Smother The Fire

The stern faces of my ancestors seemed to be mocking me from the portraits hanging proudly in my fathers office. I always felt small and insignificant, sitting here in this uncomfortable stuffed chair feeling judged and found lacking by paintings of people long dead.

Right below, behind an imposing oak desk was my father, looking just as stern as all the kings and queens before him. His portrait would fit right in with theirs, I thought bitterly. I hadn't seen any sign of softness in his face for a long time. His smile was reserved for my mother and Charlotte, on the rare occasion that we all spent time together. His lips were currently pressed in a firm line and his bushy eyebrows were nearly touching from the frown that seemed stuck on his face. The negotiations were not going well for us. The trade routes that Aurelius had been trying to secure monopoly of were not something the two men sitting between me and father were willing to relinquish easily and that's what I was here for.
Sitting behind them, in a simple but fine dress it was my task to make sure everything was going according to plan.

The negotiation had been going on for weeks now, which gave me and my magic enough time to study the foreign ambassadors and discover the motives that would make the two men yield the routes to us. I had been following the two, Lord David and his advisor, around for the whole two weeks they have been here, while acting like the spoiled princess they expected me to be. David was my age, so this time it was not that hard pretending that I, the apple of my fathers eye, was head over heels for the admittedly ruggedly handsome man.

Everything had been perfectly staged, from inviting them with stupid lovestruck smiles to have tea with me multiple times a week, to wearing nearly inappropriately low cut dresses. Being prideful would not benefit my country's political gain. If I just had to endure leering looks and make myself seem like a simpering fool to help my family succeed then I would do it gladly, for just an ounce of the love that Charlotte received daily.

Keeping my king's face in my periphery I continued studying the familiar room, waiting for my sign to get to work. The wall to my left was filled with books that I had been forced to study most of.

When I was younger the smell of books comforted me but now there were not a lot left, that hadn't been tainted with memories of pain and suffering. I wondered which memory would be spoiled for me today. From my seat next to the door the sun seemed to paint the books in a glowing gold. We had been sitting here for hours, my father and me dancing a well curated dance that was soon to come to an end, if the setting sun was anything to go by. It really was getting late.

"Your highness, as I have told you before, no matter what you offer us, we are not able to give you monopoly over the west sea trade route. We have a standing agreement with Estria, first and foremost, and we are not willing to annul a hundred fifty year old contract just because you are offering us a marginally better price for the goods. This meeting is not getting us anywhere."

It was quite impressive that David was brave enough to be this crude with father. Usually ambassadors would try to bend over backwards for the demands that he makes. I felt an ounce of pity for the admirable young man that will soon be crushed under my fathers ambitions, but I silenced my feelings quickly. Now was not the right time for soft emotions.

"David, you and I both know that Estria could never offer you the prices that I am willing to pay for this route. You really should reconsider which country you would want to receive aid from, should the need arise. This agreement is not only for trade, but could also open doors to closer relationships in the years to come. Very close relationships."

I made sure to plaster on my prettiest smile for the two ambassadors that turned around to look at me appraisingly after my fathers rather blatant words. He often implied a possible marriage to me as a political offer, but he had yet to follow through with any of them. The offer was just another thing to sweeten the pot and I was too valuable as a political pawn to be married away at my 21 years. I fluffed up my long caramel hair and lowered my head to look up to David shily, just like I had been taught to do.