Chapter Thirteen: Dinner with the In-laws

After the bath, the Prince picked her up in his arms and carried her into the bedroom, where he sat her down on the bed. Taking a cloth, he dried her off very carefully before tending to his own wet body.

Sliding off the bed, the Princess opened the trunk at the foot of the bed. Like the Queen's dress earlier, all of these gowns were beautiful, but thin. There was not a corset in sight, or any shoes. Did they all hate shoes? She'd seen the Princes and King wear them , so why was everyone barefoot now? She pushed the thought aside as she took a lilac dress from the chest and slid it on, leaving her hair down since it was still a bit damp. She also put on a shawl that she found nearby. She was a little uncomfortable being dressed in something so thin, but maybe this was just the custom here?

Xavier had changed as well, and this time just wore pants and a looser shirt. Also...no shoes.

He looked once at her then gestured towards the door. She supposed that meant it was time to go, but she really wished he would speak more and tell her what was going on. Just a few details here and there would have been fantastic...but hey....she really couldn't complain. The guy was gorgeous and had been nothing but kind to her. So what if he was a little odd, she really wasn't one to speak on that matter.

The couple made their way to a dinning hall in the castle. The table had five settings, and so Anne quickly realized that Nicole was not invited to family dinners. Maybe it was because she was technically a handmaiden and not at the rank of Anne and her in-laws? Regardless, she really couldn't argue about it.

Anne took a seat on one side of the table, Xavier to her left. The King sat at the head of the table, and to his left was Xavier, to his right was the Queen. To the Queen's right was the younger prince. Okay...so everyone was sat according to their status in the family from what she was seeing. This was normal. Her own father sat at the head of the table at home, and her mother to his right.

The King looked at his family, then his eyes settled on the Princess. "Daughter, I want you to think of this as your home. We want you to be happy here, but...there are some rules that we need to explain. I have already addressed this issues with your lady as well, so there is no misunderstanding."

The King paused a moment then continued. "You can move freely in the castle. Nothing here is restricted for you, but when you leave the palace you must be escorted by guards. You are new here, and unaware of certain....differences among people in the town. I would also request that you limit communication with your family. The people are uneasy about your presence here, and for now it would be best if they did not see you communicating with your family."

Oh. The people thought she was a spy. Why did that make her so sad?

"I understand, and agree....father." Now that she was married to Xavier, she commanded a lot of power in her own right. Of course the people would be nervous. They knew little to nothing about her, except that she was the daughter of their enemy. She understood their concerns, and agreed with the King's requests of her. It was simply enough to avoid writing home. It was custom for a new bride to devote herself only to her new family, to show her loyalty and love to them. So she had been prepared to do this from the get-go. Still, it was a bit sad. She adored her mother.

Now that things were settled, dinner was served and the family could relax a little.