The journey from Southege to the Dracfort was by no means short. Even though Southege was the smallest of the keeps, it still took them days to traverse it. Of course, being in a carriage rather than on horseback didn't help matters. The giant box on wheels moved at a terribly slow pace and was limited to the roads, which weren't always the most direct route... anywhere. On the positive side of things, the carriage kept them out of the rain and their backsides did favor them more sitting on a cushioned seat rather than straddling a horse. But, then there was the bumps. The damned, god forsaken bumps. Imogen couldn't tell if the driver was doing it on purpose. The wheel beneath her seemed to find every rock and divot in the road, no matter where she sat in the carriage. It sufficed to say that it made it nearly impossible to try and sleep during their journey.
The interior of the mobile wooden box wasn't all that extravagant, or at least, not to Lady Katherine's standards. Her tastes were only for the finest and most expensive luxuries, which was quickly wearing off on Regina. Lord Percy might have been able to afford the finest and most elaborately decorated carriage, but in his opinion a carriage is a carriage. As long as it got them from point A to point B comfortably, what did it matter if the cushions weren't imported velvet with dove feathers or there wasn't gold embellishments on the outside. Subtle was always best, particularly when traveling across the country. It aided in them passing by relatively unnoticed, which helped them avoid attacks from those whom have a strong disliking for any nobles.
It wasn't an old carriage, but simple. The box was made out of oak, strong and sturdy, painted a dark color as to hide most of the dirt it accumulated through travel. There were two benches of seats inside the cabin that face each other and were adorned in soft cushions. There were candle holders for light whenever the curtains were closed or in the evenings, but Imogen insisted on the curtains being open. She'd rather have the sunlight and fresh air versus the hot stuffy carriage and candle wax burning her whenever the driver hit a bump.
It was finally the last day of travel as they entered the borders of the capital. Lady Katherine insisted that they all dress their best to be presented to the royal family which was pretty, but unbearable to travel in. Regina and Imogen both sat on the rear facing bench in the carriage, while their mother sat across from them. Imogen wore as simple of a dress that she could get away with by her mother's standards while her sister wore an absurd white gown that all but shouted 'marry me.' Even Lady Katherine wore an eccentric gown that begged to be looked at. Luckily for Imogen, this meant she would most likely go unnoticed in her sister's and mother's shadow. She liked the thought of that.
Between the three of them, their dresses consumed the rest of the cabin. Imogen's own gown might not have been that poofy, but what hers laked in size, her mother's and Regina's more than made up from it. They all sat in a sea of fabric up to their waists, which left no room for Lord Percy and Cullen who rode their steeds in pace with the carriage.
Imogen had quickly grown bored by the conversations passing between Regina and her mother. Remember to curtsey, always smile, it's 'your grace' or 'your majesty.' And the list went on. She didn't care about any of that, it was Regina who wanted to be Queen, not her. Imogen had her arms crossed, laying on the window sill with her cheek pressed to her forearms. She watched as trees came and went trying to listen to Cullen and their father talking, lusting after their freedom to be on horseback. She'd even settle for riding on the back of her father's or brother's bike, just out of that damned rolling oven.
"Imogen," her mother's voice nagged after her. "Bring your head in from that window, you're messing up your hair."
She sighed, but did not move. "It's already falling out," she mumbled under her breath while she rolled her eyes teasingly toward Cullen who looked at her when their mother spoke up.
Regina ran her hands along the bodice and skirt of her gown before she spoke up. "Mother," she said softly. "Imogen's hair can hardly be tamed. It was only a matter of time before pieces got a mind of their own.... With or without the aid of the wind." When her sister glanced over her shoulder toward her, Regina smiled softly before looking back at their mother.
Lady Katherine sighed, pursing her lips as she looked back upon her eldest daughter. She leaned forward to tuck a loose strand of Regina's hair back into its place, then smiled. "It's true, neither of your siblings were gifted with my formiddable hair such as yourself. Poor Cullen and Imogen... They got your father's wild curls."
Lord Percy's horse trotted up to the side of the carriage where Imogen's head rested upon her arms in the window. "What is troubling you, my little possum?" He asked her as he extended his hand to brush her cheek.
Imogen smiled, raising her head slightly. "I envy you both on your horses. I'm going mad in this wheel house... I might suffocate under all of this fabric."
Her father chuckled, shaking his head, not in disapproval but light heartedness. He then leaned his head down to her level and whispered. "Your mother might end me if I let you out on your horse in your new fine clothes." When he sat up right he continued, "But, we brought Gus," he motioned over his shoulder toward her horse, whose reigns were strapped to her brother's saddle. "And, I promise that you can ride him as much as you want after tonight."
"But, look at him, Father," Imogen said as she motioned to Gus. "He needs me! If Cullen's giant arse gets on him it'll kill him!"
"Hilarious," Cullen said as he rode his horse behind their father. "You may want to be nicer, dear sister. I do, quite literally, hold the reigns of your prized horse in my hands."
"You mean in your meat hooks?"
Instead of acting insulted or firing back with his own quip, Cullen reached his hand under his jack and pulled out a cluster of thin green vines covered in small leaves and white flowers. "Well, me and my meat hooks were going to give you these, but now I think I'll just feed them to Gus."
Imogen's eyes immediately widened as she practically jumped out of her seat, extending half of her body out the window to try and snatch the plant from her brother. Southern Vines were her favorite plant. Since she was a young girl, Imogen often made necklaces for her siblings from it or interweaved the vines in her red locks. When she was a child, after of months of begging, her father finally let her put some of the vines in her room, allowing the petite plant to grow its way around her windows and through the beams in her ceiling. It didn't seam like much to most people, but since the moment they left their home she has been incredibly homesick. She had no idea the plant even grew this far north, but seeing something that strongly reminded her of home made her cheerful, if only for a moment.
"Imogen!" her mother hissed, appauled at her daughter as she practically flung herself through the window at Cullen. "You are making a scene! Get back in the carriage at once!"
Ignoring her mother, she remained half out the window holding her hand outstretched toward her brother. "Have I ever told you that you are the most wonderful brother in the entire world?" She grinned, smiling her innocent yet cheeky grin that stretched from ear to ear and was as contagious as the plague.
"I am your only brother," Cullen replied dryly. As much as he wanted to bate his sister a bit longer, he caved quickly. With a sigh and a roll of his eyes, he handed the Southern Vine over to Imogen. The moment he saw the vine a mile back down the road he knew he had to stop and pick it. It had seemed that the farther away from home they got, Imogen grew quieter and more sullen. It was her first time away from Southege, and he could tell she already missed it. Their mother might not have noticed, or cared. Hell, she was probably happy that her youngest seemed the most tame she has been in her entire life. But Cullen could tell she wasn't temporarily tamed, just caged. So, if a small flower could bring her a moment of happiness, it made it all worth it.
Imogen let herself fold back into the carriage, sitting back in her seat. She turned toward Regina, smiling happily as she showed her sister what Cullen got her. "Ginny, can you help me?"
Regina smiled down at the vines her sister coveted in her hands. Funny, how something so small and simple could bring her happiness. She noticed her sister hadn't been herself since they left home. Cullen's act was kind and for just a moment, she could see the young girl Imogen once was beneath the woman she now was. She leaned forward slightly to make eye contact with her brother, flashing him a smile of thanks. They both worried so much about their younger sister, although he showed it more often than Regina did. It was a fine line she tiptoed between doting older sister and an elegant, sophisticated daughter. She parted her lips to respond to her sister, only for her mother to speak up first.
"What do you think you are doing?" Lady Katherine sat opposite the two girls, with her hands perfectly cupped, resting in the heap of fabric that was her lap. She wasn't amused in the slightest, sparing Cullen a displeased glance before looking back toward Imogen. It took her the better part of the journey to the capital, and then again that morning to get her youngest to quit her fussing and dress like some semblance of a Lady. If Percy wouldn't have intervened, Imogen would be wearing a dress similar to her own and Regina's. Something rose in color, heavily embellished with that mess of red curls pulled back taut and styled like a Lady's should be. She was certain of one of two things would happen when presented to the royals, either her daughter would go unnoticed in comparison to Regina... Or worse, she would stand out like a sore thumb in their presence and potentially disgrace the family.
"Mother?" Regina asked with a sigh.
"What kind of message do you think that would send? A Mercier, your sister arriving at the capital to meet with the royals... with weeds in her hair?"
"That she's being herself?" Cullen responded from outside the carriage, leaning over his horse to look in through the window of the carriage. "True, authentic, Imogen." He glanced back over toward his sister, briefly flashing her a supportive smile.
Imogen slowly turned in her seat to face Lady Katherine. "You are wanting to impress the Prince with Regina, not me? What does it matter... What I look like?"
Lord Percy pulled his horse around to the other side of the carriage. "Kitty, she wore the dress like you asked. Let her do her hair how she pleases."
Lady Katherine pursed her lips looking bettween Imogen and her father. She sat back in her seat and proceeded to shift her gaze toward the approaching capital and the castle that lived in the middle of it all. They were drawing near. In minutes they would be at the keep and everything would change.
When her mother didn't seem to argue or say anything else, Regina motion her index finger in a gesture to get Imogen to turn around. Regina pulled the pins from her sister's hair and then ran her fingers through the locks, detangling them gently. Unlike her own hair, Immy's was thick with tight curls much like Cullen's. It was wild and didn't like to be held down. So, instead of trying to force the hair in ways it didn't want to go, Regina slowly french braided the main, weaving the Southern vines through the curls. As she worked, she intentionally pulled out stray curls at Imogen's temple, base of the neck and a few that framed her face. With some vines left, she looked down between the plant in her hands and the back of her sister's head. She then tied a careful knot without snapping the foliage and placed it over Imogen's headlike a necklace. "There," Regina concluded while squeezing her sister's shoulders tenderly.
Just as Regina finished the braid, the carriage slowly came to a halt. She slid over to the window of the carriage, her hands holding onto the windowsill as she leaned forward, looking up in awe. It was hard to believe there was that much stone in the whole, let alone in a single castle. She had always thought their own castle was large, but it was a stable compared to the King's Keep. It would take hours to get from one end to the other. The towers stretched so high that they disappeared into the clouds. She imagined that she could scream at the top of her lungs and someone in the tallest tower wouldn't be able to hear. It was glorious. Regina couldn't help but imagine herself living in this very castle. Images of herself with a crown on top of her head, seated before hundreds of Courtmoor's most loyal subjects flashed through her mind. Funny how everything that flooded her thoughts about the potential and hopeful future of her in this place didn't involve the Prince. He was a technicality but nothing more. She hoped he was attractive, smart and kind like the rumors said. But he could have been old, fat and ugly... It would have made no difference. Not as long as she became Queen.
Her daydreaming was cut short when her father opened the door, causing the carriage to rock slightly. He smiled to the three of them in the small wooden box, before extending his hand toward their mother. "My love?" Without reply or hesitation, she took his hand anddescended down the steps out of the carriage. Following was Cullen, who held his hand out for Regina. Her dress was big and cumbersome, but she descended the steps without getting caught up once. She's spent her whole life preparing for this moment and she was convinced she could accomplish anything, especially in a corset and giant gown.
Imogen was reluctant to leave the carriage, sitting idly by as she watched her mother and sister step out. She had been dying to get out of this damned wheel house since they first left Southege, but now that they were at the castle she didn't want to get out.
"Hey Im, are you coming?" Cullen asked, leaning his head in through the door.
She gave him a nervous smile, but didn't move.
"Come on," he added as he climbed the steps into the carriage, taking a seat next to her. "If I was cooped up in here for hours, I'd want to get out as quickly as possible... And if you don't get out soon, mother will come in for you and she won't be as friendly as me."
Imogen chuckled before exhaling a deep breath. She waited for Cullen to get up and exit the carriage. As he stepped off, the cabin swayed, causing Imogen to reach out and steady herself with the frame of the door. "God, you ogre, no wonder mother made you ride on a horse. One bump and your big arse would break the carriage."
Cullen crossed his arms over his chest, pursing his lips as he waited for Imogen to exit the carriage. The second she started down the steps he kicked the cabin, causing the entire coach to sway. Imogen lost her balance on the steps between the swaying and her dress. She would have most likely fallen on her face if he did reach out and grab her before she fell. When he sat her down on the ground, she turned around and punched him in the arm. "You bastard!"
"Imogen!" her mother snapped at her, staring daggers at her and Cullen. "Can the two of you please behave for an evening?" Lady Katherine snapped her fingers motioning for Cullen and Imogen follow them inside. "And watch your language, young Lady."
Imogen sighed and rolled her eyes. She then bowed her head while doing a curtsey toward her mother in an onry fashion. "Yes, mother." The moment her mother turned around and took Lord Percy's arm, Imogen balled up her fist and slammed it into Cullen's arm.
"You hit like a girl," Cullen taunted. When Imogen went to hit him again, he flinched and stepped out of the way. He held up his hands in a surrendering manner. "Easy there, killer. I don't want to bruise."
"Worried I'll damage your petals, Petunia?" Imogen chuckled, scooping up handfuls of her dress to lift her skirt from the ground. She quickly ascended the stairs after Regina, weaving between her parents as Cullen chased after her. It didn't take long for him to gain on her. When she reached the landing before the great doors, Cullen's arms slipped around her waist from behind and hoisted her up from the ground.
Lady Katherine hastened her way up the stairs after them, fuming and red faced. She reached the two as Cullen held a fighting Imogen off the ground, who squirmed and kicked. Katherine raised her hand, ready to back hand one of them.
Percy hurried up the stairs after her. "Katherine," he called after her just before the large double doors opened.
Imogen elbowed her brother in the side before he set her back down on her feet gently, staring between their enraged mother and the servants that greated them at the entrance. The servant that was dressed slightly nicer than the others stepped forward, clearing his throat as he adjusted his jacket. "Lord and Lady Mercier, welcome to the Dracfort Keep. The King and Queen have asked me to escort you to the throne room to be presented, while your belongings are taken to your chambers. Lord Percy and Lady Katherine, your chambers shall be in the Eastern Wing with the other Lords and Ladies while your children will be given individual rooms off the West Wing. If you would please follow me, I shall take you to the throne room presently."
The servant nodded his head to all of them before pivoting and starting down the hall. Imogen moved out of the way to allow her parents to pass, but when Lady Katherine stood beside her, she grabbed a hold of her arm pulling her close. "You will behave, or so help me, Imogen." She remained silent, simply nodding her head as her mother released her grip and followed after the servant with her father in tow. Imogen's attention shifted toward the servants that scurried outside and began to remove the trunks that were packed on the carriage.
When she noticed no one in her family was paying her any mind, she took hold of her skirt and hurried down the steps after them. "Hello," she called after the two servants with a gentle smile.
Before she could continue, the both of them bowed and said in unison, "Lady Mercier."
"Oh, no no... Please, you don't need to do that." Imogen closed the distance to them, placing her hand on their shoulders so that they would stand upright. "You can call me Imogen." The two young men looked between each other, slightly confused and then a little relieved as if they were worried she was going to scold them. "What are your names?"
They hesitated for a moment before the brunette one stepped forward, "I'm Edward, m'lady... er, Imogen. And this is Alexander." He motioned to the blonde beside him.
Imogen smiled, extending her hand to shake both of theirs. "It is very nice to meet you both. I just wanted to let you know that the red leather trunk with gold trimming is my mother's trunk. She's very particular about that and would be quite upset if the belongings got mixed up. The brown leather one on top is my father's and the three off the back are mine and my siblings. Cullen's is the dirty one, Regina's is blue and mine is the one with the flowers."
"Oh," Alexander replied, glancing over his shoulder toward the carriage then back toward her. "Thank you, m'Lady."
"Imogen! Hurry up now!" her mother called after her from down the hall.
Imogen quickly dug two gold coins from beneath the neckline of her dress, hidden in her corset and handed one to each of them. "It's Imogen," she smiled gently. "Make sure you both have a good dinner." She then scooped up her dress and ran up the steps as fast as she could manage in those ridiculous clothes. She hurried down the long hall after her family, doing her best to smile and nod at the servants she passed. With her attention elsewhere, she slammed into the back of Cullen as he stood still waiting for another set of large doors to open.
Cullen glanced over his shoulder down at his sister, laughing as she stumbled backwards after running into him. "Graceful as always, sister."
The servants opened the doors before them, revealing the grand throne room. To say this room was large was definitely an understatement. The ceiling was over three stories high, decorated in ellaborate murals and golden embellishments. Three crystal chandeliers illuminated the room, and each must have had at least one hundred candles upon it. Over a dozen marble columns lined the long hall down toward the alter that held the thrones of the King and Queen, along with the Prince's and Princesses' on a lower tier. The room, no doubt, wasn't only the throne and audience room, but looked to be a ballroom of sorts as well. Imogen nearly tripped over the hem of her dress as she walked, staring up at the ceiling in awe rather than where she was walking.
Lord and Lady Mercier came to a halt a few feet in front of the alter before the royals. The servant stepped forward, giving a formal bow toward the DeGray's before turning sideways, motioning toward them. "Your Majesties, I present to you Lord Percy and Lady Katherine Mercier, Lords and Wardens of Southege."
Percy and Katherine bowed and curtsied before the royals before Lord Percy stepped forward. "Your Grace, I wanted to thank you for your invitation and hospitality. We are ever thankful and grateful to be in your presence for the festivities. May I present to you our children." Lady Katherine stepped aside revealing her children standing in line with one another. "Our eldest, and future Lord of Southege, Cullen."
Cullen stepped forward and swept back the tail of his cloak as he lowered to one knee in a bow. His ginger curls fell forward as he tilted his head downward. He then stood back up and smiled toward the royals. "It is a pleasure to finally meet our strong and wise King. And your Grace," he shifted his attention toward the Queen. "The rumors of your beauty do you no justice. The King is truly a lucky man to behold such beauty every day." He bowed once more before moving to stand to the side. Cullen cupped his hands before him, and when he caught glimpse of the Queen, he smirked slightly before sending her a subtle wink.
"Our eldest daughter, Regina."
Regina took a deep breath. This was her moment. Her hands trembled slightly as she grabbed ahold of her skirts and stepped forward. Her curtsey was so perfect and effortless that she was able to lower herself to the ground while keeping her spine erect. Once lowered, she nodded her head and then slowly rose. She moved her hands to gently cup before her as she addressed them all. "All my life I have been waiting for the chance to finally meet you all, your majesties." With that, her gaze lingered on the Prince for a moment. He was handsome, much more than whispers mentioned. He was nearly as tall as her brother and even in his formal attire, she could tell he was muscular as well. He had a strong jawline with a small cleft, dark, perfectly coiffed locks and mesmerizing blue eyes. "It is truly a pleasure to be in your wonderful presence. I look forward to getting to know and learn from you all." Regina didn't want to say too much, not for her first presentation. So, she simply curtsied once more and stepped aside to stand beside Cullen.
"And finally, our youngest daughter, Imogen."
Imogen tried to remind herself to breath as she stepped forward. Her mother's voice rang in her mind. 'A curtsey must be slow and elegant. Bend at the knees, not the waist and be sure to keep your back straight as if it is a glass holding water. Your back knee should come all the way down until it brushes the floor before you stand upright again.' She tried her best to heed her mother's words, repeating them in her head as she slowly lowered herself. Luckily, the skirt of her dress was too narrow to accomplish a curtsey as perfect and low as her sister's, so what she lacked in grace was masked by the tighter dress. When she stood back upright, her gaze lingered on the Prince for a moment who's own gaze was direct and strong, almost instantly bringing a blush to her cheeks. Unlike her siblings, she was at a loss for words at the situation, and if she parted her lips, no doubt she'd say something her mother would scold her about later. So, instead of upsetting her mother, she nodded her head once more and moved to the side. Once she felt the attention was off her and focused on the other nobles being presented, Imogen finally breathed, letting her face fall into her right palm as her left hand held her waist.
"He's handsome, don't you think?" Regina asked.
Imogen lifted her face from her hand, looking over at her sister slightly confused, only hearing the end of what she said. "What?"
"The Prince," Regina clerified, nodding her head toward Prince Declan. "He's quite handsome. I know the rumors said so, but you can't hold much stalk in hearsay."
"Oh... Yes, very handsome." Imogen's gaze drifted toward the Prince once more. She hadn't spent much thought on the whispers of others and what the Prince was like. Regina had always been the one mother prepared to marry into royalty, so Imogen never bothered herself with any of it. Honestly, until their mother was testing her sister in the carriage, she didn't even know his name. Not that he'd know anything about herself, or care compared to her sister. "You both will make a handsome match," Imogen reassured, smiling toward her sister.
Regina let out a soft sigh of relief, slipping her right arm around Imogen's left. "You think so?"
"Yes, of course."
"You know who I think is handsome?" Cullen asked as he appeared behind the two, hooking an arm around either of their shoulders as his head poked between theirs. "That Queen," he answered his own question, pointing toward her. "She is more attractive than half of the noble women in here combined."
Imogen chuckled while Regina spoke with hushed tones, "I think the entire room knows whom you are found of. Maybe next time you should save your flirtations for more private conversations?"
"No, I think I'm fine." Cullen smirked, looking back toward the Queen. "It's more fun... complimenting someone where the whole world can hear. It makes them flustered and bashful, yet... hot. Nothing gets a woman going more than a man able to give her a compliment, unafraid of watching eyes."
