you, Evanna."
"A threat in itself is technically ordering me in a roundabout way.." Evanna remarked with a raised brow. She wanted to request to eat breakfast with him and her mother at least twice a week, but she knew it would never happen. They ate dinner together fortnightly, her odd little family of three, and even that was too much for Queen Eleanor and his ’real family’.
Evanna could not deny that she was jealous of her siblings and the Queen. But she never let it get to her; that would be lowering herself to Isabel’s level.
"Evanna, one of these days, your smart responses will get you into more trouble than you expect," Osian replied, lowering his hand to the desk and tapping his finger on the letter opener he left there. "You will come to breakfast for the next week. That is not a request. Anyway, breakfast was not the only reason for our meeting now.. I received a letter from King Horik.."
Evanna leaned forwards slightly, though she already knew the contents of the letter from her father’s expression. "Prince Conrad won’t be here until winter. He is urgently needed in Hatherland first. But at least he can enjoy Dunhurst’s winter. Hatherland is brutally cold in the winter there."
Evanna smiled softly though her heart dropped. She was expecting as much, but she knew Conrad would not be visiting her in the winter because this was now the fourth letter pertaining to the prince’s visit being delayed. She looked to the window behind her father and hoped her friend was okay.