Before the selection could even start, the identity of the Crown Princess of Megaris was already determined.
Baroness Esther Burton, a common-born lady granted a noble title after earning the friendship of the Ivanovs.
The news shook not only the capital but the entire kingdom, and though there were many voices of dissatisfaction, especially among the highest-ranking nobles, they had no choice but to respect the decision of Prince Theron, more so since he had the full support of the royal family.
The preparation for the wedding took about three months. Upon receiving the invitations, even the territory lords governing the most distant lands hurried towards Blackhelm, not wanting to miss the grand occasion of their future sovereigns. As it was the wedding of the heir apparent of the King of Megaris, the invitations were sent not only to the kingdom's noble households but also to the royal families and distinguished personages from the other kingdoms in the continent.
Days before the wedding, the diplomatic parties coming in from other kingdoms started to arrive one by one, and as these guests flocked to the capital of Megaris, it caused the city to be especially lively. The local nobles used this chance to socialize with the foreign guests before the wedding day itself.
Of course, these gatherings meant sharing interesting stories and creating useful connections between the guests. However, most of their conversations centred on a single topic—the mysterious background of the Crown Princess chosen by Prince Theron himself.
Regarding Esther's identity, there were many gossip spreading among the nobles, especially those who worked within the royal palace, but no one dared to be vocal about them due to the fact that the royal family favoured Esther. People would only talk about it among family or their closest acquaintances, especially after she was publicly granted a barony by King Esteban himself.
However, after the relationship between Esther and the Crown Prince was confirmed, people decided to voice out their disappointment during social gatherings like tea parties and banquets, in particular those nobles hailing from the families with daughters qualified to be the Crown Prince's main wife. They could not accept the fact that suddenly a woman with an unknown origin had taken that most sought after position meant for the young ladies of their families.
When the foreign diplomats were invited by these nobles, the ladies in attendance did not stop themselves from throwing casual insults towards Esther, though of course they masked their hostility with smiles and banters.
"Baroness Burton? Is she not a lovely woman? She must have enchanted the prince with her beauty. Alas, the Crown Prince is an upright young man who had little interaction with ladies. The Baroness sure is lucky to be able to attract his attention."
"Oh? It did take about a year, didn't it? Wasn't she the Queen's maidservant before? She must have loved doing menial chores in exchange for having a chance to meet the prince."
"What? The Baroness used to be a maidservant?"
"Did you not know? When I came there, she even poured my tea. Maybe she mixed a love potion every time she poured tea for the prince."
"Maybe she sprayed something along with her perfume whenever she would accompany the Queen and Crown Prince during their walks."
"Worse, maybe she used some dark spell, or else there is no way Prince Theron would pay attention to a low-born woman like her."
"I bet she begged the Queen to grant her a noble title because she's eyeing the Crown Prince."
"Oh my, that's terrible!"
"Maybe not only the Crown Prince, perhaps she also used a spell on the Queen."
"You make the most hilarious jokes, but if you think about it, it makes sense. The Queen has brought her to the palace after picking her up from some faraway forest. I am sure she must know witchcraft."
"Shush, do not let others hear you."
"Oh, Countess. We are all friends here. I trust you will keep your lips sealed."
"But what if she is really a witch?"
"Then I pity the Crown Prince."
"Look, there is no other explanation as to why Prince Theron is so into her and sees no other woman. He even turned down the invitation to the birthday celebration of the granddaughter of Duke Walter. I heard he also ignored the third lady of the House of Rulf when she asked to be granted an audience."
"You ladies are so funny. Do witches even exist?"
"Alas, Madame. I forget you came from Griven. My grandmother always used to say that in ancient times, magical creatures lived on the land where our kingdom was first built. It was the friendship of the dragon and phoenix that allowed the then Patriarch of the Ivanov Family to create the Kingdom of Megaris."
"True! I heard that legend from my mother as well. According to her, those witches still live among us but we can't identify them because they look no different from humans."
"If Baroness Esther is truly a witch, then what will happen to Prince Theron and this kingdom?"
Silence enveloped the group of ladies, their expressions incomprehensible.
"Well, we can't do anything," one lady sighed. "We can only keep our mouths shut and pretend ignorance, or else we would offend the witch who will be our queen."
The day of the Crown Prince's wedding celebration finally arrived.
The entire capital of Megariswas bustling in excitement. Though the wedding itself would be held within the palace and only those given invitations could attend, the common folks could not refrain themselves from joining in the merrymaking and decorated the streets and the piers with red flowers and ribbons.
Unlike the nobles, the ordinary people were happy with the marriage between Prince Theron and Esther. Esther had been popular among the people ever since she saved Queen Theodora's life. When they found out that she was chosen to become the Crown Princess, the response of the public was favourable. After all, it was a story out of a fairy tale for someone with a lowly birth to be able to wed into royalty.